Downfall

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS across resolutions reveals a classic pattern where the graphics card becomes the dominant constraint as pixel count climbs. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 349 FPS, but dropping to 1440p Low yields 249.4 FPS — a 28.5% reduction. Pushing further to 4K Low brings 152.1 FPS, which is 56.4% below the 1080p figure. This steep decline aligns with the GPU's raw compute limits rather than any CPU bottleneck, since the frame rates at lower resolutions are already far beyond what most displays can refresh.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. At High settings, 169.5 FPS at 1440p falls to 105.8 FPS at 4K, a 37.6% drop. At Ultra settings, the same resolution step sees 102.4 FPS drop to 67 FPS, a 34.6% reduction. These percentage losses are consistent, suggesting the RTX 4070 SUPER's memory bandwidth and shading throughput are being saturated uniformly as pixel count rises. The 12 GB GDDR6X frame buffer and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth appear sufficient for this horror title, as no anomalous cliff emerges that would indicate VRAM capacity spillover.

What stands out is the gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1080p, Low yields 349 FPS while Ultra yields 144.9 FPS — a 58.5% penalty for maximum visual fidelity. At 4K, the same comparison shows 152.1 FPS vs 67 FPS, a 56% penalty. The consistency of this penalty across resolutions suggests the GPU's fixed-function units (TMUs, ROPs) are the limiting factor when settings escalate, rather than memory bandwidth alone. The data implies that players targeting high refresh rates should prioritize resolution reduction over settings reduction, as the frame rate delta from 4K to 1080p at the same settings is roughly 2.3x, while the delta from Low to Ultra at the same resolution is roughly 2.2x.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F brings 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and boost up to 5.40 GHz. Its architecture is Raptor Lake-R on Intel's 10 nm process. In synthetic workloads, this CPU scores 35,443 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5,003 in single-core, placing it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rival, AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, scores 54,450 — a mere 0.6% difference — while the Ryzen 9 9900X3D trails by 1.1%. This places the i7-14700F in elite company for CPU-bound scenarios.

However, the measured FPS data indicates this game is not CPU-limited at any tested configuration. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 349 FPS, which is extraordinarily high for any horror title. The fact that this frame rate is achieved with 20 cores and 28 threads suggests the game's threading model is well-utilized, but the real question is whether the CPU's single-thread performance (5,003 in Cinebench R23 single-core) is the ceiling. Given that the RTX 4070 SUPER's 3DMark Steel Nomad score is 4,627, the GPU is likely the bottleneck even at 1080p Low — otherwise, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS regardless of settings.

The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample headroom for game logic and draw calls. With a 65 W TDP, this processor is efficient, but the benchmark scores suggest it handles the CPU load of Downfall without breaking a sweat. The data implies that upgrading the CPU would yield negligible frame rate gains in this title, as the GPU is already the limiting factor even at the lowest resolution and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the AD104 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process with 35,800 million transistors. Its 7,168 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 80 ROPs provide substantial rasterization throughput. The boost clock of 2475 MHz and 12 GB GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus deliver 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. In synthetic tests, the GPU scores 29,995 in Passmark G3D and 4,627 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, placing it in the 84th percentile among all GPUs.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 144.9 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 67 FPS. The fact that even at 4K Ultra the frame rate stays above 60 FPS indicates the RTX 4070 SUPER has sufficient headroom for this horror title. However, the 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores suggest ray tracing and DLSS capabilities, though the measured data does not include those features — only rasterized performance is captured.

Comparing to GPU rivals, the RTX A6000 scores 42,653 (0.2% higher), while the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE scores 42,723 (0.3% higher). This clustering around the 42,500-42,700 range suggests the RTX 4070 SUPER is positioned near a performance plateau. The data shows that the GPU's VRAM allocation of 12 GB is not a limiting factor in this game, as the FPS scaling remains smooth across all settings. If the game were exceeding VRAM, we would expect severe frame rate collapses at 4K Ultra, but the 67 FPS result is consistent with the overall scaling trend.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 280th out of 1,741 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the top 16% of all configurations. This is a strong showing, but the rank reveals that many other combos achieve higher frame rates in this title. Given that the CPU is in the 94th percentile and the GPU is in the 84th percentile, the combo's relative position suggests the game is more GPU-dependent — otherwise, the high CPU percentile would push the rank higher.

