Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core i7-14700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti delivers a broad performance envelope in Downfall, ranging from 50 FPS at 4K Ultra to 270 FPS at 1080p Low. This combo ranks 1328th out of 3716 tested configurations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample headroom at lower settings where frame rates climb well past 200 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear, predictable decline as resolution increases, but the magnitude varies significantly by settings preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 270 FPS at 1920x1080 to 193 FPS at 2560x1440 — a 28.5% reduction — and then to 120 FPS at 3840x2160, which is another 37.8% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep scaling at Low settings indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor even at lower quality presets, as pixel count increases by 78% from 1080p to 1440p and by another 125% from 1440p to 4K.

At Medium settings, the scaling pattern is similar but with slightly different absolute values: 221 FPS at 1080p, 158 FPS at 1440p (a 28.5% drop), and 98 FPS at 4K (a 38.0% drop from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Medium suggests that the RTX 3070 Ti's rendering pipeline is being saturated in a uniform manner, with memory bandwidth and pixel throughput playing a dominant role. The GPU's 608.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 169.9 GPixel/s pixel rate are the hardware characteristics most directly tied to this resolution sensitivity.

High settings show a slightly different scaling curve: 181 FPS at 1080p, 129 FPS at 1440p (a 28.7% drop), and 80 FPS at 4K (a 38.0% drop from 1440p). The near-identical percentage drops across Low, Medium, and High indicate that the limiting component does not change with quality preset — the GPU remains the bottleneck throughout. However, Ultra settings break this pattern: 113 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p (a 28.3% drop), and 50 FPS at 4K (a 38.3% drop). While the relative scaling is similar, the absolute values are substantially lower, suggesting that Ultra introduces additional shading or geometry work that disproportionately taxes the GPU's 6144 shading units and 192 texture mapping units.

The fact that resolution scaling percentages remain nearly constant across all settings — roughly 28% for the 1080p-to-1440p step and 38% for the 1440p-to-4K step — points to a purely pixel-bound scenario. The CPU's 5.60 GHz boost clock and 20 cores are not the constraint here, as the frame rate drops align almost exactly with the increase in pixel count rather than showing any CPU-related plateau.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is the primary performance driver in this configuration, and its specifications explain the observed frame rate patterns. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, built on the Ampere architecture with the GA104 chip fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. With 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, the memory subsystem delivers 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth — a figure that becomes critical at 4K resolution where texture and buffer demands scale with pixel count.

The GPU's compute resources include 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, producing a pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s. At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves only 50 FPS average, which suggests that the GPU's raw throughput is being fully consumed. The FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS provides the mathematical foundation for the shading work, but the 8 GB VRAM capacity may be a limiting factor at Ultra settings with 4K resolution, where texture sets and geometry buffers can exceed this allocation.

The GPU's benchmark scores corroborate its mid-range positioning. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3478 and Passmark G3D score of 23356 place it in the 75th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% ahead), AMD Radeon RX 6800 (0.5% behind), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (0.5% ahead). This tight clustering — all within 1.6% of each other — indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti's performance class is well established, and Downfall's results align with this positioning.

At 1080p Low, the GPU produces 270 FPS, which is likely near the upper bound of what the DirectX 12 rendering path can deliver. The Passmark DirectX 12 score of 91 and DirectX 11 score of 192 suggest that the card's API efficiency is adequate but not exceptional. The 4K Ultra result of 50 FPS, while playable, shows the GPU's limits when ray tracing effects (48 RT cores) and tensor operations (192 Tensor Cores) are engaged alongside full rasterization.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K provides substantial compute headroom that prevents it from becoming a bottleneck in Downfall, except potentially at the very highest frame rates. With 20 cores and 28 threads, the CPU leverages the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process, operating at a 3.40 GHz base clock and boosting to 5.60 GHz. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache ensure that game logic and draw call processing are handled with minimal latency.

The CPU's benchmark results demonstrate its high-end positioning. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 33440.5 and single-core score of 2160 place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 69355 sits within 0.9% of its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.2% behind) and AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.7% behind). This places the i7-14700K in the same performance tier as flagship desktop and high-end mobile parts.

In Downfall, the CPU's influence is most apparent at 1080p Low, where the 270 FPS average exceeds what most games can achieve with a mid-range GPU. The 5.60 GHz boost clock is particularly relevant here, as single-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2160, Geekbench single-core score of 2569) drives frame generation in lightly threaded game workloads. The Passmark single-thread score of 4472 confirms that this CPU can sustain high clock speeds under load.

At 4K Ultra, the CPU's role diminishes further. The 50 FPS average is clearly GPU-limited, as the CPU's multithreaded capabilities (Passmark multithread score of 52392) far exceed what a 50 FPS workload would require. Even at 4K Medium with 98 FPS, the CPU is unlikely to be stressed, given that the 20-core configuration provides massive parallel processing headroom. The data suggests that the CPU could support even higher frame rates if the GPU were more capable, as there is no indication of a CPU-induced plateau in any measured configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 1328th out of 3716 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the 64th percentile of all configurations. This rank reflects a system that is well above average but not at the top tier, consistent with the GPU's 75th percentile standing and the CPU's 94th percentile standing. The gap between the CPU and GPU percentiles suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing, as the CPU is substantially more capable relative to its peers.

