Downfall

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is an exceptionally high-end combination for running Downfall, securing the 300th position out of 3716 tested combos. This placement puts the pairing in the top 8% of all configurations tested, reflecting its capacity to handle the game’s demands with substantial headroom. The combination of a 24-core, 32-thread Raptor Lake flagship processor and an Ada Lovelace-based GPU with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory delivers performance that is not merely playable but overwhelmingly dominant across all tested resolutions and presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 300 out of 3716 tested configurations places this system in the 92nd percentile of all pairings tested for Downfall. This is a strong indicator that the hardware is far beyond the minimum requirements, sitting comfortably in the upper echelon of performance. The data shows that this combination is positioned to handle the game at its most demanding settings without breaking a sweat, as evidenced by the measured FPS figures that are consistently well above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The rank reflects a synergy where the CPU’s high single-core and multi-core throughput complements the GPU’s raw rasterization power, ensuring no significant bottleneck in typical gaming scenarios. While the top 299 combos may include more exotic or newer hardware, the margin in performance is likely small given the already extreme levels of FPS achieved here. For a game like Downfall, which relies heavily on atmosphere and sudden scares, the high frame rate stability offered by this combo is a significant advantage, minimizing judder during fast camera movements.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results indicate a clear shift in workload balance between the CPU and GPU depending on resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more dominant role, as the GPU is not fully saturated. The jump from Low to Ultra settings at this resolution shows a scaling from 397 FPS down to 165.7 FPS, a drop of 58%. This large delta suggests that the GPU is being tasked with more work, but the CPU still has enough headroom to feed it, as the frame rates remain incredibly high. The CPU’s performance, evidenced by its 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs and strong Cinebench R23 scores (39399.5 multi-core, 2262.5 single-core), ensures that even at Low settings where the GPU load is minimal, the frame rate is not artificially capped by processor limitations.

Moving to 2560x1440, the balance shifts more toward the GPU. The scaling from Low (285.5 FPS) to Ultra (120.2 FPS) represents a 58% reduction in performance, similar to 1080p. However, the absolute frame rates are lower, indicating that the GPU is becoming a more significant factor. The RTX 4080 SUPER’s 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 736.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth are being utilized more heavily. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the primary bottleneck. The performance scales from 174.6 FPS at Low to 74 FPS at Ultra, a 58% drop again, but the absolute numbers show a massive reduction compared to lower resolutions. This is expected, as the 4K resolution quadruples the pixel count compared to 1080p, placing an immense load on the GPU’s rendering pipeline. The CPU’s role diminishes at 4K, but its high core count and clock speeds prevent it from becoming a limiting factor, even in scenes with complex physics or AI, which is common in horror titles.

The consistent ~58% performance drop from Low to Ultra across all resolutions suggests that the scaling is primarily GPU-bound and tied to the increased shading, texture, and lighting demands. The CPU is powerful enough to keep up with the GPU’s frame generation at all settings, meaning that the performance difference between resolutions is almost entirely attributable to the GPU’s workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers staggering results. On Low settings, the average frame rate is 397 FPS, which is extraordinarily high and suitable for competitive or high-refresh-rate displays. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 322.5 FPS, still a massive figure. High settings yield 267.3 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 165.7 FPS. All of these numbers are far above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the system has immense headroom even at the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptional. Low settings produce an average of 285.5 FPS, which is a 28% reduction from the 1080p Low result, highlighting the increased pixel load. Medium settings average 234.2 FPS, and High settings average 192.9 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p still achieve a very high 120.2 FPS, demonstrating that this resolution is easily handled. The data shows a smooth progression, with each preset drop reducing the frame rate by roughly 15-20%, which is typical for a game with well-implemented graphics options.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is pushed harder, but the results remain impressive. Low settings average 174.6 FPS, which is still three times the playability threshold. Medium settings average 143.6 FPS, and High settings average 115.3 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still manages an average of 74 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. This indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is powerful enough to run Downfall at 4K with all settings maxed out, a feat that would be challenging for many lower-tier graphics cards. The absence of min and max FPS data in the pack prevents a full analysis of frame time consistency, but the high average scores suggest a stable experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rival is the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which has an average benchmark score of 79371, a negligible 0.3% lower than the i9-14900K’s score of 79097. In practical terms, the performance difference is imperceptible, so gamers can expect identical frame rates in Downfall. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is also close, with a score of 79574, which is 0.6% higher, but this is a mobile-oriented chip, making it less relevant for a desktop build. The AMD EPYC 7413, a server processor, scores 80041, which is 1.2% higher, but its architecture is not optimized for gaming, so real-world gaming performance may differ. On the lower end, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, which is 1.7% lower, indicating it would be slightly slower in CPU-bound scenarios, though the difference in gaming at 4K would be minimal.

For the GPU, the closest rival is the standard NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, which has an average score of 54247, just 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 54209. This means that in terms of raw compute, the two are nearly identical, and the SUPER’s name suggests a slight clock advantage, but the data shows they are effectively equivalent. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher, but this is a workstation card with different driver optimizations. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, which is 2.7% higher, but this is a lower-tier card, so the average score may be skewed by different test conditions. The AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, 2.8% higher, but it is an integrated GPU solution, making it an unlikely alternative. For gaming, the RTX 4080 is the most direct competitor, and the data suggests that frame rates in Downfall would be within a fraction of a percent.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 165.7 FPS. This is far above the threshold, so users can enable every visual enhancement without concern. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings also remain the best choice, with an average of 120.2 FPS, providing a high-quality experience with plenty of headroom for future driver updates or more demanding scenes. At 3840x2160, Ultra settings are also viable, with an average of 74 FPS. While this is lower than the other resolutions, it is still 14 FPS above the 60 FPS playability threshold, ensuring a smooth experience. The data indicates that this combo can run the game at maximum settings at all tested resolutions, making the "best settings" designation straightforward: Ultra is the optimal choice across the board.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally shows that this PC can run Downfall exceptionally well. The verdict by resolution confirms that all four settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at every resolution tested. At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra, with an average FPS of 74, clearing the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings achieve 120.2 FPS, and at 1920x1080, Ultra settings achieve 165.7 FPS. There is no scenario in the data where the frame rate dips below the playable threshold. This system is overqualified for the game, providing a high-refresh-rate experience even at 4K Ultra. Users with a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor will find that the system can push frame rates high enough to take full advantage of the display at 1080p and 1440p, while those with a 60Hz 4K display will have a perfectly smooth experience with all settings maxed out.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 397 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure in the data.

Q: How much of a performance drop occurs when moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average FPS is 165.7. At 3840x2160 Ultra, it drops to 74 FPS. This represents a 55% reduction in frame rate.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rates drop significantly from 1440p, while the CPU has a high 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs.

Q: Which is faster, the RTX 4080 SUPER or the standard RTX 4080?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the RTX 4080 scores 54247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209. The standard RTX 4080 is 0.1% faster in this metric, making the performance effectively identical.

Q: What are the playable settings at 2560x1440?

A: All settings are playable. The lowest average FPS is 120.2 at Ultra, which is still double the 60 FPS threshold.