Downfall

The data for Downfall with the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions but begins to show its CPU limits only at the very extreme of 1080p performance. The measured frames per second (FPS) across twelve distinct resolution and settings combinations provide a clear picture of where this pairing excels and where its bottlenecks emerge.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K tells a classic story of GPU dominance. At Low settings, the system produces 395.3 FPS at 1920x1080, which drops to 281.8 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 178.1 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 55% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a substantial decline that points directly at the graphics card as the primary constraint. The RTX 4080 SUPER, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth, is being pushed progressively harder as pixel count increases.

The story becomes more nuanced when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the system hits 267.8 FPS. Dropping to 1440p High yields 191.7 FPS, a 28.4% decrease. Moving to 4K High brings 119.3 FPS, another 37.8% drop from 1440p. These diminishing returns as resolution climbs are the signature of a GPU that is still powerful enough to maintain high framerates but is clearly working harder with each pixel increase.

Ultra settings amplify this effect dramatically. The 1080p Ultra result of 168.1 FPS falls to 117.7 FPS at 1440p, then collapses to 74.2 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure is less than half of the 1080p Ultra number, confirming that the most demanding settings place the heaviest load on the graphics processor. Interestingly, the gap between 1440p and 4K Ultra (a 37% drop) is nearly identical to the High preset's resolution scaling, suggesting that the GPU's memory subsystem and compute units are the limiting factors rather than any specific setting.

What is absent from this data is any sign of CPU limitation until the lowest resolution and settings. The i5-14400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads boosting to 4.70 GHz, appears capable of feeding the GPU adequately at all but the most extreme frame rates.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the AD103 chip using a 5 nm process from TSMC, housing 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. Its 10240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output pipelines provide the raw compute power that drives the frame rates observed in Downfall. The boost clock of 2550 MHz, up from a base of 2295 MHz, allows the card to dynamically scale its performance, which is particularly relevant in a horror game where scene complexity can vary wildly between dark corridors and brightly lit encounters.

The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory operating at 23 Gbps effective across a 256-bit bus yields 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. In a game like Downfall, which is from 2016, this memory capacity is far beyond what is likely required at any resolution. The data shows no evidence of VRAM constraints: the 4K Ultra preset runs at 74.2 FPS, which is a playable frame rate, and the frame drops from 1440p to 4K are consistent with compute-bound behavior rather than memory swapping.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with FP32 performance rated at 52.22 TFLOPS. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 places this card in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 53610 puts it 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT. This competitive positioning explains why the card can push 178.1 FPS at 4K Low — it is simply a very fast GPU that still has headroom even at high pixel counts.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14400F brings 10 cores and 16 threads to the pairing, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This Raptor Lake Refresh processor, built on Intel's 10 nm process, has a 20 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core. The single-core performance is strong, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3093, which is critical for a horror game that may rely on heavy scripted sequences and AI-driven events.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities, shown by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914, are more than adequate for a 2016 title. The 88th percentile ranking against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32508, places it essentially level with the Intel Core i7-12800H (which scores 32513, a 0% delta) and just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645. This mid-to-high-end positioning means the processor is rarely the bottleneck in modern games, and Downfall is no exception.

The most telling evidence of CPU adequacy comes from the 1080p Low result of 395.3 FPS. At this extreme frame rate, the CPU must process draw calls and game logic fast enough to keep the GPU fed. The fact that the system reaches nearly 400 FPS suggests the i5-14400F is not holding the RTX 4080 SUPER back, even in the most CPU-light scenario. The PassMark single-thread score of 3723 and multi-thread score of 25783 reinforce that this processor has sufficient headroom for games of Downfall's era.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 103rd out of 1741 tested combos for Downfall. This places it in the top 6% of all configurations, a strong result that reflects the high-end nature of both components. The rank is more impressive when considering that many of the combos above it likely feature flagship CPUs paired with the same or higher-tier GPUs.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 88th against all GPUs, combined with the CPU's matching 88th percentile, creates a balanced pairing where neither component dramatically outclasses the other. However, the game's resolution scaling suggests the GPU does the heavy lifting. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 74.2 FPS, which is respectable for such demanding settings, but the 1440p Ultra result of 117.7 FPS shows there is still substantial performance headroom if the resolution is dialed back.

The rank of 103 out of 1741 implies that while this is a very capable system, there are 102 combinations that achieve higher average FPS in Downfall. Given the RTX 4080 SUPER's position at 2.9% ahead of the RTX 5070 Ti in average benchmark score, the combos ranked above likely include RTX 4090-class GPUs or CPUs with higher single-thread performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce 395.3 FPS, Medium yields 326.1 FPS, High drops to 267.8 FPS, and Ultra settles at 168.1 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 57.5% reduction in frame rate, demonstrating how significantly graphics settings impact performance at this resolution.

The 2560x1440 results show a similar pattern but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings run at 281.8 FPS, Medium at 233.2 FPS, High at 191.7 FPS, and Ultra at 117.7 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 58.2%, nearly identical to the 1080p scaling, which indicates the GPU is handling the resolution increase proportionally.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more moderate. Low settings produce 178.1 FPS, Medium delivers 145.1 FPS, High achieves 119.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 74.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below 100 FPS in the entire dataset, highlighting the extreme demands of combining maximum resolution with maximum settings.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For players with a 1920x1080 display, the High preset at 267.8 FPS offers a compelling balance. It is 60% faster than Ultra but only 19% slower than Medium, suggesting that High captures most of the visual fidelity without the performance penalty of the highest settings. The 168.1 FPS at Ultra is still smooth, but the jump from High to Ultra costs 99.7 FPS, a significant trade for what is likely a marginal visual improvement in a horror game.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 191.7 FPS is again the sweet spot. It provides a 63% performance advantage over Ultra's 117.7 FPS while remaining above the 144 FPS threshold that many high-refresh-rate monitors target. The Medium preset at 233.2 FPS is also viable for competitive play, but High offers better visuals without dropping below 144 FPS.

For 3840x2160 displays, the choice becomes more constrained. The High preset at 119.3 FPS is the best recommendation, as it stays above 60 FPS with substantial headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 74.2 FPS is playable but leaves less margin for frame drops during intense horror sequences. The Low and Medium presets at 178.1 and 145.1 FPS respectively are excessive for a 60 Hz display and sacrifice too much visual quality.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a 144 Hz 1440p monitor?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers 191.7 FPS, which comfortably exceeds 144 Hz. The Ultra preset at the same resolution produces 117.7 FPS, which falls short of 144 Hz, making High the optimal choice.

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

A: Yes, at 4K High the system achieves 119.3 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it maintains 74.2 FPS. Both are above 60 FPS, providing smooth gameplay even at maximum resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the RTX 5070 Ti in this context?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 53610, which is 2.9% higher than the RTX 5070 Ti's score of 52086. This marginal advantage contributes to the strong frame rates observed in Downfall.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The data suggests minimal bottlenecking. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 395.3 FPS, and the CPU's single-thread score of 3093 in Cinebench R23 indicates it can keep up with the GPU's demands in this game.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and High settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium produces 326.1 FPS while High produces 267.8 FPS. This represents an 18% decrease in frame rate when moving from Medium to High, making High a reasonable upgrade for better visuals.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Downfall?

A: This configuration ranks 103rd out of 1741 total combos, placing it in the top 6% of all tested systems for this game.