The rank of 280 out of 1,741 means 1,461 combos perform worse, but 279 perform better. This places the combo in a competitive but not top-tier position. The data implies that for a horror game like Downfall, which likely has complex lighting and shadow effects, the GPU's performance is the primary differentiator. Combos ranked higher likely feature GPUs with greater rasterization throughput or more VRAM, though the measured data does not specify which components those combos use.

The percentile scores are informative: the CPU's 94th percentile versus the GPU's 84th percentile suggests a mild imbalance. A more balanced combo might pair the i7-14700F with a slightly weaker GPU, or a stronger GPU with this CPU. However, the measured FPS at 1080p Low (349 FPS) shows the combo is capable of extremely high frame rates, so the rank is more a reflection of what other hardware can achieve rather than a deficiency in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 349 FPS, Medium yields 284.8 FPS, High drops to 233.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 144.9 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 58.5% performance penalty, which is substantial but expected for a modern GPU. The 1080p results are all above 144 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 1440p, the frame rates remain strong. Low settings achieve 249.4 FPS, Medium produces 203.3 FPS, High reaches 169.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 102.4 FPS. The Ultra setting at 1440p is the first to fall below 120 FPS, but it still exceeds 100 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at each setting shows a consistent 28-30% reduction, indicating the GPU is handling the increased pixel count efficiently.

At 4K, the combo still delivers playable frame rates. Low settings produce 152.1 FPS, Medium yields 126.6 FPS, High achieves 105.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 67 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration below 100 FPS, but it remains above 60 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at each setting shows a 34-38% reduction, which is steeper than the 1080p to 1440p scaling, confirming the GPU is being pushed harder at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Downfall?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 349 at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Downfall?

A: Yes, the combo achieves 67 FPS at 4K Ultra, and higher frame rates at lower settings, with 152.1 FPS at 4K Low.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F scores 54,097 average, which is 0.6% below the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (54,450) and 1.1% below the Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54,681).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is in the 84th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 42,576.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo first drop below 100 FPS?

A: The combo drops below 100 FPS only at 4K Ultra, with an average of 67 FPS. All other tested configurations exceed 100 FPS.

Q: How many total combos were tested for this game, and where does this one rank?

A: This combo ranks 280th out of 1,741 tested combos, placing it in the top 16%.

Settings Recommendations

The data suggests that High settings offer the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p, High delivers 233.7 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display. At 1440p, High achieves 169.5 FPS, still well above 144 Hz. At 4K, High produces 105.8 FPS, which is smooth for most gaming scenarios. The jump from High to Ultra costs roughly 38% performance at every resolution, while the visual improvement is unlikely to be as dramatic for a horror title where atmosphere and darkness often mask fine detail.

For players with 144 Hz displays, the combo can run 1080p Ultra at 144.9 FPS, just barely exceeding the refresh rate. For 1440p 144 Hz displays, High settings at 169.5 FPS provide a comfortable margin. At 4K, High settings at 105.8 FPS are the recommended target, as Ultra drops to 67 FPS — which, while playable, sacrifices the smoothness that the lower settings provide. Low settings are only recommended for competitive play at 1080p, where the 349 FPS result maximizes input responsiveness, though the visual degradation is significant.

Medium settings represent a middle ground, with 284.8 FPS at 1080p and 126.6 FPS at 4K. For most users, High is the sweet spot, as it maintains frame rates above 100 FPS at all resolutions while offering superior visual fidelity compared to Medium. The data indicates that this combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, and for smooth 4K gaming at High settings.