Greedfall

Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread Alder Lake desktop processor with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. In Greedfall, this CPU's thread count and clock speeds are sufficient to feed the Intel Arc B570 at 1080p, where the combo achieves 130 FPS at Low settings, indicating that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at mainstream resolutions. The Arc B570, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture with 2304 shading units and a 2500 MHz boost clock, delivers the bulk of the rendering work, and the data shows that the CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are adequate for maintaining frame pacing in this Action RPG.

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

The Intel Core i3-12100F's specifications are modest by modern standards, but they are well-matched to the demands of Greedfall at the tested settings. With 4 physical cores and 8 threads, the CPU relies on Hyper-Threading to handle background tasks and game logic without starving the GPU of data. Its 3.30 GHz base clock and 4.30 GHz boost clock are competitive for a budget desktop part, and benchmark results confirm its capability: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 and a single-core score of 1674 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is critical for a game like Greedfall that does not scale perfectly across many cores.

The data shows that the CPU's performance ceiling is not reached in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 130 FPS, which is more than double the 59 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra. This 71 FPS spread across settings at the same resolution suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor when visual fidelity increases, while the CPU has headroom to spare. The i3-12100F's 3DMark scores reinforce this interpretation: a 16-thread score of 4051 and a 4-thread score of 2859 show that the processor can handle multi-threaded workloads, but its single-thread score of 893 is the more relevant metric for gaming, and it is clearly sufficient for Greedfall's engine.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i3-12100F holds its own. It scores 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-9500 and 1.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-1250U, while trailing the Intel Core 5 120UL by 0.7% and the Intel Core 3 N355 by 0.0%. These tiny deltaPct values indicate that the CPU is in a performance tier where minor architectural differences do not translate into meaningful FPS changes in Greedfall. The practical takeaway is that the CPU is not the component holding back frame rates; instead, the GPU's rendering load at higher settings dictates the final output.

The CPU's 58 W TDP and 10 nm process node also inform its role. Lower power draw means less heat to dissipate, which allows the processor to sustain its boost clock for longer periods without thermal throttling. This is indirectly supported by the measured FPS data: at 1080p Medium, the combo maintains a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS, showing stable performance without significant dips that would indicate CPU bottlenecks. In summary, the i3-12100F provides a solid foundation for this GPU, with enough single-thread speed and cache capacity to avoid becoming the limiting factor in most scenarios.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does the Intel Core i3-12100F's multi-threaded performance compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-9500?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-9500's 13452. In practice, this negligible deltaPct means the two CPUs are effectively interchangeable for Greedfall, as neither will produce a measurable FPS difference in this title.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this CPU-GPU combo at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 130 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate across all resolutions and settings. This indicates that the CPU can push the GPU to its limits at lower graphical loads.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B570 more similar to the RTX 3070 Mobile or the Intel Arc A750 in overall GPU benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile's 20534 and 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750's 20582. The deltaPct values show that all three GPUs are statistically indistinguishable in synthetic benchmarks, but the Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth give it a slight edge in texture-heavy scenes.

Q: At 1440p, what is the FPS drop from Low to Ultra settings, and what does this imply about the bottleneck?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo drops from 90 FPS at Low to 41 FPS at Ultra, a 49 FPS reduction. This steep decline with increasing settings confirms that the GPU is the limiting component at this resolution, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with graphical fidelity.

Q: How does the combo's rank of 2344 out of 2938 tested combos reflect its performance in Greedfall?

A: The rank places this combo in the bottom 20% of all tested combinations, which is expected given the i3-12100F's 68th percentile CPU score and the Arc B570's 65th percentile GPU score. However, the measured FPS at 1080p High (92 FPS) is still playable, indicating that the rank is more about absolute performance than usability.

Q: Does the i3-12100F support DDR5 memory, and how does this affect its gaming performance?

A: The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, with a dual-channel memory bus. The benchmark data does not specify which memory type was used, but the measured FPS in Greedfall suggests that memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor, as the combo still achieves 102 FPS at 1080p Medium.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 130 FPS, which drops to 90 FPS at 1440p Low (a 30.8% reduction) and further to 54 FPS at 4K Low (a 40.0% reduction from 1440p). This progressive decline with pixel count is classic GPU bottleneck behavior, as the Arc B570's rendering units are tasked with filling more pixels at higher resolutions.

The trend is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the combo averages 59 FPS, which falls to 41 FPS at 1440p Ultra (a 30.5% drop) and to a barely playable 24 FPS at 4K Ultra (a 41.5% drop from 1440p). The consistent ~30-40% FPS reduction per resolution step across all settings indicates that the GPU's compute throughput, not the CPU's data delivery, is the constraining factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between resolutions at the same setting, but the data shows the opposite.

