Greedfall

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a striking case study in system bottlenecking within Greedfall. The data shows a configuration where a high-end 2022 CPU is yoked to a low-power integrated-class GPU, resulting in performance metrics that are almost entirely dictated by the graphics solution. This analysis breaks down the measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and settings, examining the roles of each component in this unusual pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS deltas between resolutions are stark and reveal a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 54 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset, the average drops to 38 FPS, a reduction of 16 FPS. The jump to 4K at High is even more punishing, with the average falling to 22 FPS. This pattern of significant degradation with every step up in resolution points directly at the Intel Arc B370 as the primary performance limiter.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p represents a 29.6% drop in average FPS, while the scaling from 1440p to 4K represents a 42.1% drop. These are not linear reductions; they are exponential, which is the classic signature of a graphics card running out of pixel-pushing capability. The Ryzen 5 7600X, with its Zen 4 architecture and boost clock of 5.30 GHz, is almost certainly not the limiting factor at these resolutions. Instead, the data suggests that the Arc B370's fill rate and shading power, evidenced by its 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance, are being saturated.

This behavior is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 76 at 1080p, to 53 at 1440p, and finally to 31 at 4K. The relative performance cliff between 1080p and 4K is a massive 59.2% reduction. Even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions. The question this data raises is whether the game is fully engaging the CPU's multi-threading capabilities, or if the GPU's frame generation time is so long that it masks the CPU's potential. The benchmark results indicate a system where the graphics card is the definitive bottleneck, as the resolution scaling behavior shows no signs of a CPU-side plateau.

FAQ

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so significantly when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: The measured FPS data shows a steep decline with increasing resolution. For example, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 54 at 1080p to 22 at 4K. This indicates the Intel Arc B370's rendering capabilities are strained by the increased pixel count, making it the primary performance limiter.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X powerful enough for this game?

A: Based on the benchmark data, the CPU appears more than capable. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 15236 and its single-core score is 1965, placing it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. The FPS limitations are more directly attributable to the GPU, as the performance scaling follows the resolution curve typical of a graphics-bound workload.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1080p?

A: The data shows that Low settings at 1080p yield the highest average FPS at 76. However, the Medium preset provides a more balanced experience with an average of 60 FPS and a minimum of 51 FPS, ensuring smoother frame pacing than the Low preset's uncapped maximum might suggest.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in raw GPU power?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher. This places the Arc B370 in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a very low-performance part.

Q: Does the CPU's cache configuration influence the gaming results?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600X features a 32 MB shared L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core. While this is a capable configuration, the gaming results in Greedfall are more heavily influenced by the GPU's limited performance, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops at higher resolutions.

Q: Are the 4K Ultra settings feasible with this hardware?

A: No. The measured data shows an average FPS of just 14 at 4K with Ultra settings. This is far below playable thresholds. The GPU's performance, which is in the 5th percentile, is insufficient for such demanding configurations.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the centerpiece of this system's performance characteristics, but not in a positive way. Its specifications paint a picture of a mobile or integrated graphics solution, despite its "Arc" branding. With a TDP of just 25 W and a bus interface of "IGP," it is designed for efficiency, not high-end gaming. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the main system's DDR5 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a critical detail, as it means the GPU's access to memory is shared with the CPU, potentially causing contention.

The GPU's core clocks are listed with a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz. While the boost clock is respectable, the architecture has a limited number of execution units. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 20 render output units (ROPs). This configuration yields a texture fill rate of 96.00 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s. In practice, these figures are extremely low for a discrete gaming GPU, explaining the sub-30 FPS results at 4K.

This is corroborated by its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186 (0.2% higher), and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190 (0.5% higher). These are all legacy or low-end parts, confirming that the Arc B370 is not a gaming-class component. The data implies that any attempt to play Greedfall at high resolutions or settings will be severely hampered by the GPU's raw throughput limits, regardless of the CPU's capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Greedfall, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel Arc B370 ranks at 2699 out of 2938 combos. This places it in the bottom 9% of all tested systems, which is a surprisingly poor showing given the CPU's strength. The combo's rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations. The Ryzen 5 7600X is a top-tier CPU in its own right, with an average benchmark score of 27636 and a percentile of 79 among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Core i5-12600K, both score 27578, a mere 0.2% difference.

