Downfall

Downfall, a 2016 horror title, presents a demanding workload for the tested configuration of the Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the Intel Arc B370. The measured data shows a wide range of performance across resolutions and settings, with the system ranking 2688 out of 2928 tested combos for this game. This places the combination in the lower half of tested hardware, indicating significant limitations that users should understand before relying on this setup for a smooth experience.

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

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on the Raptor Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The cache structure includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with ECC memory supported. It also features PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes for the CPU.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-14600KF delivers a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and a single-core score of 4594. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 17085, while the single-core score is 2445. The processor's average benchmark score is 49394, placing it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, a delta of 0.3% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196, a 0.4% delta. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, a 0.8% delta, and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 scores 49796, a delta of -0.8%.

For Downfall, the CPU's role is substantial at lower resolutions where the GPU is less constrained. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 96 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate for this configuration. This suggests the CPU can handle the game's logic and physics processing well enough to avoid being the primary bottleneck at this resolution. The high single-thread performance, evidenced by a PassMark single-thread score of 4273, likely contributes to this result, as horror games often rely on single-threaded tasks for AI and scripting. However, as resolution increases, the frame rates drop significantly, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

The 20 threads and 14 cores provide ample multi-threaded capacity, but Downfall, being a 2016 release, may not fully utilize all available cores. The measured frame rates at 1440p and 4K show a clear pattern where the CPU's capabilities are not the primary constraint. For instance, at 1440p Low settings, the average FPS is 68, and at 4K Low, it drops to 43. This scaling aligns with GPU-bound behavior rather than CPU limitations. The processor's 5.30 GHz boost clock ensures that any single-threaded tasks are handled quickly, but the data suggests that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached well before the CPU's.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process node. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The memory configuration is system shared, meaning it uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as system dependent. The GPU features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B370 scores 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 with a score of 1186 (delta -0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1190 (delta -0.5%), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M with 1192 (delta -0.7%), and the AMD FirePro M2000 with 1168 (delta 1.4%). These close scores highlight that the Arc B370's raw graphics performance is comparable to older discrete GPUs, which is reflected in the Downfall results.

The GPU's system shared memory is a critical factor. Since Downfall requires substantial graphics memory for textures at higher settings, the shared memory approach can lead to performance degradation. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 18, which is the lowest measured. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average is only 40 FPS, indicating that the GPU struggles with high settings. The boost clock of 2400 MHz is relatively high for an IGP, but the 25 W TDP and integrated nature limit sustained performance. The data shows that the Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Downfall?

A: The highest average FPS is 96, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rival GPU in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, while its closest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, a delta of -0.2%.

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

A: The combo ranks 2688 out of 2928 tested combos for this game.

Q: What is the average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 56, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 64.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF is in the 90th percentile among all CPUs based on its average benchmark score.

Q: What are the measured FPS values at 3840x2160 with High settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 29, with no minimum or maximum values recorded.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings offer the best experience for this combo. At 1080p, Low settings deliver an average of 96 FPS, which is playable and smooth. Medium settings at 1080p yield 78 FPS, still a solid experience, with a minimum of 67 and maximum of 90. High settings at 1080p drop to 64 FPS, which remains acceptable for a horror game that may favor atmosphere over fast action. Ultra settings at 1080p fall to 40 FPS, which is borderline and may cause noticeable stutter.

Moving to 1440p, Low settings produce 68 FPS, which is playable, while Medium settings give 56 FPS. High settings at 1440p average 46 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel less responsive. Ultra at 1440p drops to 29 FPS, which is not recommended for a smooth experience. At 4K, only Low settings achieve 43 FPS, which is barely playable; Medium drops to 35 FPS, High to 29 FPS, and Ultra to 18 FPS.

