Downfall

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers exceptional performance in Downfall, a horror title from 2016-02-28. The measured data, collected directly, shows this combination achieves playable frame rates at every preset across all three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate ranges from 192.9 FPS at Ultra settings to 455.9 FPS at Low settings. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to a range of 138.1 FPS at Ultra to 325 FPS at Low. At 4K (3840x2160), the system still delivers 88 FPS at Ultra, scaling up to 204.1 FPS at Low. The playable threshold is set at 60 FPS, and this combination exceeds that mark by a substantial margin in every configuration tested.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides average frame rates for each resolution and settings preset, with no minimum or maximum frame rate values reported in the dataset. The results show a clear and consistent scaling pattern as resolution and graphical fidelity increase.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system produces extreme frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 455.9. Medium settings reduce this to 377.6 FPS, while High settings yield 308.9 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still maintains an average of 192.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, representing a drop of 263 FPS, which indicates the settings have a strong impact on performance even at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally but remains exceptionally high. Low settings produce an average of 325 FPS, with Medium at 268.5 FPS and High at 218.2 FPS. Ultra settings deliver 138.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 186.9 FPS, showing that the resolution increase compresses the performance spread slightly compared to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the load increases significantly, yet the results stay well above the playable threshold. Low settings average 204.1 FPS, Medium averages 165.2 FPS, and High averages 134.9 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 88 FPS, which is still 28 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a reduction from 192.9 FPS to 88 FPS, a 54.4% decrease, which is expected given the fourfold increase in pixel count.

The data indicates that this hardware combination is never constrained below playable levels in Downfall. The lowest recorded average is 88 FPS at 4K Ultra, which remains the most demanding scenario in the dataset. The absence of min and max FPS values means the analysis relies solely on averages, but the margins are large enough that even potential frame dips would likely stay above 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combination achieves in Downfall?

A: The highest recorded average is 455.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this PC run Downfall at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, benchmark results show it runs at 4K with all presets above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The lowest average at 3840x2160 is 88 FPS on Ultra settings.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 192.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 88 FPS at 3840x2160, a decrease of 104.9 FPS.

Q: Which settings preset is the most demanding in the dataset?

A: Ultra settings are the most demanding at every resolution, producing the lowest average frame rates: 192.9 FPS at 1080p, 138.1 FPS at 1440p, and 88 FPS at 4K.

Q: Is there any resolution or preset where the frame rate falls below 60 FPS?

A: No. The data shows all twelve tested combinations of resolution and settings remain above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The lowest value is 88 FPS at 4K Ultra.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 325 FPS, while Medium settings average 268.5 FPS, a difference of 56.5 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS is identified. In this dataset, every preset qualifies, so the best settings are the highest quality option available.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings are the best choice, delivering an average of 192.9 FPS. This is far above the 60 FPS threshold, leaving significant headroom for any potential frame time spikes.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings also provide the best experience, with an average of 138.1 FPS. This is more than double the playable threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings remain the best option, yielding an average of 88 FPS. While this is the lowest result in the dataset, it still clears the 60 FPS threshold by 28 FPS, making it a viable choice for maximum visual fidelity.

The data shows that there is no scenario where the user must compromise on settings to achieve playable performance. The system has enough headroom at all resolutions to run the game at its highest preset.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for both the CPU and GPU provides context for how this combination compares to other hardware. The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest competitor is the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which scores 79371, a delta of -0.3%, meaning the 14900KF is effectively identical in performance. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574, which is -0.6% relative to the 14900K, again a negligible difference. The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041, showing a -1.2% delta, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, a +1.7% delta, indicating the 14900K is slightly ahead of that chip.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which scores 79605, a delta of 0.3% in favor of the RTX 5090. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396, a 0.6% delta. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, showing a 1.1% delta, meaning the RTX 5090 is slightly faster. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959, which is -1.4% relative to the RTX 5090, indicating that card performs slightly better in synthetic benchmarks.