Yet, when paired with the Arc B370, the system's overall gaming performance is dragged down to the bottom tier. This illustrates a critical hardware analysis principle: a system is only as strong as its weakest link for a given workload. The CPU's potential is entirely untapped, as the GPU's 3DMark score of 1184 and its 5th percentile ranking create a hard ceiling on the FPS. The ranking of 2699 reflects the real-world playability, which is poor at 4K and only moderate at 1080p on lower settings. This combo serves as a clear example of a severe imbalance where a high-performance CPU is completely bottlenecked by a low-performance GPU, resulting in a rank that is more indicative of the GPU than the CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The raw data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across different graphical demands.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average FPS 76, with no min/max data provided.
• Medium: Average FPS 60, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69.
• High: Average FPS 54, with no min/max data provided.
• Ultra: Average FPS 35, with no min/max data provided.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average FPS 53, with no min/max data provided.
• Medium: Average FPS 41, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 48.
• High: Average FPS 38, with no min/max data provided.
• Ultra: Average FPS 24, with no min/max data provided.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average FPS 31, with no min/max data provided.
• Medium: Average FPS 25, with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 28.
• High: Average FPS 22, with no min/max data provided.
• Ultra: Average FPS 14, with no min/max data provided.

The data shows that at 1080p, the system can achieve a playable frame rate of 60 FPS at Medium settings. The Low preset offers the highest average FPS at 76, but the Medium preset's minimum FPS of 51 is more stable than the Low preset's unrecorded minimum. At 1440p, the system struggles to maintain 60 FPS, with the Low preset averaging 53 FPS. At 4K, the system fails to achieve even 30 FPS on any setting, with the Ultra preset dropping to a mere 14 FPS average. The gap between High and Ultra at all resolutions is significant, suggesting that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately demanding for the Arc B370.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal experience is found at 1080p. The Medium preset at 1080p is the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering an average of 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS. This ensures a smooth and consistent frame delivery, which is crucial for an Action RPG where combat timing matters. While the Low preset at 1080p yields a higher average of 76 FPS, the lack of a recorded minimum FPS makes it difficult to assess its frame pacing stability. The Medium preset provides a guaranteed floor that is more reliable.

For users willing to accept lower visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1440p offers an average of 53 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. However, the visual downgrade from Medium to Low is often substantial. Pushing to 4K is not recommended on any settings, as even the Low preset only achieves 31 FPS. The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely, as it results in an average of 35 FPS at 1080p and 14 FPS at 4K, making the game feel sluggish and unresponsive. The data strongly suggests that the Medium setting at 1080p is the sweet spot for this hardware configuration in Greedfall.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is a high-performance processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed "Raphael." It features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a substantial 32 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration is designed for excellent single-threaded and multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 scores of 1965 single-core and 15236 multi-core. It supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, which is a significant advantage over older DDR4 platforms.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI. Its strong single-core performance, reflected in its 3DMark single-thread score of 1060, suggests it can handle these tasks efficiently. However, the benchmark results show that the system's FPS is not CPU-limited. The massive FPS drops at higher resolutions are a clear sign that the GPU is the bottleneck. For instance, if the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not increase with resolution. Instead, we see a 59.2% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which is purely a GPU limitation.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is also telling. Its average benchmark score of 27636 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Core i5-12600K, both at 27578. This indicates that the 7600X is not holding back the system in any meaningful way. The data implies that in this specific pairing, the CPU is waiting for the GPU to complete its rendering tasks, leaving significant performance headroom on the table. The 105W TDP and 5nm process node from TSMC make it an efficient and capable part, but its power is entirely negated by the Arc B370's limitations in this gaming scenario.