The best experience per the measured rows is at 1080p with Medium settings. This provides an average of 78 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS that avoids major frame dips. The jump from Low to Medium only costs 18 FPS (from 96 to 78), while the visual quality improvement is likely significant. High at 1080p offers 64 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium is the sweet spot. For users prioritizing frame rate, 1080p Low at 96 FPS is the maximum, but Medium offers a better balance. At higher resolutions, sticking to Low is the only viable option for acceptable performance, with 1440p Low at 68 FPS being the next best choice after 1080p Medium.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of Intel Core i5-14600KF and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2688 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the bottom 8% of configurations, indicating that it is not well-suited for this game's demands. The CPU itself is powerful, being in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, but the GPU's 5th percentile ranking drags the overall performance down. The combination of a high-end CPU with a low-end integrated GPU creates a significant imbalance.

The synthetic benchmarks highlight this disparity. The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, scores nearly identically, with a delta of only 0.3%, showing that the i5-14600KF is competitive with strong desktop processors. However, the GPU's nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, is a mobile GPU from an older generation, and the Arc B370 scores just 0.2% below it. This means the GPU's performance is comparable to hardware from over a decade ago, which is insufficient for a modern horror title like Downfall at higher settings.

The rank of 2688 out of 2928 suggests that most other tested combinations provide better performance. This is not surprising given that the Arc B370 is an integrated GPU with system shared memory, which is a major disadvantage for a game that likely requires significant texture memory. The CPU's strong multi-core scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core of 32544, do not translate to in-game performance because the GPU cannot keep up. The data indicates that this combo is only suitable for low-resolution, low-settings gaming, and even then, it barely achieves playable frame rates at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings levels, providing a comprehensive view of performance. At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are 96 for Low, 78 for Medium, 64 for High, and 40 for Ultra. The Medium setting includes minimum and maximum values of 67 and 90, respectively, showing a reasonable frame time consistency. The spread from Low to Ultra is 56 FPS, with Ultra delivering less than half the performance of Low.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 68 for Low, 56 for Medium, 46 for High, and 29 for Ultra. The Medium setting has a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 64. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, with Low losing 28 FPS, Medium losing 22 FPS, High losing 18 FPS, and Ultra losing 11 FPS. This scaling suggests that the GPU's limited pixel throughput is a major factor.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 43 for Low, 35 for Medium, 29 for High, and 18 for Ultra. The Medium setting records a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 40. At 4K, even Low settings struggle to maintain 45 FPS, and Ultra is essentially unplayable at 18 FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern: each increase in resolution or settings level reduces the frame rate, with the most dramatic drops occurring at 4K.

The minimum and maximum values are only provided for Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the range is 67 to 90, a spread of 23 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 48 to 64, a spread of 16 FPS. At 4K, the range is 30 to 40, a spread of 10 FPS. The narrower spread at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is consistently maxed out, leading to less variance but also lower overall performance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K reveal the limiting component in this configuration. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 96 at 1080p to 68 at 1440p to 43 at 4K. This represents a 29% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 37% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 53 FPS, a 55% reduction. For Medium settings, the averages are 78 at 1080p, 56 at 1440p, and 35 at 4K, with drops of 28% and 38% respectively. High settings go from 64 at 1080p to 46 at 1440p to 29 at 4K, with drops of 28% and 37%. Ultra settings drop from 40 at 1080p to 29 at 1440p to 18 at 4K, with drops of 28% and 38%.

The consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that resolution scaling is uniform, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would show less variation with resolution changes, as the CPU's workload would remain similar regardless of pixel count. Here, the frame rates halve from 1080p to 4K, suggesting that the Arc B370's pixel processing capabilities are the primary constraint. The GPU's pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are modest, and at 4K, the number of pixels to process quadruples compared to 1080p, overwhelming the GPU.

The system shared memory also plays a role. At higher resolutions, the memory bandwidth demands increase, and since the bandwidth is system dependent, it may not scale adequately. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 18, which is below the 30 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for playability. The CPU's strong performance, with a 5.30 GHz boost clock and 24 MB of L3 cache, cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations. The conclusion from the resolution scaling is that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component, and users should expect significant performance degradation when moving beyond 1080p.