Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core i9-14900K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

The benchmark data for Downfall, a 2016 horror title, reveals a striking pattern when pairing the Intel Core i9-14900K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. Across 12 measured configurations spanning three resolutions and four quality presets, the average frame rates range from 70 FPS at 4K Ultra to 376 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that this combination delivers playable performance in nearly every scenario but with significant scaling behavior that shifts the bottleneck depending on resolution and settings. The data shows a system capable of extreme high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions, while 4K Ultra demands more from the GPU than even this Blackwell-based card can comfortably provide, and the CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads appear to be largely underutilized in this older title.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior in Downfall reveals a pronounced GPU-bound trend at higher pixel counts. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings drops the average FPS from 252 to 180, a reduction of 72 frames or roughly 28.6%. The jump from 1440p to 3840x2160 at the same preset is even more dramatic, falling from 180 to 112 FPS, another 37.8% decrease. This progressive decline indicates that the RTX 5070 Ti's rendering throughput becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises, which is expected given the 896.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 43.94 TFLOPS FP32 compute are being tasked with an increasing workload.

At Low settings, the scaling curve steepens considerably. The 1080p Low result of 376 FPS drops to 269 FPS at 1440p, then to 167 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 28.5% and 37.9% respectively, nearly identical to the High preset's relative declines. This consistency suggests that Downfall's engine scales resolution uniformly regardless of quality level, a characteristic that points to a well-optimized rendering pipeline rather than settings-specific bottlenecks. The 4K Low result of 167 FPS still exceeds 1440p High's 180 FPS, which indicates that reducing quality has a larger impact on frame rate than halving the resolution in certain comparisons.

The Medium preset shows the same monotonic decrease: 308 FPS at 1080p, 220 FPS at 1440p, and 137 FPS at 4K. Interestingly, the Medium preset at 1440p (220 FPS) outperforms the High preset at 1080p (252 FPS is higher, but the gap is only 32 frames), which suggests that resolution is the dominant factor in performance scaling. The Ultra preset exhibits the steepest absolute decline, from 158 FPS at 1080p to 113 FPS at 1440p to 70 FPS at 4K — the latter being the only measured configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay.

What does this scaling tell us about the limiting component? At 1080p, the CPU's 6.00 GHz boost clock and 32 threads are likely feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them, but the data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the system never falls below 70 FPS average. The RTX 5070 Ti's 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 256-bit bus provide sufficient headroom for 4K textures, but the 70 FPS result at Ultra suggests that the most demanding settings push the GPU to its limits. The near-linear scaling pattern — roughly 28-38% drops per resolution step — indicates a clean GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, while the 1080p results (158-376 FPS) hint that the CPU is capable of sustaining very high frame rates without becoming the bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti plays the dominant role in shaping Downfall's performance, particularly at higher resolutions and quality settings. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial for a 2016 title that was released long before this card existed. The benchmark results show that memory capacity is not a limiting factor — even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 70 indicates the GPU is compute-bound rather than memory-starved, as the 16 GB capacity far exceeds what a game from this era would require.

Clock speeds of 2295 MHz base and 2452 MHz boost position the RTX 5070 Ti as a high-frequency part, and the measured frame rates reflect this. At 1080p Low, the 376 FPS average suggests that the GPU's shading units (8960) and texture mapping units (280) are being fed at near-maximum efficiency, with the 96 ROPs handling pixel output without issue. The Blackwell 2.0 architecture's 5 nm process node from TSMC, with 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die, delivers the raw throughput needed for such high frame rates, but the game's age means modern features like ray tracing (70 RT cores) and tensor cores (280) are likely unused or minimally utilized.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 49957 places it at the 86th percentile of all GPUs, yet its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (50001 average score, -0.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (50951, -2% delta). This proximity in synthetic scores is notable because the RTX 5070 Ti's real-world Downfall results show it substantially outperforming older architectures — the 4K High result of 112 FPS and 1440p Ultra result of 113 FPS are strong indicators that the Blackwell architecture's efficiency gains translate directly to gaming performance, even in legacy titles.

