Downfall

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a surprisingly capable experience in Downfall, a 2016 horror title that clearly favors higher resolutions but punishes the most demanding preset. The data reveals a system that scales predictably with settings, offering smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, but struggling to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and the specific bottlenecks that emerge.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, with average FPS ranging from 68 at Ultra to 163 at Low. At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to between 49 (Ultra) and 116 (Low), which is still generally playable. 3840x2160 is only viable at Low settings, where it averages 72 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High settings at 1440p?

A: The performance cost is substantial. At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 78 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 49 FPS. This represents a 37% reduction in average frame rate for moving from High to Ultra, making High a far more practical choice for a smoother experience.

Q: Is the Arc B570's 10 GB VRAM enough for this game?

A: The benchmark data shows the card handling all presets at 1080p and 1440p without reported issues, and the 4K results are limited by compute performance rather than memory. The 10 GB GDDR6 memory with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for Downfall's demands at the tested settings.

Q: How does the i5-14600K's CPU performance influence the results?

A: The CPU's high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064) and strong multi-core capabilities (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491) ensure it does not bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 14 cores provide ample headroom for the game's logic.

Q: What is the trend from 1080p to 4K in terms of FPS?

A: The average FPS drops significantly as resolution increases. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 109 at 1080p to 78 at 1440p, and finally to 49 at 4K. This indicates a growing GPU load that outpaces the CPU's ability to feed frames, pointing to a GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top half of tested systems?

A: No, the combo rank is 2988 out of 3716 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 20th percentile. Despite this low overall rank, the measured FPS shows it is still capable of good performance in this specific game at moderate settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, is the primary driver of Downfall's visual output. Its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s, which is a reasonable figure for a mid-range card. The 2304 shading units and 80 ROPs handle the game's rendering tasks, with a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz.

Analyzing the FPS data, the GPU's role becomes clear. At 1080p, the card is not fully taxed, as evidenced by the high average FPS across all settings (163 at Low, 133 at Medium, 109 at High). The performance scaling between settings is linear, suggesting the GPU is the limiting factor even at this resolution. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p (109 to 68 FPS) shows a massive 37.6% performance penalty, which is characteristic of the Ultra preset's increased draw distance and shadow quality, demanding more from the GPU's compute units.

At 1440p, the GPU's workload increases, and the average FPS drops accordingly. The difference between High (78 FPS) and Ultra (49 FPS) remains stark, reinforcing the notion that the Ultra preset is exceptionally demanding. At 4K, the card is clearly the bottleneck. The average FPS at High (49) and Medium (59) shows the GPU struggling to maintain fluid motion, while the Ultra preset falls to an unplayable 30 FPS. The data suggests that the B570's raw compute power (11.52 TFLOPS FP32) is insufficient for 4K Ultra in this title, but its memory subsystem is not the issue, as the Low preset at 4K manages a playable 72 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks is strong, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2491 and a multi-core score of 16673. The 24 MB shared L3 cache is ample for gaming workloads.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The data indicates that the i5-14600K is more than capable of this task, as it does not appear to be the bottleneck in any tested scenario. The FPS scaling with resolution is smooth, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. For instance, at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 163 at 1080p to 116 at 1440p, and then to 72 at 4K. This consistent decline is directly proportional to the increase in pixel count, which is a GPU workload.

The CPU's high single-thread performance, as shown by its Passmark single-thread score of 4270, ensures that the game's main thread is not starved. Even at 4K with Low settings (72 FPS), the CPU is able to maintain a high frame rate, proving it is not a limiting factor. The data suggests that the i5-14600K is a robust pairing for the Arc B570, providing enough headroom to avoid CPU-induced stutters or frame drops in Downfall.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data clearly identifies which presets offer the best balance between visual fidelity and performance for this combo.

For 1080p gaming: The High preset is the optimal choice. It delivers an average of 109 FPS, which is well above the smooth 60 FPS threshold, and offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium (133 FPS) without the steep performance cost of Ultra (68 FPS). The Ultra preset is not recommended, as the 37.6% drop in average FPS from High is not justified by the marginal visual gains in a horror game where smooth motion is critical.

