Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core i7-13700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 produces a striking performance profile in Downfall, a horror title from 2016. The measured data reveals a system that scales aggressively with resolution and settings, yet maintains playable frame rates across all tested configurations. With a combo rank of 433 out of 1,741 tested combinations, this pairing sits comfortably in the upper quartile of all tested systems, though the data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions while the CPU becomes increasingly relevant at lower ones.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 211.7 at 1920x1080 to 148.9 at 2560x1440, then to 91.2 at 3840x2160. That represents a 56.9% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating a strong GPU dependency at higher resolutions. The scaling is not linear — the jump from 1440p to 4K costs 57.7 FPS, while the jump from 1080p to 1440p costs 62.8 FPS, suggesting the GPU is being pushed progressively harder as pixel count increases.

Looking at Low settings, the pattern amplifies. At 1080p Low, the system hits 312.3 FPS, dropping to 221.5 at 1440p and 140.4 at 4K. The 1080p-to-4K decline here is 171.9 FPS, a 55% drop. This consistency across settings implies that resolution scaling is primarily a GPU-bound phenomenon in Downfall. The RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are likely the limiting factors at 4K, especially considering the game's 2016 release date predates modern memory compression techniques.

At Ultra settings, the scaling becomes more dramatic: 133.8 FPS at 1080p, 92.8 at 1440p, and 58.3 at 4K. The 4K figure is notably low, suggesting that Ultra presets push the GPU's 192-bit memory bus and 64 ROPs to their limits. The data indicates that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo — it retains high frame rates across all settings while offering more visual detail than 1080p.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070's specifications directly explain several observed behaviors. Its boost clock of 2475 MHz and 5 nm process node from TSMC enable high raw throughput, reflected in the 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The 12 GB memory capacity appears sufficient for Downfall at all tested resolutions, as no settings combination produced sub-30 FPS results. However, the memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, while respectable, becomes a constraint at 4K Ultra where the average FPS drops to 58.3.

The GPU's 5888 shading units and 184 texture mapping units suggest strong pixel-pushing capability, but the 64 ROPs may limit fill-rate-bound scenarios. This is evident in the scaling from Medium to High settings at 4K: 114 FPS at Medium versus 91.2 at High, a 22.8 FPS penalty. The transition from High to Ultra at 4K is even more punishing, dropping 32.9 FPS to 58.3. This nonlinear scaling indicates that Ultra settings introduce effects that heavily tax the GPU's memory subsystem or shading resources.

The passmark G3D score of 26927 places this GPU in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, yet the nearest rivals in the data — the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 with a deltaPct of -0.6 and the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A at -1.9 — suggest the RTX 4070's average benchmark score of 37283 is closely contested. In Downfall specifically, the GPU's performance at 1080p High (211.7 FPS) shows headroom, but the 4K Ultra result (58.3 FPS) indicates the card is not overprovisioned for this game's highest demands.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on preset selection. At 1080p, even Ultra settings deliver 133.8 FPS, well above typical display refresh rates, making Ultra the best choice for users with high-refresh monitors. However, the jump from High to Ultra at 1080p costs 77.9 FPS (from 211.7 to 133.8), which might not justify the visual gains for competitive play.

At 1440p, High settings produce 148.9 FPS, which is excellent for most gaming scenarios. Medium delivers 182.7 FPS, offering a 33.8 FPS improvement over High with presumably reduced visual fidelity. Ultra at 1440p drops to 92.8 FPS, still playable but approaching the threshold where frame pacing becomes noticeable. For users prioritizing smoothness, Medium or High at 1440p appears optimal.

At 4K, the choice is more constrained. High settings yield 91.2 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced horror sequences. Medium provides 114 FPS, a 22.8 FPS improvement that may be worth the visual trade-off. Ultra at 58.3 FPS is borderline — it works for slower exploration but may feel less responsive. Low settings at 4K (140.4 FPS) are unnecessary given the visual fidelity loss. The data suggests that 1440p High is the best overall experience, balancing frame rate and quality, while 4K Medium offers the most stable high-resolution option.

FAQ

Q: Does the RTX 4070's 12 GB VRAM cause any issues in Downfall at 4K?

