Downfall

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Downfall, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a component pairing that is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate gaming, though the gap between the CPU’s substantial headroom and the GPU’s output becomes apparent as pixel count rises.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a steep and consistent drop as resolution increases, a classic indicator of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 345.7 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low reduces this to 248.1 FPS, a 28% decrease, while 4K Low yields 154.8 FPS, which is 55% lower than the 1080p figure. This pattern is not linear, suggesting that the RTX 4070 SUPER’s rendering pipeline is being saturated well before the CPU’s capabilities are exhausted.

The High preset tells a similar story. At 1080p, the average frame rate is 233.9 FPS. At 1440p, it falls to 164.6 FPS, a 30% drop, and at 4K it reaches 105.3 FPS, which is 55% below the 1080p result. The consistency of this ~55% reduction from 1080p to 4K across both Low and High settings is telling; it indicates that the scaling is driven by pixel throughput rather than by changes in CPU workload or memory bandwidth limitations that might vary with settings.

Ultra settings amplify the GPU bottleneck further. The 1080p Ultra result of 143.8 FPS drops to 104 FPS at 1440p (a 28% decline) and then to 63.9 FPS at 4K, which is a 56% reduction from 1080p. The fact that 4K Ultra still manages to hold above 60 FPS is notable, but the steep falloff from the High preset highlights how quickly the Ada Lovelace chip’s resources are consumed by the highest quality assets. Benchmark results indicate that the i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is not the limiting factor here; even at 1080p Low, the 345.7 FPS figure is more than sufficient to expose any CPU constraint, and the data shows none.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance. The GPU’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for Downfall at 4K, as evidenced by the playable frame rates, but the 63.9 FPS Ultra result suggests that memory capacity is not the sole constraint; rather, the compute resources are the limiting factor. The chip’s 7,168 shading units and 56 RT cores are tasked with processing the horror game’s effects, and the clock speeds—base 1980 MHz and boost 2475 MHz—are what allow the card to reach the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

The GPU’s performance percentile is 84 among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 42,576 places it near the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42,653, a -0.2% delta). This proximity in synthetic benchmarks aligns with the measured FPS data, showing that the card is a high-tier performer. The GPU’s FP32 throughput of 35.48 TFLOPS is a key metric; this raw compute power is what drives the 248.1 FPS result at 1440p Low, where the shading units are not yet fully utilized. However, the transition from Medium to High at 4K (128.5 to 105.3 FPS) demonstrates a 18% performance cost, which is likely tied to the increased texture and shader complexity that stresses the 224 texture mapping units and 80 ROPs. The 220 W TDP and dual-slot design are consistent with a card that can sustain these workloads, and the measured data confirms that the GPU is the performance ceiling for this combo.

FAQ

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so much from 1080p to 4K?

A: The data shows a consistent ~55% reduction in average FPS across all settings when moving from 1080p to 4K. This is because the RTX 4070 SUPER’s rendering workload scales directly with pixel count, and the GPU becomes the limiting component, while the i7-13700K has ample headroom.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K holding back the RTX 4070 SUPER?

A: No. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 345.7 FPS, which is far beyond typical display refresh rates. The CPU’s 93rd percentile ranking and high multi-threaded scores (e.g., 39,000 in Cinebench R23) indicate it is not a bottleneck; the GPU is the primary limiter.

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

A: Based on the measured rows, 1440p offers the best balance. At High settings, it delivers 164.6 FPS, which is 56% higher than the 4K High result of 105.3 FPS, while still providing a significant visual upgrade over 1080p.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: Its average benchmark score of 42,576 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42,653, -0.2% delta) and slightly below the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42,723, -0.3% delta). This indicates the card sits at a specific performance tier that is reflected in the FPS data.

Q: Can the combo handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but just barely. The measured average FPS at 4K Ultra is 63.9, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. However, the 105.3 FPS at 4K High shows a 65% performance gain, making the High preset the more comfortable choice for 4K.

Q: Does the GPU’s memory capacity affect the results at 4K?

A: The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient for Downfall at 4K, as the game runs at playable speeds. The bottleneck is more likely the GPU’s compute throughput, given the steep drop from Low to Ultra at 4K (154.8 to 63.9 FPS).

Settings Recommendations

For users targeting the highest refresh rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 345.7 FPS, which is only useful for competitive play or on very high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1080p (287.5 FPS) still provides an excellent experience with improved visuals over Low, making it the optimal choice for 1080p gaming. At 1440p, the High preset is the clear winner, offering 164.6 FPS; this is a 44% improvement over the Medium preset’s 204.3 FPS? No, the data shows Medium is 204.3 FPS, which is actually higher than High’s 164.6. Wait, the data shows Medium at 1440p is 204.3 FPS, which is higher than High’s 164.6. Therefore, the Medium preset at 1440p is the best balance, providing a 24% frame rate advantage over High while still being visually superior to Low.

At 4K, the choice is between High (105.3 FPS) and Medium (128.5 FPS). The High preset is preferable for visual fidelity, as the 22% drop from Medium to High is a fair trade for the improved shadows and textures in a horror title. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as the 63.9 FPS average at 4K is too close to the 60 FPS minimum for comfort, and the 39% reduction from High to Ultra (105.3 to 63.9) is substantial. The data suggests that the Ultra preset is meant for lower resolutions or future hardware, and the High preset is the sweet spot for this GPU across all resolutions, except for 1440p where Medium’s 204.3 FPS offers a more fluid experience without a major visual penalty.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K and RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 292nd out of 1,741 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the top 17% of all configurations, which is impressive given the game’s age and the broad range of hardware tested. The combo’s rank is driven by the GPU’s strong performance, as the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 84th percentile among all GPUs is a higher relative standing than the CPU’s 93rd percentile among all CPUs, indicating that the GPU is the more influential component for this game’s frame rates.

Looking at the nearest rivals, the CPU’s average benchmark score of 47,282 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-13700KF (47,334, -0.1% delta) and the AMD EPYC 4364P (47,131, 0.3% delta). This means the processor choice has minimal impact on the combo’s ranking. The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 42,653, which is a -0.2% delta from the 4070 SUPER’s 42,576. This level of performance parity explains why the combo’s rank is solid but not exceptional; it is not breaking new ground but rather delivering expected results for its hardware tier. The 292nd rank out of 1,741 is a strong showing, but the data confirms that this is a mainstream high-end pairing rather than a top-tier enthusiast setup, and the measured FPS reflects that positioning accurately.