For 1440p gaming: The High preset remains the best option, averaging 78 FPS. This is playable and smooth, while Medium (95 FPS) is also a strong contender for those who prefer higher frame rates. The Ultra preset's 49 FPS average is borderline, and the potential for dips below 60 FPS makes it a risky choice for a game that relies on atmosphere and timing.

For 4K gaming: The Low preset is the only viable option, averaging 72 FPS. The Medium preset (59 FPS) is playable but not ideal, and High (49 FPS) and Ultra (30 FPS) are too demanding for this GPU. The data suggests that 4K is not a realistic target for this combo beyond the lowest settings.

In summary, the High preset at 1080p or 1440p provides the best overall experience, offering high frame rates with good visual quality. Players should avoid Ultra at all resolutions unless they are willing to accept significant frame rate penalties.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K + Intel Arc B570 combo ranks 2988 out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the 80th percentile from the bottom. This may seem low, but it is important to contextualize this rank. The database includes many high-end systems with top-tier CPUs and GPUs, so a mid-range combo landing in the lower half is expected.

The GPU's percentile rank of 65 vs. all GPUs shows that it is above average, but the CPU's rank of 90 vs. all CPUs is significantly higher. This suggests that the CPU is a stronger component than the GPU in this pairing. The combo rank is likely dragged down by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU is clearly capable of driving higher frame rates.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Arc B570's average benchmark score (20556) is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and Intel Arc A750 (20582), with a deltaPct of 0.1% and -0.1%, respectively. In-game, this translates to similar performance, meaning the combo's rank is representative of a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU. The data implies that upgrading the GPU would yield a much larger improvement in Downfall performance than upgrading the CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is directly from the measured FPS table, detailing the average, minimum, and maximum frame rates for each resolution and settings preset.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: Average 30 FPS (no min/max data)
• High: Average 49 FPS (no min/max data)
• Medium: Average 59 FPS, minimum 50 FPS, maximum 68 FPS
• Low: Average 72 FPS (no min/max data)

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: Average 49 FPS (no min/max data)
• High: Average 78 FPS (no min/max data)
• Medium: Average 95 FPS, minimum 81 FPS, maximum 110 FPS
• Low: Average 116 FPS (no min/max data)

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: Average 68 FPS (no min/max data)
• High: Average 109 FPS (no min/max data)
• Medium: Average 133 FPS, minimum 113 FPS, maximum 153 FPS
• Low: Average 163 FPS (no min/max data)

The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data, showing tight frame times at 1080p (113-153 FPS) and 1440p (81-110 FPS), which indicates a stable experience. The lack of min/max data for other presets implies less variation, but the average scores are sufficient for comparison.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial across all settings, and the pattern reveals a classic GPU bottleneck.

At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 163 at 1080p to 116 at 1440p (a 28.8% decrease), and then to 72 at 4K (a 37.9% decrease from 1440p). This scaling is consistent with a GPU that is being increasingly taxed by the higher pixel count. The CPU is not the issue, as it could theoretically push higher frame rates at 1080p.

At High settings, the average FPS drops from 109 at 1080p to 78 at 1440p (a 28.4% decrease), and then to 49 at 4K (a 37.2% decrease from 1440p). The relative percentage drops are nearly identical to Low settings, which suggests that the GPU's compute load is scaling linearly with resolution, independent of the visual complexity.

At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 68 at 1080p to 49 at 1440p (a 27.9% decrease), and then to 30 at 4K (a 38.8% decrease from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result is a mere 30 FPS, which is a clear indicator that the Arc B570's raw processing power is insufficient for this resolution and preset combination.

The consistent ~28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~37% drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings confirms that the GPU is the limiting component. The i5-14600K's performance is not degrading with resolution, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the increase in pixel count (1080p has 2.07 million pixels, 1440p has 3.69 million, and 4K has 8.29 million). If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat as resolution increases. The data strongly suggests that for this combo, the Arc B570 is the primary constraint, and players should prioritize lowering resolution or settings to achieve higher frame rates rather than upgrading the CPU.