Greedfall

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a single-thread score of 910 in 3DMark and a multi-thread score of 5890 at max threads, which places it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-9700, which scores 0.1% higher, and the Intel Core i7-8700, which scores 0.2% lower, indicating that the i5-12400 sits in a tightly contested performance band. For Greedfall, an Action RPG that typically relies on consistent frame pacing rather than extreme thread counts, the processor’s 12 threads provide ample headroom for game logic and background tasks without becoming a bottleneck at most settings, though the data suggests that at lower resolutions and higher frame rates, the CPU’s role becomes more pronounced relative to the GPU.

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

The i5-12400’s 6 cores and 12 threads are well-suited for Greedfall’s demands, as the game’s open-world environments and NPC interactions benefit from multi-threaded processing. In Cinebench R23, the processor scores 15935 in multicore and 2249 in single-core, showing a balanced profile that can handle both physics simulations and AI routines. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks, such as rendering draw calls, are executed swiftly, which is critical when the frame rate climbs above 100 FPS at 1080p Low settings (124.2 FPS average). At these high frame rates, the CPU’s capability to feed the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the diminishing returns when moving from Low to Medium settings at 1080p (124.2 to 95.7 FPS), where the GPU begins to saturate. Compared to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-9700, the i5-12400 is essentially matched (0.1% delta), meaning that in CPU-bound scenarios, users would see nearly identical performance. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache further aids in keeping frequently accessed game data close to the cores, reducing latency during intense combat sequences.

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

Examining the measured FPS data, the most balanced experience is achieved at 1440p with High settings, which yields an average of 61.6 FPS. This falls comfortably within the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, while the visual fidelity remains high without the performance penalty of Ultra settings, which drop to 42.0 FPS at the same resolution. At 1080p, High settings produce 88.7 FPS, providing a fluid experience with room to spare for demanding scenes. However, the data shows that Low settings at 1080p reach 124.2 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or for users with high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual compromise may not be worth it for a story-driven RPG. The Ultra preset is the least efficient, delivering only 56.5 FPS at 1080p and 23.4 FPS at 4K, indicating that it pushes the GPU beyond its comfort zone. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, Medium settings at 1440p (68.7 FPS) offer a better frame rate than High at 4K (40.1 FPS), making 1440p Medium the sweet spot for this hardware combination.

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

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear GPU-bound trend. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 88.7 at 1080p to 61.6 at 1440p, a 30.6% reduction, and then to 40.1 at 4K, a further 34.9% reduction from 1440p. This steep decline is characteristic of a system where the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the primary constraint, as the CPU’s performance headroom remains largely untapped at higher resolutions. Conversely, at Low settings, the drop from 1080p (124.2 FPS) to 1440p (84.2 FPS) is a 32.2% reduction, but the gap narrows to 4K (50.3 FPS) with a 40.3% reduction from 1440p. The fact that Low settings at 4K (50.3 FPS) still exceeds High settings at 4K (40.1 FPS) underscores that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, not the CPU. The GTX 1070’s 256.3 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB GDDR5 memory are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the pixel throughput (107.7 GPixel/s) becomes a bottleneck, leading to the observed frame rate collapse at Ultra settings (23.4 FPS).

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo to maintain 60 FPS?

A: The data shows that 1440p with High settings achieves 61.6 FPS, making it the highest resolution where the average frame rate stays above 60 FPS. At 4K, even Low settings only reach 50.3 FPS, so 1440p is the practical ceiling.

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

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 12331, which is 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 and 1.4% higher than the GTX 1650 SUPER. This suggests that in GPU-bound scenarios, the 1070 offers a slight edge over these alternatives.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low (124.2 FPS), the CPU’s 4.40 GHz boost clock and 12 threads are likely the limiting factors, as the GPU has more headroom. At 1080p Ultra (56.5 FPS), the GPU becomes the bottleneck, indicating a shift in the limiting component based on settings.

Q: What is the impact of Ultra settings on frame rates?

A: Ultra settings cause a significant drop across all resolutions: 56.5 FPS at 1080p, 42.0 FPS at 1440p, and 23.4 FPS at 4K. This represents a 54.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K, making Ultra impractical for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the i5-12400’s performance compare to the i7-9700?

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19850, which is 0.1% higher than the i7-9700’s 19831. In practical terms, this means the two CPUs deliver nearly identical performance in Greedfall, with no meaningful advantage for either.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded at 4K?

A: The lowest average frame rate in the measured data is 23.4 FPS at 4K Ultra settings, which is below playable thresholds for most users. Even at 4K Medium, the average is 40.1 FPS, still short of 60 FPS.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is built on the Pascal architecture with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock of 1506 MHz and boost clock of 1683 MHz allow for a texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s. In Greedfall, the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for High settings at 1440p (61.6 FPS), but at 4K Ultra (23.4 FPS), the memory capacity and bandwidth are overwhelmed, leading to severe frame drops. The GPU ranks in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12331, placing it 1.4% behind the GTX 1650 SUPER. The 1920 shading units are capable of handling the game’s lighting and particle effects at moderate settings, but the 64 ROPs limit fill-rate-intensive tasks, explaining why Ultra settings at 4K cause such a dramatic performance collapse. The 150 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest thermal headroom is adequate, but the GPU’s end-of-life production status indicates that driver optimizations for newer titles like Greedfall may be limited.

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

At 1920x1080, the GTX 1070 delivers 124.2 FPS on Low, 95.7 FPS on Medium, 88.7 FPS on High, and 56.5 FPS on Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium is a 22.9% decrease, while High to Ultra is a 36.3% decrease, showing diminishing returns at the highest preset. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 84.2 FPS on Low, 68.7 FPS on Medium, 61.6 FPS on High, and 42.0 FPS on Ultra. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p at High settings is 30.6%, which aligns with the GPU’s fill-rate limitations. At 3840x2160, the data shows 50.3 FPS on Low, 40.1 FPS on Medium, 40.1 FPS on High, and 23.4 FPS on Ultra. Notably, Medium and High at 4K yield identical average frame rates (40.1 FPS), suggesting that the GPU is hitting a hard memory bandwidth ceiling at this resolution, regardless of the visual preset. The overall combo rank for this CPU-GPU pairing in Greedfall is 1441 out of 1705 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 15.5% of all hardware pairings, which is consistent with the GTX 1070’s mid-range standing relative to modern GPUs.