Downfall

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers exceptional frame rates in Downfall, ranking in the top 4% of all tested combinations. The data shows a system where the GPU is overwhelmingly dominant, with the CPU providing ample headroom to prevent bottlenecks even at high resolutions. This pairing excels at 1440p and 4K, where the RTX 4090’s raw power is fully utilized, while at 1080p the frame rates soar to levels where the CPU’s performance ceiling begins to become a minor factor.

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

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This configuration provides substantial multi-threaded throughput, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21,645 and Geekbench multi-core score of 11,268. For Downfall, a horror title that typically relies on a few heavily loaded threads for game logic and physics, the i5-14400F’s single-core performance is equally critical, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,055.

The CPU’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache help reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame pacing. The processor’s 65 W TDP and active production status indicate it is a mainstream part, yet its benchmark scores place it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32,279. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14400F is essentially neck-and-neck with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% faster), while slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (0.2% faster) and the Intel Core i7-12800H (0.5% faster).

In the context of Downfall, the data suggests the CPU is never the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 414 FPS, which is a massive workload. Even at this extreme, the CPU manages to feed the GPU adequately, though the scaling from 1080p to 1440p (from 414 to 315 FPS at Low settings) indicates that the CPU is starting to approach its limits in frame generation. However, at more realistic settings like High or Ultra, the CPU's role is to simply provide enough headroom for the GPU to operate at its full potential, which it does with ease.

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

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Downfall with this combo for maximum frame rate?*

A: The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches an average of 414 FPS. This is the highest measured frame rate across all tested configurations, making 1080p the optimal resolution for pure frame rate maximization.

Q: How does the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls from 185 FPS at 1080p to 132 FPS at 1440p, and then to 82 FPS at 4K. This represents a 55.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K, showing that the GPU is the primary performance driver at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 overkill for this game at 1440p?

A: Benchmark results indicate that at 1440p with High settings, the system averages 212 FPS. This is far above the typical refresh rates of most monitors, suggesting the GPU has significant headroom. Even at Ultra settings, the 132 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS standard, so the RTX 4090 is indeed overkill for competitive play but fine for maxed-out visuals.

*Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems for Downfall?*

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 137th out of 3,716 tested combos, placing it in the top 3.7% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in raw processing power?

A: The i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32,279. It is 0.1% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, 0.2% faster than the Intel Core i9-11900, and 0.5% faster than the Intel Core i7-12800H. It is 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS.

Q: At which settings does the system provide the most balanced experience at 4K?

A: The data shows that at 4K, High settings yield an average of 132 FPS, with Medium at 161 FPS and Low at 196 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 82 FPS. High settings offer a strong balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, as they are only 29 FPS slower than Medium but provide better graphics.

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

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates decrease, but the relative drop varies significantly by settings preset. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 414 FPS at 1080p to 315 FPS at 1440p (a 23.9% drop) and then to 196 FPS at 4K (a 37.8% drop from 1440p). This steep decline indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is being pushed harder at higher resolutions, but the CPU is still capable of keeping up.

For Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 361 at 1080p to 258 at 1440p (a 28.5% reduction) and then to 161 at 4K (a 37.6% reduction). The scaling is more consistent here, suggesting a balance between CPU and GPU load. At High settings, the drop is from 296 FPS at 1080p to 212 FPS at 1440p (a 28.4% reduction) and then to 132 FPS at 4K (a 37.7% reduction). This pattern persists across presets, showing that the GPU is the dominant limiting factor as resolution climbs.

The most telling data comes from Ultra settings, where the frame rate falls from 185 FPS at 1080p to 132 FPS at 1440p (a 28.6% reduction) and then to 82 FPS at 4K (a 37.9% reduction). The consistent ~28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~38% drop from 1440p to 4K across all presets strongly indicates that the RTX 4090 is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate drops would be more pronounced at 1080p, where the CPU has to generate more frames per second, but the data shows the CPU holds up well even at 414 FPS.

This resolution scaling analysis confirms that the i5-14400F provides sufficient headroom for the RTX 4090. The GPU’s performance scales predictably with resolution, as evidenced by the consistent percentage drops, while the CPU maintains its role as a stable foundation.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 137 out of 3,716 tested combinations in Downfall. This places the system in the top 3.7% of all configurations, which is a strong result given the game’s age and the hardware’s modern nature. The ranking reflects the overall frame rate performance across all tested settings and resolutions, with the RTX 4090’s immense compute power being the primary driver of this high placement.

To contextualize this rank, the CPU’s raw performance is only modestly above its nearest rivals, with a 0.1% delta over the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and a 0.5% delta over the Intel Core i7-12800H. This suggests that the CPU choice has a minor impact on the overall combo ranking, as the GPU is the dominant factor. The RTX 4090’s average benchmark score of 60,347, which places it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, is what truly boosts this combo’s standing.

The data shows that while the CPU is in the 83rd percentile, the GPU is in the 88th percentile, indicating a slight mismatch in relative performance tiers. However, for Downfall, this mismatch does not hurt the combo’s ranking, as the game is not CPU-intensive enough to expose any weaknesses. The 137th rank out of 3,716 combos demonstrates that this pairing is among the best for this title, and the measured FPS data supports this, with even the lowest tested configuration (4K Ultra) averaging 82 FPS.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 414 FPS on Low, 361 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 307 and maximum of 416), 296 FPS on High, and 185 FPS on Ultra. These figures demonstrate that the RTX 4090 can easily exceed 300 FPS at 1080p on most presets, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 315 FPS on Low, 258 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 219 and maximum of 297), 212 FPS on High, and 132 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but still leaves the system well above 200 FPS for most presets, except Ultra which falls to 132 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and frame rate, as High settings still deliver 212 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains impressive: 196 FPS on Low, 161 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 185), 132 FPS on High, and 82 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra preset is the only configuration that dips below 100 FPS, but it still maintains an average of 82 FPS, which is playable for a horror title. The data shows that the system can handle 4K gaming with ease, as even Medium settings provide a smooth 161 FPS.

The min and max FPS data for Medium settings reveals good frame consistency. At 1080p, the range is 307-416 FPS, at 1440p it is 219-297 FPS, and at 4K it is 136-185 FPS. These ranges indicate that the system maintains stable performance without major frame time spikes, which is crucial for a horror game where smoothness enhances immersion.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user’s resolution and refresh rate priorities. For 1080p users with a 240 Hz or 360 Hz monitor, the High preset at 296 FPS is the best choice, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (361 FPS) while still exceeding 240 FPS. The Ultra preset at 185 FPS is also viable for 144 Hz displays, but High offers a better balance of frame rate and fidelity.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 212 FPS, which is ideal for 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors. The Medium preset at 258 FPS is overkill for most displays and sacrifices visual quality, while Ultra at 132 FPS is still smooth but may not fully utilize higher refresh rates. For 1440p users, High is the recommended preset, as it provides excellent visual quality without compromising frame rate.

For 4K gaming, the High preset at 132 FPS is the standout recommendation, as it offers a substantial improvement over Ultra (82 FPS) while still being well above 60 FPS. Medium at 161 FPS is also a strong option for those who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but High provides the best overall experience. The Ultra preset at 82 FPS is only recommended for users who want maximum visual quality and have a 60 Hz or 75 Hz display, as the frame rate is still playable.

In summary, the data suggests that High settings provide the best experience across all three resolutions, offering a strong balance between visual quality and performance. The RTX 4090’s power ensures that even at 4K, High settings deliver frame rates that exceed the requirements of most high-refresh-rate monitors, making this combo a top-tier choice for Downfall.