Greedfall

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data for Greedfall reveals a steep and predictable performance curve as resolution climbs. At 1080p with Low settings, this combo delivers 125.2 FPS, but stepping up to 2560x1440 drops that to 87.2 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it falls further to 52.7 FPS. The trend is consistent across all settings presets, but the magnitude of the drop varies. For High settings, the transition from 1080p (90.1 FPS) to 1440p (60.2 FPS) costs roughly one-third of the frame rate, while moving from 1440p to 4K (34.6 FPS) cuts performance by another 42%. This pattern strongly suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the pixel count increases substantially while the CPU workload remains relatively constant.

The scaling from Medium settings tells a similar story: 100.1 FPS at 1080p, 67.1 FPS at 1440p, and 39.4 FPS at 4K. The gap between Low and Medium at each resolution is relatively narrow (about 20% at 1080p), but the gap between Medium and Ultra is much larger, especially at 4K where Ultra drops to 24.9 FPS versus 39.4 FPS on Medium. This indicates that the graphics card’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are being taxed heavily by the higher preset, with the 256-bit memory bus and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth becoming a limiting factor. The fact that 4K Ultra lands below 30 FPS—often considered a playability threshold—highlights that this combo is not designed for maximum fidelity at the highest pixel counts.

Interestingly, the CPU's role appears secondary in this scaling analysis. The Ryzen 7 5800XT, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, shows strong synthetic results (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794), which would typically prevent CPU-bound scenarios in a game like Greedfall. The consistent FPS drops across presets at each resolution suggest that the GTX 1070's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 1920 shading units are the deciding factors. The data implies that for smooth gameplay, users should prioritize resolution over preset quality—dropping from 4K High (34.6 FPS) to 1440p High (60.2 FPS) yields a much better experience than trying to push Ultra at any resolution above 1080p.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-architecture card with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock of 1506 MHz and boost clock of 1683 MHz are modest by modern standards, but the card's 1920 shading units and 64 ROPs give it adequate raw throughput for mid-range 1080p and 1440p gaming. In Greedfall, the GPU's performance is clearly the dominant factor in determining FPS, as evidenced by the significant drops when moving from 1080p to 4K. The card's FP32 compute of 6.463 TFLOPS and texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s suggest it can handle moderate workloads, but the 4K Ultra result of 24.9 FPS indicates that the card is overwhelmed when both resolution and settings are maxed.

The GTX 1070's 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for most scenarios in this game, as Greedfall is not particularly VRAM-hungry compared to newer titles. However, the memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s may become a constraint at 4K with higher presets, where larger textures and more complex shading require faster data transfer. The benchmark results show that dropping from High to Medium at 4K only improves FPS from 34.6 to 39.4, a modest 14% gain, suggesting that the bottleneck is not solely memory but also compute throughput. The card's 51st percentile ranking among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 12331 place it in the mid-range, and its nearest rivals—such as the GTX 1650 SUPER with a deltaPct of -1.4%—confirm that it sits in a competitive but not top-tier position.

The GPU's age (released in 2016) and end-of-life production status are reflected in its DirectX 12 (12_1) support and lack of ray tracing or tensor cores. In Greedfall, which was released in 2019, the card still manages playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows that 4K is only viable on Low settings (52.7 FPS). The card's 150 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU indicate it is not power-hungry, but its performance ceiling is clearly defined by its Pascal architecture and 16 nm process node.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a Zen 3 (Vermeer) processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, base clock of 3.80 GHz, and boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its 32 MB L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide ample headroom for gaming workloads. In Greedfall, the CPU does not appear to be a limiting factor at any resolution or settings level. The synthetic benchmarks support this: the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794 and single-core score of 3359 indicate strong performance that would handle the game's AI, physics, and draw call processing without breaking a sweat. The PassMark single-thread score of 3538 and 3DMark single-thread score of 959 further confirm that even lightly-threaded workloads are well-served.

The CPU's 86th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29774, places it in the upper echelon of processors. Its nearest rivals include the Ryzen 7 6800HS with a deltaPct of -0.3% and the Ryzen 7 7840H with a deltaPct of -0.3%, both of which are mobile processors that slightly trail the 5800XT in average score. This suggests that the desktop 5800XT is well-matched for gaming, and its 105 W TDP is reasonable for sustained loads. In Greedfall, the FPS differences between Low and High settings at the same resolution are consistent, which would not be the case if the CPU were causing bottlenecks—rather, the GPU is the constraining component.

