Greedfall

# Greedfall with AMD Ryzen 5 7400F + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070

The pairing of AMD's Ryzen 5 7400F with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 1070 in Greedfall presents a classic case of a modern CPU supporting an aging GPU. Measured data shows this combo achieves a rank of 2423 out of 2938 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third of all tested systems. The GTX 1070, with its 8 GB GDDR5 memory and 150 W TDP, appears to be the primary constraint, while the Ryzen 5 7400F's six Zen 4 cores and 32 MB of L3 cache offer substantial headroom that the GPU cannot fully utilize.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance decline as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 125 FPS, but dropping to 1440p reduces that to 86 FPS, a decline of roughly 31%. Moving to 4K at Low settings yields 52 FPS, representing a 58% drop from the 1080p figure. This pattern strongly indicates that the GeForce GTX 1070's rendering throughput is the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K at High settings is particularly telling: performance falls from 62 FPS to 37 FPS, a 40% reduction. This magnitude of loss suggests the GPU's 256-bit memory bus and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated at higher resolutions. The GTX 1070's 6.463 TFLOPS FP32 performance simply cannot sustain the pixel fill rates demanded by 4K on this 2019 Action RPG.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (125 FPS) and Ultra (57 FPS) is 68 FPS, while at 4K that gap shrinks to 29 FPS (52 vs 23). This compression of the settings range at 4K suggests that even on Low, the GPU is nearing its maximum output, leaving little room for additional workload from higher graphical presets.

The data implies that the Ryzen 5 7400F is not the bottleneck at any resolution. The CPU's 4.70 GHz boost clock and 12 threads provide ample processing power, as evidenced by the fact that even at 1080p Low, where CPU overhead is typically highest, the system reaches 125 FPS without apparent limitation. The consistent performance degradation across all settings as resolution increases points squarely at the GTX 1070 as the performance ceiling.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F brings modern architecture to this pairing, featuring 6 cores and 12 threads based on Zen 4 (Raphael) built on a 5 nm process. Its 3.70 GHz base clock and 4.70 GHz boost clock, combined with a 32 MB shared L3 cache, position it well above the performance levels this game demands. The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce this: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21765 and single-core score of 3072 place it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs.

In Greedfall, an Action RPG that typically relies on single-thread performance for game logic and physics, the 7400F's strong single-core showing (309 in Cinebench R15 single-core) ensures that CPU-side frame pacing is not a concern. The measured FPS data supports this, as even at 1080p Low with 125 FPS, there is no evidence of CPU-induced stuttering or frame rate capping that would indicate processor limitation.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 at 83.2 GB/s bandwidth provides fast data transfer to the GPU, though the GTX 1070's PCIe 3.0 x16 interface (compared to the CPU's Gen 5 capability) means the GPU cannot fully exploit the CPU's memory bandwidth. This mismatch is a minor inefficiency but does not appear to affect measured performance, as the frame rates are consistently GPU-bound.

Comparing the 7400F to its nearest rivals, it sits within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 and Intel Core Ultra 7 155H in average benchmark scores, with a 0.1% delta from the Intel Core i5-14600T. These margins are negligible, confirming that the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo's performance. The CPU's 65 W TDP and active production status suggest it is a modern, efficient choice, but in this specific game, its capabilities are largely untapped.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, based on the Pascal architecture with a GP104 chip on a 16 nm process, is clearly the determining component in this combo's Greedfall performance. Its 8 GB GDDR5 memory, running at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus, provides 256.3 GB/s bandwidth. With 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, the card delivers 6.463 TFLOPS FP32 and a pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s.

The GPU's 47th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9780, places it just slightly below contemporaries like the AMD FirePro W5000 (0.2% slower) and NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (0.5% slower). In Greedfall, the measured FPS shows the GTX 1070 struggling to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra, where it averages just 23 FPS. Even at 1440p Ultra, it only manages 39 FPS, suggesting that the card's 8 GB VRAM and compute resources are insufficient for the game's highest preset at resolutions above 1080p.

The GPU's memory configuration is particularly relevant for Greedfall's open-world environments. At 1080p Medium, the card achieves 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS, indicating that the 8 GB frame buffer is adequate at this resolution. However, the drop to 57 FPS at 1080p Ultra (a 42% reduction from Medium) suggests that texture quality and shadow effects at Ultra preset overwhelm the card's shading units and ROP throughput, not just its memory capacity.

The GTX 1070's boost clock of 1683 MHz and base of 1506 MHz are modest by modern standards, and the data shows the card's thermal/power envelope (150 W TDP) is not the limiting factor. Instead, the architectural limitations of Pascal—no hardware ray tracing, limited async compute—mean that Greedfall's rendering features at higher presets cannot be efficiently processed. The card's DirectX 12 (12_1) support is adequate, but its PassMark DirectX 12 score of 48 (out of what appears to be a normalized scale) indicates weak DX12 performance compared to its DX11 score of 100.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the Greedfall experience with this hardware combo. At 1080p, the Medium preset (98 FPS average, 83 FPS minimum) delivers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it maintains frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold while offering significantly better visuals than Low (125 FPS). The High preset at 89 FPS is also viable, but the 9 FPS gain from Medium to High does not justify the visual step down from Ultra's 57 FPS.