A: The measured data shows no evidence of VRAM-related stutters or crashes, as all 4K settings produce stable average FPS figures. The lowest result is 58.3 FPS at Ultra, indicating the 12 GB capacity is sufficient for this game.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K bottlenecking the RTX 4070 at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 312.3 FPS, which is extremely high. The CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads, combined with a 5.40 GHz boost clock, appear capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, though the data cannot isolate CPU vs GPU utilization directly.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested systems?

A: This pairing ranks 433 out of 1,741 tested combos, placing it in the top 25% of all systems tested in Downfall. This suggests it outperforms the majority of combinations while not being in the absolute top tier.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: High settings produce 148.9 FPS while Ultra yields 92.8 FPS, a difference of 56.1 FPS. This represents a 37.7% reduction in frame rate when moving from High to Ultra.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Downfall?

A: Yes, all 4K settings produce playable frame rates, with High at 91.2 FPS being the most balanced option. Ultra at 58.3 FPS is playable but approaches the lower bound of smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its closest benchmark rivals?

A: The RTX 4070's average benchmark score is 37283, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56's 37507 and 1.9% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A's 38008. It outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 5300M by 2.5%.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K brings substantial processing power to this combination. With 16 cores, 24 threads, and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, the CPU demonstrates strong single-threaded and multi-threaded capabilities. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 and single-core score of 5505 indicate excellent performance across both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads. In Downfall, a horror game likely utilizing a mix of physics, AI, and rendering threads, this CPU provides ample headroom.

The 3DMark scores reveal scaling behavior: 2-thread score of 2262, 4-thread of 4469, 8-thread of 8193, and 16-thread of 10717. This nearly linear scaling suggests the CPU efficiently utilizes additional cores, which benefits games that can spawn multiple worker threads. The max-thread score of 12412 shows diminishing returns beyond 16 threads, likely due to the 24-thread count with hyperthreading.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-13700K's average benchmark score of 47282 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-13700KF (47334, deltaPct -0.1) and AMD EPYC 4364P (47131, deltaPct 0.3). The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it outperforms the vast majority of processors. In Downfall, the CPU's high single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core of 2850) likely contributes to the high frame rates observed at 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed and the CPU becomes more influential.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 433 out of 1,741 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the 75th percentile of all systems tested. This rank reflects the balanced nature of the pairing — the i7-13700K provides strong CPU performance (93rd percentile among CPUs) while the RTX 4070 delivers solid GPU performance (81st percentile among GPUs). The system's overall rank being lower than either component's individual percentile suggests that Downfall's performance is not purely bound by one component, but rather benefits from the synergy between them.

The ranking implies that while this combo is not in the top tier of tested systems, it outperforms three-quarters of all combinations. The measured frame rates support this: even at the most demanding configuration (4K Ultra, 58.3 FPS), the system remains playable. The gap between this combo and top-ranked systems likely stems from the RTX 4070's position relative to higher-end GPUs, as the CPU's performance is near the top of its class.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers 312.3 FPS at Low, 252.7 at Medium, 211.7 at High, and 133.8 at Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 178.5 FPS range, with the largest single drop occurring between High and Ultra (77.9 FPS). At 2560x1440, the figures are 221.5 FPS (Low), 182.7 (Medium), 148.9 (High), and 92.8 (Ultra). The range narrows to 128.7 FPS, with the High-to-Ultra drop being the most significant at 56.1 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system produces 140.4 FPS (Low), 114 (Medium), 91.2 (High), and 58.3 (Ultra). The range here is 82.1 FPS, and the High-to-Ultra penalty is 32.9 FPS.

The data reveals consistent patterns: the gap between Low and Medium narrows as resolution increases (59.6 FPS at 1080p, 38.8 at 1440p, 26.4 at 4K), while the Medium-to-High gap remains relatively stable (41 FPS at 1080p, 33.8 at 1440p, 22.8 at 4K). The High-to-Ultra gap shrinks most dramatically with resolution (77.9 at 1080p, 56.1 at 1440p, 32.9 at 4K), suggesting that Ultra settings impose a fixed overhead that becomes proportionally less impactful at lower resolutions where frame rates are higher. Overall, the RTX 4070 and i7-13700K combination demonstrates robust performance across all tested scenarios, with the data indicating that users should choose settings based on their resolution and refresh rate priorities.