Downfall

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern, with frame rates compressing significantly as pixel count rises. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 397 FPS at 1920x1080 to 284 FPS at 2560x1440, then further to 177 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 55% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, indicating the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is increasingly the limiting factor as resolution climbs. The CPU headroom is substantial at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering workload dominates the scaling curve.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. High settings show 267 FPS at 1080p, 190 FPS at 1440p, and 118 FPS at 4K — a 56% drop from 1080p to 4K. Medium settings follow the same trend: 325 FPS at 1080p, 232 FPS at 1440p, and 144 FPS at 4K, a 56% reduction. Ultra settings, the most demanding preset, sees 167 FPS at 1080p, 119 FPS at 1440p, and 74 FPS at 4K, a 56% drop as well. The consistency of this 55-56% decrease across all presets strongly suggests that resolution scaling is governed by the GPU's fill rate and shading throughput rather than any CPU bottleneck.

At 1080p, the spread between Low and Ultra is substantial: 397 FPS versus 167 FPS, a 230 FPS difference. This wide gap indicates that even at the lowest resolution, the GPU is still the primary constraint when settings are maximized. At 4K, the same spread narrows to 177 FPS versus 74 FPS, a 103 FPS difference. The narrowing gap at higher resolutions is expected because the GPU is already saturated by pixel workload, leaving less headroom for settings-based performance variation. The data shows that this combo is firmly GPU-limited across the entire resolution range tested, with the Intel Core i7-13700K providing ample compute headroom even at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a combo rank of 280 out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall. This places the pairing in the top 7.5% of all tested combos, a strong result for a horror title that clearly benefits from both high-end CPU and GPU resources. The percentile ranking for the CPU alone is 89, meaning it outperforms 89% of all CPUs in the database, while the GPU sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs. Both components are top-decile performers, and their combination yields a system that is well above the median for this game.

Looking at the nearest rival data, the CPU's average benchmark score of 46881 is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 at 46971, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the two processors are statistically tied. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 also lands within 0.3%, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 are both 0.5% ahead. This tight clustering indicates that the i7-13700K is right at the performance frontier for its class, with no single rival holding a meaningful advantage. For the GPU, the RTX 4080 SUPER's average score of 54209 is within 0.1% of the standard RTX 4080 at 54247, confirming that the SUPER variant offers essentially the same compute throughput in synthetic benchmarks. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% ahead, while the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and Radeon 8060S are 2.7% and 2.8% ahead respectively, though those deltas are within the margin of benchmark noise.

Given the rank of 280 out of 3716, the data suggests that only a small fraction of tested combos deliver higher frame rates in Downfall. The combination of a top-10% CPU and top-15% GPU produces a system that is well positioned for this title, with the measured FPS results confirming that the pairing is not leaving significant performance on the table at any resolution or settings level.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data offers clear guidance for optimizing the experience in Downfall. For players targeting 4K at 60 FPS or higher, the High preset at 3840x2160 delivers an average of 118 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves room for V-Sync or frame rate caps. The Medium preset at 4K averages 144 FPS with a minimum of 123 FPS and a maximum of 166 FPS, making it the best choice for high-refresh-rate 4K displays, provided the player can tolerate the visual difference from High. Ultra at 4K drops to 74 FPS average, which is still playable but represents a significant 37% reduction from High, making it a less attractive option unless visual fidelity is the absolute priority.

At 1440p, the options are more generous. The High preset averages 190 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz or 165Hz monitors. The Medium preset averages 232 FPS with a minimum of 197 FPS, making it suitable for 200Hz+ displays. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 119 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS but below the refresh rate of most high-end 1440p gaming monitors. For 1080p, the High preset at 267 FPS is the sweet spot for 240Hz panels, while Medium at 325 FPS supports 300Hz+ displays. Low at 1080p reaches 397 FPS, which is only relevant for competitive play at extreme refresh rates.

