Downfall

The Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination delivers a highly capable 1080p and 1440p experience in Downfall, with 4K Ultra presenting the only significant challenge. The data shows a system that scales predictably with settings, where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the 14-core CPU ensures frame rates remain high even in less demanding scenarios.

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

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, which provides substantial single-thread headroom for Downfall's engine. The processor also includes 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core, which helps with data locality in game logic and physics calculations. The CPU's 125 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory indicate a flexible platform, though the benchmark results suggest that the processor is rarely the limiting factor in this specific title.

In the context of Downfall, the CPU's performance is more than adequate. At 1080p Low settings, the combination achieves 263 FPS on average, a figure that is far beyond what the game's horror-focused gameplay requires. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily stressed, the average FPS of 49 is likely still bound by the graphics card rather than the processor, given that the same CPU at 1080p Ultra produces 110 FPS. This suggests that the i5-14600K's 14 cores and 20 threads are sufficient to feed the Radeon RX 7700 XT at all tested settings, with the boost clock of 5.30 GHz providing the necessary responsiveness for frame pacing.

The processor's synthetic benchmark scores reinforce this interpretation. In Cinebench R23, the i5-14600K scores 24491 in multi-core and 2064 in single-core tests. These figures place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance. The PassMark multithread score of 38682 and single-thread score of 4270 further confirm its capability. When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14600K sits within a tight band: it is 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (which scores 48698), but 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4345P (48470) and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (48287). The margin against the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is slightly larger, with the i5-14600K being 0.8% faster than that chip's 48995 score. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, reinforcing that the CPU is not the bottleneck in Downfall.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1435 MHz, with a boost clock of 2544 MHz and a game clock of 2171 MHz. These specifications translate to 35.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is substantial for a card in its class. The 12 GB VRAM buffer is particularly relevant for Downfall, as the game's horror environments often feature high-resolution textures that can consume significant memory at 4K resolution.

The GPU's performance in Downfall scales directly with its clock speeds and memory bandwidth. At 1080p Low, the card achieves 263 FPS, which is likely limited by the CPU or game engine rather than the GPU itself. However, as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The transition from 1080p High (176 FPS) to 4K High (78 FPS) represents a 55.7% drop in performance, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where the rasterization load increases with pixel count. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient to handle the game's demands at 4K Ultra, as the average FPS of 49 is still playable, though it indicates the card is working near its limits.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7700 XT scores 22547 in PassMark G3D, placing it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals show a tight grouping: it is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (22435) and 1.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (22170), but 0.8% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22729) and 1.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895). These small margins suggest that the RX 7700 XT is positioned competitively, and its performance in Downfall reflects this mid-to-high-tier standing, particularly at 1440p where it delivers strong frame rates.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combination produces 263 FPS, which drops to 188 FPS at 1440p Low (a 28.5% decrease) and further to 117 FPS at 4K Low (a 55.5% decrease from 1080p). This scaling is typical for a GPU-limited scenario, where the CPU has ample headroom to maintain frame rates while the GPU struggles with the increased pixel workload.

At High settings, the trend continues but with a more pronounced drop at 4K. The system achieves 176 FPS at 1080p, 126 FPS at 1440p (a 28.4% decrease), and 78 FPS at 4K (a 55.7% decrease from 1080p). The percentage drops from 1080p to 1440p are remarkably consistent across settings, suggesting that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints. The 4K Ultra setting is the most demanding, with an average of 49 FPS, which is 55.5% lower than the 1080p Ultra score of 110 FPS.

This scaling behavior indicates that the Intel Core i5-14600K is not the limiting component at any resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between resolutions, as the CPU would cap performance regardless of pixel count. Instead, the consistent 28-56% drops across settings confirm that the RX 7700 XT is the performance ceiling, particularly at 4K. The 12 GB VRAM and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's demands, but the GPU's raw compute power (35.17 TFLOPS) is what ultimately determines the frame rates at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the comprehensive database of tested hardware combinations for Downfall, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 1392 out of 3716 tested combos. This places it in the top 37.5% of all configurations, which is a solid result for a mid-to-high-tier setup. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's capable rasterization, with the combination delivering playable frame rates across the board.

The rank of 1392 out of 3716 indicates that while this combo is not at the very top of the charts, it outperforms the majority of tested systems. This is consistent with the GPU's 67th percentile ranking and the CPU's 90th percentile ranking. The gap between these percentiles suggests that the GPU is the more limiting component, which is why the combo does not rank higher. However, the data shows that this pairing is well-matched for Downfall, as the CPU's headroom allows the GPU to operate at its full potential without being starved of data.

Compared to other combos in the database, this setup's 4K High average of 78 FPS and 1440p Ultra average of 79 FPS are competitive, placing it above many configurations that might pair a weaker CPU with a similar or better GPU. The combination's strength lies in its consistency: it delivers at least 49 FPS in the worst-case scenario (4K Ultra) and exceeds 100 FPS at 1080p High and 1440p High, making it a versatile choice for players who prioritize smooth gameplay across multiple resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination achieves an average of 110 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 117 FPS on Low settings to 49 FPS on Ultra settings, with High settings producing 78 FPS and Medium settings producing 96 FPS.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter, as FPS drops consistently by 28-56% when moving from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU's 14 cores and 5.30 GHz boost clock provide sufficient headroom.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combination ranks 1392 out of 3716 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the top 37.5% of all systems.

Q: How much VRAM does the RX 7700 XT have, and is it enough?

A: The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game's demands, as evidenced by playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS at Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 183 and the maximum is 247. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 131 and the maximum is 177. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 81 and the maximum is 110.

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

The following table presents the exact average FPS figures from the measured data for the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination in Downfall:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 263 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 215 | 183 | 247 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 176 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 110 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 188 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 154 | 131 | 177 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 126 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 79 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 117 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 96 | 81 | 110 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 78 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 49 | — | — |

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p delivers the highest frame rates, with Low settings reaching 263 FPS, while 4K Ultra drops to 49 FPS. The Medium settings are the only ones with complete min/max data, showing a variance of 64 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. This narrowing variance at higher resolutions further confirms the GPU's role as the limiting factor, as the frame time consistency improves when the GPU is more saturated. The 1440p resolution offers the best balance, with High settings achieving 126 FPS and Ultra maintaining 79 FPS, both of which are well above playable thresholds for a horror game where smoothness is critical for immersion.