The 1080p to 1440p scaling at Medium settings provides another data point: 102 FPS at 1080p drops to 71 FPS at 1440p, a 30.4% reduction. This is nearly identical to the percentage drop at Low settings, reinforcing that the GPU is the limiting component regardless of graphical complexity. The CPU's role becomes more apparent at 4K, where the FPS drops to 38 at High and 42 at Medium, suggesting that even at lower settings, the GPU cannot keep up with the pixel count.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (130 FPS) and Ultra (59 FPS) is 71 FPS, but at 4K, the difference shrinks to 30 FPS (54 FPS at Low vs 24 FPS at Ultra). This convergence indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so overwhelmed that changing settings has diminishing returns, as the pixel fill rate becomes the dominant cost. For a 4K display, the data suggests that Medium settings (42 FPS) are the practical ceiling, while 1440p offers a better balance with 71 FPS at Medium.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks 2344 out of 2938 tested combinations in Greedfall, placing it in the 20th percentile of all systems. This rank reflects the absolute performance ceiling of the i3-12100F and Arc B570 pairing, which is modest compared to high-end CPUs and GPUs. However, the rank does not tell the full story, as it aggregates performance across all possible settings and resolutions, and the measured FPS shows that the combo is capable of smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p with appropriate settings.

The CPU's individual percentile ranking (68th) and the GPU's ranking (65th) both hover near the median, which aligns with the combo's overall position. The i3-12100F's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-9500 (0.3% faster) and the Intel Core 7-1250U (1.1% slower), while the Arc B570's rivals include the RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster) and the Arc A750 (0.1% slower). These small deltaPct values indicate that the combo is surrounded by comparable hardware, and its rank is more a function of the sheer number of higher-end combos in the database than a reflection of poor performance.

When interpreting the rank, it is important to consider that Greedfall is a 2019 Action RPG with moderate hardware demands. The game's release date and genre suggest that it does not require top-tier components to run well, and the measured FPS confirms this: 92 FPS at 1080p High is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The rank of 2344 is therefore misleading if taken at face value, as it does not account for the fact that many of the 2938 combos include CPUs and GPUs that are several tiers above this pairing.

The data shows that the combo's performance is consistent with its hardware profile. The i3-12100F's 4-core/8-thread configuration is sufficient for Greedfall's engine, and the Arc B570's 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute provides adequate rasterization power. The rank would likely improve significantly if the database only included combos with similar CPU and GPU tiers, but as it stands, the 2344 position is a fair representation of where this pairing sits in the broader hardware landscape.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 102 FPS and a minimum of 87 FPS. This ensures that frame times remain consistent, avoiding the stutter that can occur when FPS dips below 60. The High preset at 1080p drops to 92 FPS, which is still playable, but the 10 FPS gain from Medium to High is not worth the potential for micro-stutters on less powerful systems.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is again the recommended choice, delivering 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS. This stays above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while the High preset at 64 FPS is close but risks dropping below 60 in busy scenes. The Low preset at 90 FPS is smoother but sacrifices too much visual fidelity for an Action RPG where environmental detail matters. At 1440p Ultra, the 41 FPS average is below the playable threshold for most users, so it should be avoided.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 54 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, while Medium drops to 42 FPS and High falls to 38 FPS. For a 4K display, the data suggests that users should either accept Low settings for a smoother experience or drop to 1440p and use Medium for a better visual-to-performance ratio. The Ultra preset at 4K is not viable, with an average of 24 FPS that would result in a poor experience.

The measured data also highlights the importance of the Medium preset's minimum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 87 FPS, and at 1440p Medium, it is 60 FPS, both of which are above the stutter threshold. This consistency is critical for a game like Greedfall, which features combat that requires responsive controls. The Low preset offers higher averages but does not report minimum FPS, suggesting that the Medium preset's stability is a safer bet for a smooth experience.

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

1920x1080:

• Low: 130 FPS average
• Medium: 102 FPS average, 87 FPS minimum, 117 FPS maximum
• High: 92 FPS average
• Ultra: 59 FPS average

At 1080p, the combo delivers excellent performance across all settings. The Low preset at 130 FPS is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, while Medium at 102 FPS provides a smooth experience with better visuals. High at 92 FPS is still very playable, but Ultra at 59 FPS is the threshold where frame rates begin to feel less fluid.

2560x1440:

• Low: 90 FPS average
• Medium: 71 FPS average, 60 FPS minimum, 81 FPS maximum
• High: 64 FPS average
• Ultra: 41 FPS average

At 1440p, the combo remains capable, but the performance gap between settings widens. Low at 90 FPS is smooth, while Medium at 71 FPS with a 60 FPS minimum is the sweet spot for visual quality. High at 64 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 41 FPS is not recommended for consistent gameplay.

3840x2160:

• Low: 54 FPS average
• Medium: 42 FPS average, 36 FPS minimum, 48 FPS maximum
• High: 38 FPS average
• Ultra: 24 FPS average

At 4K, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low at 54 FPS is the only preset that approaches smoothness, while Medium at 42 FPS with a 36 FPS minimum shows noticeable dips. High at 38 FPS and Ultra at 24 FPS are both below acceptable thresholds for an action RPG.

The data shows a clear pattern of diminishing returns as settings increase. At every resolution, the jump from Low to Medium costs roughly 20-25% of the frame rate, while the jump from High to Ultra costs an additional 30-35%. This suggests that the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual fidelity, as it captures the majority of the graphical improvements without the steep FPS penalty of Ultra settings. The minimum FPS values at Medium (87 FPS at 1080p, 60 FPS at 1440p, 36 FPS at 4K) provide a reliable baseline for what users can expect during intense gameplay scenes.