Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination. The measured data shows a system that is highly capable at 1080p and 1440p, but which encounters significant strain at 4K, particularly when settings are pushed to their maximum. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, contextualizing the performance against the component's known specifications and rival products.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and RTX 3070 combo in Greedfall?

A: This specific combination ranks 1584th out of 3703 tested combos for this game, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700X compare to its closest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 37943, which is nearly identical to its closest rivals. It is only 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14901E and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core 5 211E.

Q: What is the performance delta between the RTX 3070 and its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 3070's average benchmark score of 17208 is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT and 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690. Conversely, it trails the NVIDIA Tesla K40c by 1.5%.

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the highest average FPS recorded is 204, which is achieved with the Low settings preset. The Ultra preset still delivers a very playable 93 FPS average.

Q: Is the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM a limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The data suggests a significant performance cliff at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 38. While the 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are substantial, the combination of 4K resolution and Ultra settings appears to overwhelm the GPU, as this is the only configuration with an average below 60 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 141 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 64 FPS. This represents a 77 FPS drop, or a 54.6% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 achieves a rank of 1584 out of 3703 tested configurations in Greedfall. This places it in the 57th percentile, indicating it performs better than a majority of tested systems, but it is far from the top tier. This ranking makes sense given the component specifications. The Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-end desktop CPU with an average benchmark score of 37943, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. However, the RTX 3070, while a capable card, has an average benchmark score of 17208, which places it in only the 61st percentile of all GPUs.

This gap in relative standing suggests that in a game like Greedfall, the GPU is likely the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance is strong, with its nearest rivals being the Intel Core i9-14901E and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, both of which have average scores within 0.1% of the 9700X. The data indicates that the system's overall rank is dragged down by the GPU's more mid-range positioning. The combo's rank is not a reflection of a poorly matched pair, but rather a consequence of pairing a top-14% CPU with a top-39% GPU. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by its strong 3DMark scores, such as 9771 for max threads and 1280 for single thread, ensuring it won't hold back the GPU in most scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance scaling across resolutions. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound or at least not limited by the GPU, as even the Ultra preset achieves a high average of 93 FPS. Moving to 1440p, we see a substantial drop in performance across all settings, indicating the GPU is beginning to take on more load. The most dramatic scaling occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K (3840x2160). For instance, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 101 at 1440p to 60 at 4K, a 40.6% reduction. This steep decline points directly to the GPU as the limiting component at 4K.

The data at 4K shows that the RTX 3070 is struggling to maintain high frame rates. At 4K Low, the average is 84 FPS, but this falls to 66 FPS at Medium and 60 FPS at High. The most telling figure is the 4K Ultra result, which crashes to an average of 38 FPS. This non-linear drop, especially from High to Ultra, suggests that the 8 GB VRAM buffer is being exceeded or the GPU's compute units are saturated by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical fidelity. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a reduction in average FPS of roughly 36% at Low settings (204 to 84), 41% at Medium (160 to 66), and 59% at High (146 to 60). This progressive increase in performance loss at higher settings confirms that the GPU, not the CPU, is the primary constraint at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a comprehensive look at the performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance. The Low preset yields an average of 204 FPS, making it exceptionally fluid. Medium settings produce an average of 160 FPS, with a minimum of 136 and a maximum of 184. High settings follow closely with an average of 146 FPS. Even at the Ultra preset, the system maintains a high average of 93 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. The Low preset drops to an average of 141 FPS. Medium settings average 111 FPS, with a range of 94 to 128 FPS. High settings average 101 FPS. The Ultra preset, while still playable, sees a significant drop to an average of 64 FPS, highlighting the increased demand on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset averages 84 FPS, which is still acceptable. Medium settings average 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 76. High settings drop to an average of 60 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, resulting in a low average of 38 FPS, which would be a sub-optimal experience for most players.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 plays a central role in dictating the performance ceiling for this combo, especially at higher resolutions. The card is built on the Ampere architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1725 MHz. These specifications are substantial, allowing for strong performance at 1080p and 1440p.

However, the benchmark results show that the 8 GB VRAM and the GPU's computational power are challenged at 4K. The passmark G3D score of 22214 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3162 indicate a solid mid-to-high range performer. The card's FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS is also significant. Yet, the data shows a clear limit. The step from High (60 FPS) to Ultra (38 FPS) at 4K is a 36.7% performance drop, which is far more severe than the drop seen at 1440p (from 101 FPS to 64 FPS, a 36.6% drop, but from a higher base). This suggests that the Ultra preset at 4K demands resources that the RTX 3070 simply does not have.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 61% against all GPUs confirms its position as a capable, but not top-tier, component. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, is only 0.7% slower in average benchmark score, indicating a close performance bracket. The data implies that for this game, the RTX 3070 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates. At 4K, users would need to compromise on settings to achieve a playable frame rate, as the card's memory and compute resources are insufficient for the most demanding presets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. With an average of 93 FPS, it provides a visually rich experience without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 146 FPS is also excellent for those who prioritize higher refresh rates, but the performance headroom is so large that maxing out the settings is feasible.

For 2560x1440, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 101 FPS, which is ideal for most gaming monitors. The Ultra preset, at 64 FPS, is still playable but represents a significant compromise in smoothness for the visual gains. The Medium preset, at 111 FPS, is a viable alternative for those who want a higher frame rate buffer, but High offers a better balance of visual quality and performance.

For 3840x2160, the recommendation is more nuanced. The High preset, at an average of 60 FPS, is the maximum setting that provides a consistently playable experience. The Medium preset at 66 FPS offers a slight performance boost but with a noticeable drop in visual fidelity. The Low preset at 84 FPS is an option for players who prioritize frame rate above all else at 4K. The Ultra preset, with its 38 FPS average, is not recommended for a smooth experience. In summary, the data suggests that for the best balance of visual quality and performance, users should target High settings at 1440p, and High or Medium at 4K, while 1080p users can freely use Ultra.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X provides a robust foundation for this gaming system. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, it offers substantial multi-threaded performance, as shown by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20485. Its single-thread performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2211 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1280. This ensures that the CPU is not a limiting factor in most gaming scenarios.

The CPU's high performance is evident in its average benchmark score of 37943, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.4% of its score, indicating it is at the top of its performance class. In Greedfall, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data. At 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU's power allows for extremely high frame rates, reaching up to 204 FPS on Low settings. The data suggests that even at 1080p Ultra, the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the system still achieves 93 FPS.

However, as the resolution increases, the CPU's influence wanes. The performance drops seen at 1440p and 4K are almost entirely attributable to the GPU's limitations. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 32 MB of L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, has more than enough throughput to handle the game's logic and physics at these resolutions. This is a classic example of a high-end CPU paired with a mid-to-high-end GPU, where the CPU provides a stable, high-performance platform that allows the GPU to be the sole determinant of frame rate at higher resolutions. The CPU's 65W TDP and 5.50 GHz boost clock make it an efficient and powerful partner, ensuring that the system's performance is limited only by the graphics card.