The measured FPS data reveals that the GPU's role shifts with settings. At Low presets across all resolutions, the frame rates (167-376 FPS) suggest the GPU is still the primary driver, but the 376 FPS ceiling at 1080p Low may approach the point where CPU overhead becomes relevant. The Ultra preset at 4K (70 FPS) represents the GPU's most demanding workload, and the fact that it maintains above 60 FPS average demonstrates that the RTX 5070 Ti has sufficient headroom for this game's maximum settings at 4K, though the margin is thin. The 300 W TDP and 700 W suggested PSU indicate power delivery is not a constraint, and the 1x 16-pin power connector supplies adequate current for sustained gaming loads.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K's contribution to Downfall's performance is more nuanced than the GPU's, as this 2023 processor vastly exceeds the requirements of a 2016 horror game. With 24 cores and 32 threads across its Raptor Lake architecture, the CPU's parallel processing capabilities are largely untapped by Downfall's engine, which likely uses only a fraction of available threads. The 6.00 GHz boost clock and 3.20 GHz base clock provide excellent single-threaded performance, which is more relevant for gaming than raw multi-core throughput, and the 36 MB shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency for frequently accessed game data.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark scores reinforce its high-end positioning: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and single-core score of 2262.5, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 21697 and single-core score of 2655. The PassMark multithread score of 58674 and single-thread score of 4697 further indicate that this processor ranks at the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900KF (79371 average, -0.3% delta) and Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79574, -0.6% delta), showing that the i9-14900K is essentially tied with the best available desktop processors.

In Downfall specifically, the CPU's role appears to be that of a stable foundation that never becomes the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the 376 FPS average is exceptionally high, and while the CPU's 24 cores are likely not all active, the 6.00 GHz boost clock ensures that any single-threaded game logic runs at maximum speed. The data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking — the frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes, which would not occur if the CPU were struggling to feed the GPU. The 125 W TDP (with boost behavior likely exceeding this) and support for DDR4/DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus provide ample memory bandwidth for game data streaming.

The processor's 80 KB L1 cache per core and 2 MB L2 cache per core, combined with the 36 MB shared L3, create a cache hierarchy that minimizes main memory accesses. This is particularly beneficial for a horror game like Downfall, which may have unpredictable memory access patterns due to environmental storytelling and scripted events. The CPU's 10 nm process node and 257 mm² die size indicate a mature manufacturing process that delivers consistent clock speeds under load, and the integrated UHD Graphics 770 provides a fallback display output, though the discrete RTX 5070 Ti handles all rendering duties in these benchmarks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured frame rates span a wide range depending on settings. Low settings produce an average of 376 FPS, the highest result in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 308 FPS on average, with a minimum of 262 FPS and maximum of 354 FPS — the only 1080p preset with min/max data available. High settings drop to 252 FPS average, while Ultra settings produce 158 FPS average. This 218 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p demonstrates that quality settings have a massive impact on performance at this resolution, with the GPU's compute resources being the differentiator.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same ordering persists but with lower absolute values. Low settings average 269 FPS, Medium averages 220 FPS (187 min, 253 max), High averages 180 FPS, and Ultra averages 113 FPS. The Medium preset's min/max range of 66 FPS (187 to 253) is notable for being the widest spread in the dataset, suggesting some scene-to-scene variability at this resolution and quality level. The 1440p Ultra result of 113 FPS matches the 4K High result of 112 FPS almost exactly, which is an interesting coincidence that suggests these two configurations place similar demands on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the results compress into a narrower band. Low settings average 167 FPS, Medium averages 137 FPS (116 min, 157 max), High averages 112 FPS, and Ultra averages 70 FPS. The 4K Medium min/max range of 41 FPS (116 to 157) is tighter than the 1440p Medium range, indicating that at higher resolutions, the GPU's workload is more consistent across scenes. The 4K Ultra result of 70 FPS is the only configuration that approaches the 60 FPS threshold, and it still maintains a comfortable 10 FPS margin above it.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently delivers the best balance of performance and quality, with 4K Medium (137 FPS) exceeding 1440p High (180 FPS is higher, but the gap narrows at higher resolutions). The High preset at 1440p (180 FPS) and 4K Low (167 FPS) are nearly identical, suggesting that resolution scaling and quality scaling can offset each other in predictable ways. The Ultra preset's performance at 1080p (158 FPS) is actually lower than 4K Low (167 FPS) and 1440p High (180 FPS), which highlights how much impact the Ultra settings have on GPU load compared to lower presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 384th out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the top 10.3% of all configurations. This ranking is surprisingly modest given the hardware's synthetic benchmark performance — the CPU sits at the 95th percentile of all processors, and the GPU at the 86th percentile. The discrepancy suggests that Downfall's engine does not fully utilize the capabilities of this high-end pairing, or that other combinations with different hardware (perhaps with more specialized gaming optimizations) achieve higher frame rates in this specific title.