The data indicates that High is the most balanced preset across all resolutions, offering the best trade-off between visual quality and frame rate. Medium provides a measurable FPS boost — 22% at 4K, 22% at 1440p, and 22% at 1080p over High — with the only recorded minimum FPS values in the dataset (123 FPS at 4K, 197 FPS at 1440p, 276 FPS at 1080p), suggesting that Medium also offers better frame time consistency. Ultra, while visually superior, imposes a 37% FPS penalty at 4K and 1440p, and a 37% penalty at 1080p, which is substantial for a genre that benefits from smooth motion.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for Downfall with the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 397 FPS average. The Medium preset averages 325 FPS, with a minimum of 276 FPS and a maximum of 374 FPS. The High preset averages 267 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 167 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 58% reduction in average FPS, with the step from High to Ultra being the largest single drop at 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 284 FPS. Medium averages 232 FPS, with a minimum of 197 FPS and a maximum of 267 FPS. High averages 190 FPS. Ultra averages 119 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 165 FPS, a 58% reduction. The gap between High and Ultra is 71 FPS, slightly smaller than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 177 FPS. Medium averages 144 FPS, with a minimum of 123 FPS and a maximum of 166 FPS. High averages 118 FPS. Ultra averages 74 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra drop is 103 FPS, a 58% reduction. The step from High to Ultra is 44 FPS.

The Medium preset is the only settings level that reports minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions, which provides additional insight into frame pacing. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 123 FPS and maximum of 166 FPS bracket the average of 144 FPS, indicating a reasonable variance of 43 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 197 to 267 FPS, a variance of 70 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the range is 276 to 374 FPS, a variance of 98 FPS. The increasing variance at lower resolutions is consistent with the CPU having more headroom to push frame rates higher, while the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions, stabilizing frame times.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that all three tested resolutions deliver playable frame rates. At 4K, the High preset averages 118 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. At 1440p, High averages 190 FPS, suitable for high-refresh displays. At 1080p, High averages 267 FPS, ideal for 240Hz monitors. The best choice depends on the display's refresh rate, but 1440p High offers the most balanced experience.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the non-SUPER RTX 4080?

A: The average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the RTX 4080 SUPER at 54209 and the RTX 4080 at 54247, a delta of -0.1%. In practical terms, this means the SUPER variant does not provide a meaningful performance advantage over the standard RTX 4080 in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Is the Core i7-13700K a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 SUPER in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate no significant CPU bottleneck. The combo ranks 280 out of 3716 tested, and the CPU's percentile of 89 suggests it is well above average. The consistent 55-56% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, Low averages 177 FPS while Ultra averages 74 FPS, a difference of 103 FPS. This represents a 58% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest preset. The High preset at 118 FPS sits between the two.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest minimum FPS?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum FPS values. At 4K, the minimum is 123 FPS; at 1440p, it is 197 FPS; and at 1080p, it is 276 FPS. These are the lowest recorded frame rates for any preset, suggesting that Medium offers stable performance without severe dips.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 280 out of 3716 tested combinations, placing it in the top 7.5%. This is a strong result, confirming that the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER pairing is well suited for Downfall.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, and it features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. It includes UHD Graphics 770 integrated graphics, though the discrete RTX 4080 SUPER handles all rendering in this analysis.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark scores provide context for its role in Downfall. In Cinebench R23, it scores 30745 in multi-core and 2116 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 19429 multi-core and 2529 single-core. The 3DMark threaded tests show scaling from 1136 in single-thread to 12412 in max threads, indicating strong multi-threaded performance. The Passmark multi-thread score of 45887 and single-thread score of 4333 further confirm the CPU's capability.

In Downfall, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 397 FPS, which is extremely high and suggests the CPU can feed the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10717 and 8-thread score of 8193 indicate that even moderate thread counts deliver substantial performance, which is relevant for a horror game that may not heavily utilize all 16 cores. The CPU's percentile of 89 among all CPUs, combined with its near-tie against the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (delta -0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (-0.3%), AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (+0.5%), and Intel Xeon w3-2535 (+0.5%), places it firmly in the top tier of processors for gaming workloads. The launch MSRP is $409.

The data suggests that the i7-13700K provides sufficient compute headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck in Downfall, even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 300 FPS. The CPU's 24 threads and high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensure that the RTX 4080 SUPER is fully utilized across all resolution and settings combinations tested. The consistent FPS scaling pattern, with no anomalous drops at lower resolutions, confirms that the CPU is not limiting performance in this title.