Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core i5-14400F + AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers a broadly capable experience in Downfall, a horror title from 2016. Across the measured configurations, the combination produces average frame rates ranging from 56.5 FPS at 4K Ultra to 310.2 FPS at 1080p Low. The data indicates that this pairing is heavily GPU-limited at higher settings, while at lower settings and resolutions, the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom. The combo ranks 475th out of 1,741 tested combinations, placing it in the upper quartile of all tested systems for this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on Raptor Lake architecture with a 10 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosts up to 4.70 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21,914 and a single-core score of 3,093, along with a Geekbench multicore score of 11,209. Its PassMark multithread score of 25,783 and single-thread score of 3,723 place it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs tested.

In Downfall, the CPU's impact is most visible when the GPU is not the primary constraint. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 310.2 FPS, a figure that suggests the processor is capable of feeding the GPU far beyond typical display refresh rates. The 4.70 GHz boost clock and 16 threads help maintain frame pacing in a horror title where sudden scene changes can spike CPU demand. The nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores include the Intel Core i7-12800H with a delta of 0% and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 with a delta of 0.2%, indicating the 14400F sits in a tightly contested performance band.

The processor's 65 W TDP and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) are relevant for system builders, though the measured frame rates in Downfall do not show any memory-bandwidth bottleneck. The Cinebench R20 multicore score of 9,203 and PassMark floating-point math score of 61,622 suggest robust general compute capabilities, which translate to consistent frame delivery in this title. The data shows that at 1440p High, the system produces 150.8 FPS, and at 4K High it drops to 92.9 FPS — the CPU is not the limiting factor in either case, as the GPU workload scales with resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is built on RDNA 4.0 architecture with a 4 nm process and features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock reaches 2970 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU has 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs, producing 48.66 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. In synthetic tests, it scores 7,260 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 26,795 in PassMark G3D, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs.

In Downfall, the GPU's role is dominant across all measured settings. The frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra reveals a steep performance curve: at 1080p, the system drops from 310.2 FPS on Low to 133.2 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of 177 FPS. At 1440p, the same settings span from 222.5 FPS down to 91.8 FPS. At 4K, the range tightens to 135.4 FPS on Low and 56.5 FPS on Ultra. This pattern indicates that the RX 9070 XT's 16 GB VRAM is sufficient even at 4K Ultra, but the rendering workload at higher presets becomes increasingly heavy.

The GPU's nearest rivals in aggregate scores include the AMD Radeon Pro 575 with a delta of -0.1% and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile with a delta of 0.2%, though those comparisons reflect general compute benchmarks rather than gaming-specific performance. The RX 9070 XT's 760.3 GTexel/s texture rate and 380.2 GPixel/s pixel rate are relevant for Downfall's horror environments, which often feature detailed textures and lighting effects. The measured data shows that the GPU can push 92.9 FPS at 4K High, indicating strong high-resolution capability for a 2016 title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates provide a clear picture of how each preset performs at each resolution. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 208.2 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display, while Medium offers 255.7 FPS and Low reaches 310.2 FPS. Ultra at 1080p still produces 133.2 FPS, so all presets are playable at this resolution. At 1440p, High yields 150.8 FPS, Medium 181.5 FPS, and Low 222.5 FPS; Ultra drops to 91.8 FPS, which remains above 60 FPS but shows a significant gap from the other presets.

At 4K, the choices become more consequential. High produces 92.9 FPS, which is smooth for most users, while Medium achieves 113.3 FPS and Low reaches 135.4 FPS. Ultra at 4K drops to 56.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and represents a 39% reduction from High. The data suggests that High is the optimal preset at 4K, as it balances visual quality with a comfortable frame rate margin. For users prioritizing maximum smoothness, Medium at 4K offers 113.3 FPS with only a modest visual downgrade from High.

The recommendation is to use High settings at 1080p and 1440p, where the GPU has ample headroom, and to select High at 4K for the best experience. Ultra at 4K is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for consistent gameplay in a horror title where responsiveness matters. Low settings are unnecessary at any resolution, as even 4K High exceeds 90 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks 475th out of 1,741 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the top 27% of all systems. The rank reflects the measured average frame rates across all settings and resolutions, with higher scores going to systems that maintain high FPS at demanding presets. Given that the GPU is a current-generation part and the CPU is a mid-range desktop processor, the ranking indicates that the system performs well but is not at the absolute top tier.

The GPU's 82nd percentile among all GPUs and the CPU's 88th percentile among all CPUs suggest that both components are above average, but the combo rank of 475 out of 1,741 shows that other pairings achieve higher aggregate performance in this specific title. The gap between the component percentiles and the combo rank implies that the system's frame rates are limited by the GPU at higher settings, as the CPU's strong single-thread performance cannot compensate for the GPU's workload at 4K Ultra. The data shows that the combo's best results come at lower resolutions and settings, where the CPU's 4.70 GHz boost clock and 16 threads allow the GPU to stretch its legs.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals the system's scaling behavior. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 208.2 at 1080p to 150.8 at 1440p (a 27.6% reduction) and then to 92.9 at 4K (a 38.4% reduction from 1440p). At Low settings, the drop is from 310.2 at 1080p to 222.5 at 1440p (28.3% reduction) and then to 135.4 at 4K (39.1% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across settings indicate that the GPU is the limiting component throughout, as the CPU's contribution remains constant regardless of resolution.

The scaling pattern shows that the RX 9070 XT handles the transition from 1440p to 4K with a roughly 38-39% performance penalty, which is typical for a GPU with 16 GB of VRAM and 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The 4K Ultra result of 56.5 FPS represents the largest resolution-based drop from 1080p Ultra's 133.2 FPS, a 57.6% reduction. This steeper decline at Ultra suggests that the preset's additional effects place disproportionate stress on the GPU at higher pixel counts. The data indicates that users targeting 4K should stick to High or Medium to maintain playable frame rates, while 1440p and 1080p users can afford more aggressive settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Downfall?

A: The data shows that 1440p High produces 150.8 FPS, which is smooth and visually detailed. At 4K High, the system still delivers 92.9 FPS, so 4K is viable if you prefer higher pixel density.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using at 1080p?

A: The measured 1080p Ultra frame rate is 133.2 FPS, which is still well above 60 FPS. However, it is 36% lower than the 208.2 FPS at High, so the visual gains come with a noticeable performance cost.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 475th out of 1,741 combos, placing it in the top 27%. The CPU sits in the 88th percentile and the GPU in the 82nd percentile, indicating both components are above average.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The resolution scaling data shows that frame rates drop by roughly 28% from 1080p to 1440p and another 38% from 1440p to 4K, which points to the GPU as the primary constraint at all settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Downfall?

A: Yes, at 4K High it achieves 92.9 FPS, and at 4K Medium it reaches 113.3 FPS. Only 4K Ultra falls below 60 FPS at 56.5 FPS.

Q: What settings should I avoid with this combo?

A: The only measured configuration that drops below 60 FPS is 4K Ultra at 56.5 FPS. All other settings and resolutions maintain frame rates above 90 FPS, so Ultra at 4K is the only combination to avoid.