The CPU's 4,150 million transistors on a 74 mm² die (7 nm process) allow for high clock speeds and efficient power usage. Its 3DMark 16-thread score of 7683 and max-thread score of 7680 show excellent scaling across cores, which is beneficial for games that utilize multiple threads, though Greedfall may not be heavily multithreaded. The data implies that users could pair this CPU with a more powerful GPU to achieve higher frame rates, especially at 4K, without worrying about CPU limitations. The CPU's launch MSRP of $249 reflects its mid-range positioning, but its performance metrics suggest it punches above its weight class.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce 125.2 FPS, which is smooth for any display. Medium settings drop to 100.1 FPS, still highly playable. High settings yield 90.1 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 55.1 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra costs 35 FPS, a 39% reduction, indicating that Ultra's additional effects (likely shadow quality, ambient occlusion, and draw distance) heavily tax the GTX 1070. The 1080p Ultra result of 55.1 FPS is still above the 50 FPS mark, making it a viable option for users who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops are more pronounced. Low settings produce 87.2 FPS, which is good for 1440p gaming. Medium settings yield 67.1 FPS, and High settings give 60.2 FPS—both are acceptable for most players. Ultra settings, however, plummet to 36.6 FPS, which may feel stuttery in fast-paced combat. The gap between High (60.2) and Ultra (36.6) is a 39% drop, similar to the 1080p pattern, but the absolute numbers are lower, making the Ultra preset less attractive at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GTX 1070 struggles. Low settings produce 52.7 FPS, which is barely playable. Medium settings drop to 39.4 FPS, and High settings fall to 34.6 FPS. Ultra settings yield only 24.9 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data shows that 4K is only feasible with Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not consistently high. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K (52.7 to 24.9 FPS) represents a 53% reduction, highlighting the GPU's inability to handle high pixel counts with enhanced effects.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1444 out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the bottom 15% of all configurations. This low rank is primarily due to the GPU, which is in the 51st percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 86th percentile. The disparity between the CPU's strong performance and the GPU's mid-range capability means that the combo is heavily GPU-limited. The rank of 1444 suggests that many other combinations—likely those with more modern or higher-tier GPUs—achieve better frame rates in this game, even if their CPUs are less powerful.

The GTX 1070's nearest rivals include the Quadro K4200 with a deltaPct of 0.7% and the GTX 1650 SUPER with a deltaPct of -1.4%. These cards perform similarly, but they are not top-tier options. The combo's rank reflects that Greedfall is a GPU-intensive title, and the GTX 1070's age (2016) puts it at a disadvantage against newer architectures. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (deltaPct 0.1%) and the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (deltaPct 0.3%), show that the CPU is competitive with modern processors, but this does not compensate for the GPU's limitations. The data indicates that to improve this combo's rank, upgrading the GPU would be more effective than upgrading the CPU.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the ideal settings depend on the target resolution. At 1080p, the High preset (90.1 FPS) offers an excellent balance between visual quality and smoothness, providing a 63% improvement over Ultra (55.1 FPS) with only a moderate reduction in fidelity. For players who want maximum smoothness, Low settings (125.2 FPS) are overkill for most displays, but they could be useful for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset (100.1 FPS) is also a strong choice, offering a 11% FPS boost over High with minimal visual compromise.

At 1440p, the High preset (60.2 FPS) is the recommended choice, as it hits the 60 FPS target that most gamers consider the minimum for a good experience. Medium (67.1 FPS) is slightly faster, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often noticeable in texture detail and shadow quality. Low (87.2 FPS) is too much of a visual downgrade for the extra FPS, while Ultra (36.6 FPS) is too choppy for comfortable play. At 4K, the only viable option is Low (52.7 FPS), which provides a playable frame rate, though Medium (39.4 FPS) may be acceptable for slower-paced exploration. High (34.6 FPS) and Ultra (24.9 FPS) are not recommended due to sub-40 FPS performance.

The data suggests that the "sweet spot" for this combo is 1440p High, which delivers 60.2 FPS while maintaining good visual quality. This setting avoids the performance pitfalls of 4K and the unnecessary FPS headroom of 1080p, making it the most balanced option for the GTX 1070's capabilities.

FAQ

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

A: 2560x1440 with High settings (60.2 FPS) provides the best balance of visual quality and playability, as it hits the 60 FPS target while avoiding the performance drop of 4K.

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

A: Only at Low settings, which yields 52.7 FPS. Medium (39.4 FPS) and higher presets fall below comfortable playability thresholds.

Q: How much FPS is lost when going from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The FPS drops from 90.1 at 1080p to 34.6 at 4K, a 62% reduction, indicating the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more limiting in this game?

A: The GPU is more limiting. The Ryzen 7 5800XT has an 86th percentile ranking, while the GTX 1070 is in the 51st percentile, and FPS scales with resolution changes typical of GPU-bound scenarios.

Q: What is the worst settings preset for this combo?

A: 4K Ultra, which produces only 24.9 FPS, making it the least playable configuration in the measured data.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other configurations?

A: It ranks 1444 out of 1705 combos, placing it in the lower 15% of tested systems for Greedfall, primarily due to the GPU's mid-range performance.