Downfall

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a dominant, high-refresh-rate experience in Downfall, with the data showing that the combination ranks in the 94th percentile of all tested configurations. Across all three resolutions, the system never drops below an average of 74 FPS, even at the most demanding Ultra settings, making it a capable choice for both 1440p and 4K gaming. The measured results indicate a well-balanced pairing where the GPU becomes the primary scaling factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom at 1080p, where frame rates approach the limits of the display pipeline.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combination in Downfall?*

A: The combo ranks 230th out of 3716 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6.2% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4080 compared to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080’s average benchmark score is 54247, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209) and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828). It trails the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698) by 2.6%.

Q: What is the performance delta between the i7-12700K and the i5-13600T?

A: The i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305). The difference is negligible, making them statistically equivalent in overall compute performance.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at Medium settings in 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system records an average of 233 FPS, with a minimum of 198 FPS and a maximum of 268 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The data indicates a GPU-centric bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 74. This is a significant reduction from the 1080p Ultra average of 168 FPS, showing that the GPU’s rendering load is the limiting factor at this resolution and preset.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU and GPU in this combo?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has a launch MSRP of $409, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has a launch MSRP of 1,199 USD.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 25 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark results show strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19784 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 15790. Single-thread performance is also robust, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1850.5 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4013.

In Downfall, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p, where frame rates are exceptionally high. At 1920x1080 Low settings, the system achieves an average of 400 FPS, and at High settings, it reaches 268 FPS. These figures suggest that the i7-12700K provides sufficient processing power to feed the RTX 4080 at lower resolutions, where the GPU is not fully saturated. The processor’s 84th percentile ranking against all CPUs further supports its capability to handle the game’s logic and physics without becoming a primary constraint. The data shows that as resolution increases, the CPU’s influence wanes, but at 1080p, its high boost clock and multi-core design ensure that frame rates remain limited by the GPU’s output rather than the CPU’s compute capacity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end graphics card based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring the AD103 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process. It comes with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is rated at 2505 MHz, with a base clock of 2205 MHz, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6. The card’s synthetic performance is strong, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567 and a Passmark G3D score of 34457, placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs.

The RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing for Downfall, particularly at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS is 74, while at 1440p Ultra, it rises to 120 FPS. The GPU’s memory capacity and bandwidth are well-suited for the game’s demands, as the transition from Medium to High settings at 4K shows a reduction from 145 FPS to 119 FPS, indicating that the GPU is handling increased texture and shading loads. The data shows that the GPU is the primary scaling factor from 1440p upwards, where the CPU’s performance headroom is less relevant. The RTX 4080’s 16 GB VRAM and high memory bandwidth ensure that even at 4K, the game runs smoothly, with the average frame rate remaining well above 60 FPS across all presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 230th out of 3716 tested configurations in Downfall, placing it in the top 6.2% of all systems. This high ranking reflects the synergy between the CPU’s strong single-thread performance and the GPU’s high throughput. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 35287 is nearly identical to that of the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305) and the Intel Core i7-12700KF (35365), with deltas of -0.1% and -0.2%, respectively. The GPU’s average score of 54247 is similarly competitive, with the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209) trailing by only 0.1%.

This ranking is significant because it places the system ahead of the vast majority of tested combinations, indicating that this hardware pairing is well-matched for Downfall’s requirements. The data shows that the combo’s performance is not limited by a significant bottleneck, as the CPU and GPU scores are both in the mid-to-high 80th percentiles. The rank of 230 out of 3716 suggests that while there are more powerful configurations available, this setup delivers a level of performance that is suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and smooth 4K experiences, as evidenced by the measured FPS across all presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Downfall reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast, with an average of 400 FPS at Low settings, 327 FPS at Medium, 268 FPS at High, and 168 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 278 FPS and a maximum of 376 FPS, indicating consistent frame delivery. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 285 FPS at Low, 233 FPS at Medium (with a min of 198 and max of 268), 191 FPS at High, and 120 FPS at Ultra. At 3840x2160, the averages are 178 FPS at Low, 145 FPS at Medium (with a min of 123 and max of 167), 119 FPS at High, and 74 FPS at Ultra.

These numbers show that the system scales predictably with settings. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 232 FPS, demonstrating the GPU’s headroom at this resolution. At 1440p, the gap narrows to 165 FPS, and at 4K, it is 104 FPS. The data shows that the system maintains playable frame rates at all tested configurations, with the lowest recorded average being 74 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 145 FPS and a minimum of 123 FPS, ensuring no significant frame drops.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 168 FPS, which is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors. The data shows that even at Ultra, the system maintains a high frame rate, so users with 1080p displays can max out the settings without concern. For 1440p, the High preset provides an average of 191 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, while the Ultra preset at 120 FPS is also viable for 120Hz displays. The Medium preset at 1440p, with an average of 233 FPS, is recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rates are prioritized over visual fidelity.

At 4K, the High preset offers a solid 119 FPS average, making it the best choice for a 120Hz display, while the Ultra preset drops to 74 FPS, which is still playable but may not fully utilize high-refresh-rate panels. The Medium preset at 4K, with an average of 145 FPS and a minimum of 123 FPS, provides a smoother experience with a margin of safety against frame drops, making it the recommended setting for 4K gaming on this hardware. The data indicates that the system’s performance is robust enough to handle the game at high settings across all resolutions, with the choice of preset ultimately dependent on whether the user prioritizes visual quality or frame rate stability.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K highlights the GPU’s role as the limiting component at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 400 FPS at 1080p to 285 FPS at 1440p and 178 FPS at 4K, representing a 55.5% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 55.5% reduction from 1440p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 168 FPS at 1080p to 120 FPS at 1440p and 74 FPS at 4K, a 28.6% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 38.3% reduction from 1440p to 4K. This pattern shows that the GPU’s rendering load increases significantly with resolution, while the CPU’s contribution remains relatively constant.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is partially CPU-limited, as the frame rates are exceptionally high, and the GPU has spare capacity. As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, with frame rates scaling inversely with the number of pixels rendered. The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is larger than from 1080p to 1440p, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are being saturated at the highest resolution. This analysis shows that the RTX 4080 is the component that determines the system’s performance ceiling in Downfall, and users seeking higher frame rates at 4K would benefit from reducing settings, as the CPU has sufficient headroom to support the GPU at all tested resolutions.