At 1440p, the Medium preset (68 FPS average, 58 FPS minimum) is the recommended choice, as it keeps frame rates near 60 FPS while providing acceptable visual fidelity. The High preset at 62 FPS is marginally playable but dips closer to the 60 FPS boundary, and the Ultra preset at 39 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay. Low at 86 FPS offers the most headroom but sacrifices significant visual quality.

For 4K, the data indicates that only Low settings (52 FPS) approach playability, while Medium (40 FPS) and High (37 FPS) are borderline, and Ultra (23 FPS) is effectively unplayable. Users targeting 4K should accept Low preset as the only practical option, or consider reducing resolution to 1440p for a more balanced experience. The 23 FPS at 4K Ultra represents a 60% drop from 1080p Ultra, confirming that this resolution is beyond the GTX 1070's capabilities for this game.

The measured min FPS values at Medium settings (83 at 1080p, 58 at 1440p, 34 at 4K) suggest that frame pacing remains consistent even when average FPS drops, which is a positive indicator for the combo's stability. No min FPS data is available for other presets, but the Medium preset's min values are within 15% of the average, indicating smooth performance without major hitches.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 2423 out of 2938 tested combinations in Greedfall, placing it in the bottom 17.5% of all tested systems. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the GTX 1070's age and performance class, as the GPU's 47th percentile ranking among all GPUs drags down the overall score. The Ryzen 5 7400F's 83rd percentile CPU ranking cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations in this GPU-bound scenario.

The ranking suggests that most other tested combos, including those with newer or higher-tier GPUs, outperform this pairing in Greedfall. The gap between this combo's rank (2423) and the top performers is substantial, reflecting the GTX 1070's inability to handle the game's higher presets and resolutions. However, the combo's performance at 1080p Medium (98 FPS) is respectable, indicating that it can still provide a playable experience at mainstream settings.

The combo's position relative to its components' individual percentiles (CPU at 83rd, GPU at 47th) reinforces that the GPU is the bottleneck. If the ranking were CPU-limited, we would expect the combo to rank higher, closer to the CPU's percentile. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more capable GPU would yield significantly better results, while upgrading the CPU in this combo would provide minimal gains for Greedfall specifically.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS values across settings are: Low 125 FPS, Medium 98 FPS (min 83, max 113), High 89 FPS, and Ultra 57 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 54% performance reduction, with the largest single drop occurring between High and Ultra (32 FPS difference). This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces rendering features that disproportionately tax the GTX 1070.

At 2560x1440, the values are: Low 86 FPS, Medium 68 FPS (min 58, max 78), High 62 FPS, and Ultra 39 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each preset ranges from 31% (Low) to 32% (Ultra), showing consistent scaling that indicates pure GPU pixel-pushing limits rather than any memory or bandwidth cliff.

At 3840x2160, the values are: Low 52 FPS, Medium 40 FPS (min 34, max 47), High 37 FPS, and Ultra 23 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 23 FPS is the lowest measured value, and the 4K High result of 37 FPS shows that even medium-high settings cannot reach 40 FPS at this resolution. The 4K Medium minimum of 34 FPS indicates that even the playable-looking average is accompanied by sub-40 FPS dips.

The delta between Medium and High settings is remarkably consistent across resolutions: 9 FPS at 1080p, 6 FPS at 1440p, and 3 FPS at 4K. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is saturated, with less headroom to absorb additional settings increases. Conversely, the gap between Low and Medium is 27 FPS at 1080p, 18 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K, showing that Medium preset adds noticeable load but remains the best compromise.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Greedfall at 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: Yes, at Low (125 FPS), Medium (98 FPS), and High (89 FPS) presets, the average FPS exceeds 60. Only Ultra (57 FPS) falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: 1080p provides the most consistent experience, with Medium preset delivering 98 FPS average and 83 FPS minimum. At 1440p, Medium (68 FPS) is playable, but 4K is only viable at Low settings (52 FPS).

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

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 7400F ranks in the 83rd percentile of CPUs, while the GTX 1070 ranks in the 47th percentile of GPUs. FPS drops consistently with resolution increases, indicating GPU limitation.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 2423 out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the lower 17.5% of all tested systems. The GPU's age and performance class are the primary contributors to this low ranking.

Q: What settings provide the best experience at 1440p?

A: Medium preset offers 68 FPS average with a 58 FPS minimum, which is the only preset that maintains near-60 FPS performance. High (62 FPS) and Low (86 FPS) are alternatives, but Ultra (39 FPS) is not recommended.

Q: Does the GTX 1070's 8 GB VRAM cause issues in this game?

A: The data does not show VRAM capacity as a distinct limiter. Performance degrades consistently with resolution and settings, suggesting compute and memory bandwidth constraints rather than a VRAM capacity ceiling. The 256.3 GB/s bandwidth appears to be the more relevant memory factor.