Greedfall

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 presents a compelling mid-range combination for Greedfall, but the measured data reveals a system that is heavily dependent on resolution and settings to deliver a smooth experience. This pairing, ranking 3062nd out of 3703 tested combinations, shows its age in a 2019 title, yet it still offers a playable path through the game’s world if the user is willing to make compromises. The benchmark results indicate a clear performance hierarchy where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s six cores provide a stable foundation at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K dramatically impacts the average frame rates, highlighting the GTX 1070’s limitations at higher pixel counts. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 89 at 1920x1080 to 62 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 27 frames, and then plummets further to 37 at 3840x2160. This scaling pattern, where the 1440p score is roughly 70% of the 1080p score and the 4K score is roughly 42% of it, strongly suggests that the graphics card’s memory bandwidth and processing power are the limiting factors as resolution increases. The data shows that the GTX 1070, with its 256.3 GB/s bandwidth, simply cannot maintain the same throughput when the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

At Medium settings, the same trend is visible but with slightly less severe drops. The average FPS goes from 98 at 1080p to 68 at 1440p and then to 40 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is a 28 FPS loss, which is proportionally similar to the High setting drop, confirming that the GPU is the dominant constraint. However, at Low settings, the scaling is more forgiving: 125 FPS at 1080p falls to 86 at 1440p and then to 52 at 4K. This indicates that when the graphical load is reduced, the system can stretch further, but the 4K resolution still remains a challenge, suggesting that even with minimal settings, the pixel fill rate of the GP104 chip is insufficient for a consistently fluid experience at that resolution. The Ultra preset is the least viable, with 57 FPS at 1080p dropping to 39 at 1440p and a slideshow-like 23 at 4K, reinforcing that this setting is beyond the card’s comfortable operating range.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 3062 out of 3703 tested combinations, this CPU-GPU pairing sits in the bottom 20% of the database for Greedfall. This is a significant indicator that while the hardware is functional, it is not well-suited for high-end performance in this specific title. The data implies that the majority of other tested combinations deliver higher average frame rates, making this a lower-tier option for players seeking maximum visual fidelity. The ranking suggests that this combo is closer to entry-level performance than to the mid-range or high-end tiers, which is a crucial consideration for anyone evaluating its capabilities.

The combination’s percentile standing also reflects in the individual component benchmarks. The CPU has a percentileVsAllCpus of 68, meaning it outperforms 68% of all CPUs in the database, while the GPU has a percentileVsAllGpus of 47, placing it just below the median. This discrepancy suggests that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing, and its lower relative standing likely contributes to the combo’s poor overall rank in the game. The GTX 1070’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD FirePro W5000 with a deltaPct of -0.2 and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M with a deltaPct of -0.5, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, indicating that the 1070 is performing exactly as expected for its class, but that class is simply not powerful enough for Greedfall at higher settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides a solid, if unspectacular, foundation for this gaming system. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it offers enough parallelism to handle the game’s logic without becoming a major bottleneck at lower resolutions. The processor’s base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz are adequate for gaming, and its benchmark scores reflect a capable mid-range part. For instance, its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10283 and single-core score of 1451 show a balanced performance profile, while its Passmark single-thread score of 2541 indicates that it can handle the primary game thread efficiently.

