Greedfall

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, and its 12 MB of shared L3 cache is supplemented by 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. In the context of Greedfall, an Action RPG from 2019, this CPU configuration proves sufficient to feed the accompanying GPU without becoming a primary bottleneck at most settings. The processor's single-thread performance is particularly relevant for this title, as its 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681 indicate strong per-core capabilities that help maintain consistent frame pacing in game logic and draw-call processing. Multi-threaded performance is more modest, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 7413, but the game's engine does not appear to demand excessive core counts at the tested resolutions. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking among all tested processors places it in a solid mid-range position, and its average benchmark score of 13516 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (deltaPct -0.1%), showing that raw multi-threaded throughput is comparable despite the massive core-count difference. The i3-12100F sits 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K in average score, and its boost clock of 4.30 GHz helps it stay responsive even in scenes with numerous NPCs or complex scripting, which Greedfall features prominently. The processor's dual-channel memory bus and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide flexibility, but the benchmark results suggest that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this pairing, as the frame rates scale heavily with GPU load and resolution changes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a die size of 294 mm² and 35,800 million transistors. It operates with a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, and its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory runs at 1313 MHz with a 21 Gbps effective rate across a 192-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in Greedfall's performance at high resolutions, as the game's detailed environments and texture work can consume significant VRAM. The GPU's 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output pipelines provide substantial raw compute power, with FP32 throughput rated at 29.15 TFLOPS. The RTX 4070 achieves an 81st percentile ranking among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 37283 is remarkably close to that of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, which trails by only 0.6%. The GPU sits just 1.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A in average score, and it is 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M. In Greedfall specifically, the GPU's role becomes dominant as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output, but at 4K, the sheer pixel count and the RTX 4070's memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s become the deciding factors. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz ensures that it maintains high utilization even when the CPU is under load, and the 12 GB VRAM capacity prevents texture thrashing at Ultra settings. The card's pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s are more than adequate for a 2019 title like Greedfall, which does not employ the latest rendering techniques that would stress newer architectures. However, the transition from High to Ultra settings at 4K causes a dramatic performance drop, suggesting that the Ultra preset introduces effects that heavily tax the GPU's resources.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i3-12100F compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13516, which is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (13534, deltaPct -0.1%). It is 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U (13462), 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i3-10105 (13430), and 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K (13280).

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 4070 and its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37283, while the RX Vega 56 scores 37507, putting the AMD card 0.6% ahead. The RTX 4070 also trails the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A by 1.9% (38008) and the RTX 4080 Mobile by 2.2% (38135), but it is 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M (36371).

Q: What frame rates can this combo achieve at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 177.4 FPS. Dropping to Low settings increases the average to 245.9 FPS, while Medium settings yield 196.8 FPS and Ultra settings produce 114.1 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance in synthetic tests?

A: The i3-12100F scores 1681 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 11912 in multi-core, showing a roughly 7x scaling factor. In 3DMark, the single-thread score is 893, while the 4-thread score is 2859 and the max-thread score is 4023, indicating that the processor's performance scales well up to its 8 threads but plateaus beyond that.

Q: What is the most demanding setting tested for this combo at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding an average of 46.4 FPS. This is significantly lower than High settings (73.3 FPS), Medium (81 FPS), and Low (102.8 FPS), representing a substantial performance cost for the highest visual quality.

Q: Where does this specific combo rank among all tested combinations for Greedfall?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combo ranks 433rd out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the top 25.4% of all configurations tested for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo show a clear pattern of scaling with resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the lowest tested resolution, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 245.9, which is the highest figure recorded for this combo. Moving to Medium settings reduces the average to 196.8 FPS, while High settings yield 177.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces 114.1 FPS, which is still smooth for most displays but represents a 53.6% drop from the Low setting result. At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low settings produce 174.2 FPS, which is still well above the 144Hz refresh rate common on many monitors. Medium settings average 133.5 FPS, and High settings drop to 126.1 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 79.1 FPS, which is a 54.6% reduction from the Low setting and indicates that the Ultra settings begin to tax the GPU more heavily at this resolution. The most demanding scenario is 3840x2160, where the pixel count increases dramatically. At 4K with Low settings, the combo still manages 102.8 FPS, which is impressive for a 4K resolution. Medium settings reduce this to 81 FPS, and High settings produce 73.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding configuration tested, yielding just 46.4 FPS. This represents a 54.9% drop from the Low setting at the same resolution, highlighting the significant performance cost of Ultra settings at 4K. The data shows that the combo is capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p with most settings, but 4K Ultra gaming requires a more powerful GPU to maintain 60 FPS. The transition from High to Ultra settings at each resolution causes a substantial FPS drop: at 1080p, the drop is 35.7%; at 1440p, it is 37.3%; and at 4K, it is 36.7%. This consistent pattern suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are uniformly demanding across resolutions, likely related to shadow quality, draw distance, or post-processing effects that scale with pixel count.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 433rd out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the 74.6th percentile of all configurations. This positioning is notable given the individual component rankings: the CPU sits at the 72nd percentile among all processors, while the GPU is at the 81st percentile among all GPUs. The combo's overall rank of 433 suggests that Greedfall is more sensitive to GPU performance than CPU performance, as the GPU's higher percentile ranking appears to influence the final result more heavily. The measured frame rates support this interpretation, as the GPU is clearly the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings, where the 46.4 FPS average is well below the 60 FPS target. The combo's rank of 433 out of 1705 means that approximately 1272 other combinations performed better in this game, which is expected given that the i3-12100F is an entry-level desktop processor paired with a high-end GPU. The CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient for Greedfall's engine, but combinations with higher-end CPUs would likely achieve higher frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed. At 1080p Low settings, the 245.9 FPS average indicates that the combo is not CPU-bound in this scenario, but the 114.1 FPS at 1080p Ultra suggests that the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The data shows that this combo is well-balanced for 1440p gaming, where it achieves between 79.1 and 174.2 FPS depending on settings, and it can handle 4K at up to High settings with playable frame rates. The 46.4 FPS at 4K Ultra is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that users seeking 4K Ultra performance would need to consider a more powerful GPU. Overall, the combo's 433rd rank reflects a configuration that is strong for 1080p and 1440p gaming, adequate for 4K at reduced settings, and limited only by the GPU at the highest settings and resolution.