Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, shows distinct performance behavior on the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is heavily influenced by both resolution and the chosen graphics preset, with the data indicating that the RTX 4070 is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s capabilities become more apparent at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured results to provide a practical guide for configuring the game.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K has a dramatic impact on frame rates, clearly demonstrating where the performance bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 247.8 FPS, but this drops to 174.3 FPS at 1440p and further to 100.7 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern shows that even at 4K Low, the game remains highly playable, but the frame rate is cut to roughly 40% of the 1080p figure. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is able to feed frames quickly, but the GPU is still the limiting factor when pixel count increases.

Looking at High settings, the scaling is similar but with a smaller overall headroom. The system delivers 179.6 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 124.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 73.9 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is about 59%, which is a significant reduction. This suggests that while the Ryzen 7 7700X is strong enough to push high frame rates at 1080p, the RTX 4070’s workload becomes increasingly heavy as resolution rises, making the GPU the clear limiting component at 4K.

The most punishing scenario is the Ultra preset, where the frame rate plummets from 113.7 FPS at 1080p to 79.3 FPS at 1440p, and then to 47.9 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this setting is too demanding for the GPU at that resolution. The data shows that the RTX 4070 is capable of handling the game well at 1080p and 1440p across most settings, but 4K requires a careful choice of preset to maintain smooth performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, with 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs. These specifications directly influence the measured results, particularly at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth and pixel throughput become critical.

The benchmark results show that the RTX 4070 is not consistently the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the 247.8 FPS average suggests the GPU is being fed efficiently, and the CPU’s high single-thread performance is likely enabling this. However, at 4K Ultra, the 47.9 FPS result indicates that the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and intensive settings. The data shows that the RTX 4070’s performance is sufficient for smooth 4K gameplay at Medium settings, where it hits 79.6 FPS, but the Ultra preset is too demanding.

In terms of its standing, the RTX 4070 benchmarks in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, has an average score that is 0.6% lower, indicating they are closely matched in synthetic tests. The GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is 2.2% ahead, while the AMD Radeon RX 5300M is 2.5% behind. These deltas suggest that the RTX 4070’s raw compute power is competitive, but the measured FPS in Greedfall shows that real-world performance is more nuanced, with the game’s engine and the specific settings playing a major role.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for a consistent 60+ FPS experience with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1440p with High settings delivers 124.1 FPS, and even 4K with Medium settings achieves 79.6 FPS. The only configuration that falls below 60 FPS is 4K Ultra at 47.9 FPS, so 4K is viable as long as the preset is kept to High or lower.

Q: How much of a performance hit does the Ultra preset cause compared to High?

A: At 1080p, the drop from High to Ultra is from 179.6 FPS to 113.7 FPS, a reduction of about 37%. At 1440p, it falls from 124.1 FPS to 79.3 FPS, and at 4K, it goes from 73.9 FPS to 47.9 FPS. The Ultra preset is consistently the most demanding, and its impact grows with resolution.

Q: Is the CPU a limiting factor in this game?

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 247.8 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that the CPU’s single-thread performance is likely the main enabler. The Ryzen 7 7700X has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz and benchmarks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, so it is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. At higher resolutions, the GPU takes over as the limiting factor.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score that is 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, but it is 1.9% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A. It is also 2.2% behind the GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile and 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Medium settings at 1440p?

A: The jump from Low to Medium at 1440p is from 174.3 FPS to 132.9 FPS. This is a significant drop of 41.4 FPS, indicating that the Medium preset adds a substantial amount of graphical detail that taxes the GPU.

Q: Can the system handle 4K gaming at all?

A: Yes, 4K is playable. The Low preset yields 100.7 FPS, Medium yields 79.6 FPS, and High yields 73.9 FPS. All of these are above the 60 FPS threshold, making 4K a viable option if the user is willing to adjust settings away from Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system is capable of very high frame rates. The Low preset delivers an average of 247.8 FPS, which is the highest figure in the entire dataset. Medium settings bring this down to 195 FPS, while High achieves 179.6 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 113.7 FPS. This shows that even at the highest settings, 1080p is well within the capabilities of this hardware, with no risk of dropping below 100 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the expected decline. Low settings produce 174.3 FPS, Medium drops to 132.9 FPS, and High delivers 124.1 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 79.3 FPS, which is still comfortably above the 60 FPS target for most gamers. The data indicates that 1440p is the sweet spot for this configuration, offering high refresh rates on lower presets and solid performance on High.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload becomes much more intense. The Low preset achieves 100.7 FPS, which is a playable result. Medium settings reduce this to 79.6 FPS, and High drops to 73.9 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one that falls below the 60 FPS line, with an average of 47.9 FPS. This makes 4K Ultra unsuitable for smooth gameplay, but the other presets are all viable options.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It has 32 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory on the AM5 socket. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 4281 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 30325 points in multi-core, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-13500, has an average score that is 0.4% lower, showing they are very closely matched.

In Greedfall, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p, where the frame rates are high enough that the processor’s single-thread performance is a key factor. The 247.8 FPS result at Low settings indicates that the CPU is able to process game logic and draw calls efficiently, not leaving the GPU waiting for data. However, the data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU-bound behavior.

The Ryzen 7 7700X’s high boost clock and strong single-core performance are beneficial for a game like Greedfall, which is an Action RPG that likely has a mix of AI, physics, and rendering tasks. The benchmark results suggest that the CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the RTX 4070, and it is only at 4K Ultra where the GPU’s limitations become the primary constraint. The data confirms that this combination is well-balanced, with the CPU providing ample headroom for the GPU to operate at its full potential.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate.

For 1080p users, the Ultra preset is entirely viable, with an average of 113.7 FPS. This provides the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. If a higher refresh rate monitor is in use, the High preset at 179.6 FPS is an excellent choice, offering a significant FPS boost with a modest reduction in visual fidelity. The Low preset at 247.8 FPS is only necessary for competitive play at very high refresh rates.

At 1440p, the High preset strikes the best balance, delivering 124.1 FPS while maintaining good image quality. The Ultra preset at 79.3 FPS is also playable and offers the full visual experience, but it comes with a noticeable FPS drop. For those who prefer maximum frame rates, the Medium preset at 132.9 FPS is a solid option, but High is the recommended choice for most users.

For 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, as it achieves 79.6 FPS and provides a good balance of quality and performance. The High preset at 73.9 FPS is also a strong option, but it is slightly more demanding. The Ultra preset should be avoided, as the 47.9 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold and will result in stuttery gameplay. The Low preset at 100.7 FPS is an option for those who prioritize performance above all else, but the visual compromise is significant. In all cases, the data shows that this hardware combination is capable of delivering a satisfying experience, provided the settings are chosen to match the resolution.