Downfall

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

The Intel Core i5-14600KF brings 14 cores and 20 threads to the table, running on the Raptor Lake architecture with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This is a desktop part built on Intel's 10 nm process, with a 125 W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache.

In synthetic workloads, this CPU demonstrates strong single-thread and multi-thread capability. It scores 4643 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 32889 in multi-core, while Geekbench shows 2778 single-core and 15636 multi-core. The PassMark multithread score sits at 38697, with single-thread at 4273. These numbers place the chip in the 93rd percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49367.

The nearest rivals tell an interesting story about positioning. The Intel Core i5-14600K scores 49166, a mere 0.4% delta, making it effectively a statistical tie. The AMD EPYC 4345P comes in at 49595, 0.5% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X trails at 49062, 0.6% lower. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H is 1.4% behind at 48698. What this means for Downfall is that the 14600KF is operating in a very tightly contested performance band — no single rival holds a decisive edge.

For a horror title like Downfall, which relies on atmospheric tension rather than massive simulation, the CPU's job is to feed frames consistently. The high boost clock of 5.30 GHz should handle the game's main thread demands, while the 14 cores provide headroom for background tasks and any threaded engine work. The data suggests the CPU is unlikely to be the bottleneck in most scenarios, given its percentile standing and rival comparisons.

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

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Core i5-14600KF?

A: The launch MSRP is $294.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-14600KF compare to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X in average benchmark score?

A: The 14600KF scores 49367 on average, which is 0.6% higher than the Ryzen 9 5950X's 49062. This places the two chips within a hair of each other, despite the Ryzen 9 having a different core configuration.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 2000 MHz, or 16 Gbps effective.

Q: What is the best 4K result for the combo, and at which settings?

A: At 3840x2160, the best result is 103 FPS on Low settings. High settings yield 66.8 FPS, Medium gives 84.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 44.1 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU rank among all tested GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT sits in the 77th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 33721. Its nearest rival, the RX 6800, scores 33493, a 0.7% delta.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in Downfall?

A: The combo ranks 934 out of 1741 tested combos, placing it just above the median of the field.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 229.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 164.1 FPS, and 4K Low brings it down to 103 FPS. That is a 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K on Low settings. The Medium preset shows similar behavior: 188.4 FPS at 1080p, 136.2 FPS at 1440p, and 84.9 FPS at 4K — a 55% drop as well.

High settings compress the range slightly. At 1080p High, the combo produces 156.9 FPS, dropping to 109 FPS at 1440p and 66.8 FPS at 4K. That is a 57% reduction from 1080p to 4K. Ultra settings have the most dramatic falloff: 94.3 FPS at 1080p, 69.1 FPS at 1440p, and 44.1 FPS at 4K, a 53% decrease.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all four presets points to a GPU-limited scenario. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect the 1080p results to plateau — the frame rate would stop rising as resolution decreases, because the CPU would hit its ceiling. Instead, 1080p Low reaches 229.1 FPS, which is far beyond what most CPUs could sustain in a modern title. The GPU is doing the heavy lifting, and as resolution increases, the pixel throughput demands grow proportionally.

At 4K Ultra, the 44.1 FPS result is the lowest on the chart, and this is where the GPU's 13.21 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 165.2 GPixel/s pixel rate start to feel stretched. The 12 GB VRAM buffer is adequate, but the bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s may limit texture streaming in the densest scenes.

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

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce 229.1 FPS average, which is the highest figure across the entire measurement set. Medium settings drop to 188.4 FPS, High to 156.9 FPS, and Ultra to 94.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 134.8 FPS, showing the full cost of the Ultra preset.

At 2560x1440, the numbers step down noticeably. Low yields 164.1 FPS, Medium 136.2 FPS, High 109 FPS, and Ultra 69.1 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 95 FPS, a slightly smaller absolute spread than 1080p but still significant. Every setting at 1440p is playable, with even Ultra clearing 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low produces 103 FPS, Medium 84.9 FPS, High 66.8 FPS, and Ultra 44.1 FPS. The Ultra preset dips below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only configuration in the dataset that is not consistently smooth. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 58.9 FPS, the smallest absolute difference of any resolution, which reinforces that the GPU is the limiter.