The combo's ranking can be interpreted through the lens of the individual component standings. The CPU's nearest rivals — AMD EPYC 9115 (0.1% ahead), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.2% behind), and AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.7% behind) — all fall within a narrow performance band. Meanwhile, the GPU's rivals — RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% ahead), RX 6800 (0.5% behind), and RTX 2080 Ti (0.5% ahead) — similarly cluster closely. The combo rank of 1328 out of 3716 indicates that the pairing performs as expected given the component classes, neither exceeding nor falling short of its constituent parts' standings.

The rank also reflects the game's specific demands. Downfall, as a horror title from 2016, may not fully utilize the CPU's 20 cores, which could explain why the combo does not rank higher. The 4K Ultra result of 50 FPS is the weakest data point, and it drags the overall ranking down relative to combos with more powerful GPUs. Conversely, the 1080p Low result of 270 FPS demonstrates that this combo can deliver high refresh rate experiences at lower resolutions, which is a positive indicator for competitive or fast-paced gameplay.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 at High settings provides the best balance, with 129 FPS average. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and the 80 FPS at 4K High, while still offering higher visual quality than the 193 FPS at 1440p Low.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, the combo achieves 80 FPS average, which is playable. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 50 FPS average, which may be below the preference for some users. The 4K Medium result of 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS offers a smoother experience.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its closest rivals in the database?

A: The GPU's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% faster), AMD Radeon RX 6800 (0.5% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (0.5% faster). All four GPUs are within 1.6% of each other in average benchmark scores.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the CPU's 5.60 GHz boost clock and 20 cores allow 270 FPS, but as resolution increases to 4K, frame rates drop to 50-120 FPS depending on settings, showing GPU limitations rather than CPU constraints.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves 113 FPS average. This is lower than the 181 FPS at High settings but still provides smooth gameplay. The 1080p Medium result shows 221 FPS with a minimum of 188 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1440p to 4K?

A: The performance drop from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 is approximately 38% across all settings presets. For example, at High settings, frame rates drop from 129 FPS to 80 FPS, and at Ultra, from 81 FPS to 50 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 270 FPS average, the maximum measured in this dataset. Medium settings yield 221 FPS average with a minimum of 188 FPS and maximum of 254 FPS. High settings drop to 181 FPS average, while Ultra settings result in 113 FPS average. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 58.1% reduction in frame rate, showing the significant cost of quality presets at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected decline. Low settings achieve 193 FPS average, Medium settings produce 158 FPS average with a minimum of 134 FPS and maximum of 181 FPS, High settings reach 129 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 81 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first configuration to fall below 100 FPS, indicating that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and bandwidth are being taxed more heavily.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. Low settings produce 120 FPS average, Medium settings yield 98 FPS average with a minimum of 83 FPS and maximum of 113 FPS, High settings drop to 80 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 50 FPS average. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is 70 FPS, a 58.3% reduction, which mirrors the 1080p scaling. The 4K Medium result of 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS is the most consistent high-resolution option, as it maintains a playable minimum frame rate.

The minimum and maximum frame rates are only provided for Medium settings across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range is 188 to 254 FPS, a 66 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 134 to 181 FPS, a 47 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 83 to 113 FPS, a 30 FPS spread. This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates reduced frame time variance, suggesting that the GPU's workload is more uniform when pixel-bound.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the 2560x1440 High preset is the recommended configuration. It delivers 129 FPS average, which exceeds the refresh rate of most standard monitors while providing solid visual fidelity. The 38% performance drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings shows that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering nearly double the frame rate of 4K High (129 FPS versus 80 FPS) without the need for the highest resolution.

For users prioritizing maximum visual quality, the 3840x2160 Medium preset is the best choice. It achieves 98 FPS average with a minimum of 83 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay with no frame drops below 83 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 50 FPS average, is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it unsuitable for users who prefer a consistent 60 FPS experience. The 4K Medium settings provide 96% higher frame rate than Ultra at the same resolution (98 FPS versus 50 FPS) while the visual difference may be modest.

For high refresh rate displays, the 1920x1080 Medium preset offers 221 FPS average with a minimum of 188 FPS, which is well-suited for 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitors. The Low preset at 1080p pushes to 270 FPS, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the 22% frame rate increase over Medium. At 1440p, the Medium preset's 158 FPS average with a 134 FPS minimum is also viable for high refresh rate gaming, though the 1080p Medium option provides higher frame rates with a lower resolution.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as the performance cost is significant — 37.5% lower than High at 1080p (113 FPS versus 181 FPS), 37.2% lower at 1440p (81 FPS versus 129 FPS), and 37.5% lower at 4K (50 FPS versus 80 FPS). The consistent 37-38% penalty suggests that Ultra enables effects that are disproportionately expensive on the RTX 3070 Ti's 6144 shading units. For the vast majority of users, High settings at 1440p or Medium settings at 4K will provide the best balance of visual quality and performance.