Downfall

Downfall, the 2016 horror title, presents a unique stress profile for the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination. The benchmark data reveals a system that is firmly constrained by its graphics processor at higher resolutions, yet showcases the substantial headroom of the modern CPU. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across the tested spectrum, interpreting what the numbers mean for the balance between the 14-core processor and the 6 GB graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K with this combo is steep and illustrative of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 147 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 105 FPS, a 28.6% reduction, and then to 4K Low it falls further to 65 FPS, a 38.1% reduction from 1440p. This progressive decline is the classic signature of a pixel-fill-rate limit, where the GTX 1660 SUPER’s 48 ROPs and 336.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth become the primary bottlenecks.

The pattern holds across all quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 99 at 1080p to 71 at 1440p (a 28.3% decrease) and then to 44 at 4K (a 38.0% decrease from 1440p). The consistent ~28% and ~38% drops between resolution tiers, regardless of settings, strongly suggest that the GPU’s shading units and memory subsystem are saturated. The CPU, with its 5.30 GHz boost clock and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, is not the limiting factor in these scenarios; it is waiting on the graphics card to finish each frame.

The most telling data point for the limiting component is the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K. The average FPS plummets from 65 at Low to 27 at Ultra, a 58.5% performance hit. This magnitude of loss is directly attributable to the increased shading and texture work overwhelming the GTX 1660 SUPER's 1408 shading units. If the system were CPU-bound, we would expect the resolution changes to have a much smaller impact on FPS, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant. Instead, the numbers paint a clear picture: this is a GPU-limited configuration across the board, with the CPU’s high multi-threaded score of 32544 in Cinebench R23 remaining largely untapped in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the decisive component in this pairing. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gameplay but becomes strained at 4K. The data shows the 4K Ultra preset yielding only 27 average FPS, a figure that falls below the threshold for comfortable play. Even at 4K Medium, the average FPS of 54 with a minimum of 45 indicates that the GPU is working at its absolute limit, unable to maintain a consistent frame pacing.

Clock speeds are a relevant factor here. The GPU’s base clock of 1530 MHz and boost clock of 1785 MHz are modest by modern standards, and the benchmark results reflect this. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1278 places this GPU in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, showing it is a mid-range part. Its nearest rivals in the database, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (0.4% faster) and the AMD Radeon RX 580 (0.4% faster), confirm its position as a competent 1080p performer that struggles with the demands of 4K.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, measured at 5.027 TFLOPS FP32, are the primary driver of the FPS numbers. The transition from 1080p High (99 FPS) to 1440p High (71 FPS) and then 4K High (44 FPS) shows a clear linear relationship with the number of pixels being processed. The 44 FPS at 4K High is playable but not smooth, while the 27 FPS at 4K Ultra is effectively a slideshow. The data suggests that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, users should target 1080p or 1440p, as the 4K resolution demands more from the GPU than its 6 GB frame buffer and 48 ROPs can deliver.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is an exceptionally capable processor that is underutilized in this specific game scenario. With 14 cores (a mix of performance and efficiency cores) and 20 threads, its architecture is designed for heavy multi-threaded workloads. The benchmark data shows a CPU that ranks in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, is only 0.3% faster, indicating that this is a top-tier part for productivity.

However, in Downfall, the CPU’s role is diminished. The evidence is in the FPS scaling. At 1080p Low, the system hits 147 FPS, which is high but not the ceiling for this CPU. The single-threaded performance, as measured by a Geekbench single-core score of 2445 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4594, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU. The fact that FPS does not increase when the resolution is lowered (e.g., from 1440p Low at 105 FPS to 1080p Low at 147 FPS) shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck; the GPU is.

The CPU’s high boost clock of 5.30 GHz is a key asset for gaming, ensuring that frame times remain low. Yet, the data shows that even with this clock speed, the system cannot overcome the GPU’s limits. The 4K Ultra preset at 27 FPS is a pure GPU constraint, as the CPU is likely idling, waiting for the graphics card to complete its work. This pairing demonstrates a significant imbalance: the processor has far more headroom than the graphics card can utilize in this title, making the GTX 1660 SUPER the definitive performance limiter.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s capabilities across resolutions and settings.

1080p: The best-case scenario for this combo. At Low settings, the average FPS is 147. Medium settings yield an average of 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 and a maximum of 138. High settings produce 99 FPS average. Ultra settings drop the average to 62 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot, with all settings except Ultra providing a smooth experience above 90 FPS.

1440p: A step down in performance but still playable. Low settings average 105 FPS. Medium settings average 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 and a maximum of 99. High settings average 71 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for many users. The data shows that 1440p is viable for Medium and High presets, but Ultra requires a sacrifice in frame rate.

4K: The GPU is overwhelmed here. Low settings average 65 FPS. Medium settings average 54 FPS, with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 62. High settings average 44 FPS. Ultra settings average just 27 FPS. The data indicates that 4K is only playable at Low settings, and even then, the average FPS is not high enough to guarantee a consistently smooth experience in a horror game where frame pacing matters.

The difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution is significant: a 57.8% drop at 1080p (147 to 62), a 58.1% drop at 1440p (105 to 44), and a 58.5% drop at 4K (65 to 27). This consistent reduction highlights the GPU’s inability to handle the increased graphical fidelity, regardless of the resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos, this configuration ranks 3177 out of 3716, placing it in the bottom 15% of all pairings. This low rank is a direct consequence of pairing a high-end CPU with a mid-range GPU. The CPU’s 90th percentile standing is dragged down by the GPU’s 53rd percentile performance. The combo’s rank reflects its overall capability in this game, which is limited by the graphics card.

The ranking implies that most other tested systems in the database outperform this combo in Downfall. This is expected, as the GTX 1660 SUPER is an end-of-life product from 2019, while the CPU is from 2023. The data shows that the FPS numbers are consistent with a GPU that has an average benchmark score of 12986, which is close to the scores of the AMD Radeon RX 580 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile. This combo is suitable for 1080p gaming but does not offer the headroom for high-refresh-rate or 4K play in this title. The rank of 3177 out of 3716 is a clear indicator that users seeking higher performance would need to upgrade the GPU to see any meaningful improvement in FPS.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At 1080p, the combo achieves 147 FPS on Low and 99 FPS on High settings, providing a smooth experience. At 1440p, High settings still yield 71 FPS, but 4K performance drops to 44 FPS on High, which is not ideal.

Q: Is this CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases (e.g., from 147 FPS at 1080p Low to 65 FPS at 4K Low), but the CPU has ample headroom with a 90th percentile ranking. The GPU’s 53rd percentile ranking and its 27 FPS average at 4K Ultra confirm it is the limiting component.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K at any setting?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 65 FPS. At Medium, the average drops to 54 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 27 FPS. The data suggests that 4K is not a practical resolution for this GPU in this game.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 12986. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, is 0.4% faster, while the AMD Radeon RX 580 is also 0.4% faster. The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 is 0.7% slower, and the AMD Radeon 740M is 0.9% slower.

Q: Is the Core i5-14600KF a strong performer?

A: Yes, the CPU is in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394. It is 0.3% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and 0.8% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245. However, this strength is not fully utilized in Downfall due to the GPU limit.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures for Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 102. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 73. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 45. These figures show that frame drops are more pronounced as resolution increases, with the 4K minimum falling below the 60 FPS target.