The comboRankInGame of 384 out of 3716 means that 383 other combinations outperform this pairing in Downfall. Given that the RTX 5070 Ti's nearest GPU rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (-0.1% delta) and Intel Arc A550M (+0.4% delta), it is clear that synthetic GPU benchmarks do not always translate to real-world gaming performance. The RTX 5070 Ti's 86th percentile ranking and 49957 average benchmark score place it slightly below the RX Vega 64 in synthetic tests, yet in Downfall, the NVIDIA card's architecture likely provides better driver optimization and feature support for this title.

The CPU's ranking context is similar — the i9-14900K's nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7413, has a higher average score (80041 vs 79097, a +1.2% delta for the EPYC), yet the i9-14900K's 6.00 GHz boost clock gives it an advantage in gaming workloads that benefit from high single-threaded performance. The combo's rank of 384 suggests that while this pairing is excellent for most games, Downfall's specific requirements may favor other combinations — possibly those with GPUs that have higher memory bandwidth or different compute characteristics, despite the RTX 5070 Ti's substantial 896.0 GB/s bandwidth.

The fact that 3716 combinations have been tested for this game indicates a robust dataset, and ranking in the top 10% is objectively strong. However, the data implies that users seeking the absolute highest frame rates in Downfall might consider alternative pairings, even though the i9-14900K and RTX 5070 Ti individually represent top-tier hardware. The gap between the combo's rank and the individual component percentiles (95th and 86th) is worth investigating — it may indicate that Downfall's engine is more sensitive to certain GPU or CPU characteristics than synthetic benchmarks capture.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Downfall?

A: The highest average frame rate is 376 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system run Downfall at 4K Ultra settings smoothly?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 70 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and indicates smooth gameplay, though it is the lowest result in the dataset.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to its nearest rival GPU in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 49957, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (50001) and 0.4% higher than the Intel Arc A550M (49737), making them effectively tied in synthetic performance.

Q: What is the average frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 252 FPS at 1920x1080 to 112 FPS at 3840x2160, a decrease of 140 FPS or 55.6%.

Q: Does the i9-14900K bottleneck the RTX 5070 Ti in this game?

A: The data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking — frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes, and the CPU's 6.00 GHz boost clock provides ample single-threaded performance for this 2016 title.

Q: Which resolution and settings combination provides the most consistent frame pacing?

A: The 2560x1440 Medium preset has the widest min/max range (187 to 253 FPS), while the 3840x2160 Medium preset has a tighter range (116 to 157 FPS), suggesting 4K Medium offers more consistent frame pacing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 provides the best overall experience for this combo in Downfall. The 220 FPS average with a 187-253 FPS min/max range delivers well above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining visual quality improvements over Low settings. For users with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, this configuration leverages the RTX 5070 Ti's capabilities without pushing the GPU to its limits, and the 66 FPS variability suggests occasional dips but never to uncomfortable levels.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset at 3840x2160 is the optimal choice, offering 137 FPS average with a 116-157 FPS range. This configuration provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance at 4K, as the High preset (112 FPS) and Ultra preset (70 FPS) deliver diminishing returns for the added GPU load. The 4K Medium result of 137 FPS is actually higher than the 1440p High result of 180 FPS is lower, but the 4K Medium's minimum of 116 FPS ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes.

At 1080p, the High preset (252 FPS) is recommended over Ultra (158 FPS) for most users, as the visual difference between High and Ultra is often subtle while the performance gap is substantial (94 FPS). The Low preset at 1080p (376 FPS) is only advisable for competitive play where maximum frame rates are prioritized over visual quality, though the Medium preset (308 FPS) offers a strong middle ground. Overall, the data suggests that Medium settings at any resolution provide the most efficient use of this hardware, with the 1440p Medium configuration representing the sweet spot for the majority of users seeking both high frame rates and good visual quality in Downfall.