Downfall

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a formidable performance profile in Downfall, securing the 272nd position out of 1,741 tested combinations. This placement places the combo comfortably within the top 16% of all tested systems, indicating that this pairing is more than capable of handling the game’s demands. The data shows a configuration that excels across the board, though the specific bottlenecks and scaling patterns reveal a nuanced picture of where its strengths lie.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 272 out of 1,741 tested combinations puts it in a strong position, outperforming the vast majority of systems in the database. This is a high-end result, reflecting the synergy between a 14-core processor and a 12 GB graphics card. The rank suggests that users can expect a consistently smooth experience, with the hardware providing ample headroom for the game’s horror-themed environments, which often feature complex lighting and shadow effects.

To contextualize this rank, the CPU component itself is a top performer. The Core i5-14600K achieves an average benchmark score of 49,166, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which scores 49,062 (a 0.2% difference), and the Intel Core i5-14600KF, which scores 49,367 (a -0.4% difference). These marginal deltas show that the i5-14600K is essentially tied with these competitors in raw processing power, meaning the ranking difference in Downfall is more likely attributable to the GPU and overall system balance than CPU choice alone.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver of frame rates in Downfall. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is well-suited for the game’s high-resolution textures and detailed environments. The GPU’s base clock is 1980 MHz, with a boost clock of 2475 MHz, and it operates at a TDP of 220 W. The GPU’s benchmark scores further cement its capability, with a PassMark G3D score of 29,995 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4,627, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (average score 42,653, a -0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (average score 42,723, a -0.3% delta). These nearly identical scores indicate that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a top-tier performer, and in Downfall, this translates directly into high frame rates. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is a critical asset, as it prevents memory-related stutters in a game that can be demanding on graphical resources.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows how the system’s performance scales across resolutions, revealing the limiting component at each stage. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound, as evidenced by the high frame rates that exceed the GPU’s ability to render frames efficiently. Moving from 1080p to 1440p, the frame rates drop by a predictable margin, and the GPU begins to take on a more significant role. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with frame rates dropping to more moderate levels.

Specifically, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 235.6 at 1080p to 169.8 at 1440p (a 28% reduction), and then to 101.8 at 4K (a further 40% reduction). This scaling pattern is typical for a balanced system where neither component is overwhelmingly dominant. The data indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER has enough headroom at 1080p to push beyond 300 FPS at lower settings, but the CPU’s processing power limits the absolute maximum. At 4K, the GPU’s raw compute is the deciding factor, and the system still delivers playable frame rates even at Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system’s performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1080p, the system achieves an average of 348.6 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 286.6 FPS on Medium, 235.6 FPS on High, and 147.9 FPS on Ultra. These figures show that the system can easily handle competitive or high-refresh-rate gameplay at 1080p, even with maximum graphical fidelity.

At 1440p, the average FPS starts at 247.9 on Low, decreases to 202.0 on Medium, 169.8 on High, and 106.5 on Ultra. The step from High to Ultra at 1440p is a 37% performance hit, which is a significant cost for the visual enhancements. At 4K, the system produces 154.6 FPS on Low, 128.7 FPS on Medium, 101.8 FPS on High, and 67.2 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra figure is the only one that dips below the 70 FPS threshold, but it remains playable for a single-player horror title. The data shows that the system is capable of maintaining 100+ FPS at 4K on High settings, which is an impressive feat for this hardware combination.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The CPU’s cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. In Downfall, the CPU’s role is most apparent at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 348.6 FPS shows that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to achieve very high frame rates.

The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its strength. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,881 and a single-core score of 4,642, along with a Geekbench multi-core score of 15,846 and a single-core score of 2,803. These scores place it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, is just 0.2% behind in average score. In Downfall, the CPU’s high single-thread performance is crucial for maintaining stable frame times in scenes with many interactive elements, while the multi-core performance helps with background tasks and game logic.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance rank of this combo in Downfall?*

A: The combo ranks 272nd out of 1,741 tested combinations, placing it in the top 16% of all systems.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 42,576, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42,653, a -0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42,723, a -0.3% delta).

Q: Can this system achieve 4K gaming at high settings?

A: Yes, at 4K with High settings, the system averages 101.8 FPS, and even at Ultra settings it maintains a playable 67.2 FPS.

Q: What is the CPU’s percentile ranking among all processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49,166.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 235.6 at 1080p to 169.8 at 1440p, a 28% reduction, indicating a shift from CPU-bound to more GPU-bound conditions.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between settings at a given resolution?

A: At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 200.7 FPS (348.6 to 147.9), representing a 57% drop in performance when enabling maximum graphical features.