Across all resolutions, the Low-to-Medium step costs roughly 18-20% of performance, Medium-to-High costs another 17-19%, and High-to-Ultra costs 40-46%. The Ultra preset is disproportionately expensive, doubling the cost of the previous step.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 22 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process. It packs 17,200 million transistors into a 335 mm² die, with a transistor density of 51.3M per mm². The GPU has 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, along with 40 ray tracing cores. Its base clock is 2321 MHz, with a game clock of 2424 MHz and a boost clock of 2581 MHz.

The GPU's memory subsystem is a key asset: 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, running at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), delivering 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is paired with a pixel rate of 165.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 413.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute rating is 13.21 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 26.43 TFLOPS via a 2:1 ratio.

In benchmark terms, the GPU scores 19786 in PassMark G3D and 9336 in PassMark GPU compute. It achieves 2435 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, and Geekbench results show 129041 in Metal, 100730 in OpenCL, and 108032 in Vulkan. The 77th percentile standing among all GPUs, with an average score of 33721, places it above the median but not at the top tier.

The nearest rivals are telling. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 33493, just 0.7% lower — effectively identical. The AMD Radeon HD 7950 scores 34050, which is 1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 480 scores 34059, also 1% higher. The NVIDIA RTX A5000 trails at 33294, 1.3% lower. These comparisons suggest that the RX 6700 XT is in a crowded performance band where small architectural differences dominate.

For Downfall, the GPU's 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's 2016-era assets, even at 4K. The high boost clock of 2581 MHz helps maintain frame rates in the measured results, and the 384.0 GB/s bandwidth keeps texture streaming fluid. The Ultra preset at 4K, however, pushes the GPU past its comfort zone, resulting in the 44.1 FPS figure.

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

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of presets, and the best choice depends on the target resolution. At 1080p, every preset clears 90 FPS, so the decision comes down to visual fidelity versus headroom. Ultra at 94.3 FPS is playable and gives the full experience, while High at 156.9 FPS offers a massive margin for competitive or fast-paced play. For most users at 1080p, High is the sweet spot — it nearly doubles the Ultra frame rate while still looking polished.

At 1440p, the calculus shifts. Ultra dips to 69.1 FPS, which is above 60 but leaves little room for frame time spikes. High at 109 FPS is the better choice here, delivering a 58% improvement over Ultra while still being visually strong. Medium at 136.2 FPS is an option for those prioritizing smoothness above all, but High offers the best balance.

At 4K, the options narrow. Ultra at 44.1 FPS is below the 60 FPS target and will feel stuttery in tense horror moments. High at 66.8 FPS clears the threshold but by a slim margin. Medium at 84.9 FPS is the recommended preset for 4K — it stays well above 60 FPS, provides a 27% improvement over High, and the visual difference between Medium and High is often negligible in atmospheric horror games. Low at 103 FPS is the fallback for those who want maximum headroom with reduced fidelity.

Across all resolutions, the data suggests that the Ultra preset is poorly optimized relative to High — it costs roughly 40-46% of the frame rate for diminishing visual returns. Medium or High presets provide the best experience per the measured rows.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT ranks 934 out of 1741 tested combinations in Downfall. This places it at roughly the 54th percentile of all combos — slightly above the median, but not a standout performer. Given that the CPU sits in the 93rd percentile and the GPU in the 77th percentile individually, the combo's lower ranking suggests that the game's performance is more sensitive to GPU capabilities than the CPU's synthetic strength might imply.

The rank of 934 means there are 807 combos that perform better in this game, and 933 that perform worse. This is a middling result for a pairing of a high-end CPU and a mid-range GPU. The CPU's strong benchmark scores — 32889 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 38697 in PassMark multithread — do not translate into a top-tier game ranking because Downfall likely leans on the GPU more heavily.

Comparing the combo's rank to the individual component percentiles reveals a mismatch. The CPU is excellent, the GPU is good, but the combination lands in the middle of the pack. This could indicate that Downfall is not particularly demanding on the CPU, so the 14600KF's advantages over cheaper CPUs are not fully realized in this title. Alternatively, the GPU's 77th percentile may be the limiting factor, and the rank reflects that ceiling.

The nearest rival data for the GPU — with the RX 6800, HD 7950, and RX 480 all within 1.3% — shows how crowded this performance tier is. A small GPU upgrade or driver optimization could shift the combo's rank significantly. For users with this pairing, the data suggests that Downfall's performance is adequate for most settings, but not exceptional, and the Ultra preset at 4K should be avoided based on the measured 44.1 FPS result.