Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical fidelity. The pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti produces a wide performance envelope, from a highly playable 63 FPS at 4K High to a blistering 214 FPS at 1080p Low. This data suggests a system where the GPU is the primary performance arbiter at higher resolutions, but the CPU's capabilities become increasingly relevant as the resolution drops and frame rates climb.

Resolution Scaling

The most direct way to understand this combo's behavior is to observe how average frame rates collapse as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the system delivers 153 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces that to 106 FPS, a substantial 30.7% drop. The jump to 4K High further reduces performance to 63 FPS, which is a 40.6% decline from the 1440p figure and a 58.8% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The RTX 3070 Ti is being tasked with rendering an exponentially larger number of pixels, and its performance ceiling is the limiting factor.

At the Low preset, the scaling tells a slightly different story. The system achieves 214 FPS at 1080p, 149 FPS at 1440p, and 89 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 30.4% (1080p to 1440p) and 40.3% (1440p to 4K), which are remarkably similar to the High preset's scaling. However, the absolute frame rates are much higher. The fact that the system can exceed 200 FPS at 1080p Low indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to reach high frame rates. Yet, the consistent ~30% drop when moving to 1440p still points to the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The data implies that the i3-12100F is not the limiting component at 4K, regardless of the preset. The difference between 4K Low (89 FPS) and 4K High (63 FPS) is a 29.2% performance penalty, which is directly attributable to the increased graphical load on the GPU. The 4K Ultra preset, which yields just 40 FPS, further reinforces this. The RTX 3070 Ti, while a capable card, is simply overwhelmed by the combination of 4K resolution and the highest in-game settings. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steeper than from 1080p to 1440p, which is expected due to the non-linear increase in pixel count.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is a critical factor for Greedfall at high resolutions. The 4K Medium preset shows an average of 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, suggesting that the 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient at this setting level. However, the significant drop to 40 FPS at 4K Ultra implies that the card is hitting a wall, likely due to a combination of memory capacity/bandwidth saturation and raw compute limits.

The GPU's clock speeds of 1575 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost are the engine that drives its 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This raw compute power is what allows the card to handle the complex shaders and lighting in Greedfall. The data shows that at 1440p High, the card can comfortably maintain 106 FPS, indicating that its compute resources are well-utilized without being overstressed. The 4K High result of 63 FPS shows that it is still capable of a playable experience, but the headroom is thin.

The RTX 3070 Ti's nearest rivals in the database, based on average benchmark scores, include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% faster) and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (0.5% slower). This places it in a competitive tier, but the Greedfall results show that even a card in this performance class can be brought to its knees by Ultra settings at 4K. The 89 FPS result at 4K Low versus the 40 FPS at 4K Ultra highlights the massive performance cost of the Ultra preset. This suggests that for this game, the GPU is the definitive performance gate at all resolutions above 1080p, and its 8 GB memory capacity is a potential constraint at the absolute highest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader database of tested CPU and GPU combinations, this specific pairing of the i3-12100F and RTX 3070 Ti ranks 1330 out of 3703 combos for Greedfall. This places it in the 64th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the configurations in this game. This is a strong showing, but not a top-tier one, which aligns with the individual component profiles. The GPU is in the 75th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. The combo's overall rank is slightly lower than the GPU's individual percentile, suggesting that the CPU is holding the system back from achieving a higher overall position.

The difference between the combo's rank and the GPU's percentile is telling. While the RTX 3070 Ti is a high-performing part, the 4-core/8-thread i3-12100F may not be able to fully unlock its potential in all scenarios. In Greedfall, this is most evident at 1080p, where the CPU has to work harder to keep up with the GPU's high frame output. The fact that the system can hit 214 FPS at 1080p Low shows the CPU is not a slouch, but the scaling curve suggests that a stronger CPU might push frame rates even higher at lower resolutions. The combo's rank of 1330 demonstrates that this is a well-balanced pairing for 1440p and 4K gaming, where the GPU's workload dominates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. For the 1920x1080 resolution, the system delivers an average of 214 FPS on Low, 168 FPS on Medium, 153 FPS on High, and 98 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 143 FPS and a maximum of 194 FPS, indicating a stable experience with a 51 FPS variance. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset is highly playable, making this resolution a sweet spot for high refresh rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 149 FPS on Low, 117 FPS on Medium, 106 FPS on High, and 68 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset reports a minimum of 99 FPS and a maximum of 134 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra at this resolution is a significant 35.8% decrease, highlighting the demanding nature of the Ultra preset. All settings except Ultra provide a smooth experience on 1440p displays, with High offering a solid balance of visual quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the system averages 89 FPS on Low, 70 FPS on Medium, 63 FPS on High, and 40 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. At 4K, the Ultra preset is the only one that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only configuration that would be considered less than ideal for a consistent experience. The data clearly shows that 4K High is the practical limit for maintaining a smooth frame rate with this hardware.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 214, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with caveats. It delivers 63 FPS on High and 70 FPS on Medium at 3840x2160. However, the Ultra preset only manages 40 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 106 on High to 68 on Ultra. This represents a 35.8% performance penalty for using the Ultra preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with the Low preset, the system reaches 214 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is working near its limit, but the GPU is still able to render frames quickly. The GPU is more likely the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 4K?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 3840x2160 is 59 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to all other tested combos?

A: In the database for Greedfall, this combo ranks 1330 out of 3703 tested combinations, placing it in the 64th percentile of all systems.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache is a key resource for gaming. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a single-thread score of 1674 in Cinebench R23 and a multi-thread score of 11860, indicate a strong performer for its class. Its performance is closely matched by rivals like the Intel Core i5-9500, which is only 0.3% faster in average benchmark scores.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role becomes more critical as the resolution decreases. At 1080p, the system achieves 153 FPS on High and 214 FPS on Low. These high frame rates suggest the 4-core processor is capable of handling the game's logic and draw calls, but it may be a limiting factor in pushing frame rates even higher. The data shows a 28.5% drop in average FPS from 1080p High (153 FPS) to 1440p High (106 FPS), which is a larger relative drop than what would be expected if the CPU were a perfect bottleneck. This indicates the GPU is beginning to take over the performance limit.

The CPU's 68th percentile ranking versus all CPUs suggests it has adequate performance for most gaming workloads. However, the combo's rank of 1330 out of 3703, which is lower than the GPU's individual percentile, hints that the i3-12100F may be preventing the RTX 3070 Ti from reaching its full potential in CPU-bound scenarios. While it is not a weak processor, the data implies that in a game like Greedfall, the 4-core design is sufficient for 1440p and 4K, but at 1080p, it is likely the secondary bottleneck after the GPU is removed from the equation by low settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on the best settings for different priorities. For a 1080p display, the High preset at 153 FPS is the optimal choice for most users, as it offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium (168 FPS) with only a 8.9% performance penalty. The Ultra preset at 98 FPS is still very playable and offers the best visual fidelity, but the 35.9% drop from High makes it a less efficient choice.

For 1440p, the High preset at 106 FPS is the recommended starting point. It provides a smooth, high-refresh experience that balances visual quality with performance. The Medium preset at 117 FPS is a viable alternative for those who prioritize frame rate, but the 9.4% gain over High comes at a cost to visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 68 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays, but the large drop from High makes it a less attractive option.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 70 FPS is the best choice for a consistent experience, as it maintains an average above 60 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS. The High preset at 63 FPS is also viable, but it is closer to the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 40 FPS is not recommended for a playable experience. For the best overall experience, the 1440p High preset offers the strongest combination of high frame rate and visual quality. The 4K Medium preset is the choice for those who prioritize resolution over frame rate.