Downfall

Downfall, a 2016 horror title, presents an interesting stress test for modern flagship hardware. The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER demonstrates extreme performance headroom, with benchmark data showing that the game is rarely a limiting factor for this setup. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings paint a picture of a system that can effortlessly dominate this title, making the analysis more about identifying the boundaries of the hardware's capabilities rather than its struggles.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combo in the database for Downfall?

A: The combo ranks 110 out of 1741 tested combinations, placing it in the top percentile of all systems tested for this game.

Q: How does the Core i9-14900K compare to its closest rival, the AMD EPYC 7413?

A: In average benchmark scores, the Intel Core i9-14900K is a mere 0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 7413, indicating they are statistically tied in overall processing power.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this system in Downfall?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 397 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER significantly faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT in this database?

A: No, the benchmark scores show the RTX 4080 SUPER is only 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, making the performance difference negligible in synthetic tests.

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

A: At 3840x2160 resolution, the system achieves 74 FPS on Ultra settings and 174.6 FPS on Low settings, a difference of 100.6 FPS.

Q: Does the game's performance scale linearly with resolution for this hardware?

A: No, the data shows a non-linear scaling. For example, on High settings, the frame rate drops from 267.3 FPS at 1080p to 192.9 FPS at 1440p and then to 115.3 FPS at 4K, with the largest percentage drop occurring between 1440p and 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary driver of frame rates in Downfall, especially at higher resolutions. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a substantial 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the textures and assets in a 2016 horror game. The GPU's boost clock of 2550 MHz allows for rapid shader processing, and its 10240 shading units handle the rendering workload efficiently. The data suggests that even at 4K with Ultra settings, the GPU is not fully saturated, as the system still manages an average of 74 FPS, which is playable but shows a significant drop from the 120.2 FPS at 1440p Ultra.

The GPU's performance is further contextualized by its synthetic benchmark scores, which place it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 53610 is only 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, suggesting that in raw compute, the 4080 SUPER has a marginal lead over its rival. However, in actual game performance, the measured FPS data shows a strong capability, indicating that the architecture's features are well-suited for this specific title. The transition from High to Ultra at any resolution incurs a significant performance penalty, highlighting that the Ultra preset likely enables demanding effects that heavily tax the GPU's compute and memory subsystems.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 397 FPS, but this drops to 285.5 FPS at 1440p and 174.6 FPS at 4K. This scaling indicates that at lower resolutions, the system is likely CPU-bound or hitting a game engine limit, as the GPU has ample headroom to render more frames. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 1440p is a 28% decrease, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is a 39% decrease, showing that the GPU becomes a more significant bottleneck as pixel count increases.

On Ultra settings, the scaling is more dramatic. The system produces 165.7 FPS at 1080p, 120.2 FPS at 1440p, and 74 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is a 38.4% reduction, which is substantial. This suggests that the Ultra preset's effects, likely including high-resolution shadows and post-processing, are heavily reliant on GPU fill rate and memory bandwidth. The data implies that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the limiting component at 4K Ultra, but at 1080p, the Intel Core i9-14900K's processing power is sufficient to push frame rates to very high levels, indicating a well-balanced system for lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i9-14900K and RTX 4080 SUPER combo ranks 110th out of 1741 tested combinations for Downfall, placing it in the top 6.3% of all systems. This high rank is expected given the flagship status of both components. The CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads provide immense processing power, as evidenced by its 97th percentile ranking against all CPUs and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 49872. The GPU's 88th percentile ranking and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6600 further solidify the combo's position.

This ranking suggests that the system is not limited by either component in most scenarios. The data shows that the combo outperforms the vast majority of systems, but it's not the absolute best. This could be due to other combos featuring newer or more specialized hardware, or possibly better memory configurations. The ranking also indicates that for a game like Downfall, which was released in 2016, the hardware is far more powerful than necessary, and the measured FPS numbers reflect this, with even the most demanding 4K Ultra setting producing a playable frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the user's display and preference for visual fidelity versus raw frame rate. For a 4K display, the High preset at 115.3 FPS offers a smooth and visually rich experience without the significant performance hit of Ultra settings. The Medium preset at 143.6 FPS is also viable, providing a noticeable FPS boost while likely sacrificing some visual quality. Ultra at 4K drops to 74 FPS, which is still playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced scenes in a horror game.

For 1440p displays, the High preset at 192.9 FPS is an excellent choice, offering high visual quality and a frame rate well above the refresh rate of most monitors. The Ultra preset at 120.2 FPS is also a good option for those prioritizing graphics, as it remains smooth. At 1080p, the High preset at 267.3 FPS is recommended, as it provides an excellent balance of visuals and performance. The Ultra preset at 165.7 FPS is also viable and will be beneficial for high-refresh-rate monitors. Low settings are generally not recommended, as they yield excessive frame rates that provide no tangible benefit and significantly reduce visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 397 FPS on Low, 322.5 FPS on Medium, 267.3 FPS on High, and 165.7 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that the CPU is a strong performer, but the scaling suggests a GPU bottleneck as settings increase. At 2560x1440, the frame rates are 285.5 FPS on Low, 234.2 FPS on Medium, 192.9 FPS on High, and 120.2 FPS on Ultra. The drop from High to Ultra is 37.7%, showing a clear performance cliff.

At 3840x2160, the system produces 174.6 FPS on Low, 143.6 FPS on Medium, 115.3 FPS on High, and 74 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Medium to High is a 19.7% drop, while the drop from High to Ultra is a 35.8% reduction. This data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary bottleneck at 4K, especially with higher settings. The overall pattern reveals that the system can easily handle the game at high frame rates, but the Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that brings the system close to its limits.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K plays a crucial role in ensuring the GPU is fed with enough data to maintain high frame rates. Its 24 cores and 32 threads, with a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, provide exceptional single and multi-threaded performance. The benchmark scores confirm this, with a Geekbench single-core score of 3064 and a multi-core score of 20370. In Downfall, which is not a highly multi-threaded game, the CPU's strong single-core performance is likely the most important factor for achieving high frame rates, especially at lower resolutions.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is also noteworthy. It is 0.7% behind the Intel Core i9-14900KF and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF, showing that it is at the top of the desktop CPU hierarchy. The data indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this system, even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 300 FPS on lower settings. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, further aiding in game performance. Overall, the i9-14900K provides the computational muscle to ensure that the RTX 4080 SUPER can operate at its full potential, particularly in scenarios where the game engine is not heavily GPU-bound.