Downfall

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a playable experience in Downfall, though the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at higher resolutions. The data shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER, which sits at the 65th percentile of all GPUs, is the limiting factor for this pairing. The i9-14900K, a 24-core processor that ranks in the 97th percentile, has far more headroom than the graphics card can utilize. This combination ranks 1040th out of 1741 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower half of the database. The benchmark results indicate that users should prioritize graphical settings over resolution to maximize frame rates, as the GPU struggles to maintain high output at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for Downfall shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and performance for this Intel/NVIDIA pairing. At 1920x1080, the High preset yields an average of 142.8 FPS, which is an excellent balance for high-refresh-rate monitors. Pushing to Ultra drops the average to 90.1 FPS, a significant 37% performance penalty for the highest visual quality. The Low preset at 1080p reaches 208.2 FPS, but the visual degradation is likely not worth the extra frames beyond the High setting. For competitive play, Low is the optimal choice, but for the recommended experience, High provides the best frame rate per visual quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset maintains a very respectable 103.5 FPS average. This is the sweet spot for this resolution, as it remains above the 100 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset offers 124 FPS, a 20% improvement over High, which could be preferable for users with 144Hz displays. The Ultra preset falls to 63.9 FPS, which is a substantial drop and begins to compromise the fluidity of the horror experience. The data suggests that High at 1440p is the best experience, as it retains detail without sacrificing the smoothness essential for the genre.

At 3840x2160, all presets struggle to maintain high frame rates. The High preset manages 65.4 FPS, which is playable but far from ideal. The Low preset achieves 91.6 FPS, making it the only 4K option that approaches high refresh rates, but it requires a severe reduction in graphical quality. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 40.3 FPS, which is likely too choppy for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and reaction times. The benchmark results indicate that 4K should be avoided with this combination unless users are willing to run Low settings. For the best overall experience, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the recommended configuration, as it provides a strong balance of visual quality and performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary determinant of performance in Downfall with this processor. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the data shows a dramatic performance drop when moving from 1440p to 4K. The GPU's base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and its 2560 shading units deliver a FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS. These specifications place the RTX 2070 SUPER at the 65th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 22206 is within 2.5% of the AMD Radeon RX 5700.

The frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals the GPU's workload limits. At 1080p High, the pair achieves 142.8 FPS, but at 4K High, this drops to 65.4 FPS. This 54% reduction in frame rate demonstrates that the GPU is the bottleneck, not the CPU. The i9-14900K's robust specifications, including its 32 threads and boost clock of 6.00 GHz, are largely underutilized in this scenario. The GPU's 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are present, but their impact on this title's performance is not directly measured. The data indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K results suggest the memory bandwidth and capacity are stretched thin at that resolution.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K bottlenecked by the RTX 2070 SUPER in Downfall?

A: Yes. The data shows that the CPU is far more powerful than the GPU. The i9-14900K ranks in the 97th percentile of all CPUs, while the RTX 2070 SUPER ranks in the 65th percentile. The frame rate drops of 54% from 1080p to 4K High settings indicate the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a high refresh rate?

A: 1920x1080 is the best choice. At the High preset, the combo achieves 142.8 FPS, and at Low it reaches 208.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, the High preset still manages 103.5 FPS, but 4K High drops to 65.4 FPS, making it less suitable for high refresh rate displays.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 2070 SUPER's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206. This is 0.5% behind the NVIDIA RTX A400, 0.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z, and 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700. The data shows it is a mid-range performer in the database.

Q: What is the performance penalty for using Ultra settings in Downfall?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra settings produce 90.1 FPS, which is 37% slower than the High preset's 142.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra yields 63.9 FPS, a 38% drop from High's 103.5 FPS. The penalty is consistent across resolutions.

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

A: It can, but with significant compromises. The 4K Low preset achieves 91.6 FPS, while High drops to 65.4 FPS and Ultra falls to 40.3 FPS. Only the Low preset provides a smooth experience, and it requires a major reduction in visual quality.

Q: How does the i9-14900K's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79824. This is 0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 7413, 0.7% ahead of both the Intel Core i9-14900KF and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF, and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K. The CPU is a top-tier performer.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER in Downfall shows a consistent pattern of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 208.2 FPS, representing the absolute ceiling for this pairing. The Medium preset yields 172.4 FPS, which is a 17% reduction from Low. The High preset drops to 142.8 FPS, a further 17% decline. The Ultra preset produces 90.1 FPS, which is a 37% decrease from High and the largest single-step performance loss in this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. The Low preset averages 147.4 FPS, maintaining a high refresh rate experience. The Medium preset records 124 FPS, a 16% drop from Low. The High preset delivers 103.5 FPS, which remains above the 100 FPS mark. The Ultra preset falls to 63.9 FPS, a 38% reduction from High, mirroring the penalty seen at 1080p. The data indicates that the step from High to Ultra is consistently the most demanding in terms of frame rate cost.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. The Low preset achieves 91.6 FPS, the only 4K setting that remains fluid. The Medium preset drops to 76.6 FPS, a 16% reduction from Low. The High preset records 65.4 FPS, which is a 15% drop from Medium. The Ultra preset is the worst performer, with only 40.3 FPS, a 38% decrease from High. This consistent 38% penalty for Ultra settings across all resolutions suggests that this preset introduces a significant rendering load that the RTX 2070 SUPER cannot sustain at higher pixel counts.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1040th out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall. This places the pairing in the bottom 40% of all tested configurations, indicating that while it is functional, it is not a high-performance setup for this game. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's position in the overall hierarchy. The RTX 2070 SUPER's percentile rank of 65% among all GPUs is the primary constraint, as the CPU is in the top 3% of processors. The data suggests that the combo's ranking would be significantly higher if paired with a more powerful GPU.

The benchmark results show that the combo's performance is competitive with other mid-range GPU pairings. The RTX 2070 SUPER's nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A400, scores within 0.5% in synthetic benchmarks, meaning the in-game ranking for this combo is likely similar to one using that card. The i9-14900K's high synthetic scores do not translate to a high in-game rank because the GPU is the limiting factor. The 1040th rank indicates that users with this setup will experience frame rates that are below average for the database, particularly at higher resolutions. The data confirms that this is a CPU-heavy pairing that is not optimized for the graphical demands of Downfall at 4K.