For Downfall, these rival components would behave similarly to the tested combo. A system with an Intel Core i9-14900KF would produce nearly identical frame rates, given the 0.3% benchmark delta. Similarly, swapping the RTX 5090 for a Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB would result in a marginal performance change of 0.3%, which is imperceptible in real-world gameplay. The data suggests that the tested configuration sits in a tightly clustered group of high-end hardware, where differences of 1-2% in synthetic scores do not translate into meaningful FPS variations in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 49th out of 3716 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the top 1.3% of all configurations in the database for this specific game. The rank reflects the aggregate performance across all measured scenarios, and the high position is consistent with the frame rate data, which shows no weakness at any resolution or preset.

The percentile rankings of the individual components support this result. The CPU sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. When combined, they produce a system that outperforms the vast majority of alternatives. The fact that the combo rank (49th) is higher than the percentile of either component alone suggests that the pairing is well-balanced for Downfall, with neither part acting as a bottleneck.

Given that 3716 combos are ranked, being 49th means only 48 configurations achieve higher average frame rates in this game. These would likely include combinations with even more powerful or more recently released hardware, but the data does not specify which combos rank above. For the user, this rank indicates that the system is near the top of the performance hierarchy for Downfall.

The Verdict

The data clearly answers whether this PC can run Downfall: yes, with substantial margin. The verdict by resolution shows that all four settings presets are playable at every resolution tested. At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra with an average of 192.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra is also best, averaging 138.1 FPS. At 3840x2160, Ultra remains the best choice, with an average of 88 FPS.

The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the lowest recorded average is 88 FPS at 4K Ultra. This means the system clears the threshold by at least 28 FPS in the most demanding scenario. In less demanding scenarios, such as 1080p Low, the average of 455.9 FPS is more than seven times the threshold. There is no configuration in the dataset where the frame rate dips below playable levels.

The conclusion is straightforward: this combination is overqualified for Downfall. Users can enable the highest settings at any resolution without concern for performance. The only limitation would be the refresh rate of the display, as the system can output far more frames than most monitors can display at 1440p and 1080p.

CPU and GPU Roles

The relative contribution of the CPU and GPU can be inferred from how frame rates scale with resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the CPU has a larger influence because the GPU is not fully saturated at lower pixel counts. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the average is 455.9 FPS, which is extremely high and suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls to sustain such rates. The drop to 192.9 FPS at Ultra shows the GPU becoming more involved as shading complexity increases.

At 2560x1440, the GPU load increases, and the frame rates scale down accordingly. The average at Low is 325 FPS, compared to 455.9 FPS at 1080p Low, a 28.7% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is now a more significant factor, as the increased pixel count requires more rasterization work. The CPU, however, still has enough headroom to avoid bottlenecking, as the frame rates remain very high.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant factor. The average at Low is 204.1 FPS, which is a further reduction from 325 FPS at 1440p. The Ultra preset at 4K produces 88 FPS, showing that the GPU is heavily utilized. The scaling from 1080p Ultra (192.9 FPS) to 4K Ultra (88 FPS) represents a 54.4% reduction, which closely tracks the increase in pixel count, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

The settings scaling also reveals the GPU's role. At each resolution, moving from Low to Ultra reduces frame rates by a similar proportion, but the absolute drop is larger at lower resolutions where the CPU can still push high frame rates. For example, at 1080p, the drop from Low to Ultra is 263 FPS, while at 4K, the drop is 116.1 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, both components are active, with the CPU maintaining high throughput and the GPU handling the increased shading load. At 4K, the GPU's workload dominates, and the CPU's role diminishes.

Overall, the data indicates that for Downfall, the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions and settings, while the i9-14900K provides sufficient single-thread and multi-thread capacity to avoid limiting frame rates even at 1080p. The combination is well-matched, with the CPU having enough power to support the GPU's capabilities across the entire range of test conditions.