In the context of Greedfall, an Action RPG, the CPU’s role is to manage game logic, AI, and physics. The 3DMark scores are particularly telling: a single-thread score of 688 and a 2-thread score of 1350 suggest that the game may not be heavily multi-threaded, but the 4-thread score of 2560 and 8-thread score of 3929 show that it can scale with additional cores. The 12-thread count is likely not fully utilized, as the max-threads score of 4735 is only marginally higher than the 8-thread score, implying that Greedfall’s engine may have a ceiling around 8 threads. This means the i5-10400F’s 12 threads provide headroom, but the game does not necessarily extract all of it, making the processor’s high single-thread performance more critical for maintaining frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of what to expect at each resolution and settings combination. At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably: Low settings yield an average of 125 FPS, Medium 98 FPS, and High 89 FPS. These numbers indicate that the GTX 1070 is well-suited for 1080p gaming, and the CPU is not holding it back. Even the Ultra preset achieves 57 FPS, which is playable, though it pushes the system to its limits. The Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 83 and a maximum of 113, suggesting a relatively stable frame time experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance becomes more demanding. Low settings still produce a respectable 86 FPS average, but Medium drops to 68 FPS, and High to 62 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 39 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for many users. The data shows a 24 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution, highlighting the significant impact of graphical settings on the GTX 1070’s output. At 3840x2160, the system struggles: Low averages 52 FPS, Medium 40 FPS, High 37 FPS, and Ultra only 23 FPS. These figures make 4K gaming impractical for anything other than the lowest settings, and even then, the frame rate is not ideal for a smooth experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the primary driver of performance in this pairing, and its characteristics explain the observed FPS patterns. With 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, it has a memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s, which is a critical factor for higher resolutions. The card’s base clock of 1506 MHz and boost clock of 1683 MHz, combined with 1920 shading units, provide a theoretical FP32 performance of 6.463 TFLOPS. These specs are decent for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but they are insufficient for 4K in a demanding title like Greedfall.

The GPU’s benchmark scores further contextualize its performance. Its Passmark G3D score of 13498 places it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, which is average. Its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA Tesla M10 with a deltaPct of 0.6 and the AMD FirePro W5000 with a deltaPct of -0.2, show that it is performing within its expected range. The GTX 1070’s DirectX 12 score of 48 in Passmark is notably low, which could indicate that the card does not excel in newer API workloads, potentially impacting Greedfall’s performance if it utilizes DX12 features. The GPU’s 8 GB memory is sufficient for the game’s textures, but the card’s overall compute power is the limiting factor at higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 89 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it provides a smooth frame rate without sacrificing too much detail. The Medium preset at 98 FPS is also viable and offers a higher frame rate cushion, but High provides a better visual experience for only a 9 FPS cost. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS is playable but may exhibit noticeable frame drops in busy scenes, so it is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 68 FPS is the most practical choice, as it delivers a playable frame rate while maintaining a reasonable level of visual fidelity. The High preset at 62 FPS is also acceptable, but it is closer to the edge of comfortable playability. The Low preset at 86 FPS is the safest for a high refresh rate monitor, but it sacrifices visual quality. At 3840x2160, the Low preset at 52 FPS is the only truly playable option, but even this is borderline. The Medium preset at 40 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay, and the High and Ultra presets are effectively unplayable. Therefore, the data suggests that 1080p with High settings or 1440p with Medium settings provides the best overall experience for this hardware combination.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the most comfortable resolution, with High settings achieving an average of 89 FPS and Low settings reaching 125 FPS. 2560x1440 is playable with Medium settings at 68 FPS, but 3840x2160 is only viable at Low settings with 52 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle Greedfall at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 23 at Ultra to 52 at Low settings. Only the Low preset provides a frame rate near playability, while the Medium (40 FPS), High (37 FPS), and Ultra (23 FPS) presets would result in a poor experience.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The GTX 1070’s average benchmark score is 9780, which is very close to the AMD FirePro W5000 (9803, deltaPct -0.2) and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9832, deltaPct -0.5). This indicates that it performs almost identically to these competitors, with no significant advantage.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F a bottleneck for the GTX 1070 in Greedfall?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a major bottleneck. At 1080p, the FPS scales with settings (125 Low to 57 Ultra), indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s 6-core, 12-thread configuration and single-thread score of 688 in 3DMark appear sufficient for this game’s demands.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking compared to all other tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 3062nd out of 3703 tested combos for Greedfall, placing it in the lower percentile of systems. This indicates that most other tested hardware configurations deliver higher average frame rates in this game.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest average FPS at 1080p?

A: The Low preset provides the highest average FPS at 125 frames per second. The Medium preset follows at 98 FPS, High at 89 FPS, and Ultra at 57 FPS, showing a clear performance hierarchy based on graphical load.