Downfall

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a remarkably strong performance profile in Downfall, a horror title from 2016. Across all tested resolutions and presets, the combo never dips below an average of 58.1 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data indicates that this pairing is more than capable of handling the game's demands, with the most significant performance headroom appearing at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 300 FPS on Low settings at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination shows a clear scaling pattern tied to both resolution and graphical preset. At 3840x2160 (4K), the average frame rates are 94.8 FPS on High, 117 FPS on Medium, 142.2 FPS on Low, and 58.1 FPS on Ultra. The jump from Ultra to High at this resolution is substantial, representing a 63% increase in average FPS, which suggests that the Ultra preset introduces a significant workload that the RTX 4070 cannot fully sustain at 4K.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance improves considerably across the board. The average frame rates are 150.6 FPS on High, 181.1 FPS on Medium, 221.2 FPS on Low, and 93.8 FPS on Ultra. At this resolution, even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains an average well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, indicating that 1440p is the sweet spot for maximizing visual fidelity without compromising smoothness.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combination exhibits exceptional performance, with average frame rates of 211.7 FPS on High, 257.6 FPS on Medium, 313.5 FPS on Low, and 133.6 FPS on Ultra. The 1080p results highlight that the CPU-GPU pairing is rarely the bottleneck, as even the Ultra preset delivers over twice the playable threshold. The data shows that the scaling from 1440p to 1080p is nearly linear for the High preset, with only a 41% increase in FPS, whereas the Ultra preset sees a more modest 42% uplift, suggesting that the GPU's rasterization limits begin to surface at higher settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data, the Intel Core i9-14900K sits very close to several other high-end processors in average benchmark scores. The Intel Core i9-14900KF is the closest match, with an average score of 79371, which is just 0.3% lower than the 14900K's score of 79097. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and AMD EPYC 7413 are also nearby, with scores of 79574 and 80041, respectively, representing deltas of -0.6% and -1.2% relative to the 14900K. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, which is 1.7% lower. In practical terms for Downfall, any of these CPUs would yield nearly identical frame rates, as the game is not exceptionally CPU-intensive at the tested resolutions.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648, placing it adjacent to the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628, 0.1% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507, 0.4% higher). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 1.3% higher, while the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157, 1.3% lower. These deltas are small enough that, in Downfall, the RTX 4070 and its rivals would produce nearly indistinguishable average FPS figures, particularly at 1080p and 1440p where the GPU is not the primary limiter. The data suggests that if a user already owns one of these alternative GPUs, the performance difference in this specific title would be minor, typically within a few frames per second.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a combo rank of 823 out of 3716 total combinations. This places it in the top 22% of all tested hardware pairings for Downfall. The percentileVsAllCpus and percentileVsAllGpus data support this position, with the CPU sitting in the 95th percentile and the GPU in the 81st percentile. The ranking reflects that while the CPU is exceptionally strong, the GPU holds the combo back from reaching the very top tier of performance. For context, the top-ranked combos in the database would likely pair the same CPU with a more powerful GPU, such as an RTX 4090-class card, which would push 4K Ultra frame rates well beyond the 58.1 FPS observed here. However, for a 1440p or 1080p gaming scenario, this rank is more than adequate, as the combo consistently delivers high frame rates across all settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Downfall at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 58.1, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which achieves 94.8 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, but Ultra is the best setting, delivering an average of 93.8 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900KF?

A: The Core i9-14900KF has an average benchmark score of 79371, which is 0.3% lower than the Core i9-14900K's score of 79097. In Downfall, this difference is negligible.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more likely to bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the high frame rates (up to 313.5 FPS on Low) indicate that the GPU is still the primary determinant of performance, but the CPU's strong single-thread score of 2262.5 in Cinebench R23 ensures it does not become a limiting factor.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between 4K High and 4K Ultra?

A: The difference is 36.7 FPS, with 4K High averaging 94.8 FPS and 4K Ultra averaging 58.1 FPS.

*Q: Does the RTX 4070's performance in Downfall align with its benchmark percentile?*

A: The RTX 4070 sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, and its performance in Downfall is consistent with that ranking, showing strong results at 1440p and below but struggling with the most demanding 4K preset.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i9-14900K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 shifts noticeably as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the clear performance driver, as evidenced by the wide spread between Low (313.5 FPS) and Ultra (133.6 FPS). The CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads, along with its high boost clock of 6.00 GHz, provide ample headroom to feed the GPU, but the frame rate is ultimately capped by the GPU's rendering throughput. The data shows that at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 179.9 FPS, which is a 134% variation, underscoring the GPU's dominance.

At 2560x1440, the CPU's role becomes slightly more pronounced as the GPU begins to work harder, but the GPU still dominates. The scaling from Low (221.2 FPS) to Ultra (93.8 FPS) represents a 127.4 FPS difference, or a 136% variation. This is nearly identical to the 1080p scaling, suggesting that the CPU is not yet a bottleneck at 1440p. The CPU's high single-core performance, reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2262.5, ensures that it can keep up with the GPU's demands even at lower resolutions where frame rates are exceptionally high.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload increases dramatically, and the CPU's influence wanes. The scaling from Low (142.2 FPS) to Ultra (58.1 FPS) is 84.1 FPS, a 145% variation, which is the largest relative difference across all resolutions. This indicates that the GPU is even more dominant at 4K, as the pixel fill rate and shader workload become the primary constraints. The RTX 4070's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are the key specifications driving this behavior, while the CPU's role is reduced to ensuring that draw calls and game logic are processed quickly enough, which it does effortlessly given its high benchmark scores.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold is as follows:

• 3840x2160 (4K): The best setting is High, which achieves an average of 94.8 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short at 58.1 FPS, so High is the maximum playable option. Medium (117 FPS) and Low (142.2 FPS) are also viable but offer lower visual fidelity.

• 2560x1440 (1440p): The best setting is Ultra, with an average of 93.8 FPS. All lower presets—High (150.6 FPS), Medium (181.1 FPS), and Low (221.2 FPS)—are also fully playable, but Ultra provides the highest visual quality without any performance concerns.

• 1920x1080 (1080p): The best setting is Ultra, delivering an average of 133.6 FPS. This is the most demanding preset, but the combo has ample headroom, as even the Ultra preset is over twice the playable threshold. High (211.7 FPS), Medium (257.6 FPS), and Low (313.5 FPS) are all well above 60 FPS, but Ultra is recommended for the best visual experience.