Greedfall

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination delivers a playable, but not exceptional, experience in Greedfall, with performance scaling that clearly exposes the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The measured data shows a predictable pattern: as resolution increases, the average frame rate drops significantly, indicating that the graphics card is working at its limits while the processor still has headroom to spare.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K under High settings illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this pairing. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo averages 119.5 FPS, which is smooth and well above the threshold for competitive play. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average drops to 82.2 FPS, a 31% reduction from the 1080p figure. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 50.7 FPS, representing a 58% decline from the 1080p baseline. This steep drop-off is characteristic of a system where the RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become the limiting factor, rather than the CPU’s compute capabilities.

The scaling pattern for Low settings reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the system posts 166.6 FPS, but at 4K Low, it still manages 66.8 FPS. The fact that 4K Low outperforms 4K High (66.8 vs 50.7 FPS) by 32% indicates that the GPU’s pixel throughput and shading units are the constraining resources. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs, operating at a boost clock of 1770 MHz, produce a pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s, which is simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K with enhanced visual fidelity. The data suggests the CPU is never the limiting factor in this game, as even the most demanding 4K Ultra setting (32.9 FPS) is a GPU-bound scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1034 out of 1705 tested combinations in Greedfall. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all possible CPU-GPU pairings, which is consistent with the hardware’s individual standings. The CPU sits at the 72nd percentile among all processors, while the GPU is at the 65th percentile among all graphics cards. The combined performance ranking is lower than either component’s individual percentile, which indicates that the pairing does not leverage the full potential of both parts in this specific title.

The CPU’s nearest rival comparisons show it is extremely close to much more expensive hardware. The Core i3-12100F’s average benchmark score of 13516 is only 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX’s 13534, and it is 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i7-1250U’s 13462. This proximity suggests that in Greedfall, the CPU’s 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient to keep pace with far more complex processors. On the GPU side, the RTX 2070 SUPER’s average score of 22206 is 2.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5700’s 21670, but 2.3% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile’s 22729. These small deltas in synthetic benchmarks translate to the observed frame rates, where the combo lands in the 61st percentile of all tested configurations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boosts up to 4.30 GHz. In Greedfall, an Action RPG from 2019, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The benchmark data shows that 4 physical cores are adequate for this task. The CPU’s multi-threaded performance, as measured by Cinebench R23, is 11912 points, while its single-thread score is 1681 points. These scores, combined with a Passmark single-thread rating of 3444, indicate strong per-core performance that is well-suited for the game’s engine.

The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 8 threads allow the CPU to handle background tasks without starving the main game thread. The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant frame rate differences between resolutions at the same settings. For instance, at High settings, the frame rate drops by 37.1 FPS when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and by another 31.5 FPS when moving to 4K. If the CPU were the limiting factor, these drops would be much smaller, as the CPU’s workload would remain constant regardless of resolution. The CPU’s 72nd percentile ranking among all processors, coupled with its proximity to the Threadripper PRO 3975WX in average score, confirms that it is not the weak link in this pairing for Greedfall.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 166.6 FPS on Low settings, 131.7 FPS on Medium, 119.5 FPS on High, and 80.1 FPS on Ultra. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 86.5 FPS, showing that the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution. The 1080p figures are all above 80 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for high refresh rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 117.4 FPS on Low, 93.1 FPS on Medium, 82.2 FPS on High, and 51.5 FPS on Ultra. The drop from High to Ultra at 1440p is significant, with a 30.7 FPS deficit, highlighting the demanding nature of the Ultra preset. The 1440p Low setting still provides a smooth experience, but Ultra dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which may be noticeable in fast-paced combat.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 66.8 FPS on Low, 56.6 FPS on Medium, 50.7 FPS on High, and 32.9 FPS on Ultra. None of the 4K settings achieve a 60 FPS average, and the Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 32.9 FPS. The data shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires low to medium settings to maintain playable frame rates. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings results in a 31.5 FPS drop, which is the largest absolute decline between consecutive resolutions, confirming the GPU’s 8 GB memory capacity and bandwidth are stretched thin at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the RTX 2070 SUPER in Greedfall?

A: No. The data shows the CPU is not the limiting factor. At High settings, the frame rate drops by 37.1 FPS from 1080p to 1440p, and by another 31.5 FPS to 4K, indicating GPU-bound scaling. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 13516, which is only 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, showing it has sufficient performance for this game.

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

A: The 1920x1080 resolution is the best choice, as all settings deliver over 80 FPS. The lowest preset achieves 166.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset still manages 80.1 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium settings break the 60 FPS threshold, and at 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to the AMD Radeon RX 5700?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206, which is 2.5% higher than the RX 5700’s 21670. This small advantage in synthetic benchmarks is reflected in the measured FPS, where the combo ranks 1034 out of 1705 tested pairings.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Low, it averages 66.8 FPS, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it drops to 56.6 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 50.7 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset is not recommended, as it only averages 32.9 FPS.

Q: Why is the frame rate drop so steep from 1080p to 4K?

A: The drop is due to the GPU’s limits. The RTX 2070 SUPER has 2560 shading units and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 4K, these resources are overwhelmed, as shown by the 58% reduction in FPS from 1080p High (119.5 FPS) to 4K High (50.7 FPS).

Q: What is the CPU’s single-threaded performance?

A: The Core i3-12100F scores 1681 points in Cinebench R20 single-core and 893 in 3DMark single-thread. It also has a Passmark single-thread score of 3444. These figures indicate strong per-core performance, which is important for the game’s main thread.