Downfall

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER in Downfall presents a stark study in component imbalance. The CPU is a 20-core, 28-thread Raptor Lake Refresh part with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its benchmark scores are formidable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 and a single-core score of 2160. In contrast, the GPU is a Turing-architecture part from the GeForce 16-series, featuring 1408 shading units and a boost clock of 1785 MHz, landing in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. This pairing pits a top-tier processor against a mid-range graphics card, and the measured FPS data reveals exactly where the bottleneck lies.

The CPU’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for game logic and physics, but Downfall is a horror title from 2016, not a simulation. The data indicates that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 147 FPS, but this drops dramatically as resolution and settings increase. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS plummets to 27. This pattern suggests that while the i7-14700K has the raw compute to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, the GTX 1660 SUPER’s 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth become the limiting factor at higher workloads. The CPU’s 125 W TDP and dual-channel memory support are more than adequate for this task, but the GPU’s 125 W TDP and 12 nm process node highlight its age relative to the 10 nm CPU.

FAQ

Q: Why does the average FPS at 1080p Low (147 FPS) not double when moving to 4K Low (65 FPS)?

A: The data shows a 55.8% drop in average FPS from 1080p Low to 4K Low. This is because the GPU’s rendering load scales with pixel count, and the GTX 1660 SUPER’s 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are strained at 4K, even on Low settings. The CPU is not the constraint here; the GPU’s pixel throughput is.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700K holding back the GTX 1660 SUPER in this game?

A: No. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 62 FPS, while at 1080p Low it hits 147 FPS. The CPU’s single-core performance (2160 in Cinebench R23) is more than sufficient to drive these frame rates. The limiting component is the GPU, as evidenced by the steep FPS decline with resolution increases, not with CPU-intensive settings.

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

A: The combo ranks 3177 out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 14.5% of all pairings. This low rank is not due to the CPU, which is in the 94th percentile, but rather the GPU’s 53rd percentile performance, which drags the overall combo down.

Q: What is the best measured setting for a smooth experience at 1440p?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS. This is the only 1440p setting with a minimum FPS above 60, making it the most reliable for consistent frame times. High averages 71 FPS but lacks a recorded minimum, suggesting potential dips.

Q: Does the GPU’s 6 GB VRAM cause issues at 4K?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages only 27 FPS, while 4K High averages 44 FPS and 4K Medium averages 54 FPS. The significant drop from Medium to Ultra (50% reduction) points to VRAM capacity or memory bandwidth saturation, as the GPU’s 336.0 GB/s bandwidth is likely overwhelmed by 4K textures.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in raw compute?

A: According to benchmark data, the GTX 1660 SUPER’s average score is 12986, which is 0.4% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940) and 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 580 (12928). It is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 (13075) and 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon 740M (12870). These are marginal differences, indicating the GPU is competitive with its peers but not exceptional.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 147 FPS, which drops to 105 FPS at 1440p Low (a 28.6% decrease) and further to 65 FPS at 4K Low (a 55.8% decrease from 1080p). This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the number of pixels rendered is the primary variable. The same pattern holds for High settings: 99 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p (a 28.3% drop), and 44 FPS at 4K (a 55.6% drop from 1080p).

The Medium preset provides the most granular data with min and max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 120 FPS with a range of 102 to 138 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 86 FPS with a range of 73 to 99 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 54 FPS with a range of 45 to 62 FPS. The frame time consistency, as indicated by the min-max spread, remains relatively stable across resolutions, suggesting the GPU is not experiencing severe stuttering but rather a steady decline in throughput.

The limiting component is clearly the GPU. The CPU’s performance is virtually unchanged by resolution, as it only needs to prepare frames for the GPU. The GTX 1660 SUPER’s 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 85.68 GPixel/s pixel rate are the theoretical ceilings that cap frame rates. The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS is particularly telling, as it suggests the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of high pixel count and intensive shading, likely due to its 1408 shading units being insufficient for the workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides average FPS for all four settings at three resolutions, with min and max FPS only for the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 62 FPS, High averages 99 FPS, Medium averages 120 FPS (min 102, max 138), and Low averages 147 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 57.8% reduction in average FPS, which is substantial but not unusual for a GPU with 48 ROPs.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 44 FPS, High averages 71 FPS, Medium averages 86 FPS (min 73, max 99), and Low averages 105 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with an average reduction of about 28-29%. The Ultra preset at 1440p (44 FPS) is nearly identical to the 4K High preset (44 FPS), indicating that the GPU hits a performance wall around this throughput level.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 27 FPS, High averages 44 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS (min 45, max 62), and Low averages 65 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 54 FPS is the only 4K setting that approaches playability, but even it falls below the 60 FPS target. The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS is below the 30 FPS threshold often considered minimally playable, confirming that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in Downfall.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 3177 out of 3716 tested combinations places it in the bottom 14.5% of all pairings tested in Downfall. This is a poor ranking, but it is essential to contextualize it with the individual components. The CPU is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69355, making it one of the most powerful processors available. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 9115 (0.1% higher score), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.2% lower), AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.7% lower), and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (0.9% lower). These deltas are negligible, confirming the i7-14700K is at the top of its class.

The GPU, however, is in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12986. Its nearest rivals are the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (0.4% higher), RX 580 (0.4% higher), Tesla M2090 (0.7% higher), and Radeon 740M (0.9% lower). The GPU’s mid-pack performance is the primary reason for the combo’s low rank. The data implies that pairing a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU yields a system that is severely GPU-limited, and the combo rank reflects this imbalance. In a game like Downfall, where the GPU’s fill rate and shading power are critical, the CPU’s potential is largely wasted.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and frame rate. For 1080p, the High preset (99 FPS) is recommended over Ultra (62 FPS) because the 37 FPS difference is substantial, and High still delivers a smooth experience well above 60 FPS. The Medium preset (120 FPS) is also viable for users with high-refresh-rate monitors, providing a 21.2% improvement over High.

For 1440p, the Medium preset (86 FPS) is the clear choice, as it is the only setting with a recorded minimum FPS (73) above 60. High (71 FPS) may be acceptable for some, but the lack of a recorded minimum makes it riskier. Ultra (44 FPS) is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

For 4K, the data suggests that no setting provides a consistently playable experience. Medium (54 FPS) comes closest, with a minimum of 45 FPS, but this will result in noticeable stuttering. Low (65 FPS) has a higher average but no minimum data, and the visual sacrifice is severe. Users with 4K displays should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p or accepting sub-60 FPS performance. The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS is effectively unplayable.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the decisive component in this combo’s Downfall performance. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but insufficient for 4K Ultra textures. The GPU’s base clock of 1530 MHz and boost clock of 1785 MHz drive 1408 shading units, which produce a 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 throughput. This is a modest figure by modern standards, and the 85.68 GPixel/s pixel rate and 157.1 GTexel/s texture rate are the hard limits on how many pixels the GPU can fill per second.

The data shows that the GPU’s performance scales predictably with resolution, but the severe drop at 4K Ultra (27 FPS) indicates a memory bandwidth or capacity bottleneck. The GPU’s 12 nm process node and 125 W TDP are indicators of its age, as is its production status of End-of-life. Its benchmark scores, such as 12699 in Passmark G3D and 5076 in Passmark GPU Compute, place it in the 53rd percentile, meaning it outperforms only slightly more than half of all GPUs. In Downfall, the GPU’s role is to render the horror environments, and its 6 GB VRAM is the primary constraint, forcing the CPU to wait for frames to be processed. The GPU’s 48 ROPs and 88 TMUs further limit its ability to handle high-resolution textures, confirming that any upgrade path for this combo must start with the graphics card.