Greedfall

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER produces a playable yet heavily GPU-bound experience in Greedfall. The data shows a clear hierarchy where resolution and settings dictate performance, with the graphics card acting as the primary bottleneck across most configurations. This combination ranks in the lower tier of tested systems, sitting at rank 1491 out of 1705 combos, which suggests it delivers acceptable frame rates for 1080p gaming but struggles to maintain smooth performance at higher resolutions. The benchmark results reveal a system that is well-balanced for its target market, though the GPU's limitations become increasingly apparent as pixel count rises.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data demonstrates a steep performance drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which strongly indicates that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting component in this pairing. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 86.6 FPS at 1080p to 56.0 FPS at 1440p, representing a 35% reduction, and then plummets further to 34.6 FPS at 4K, a 60% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is saturated by pixel count, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames even at lower resolutions.

The transition from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings shows a similar trajectory, with average FPS declining from 63.6 to 37.8, a 41% decrease. Interestingly, the Low preset exhibits the smallest absolute drop between 1080p and 1440p, going from 117.5 to 81.7 FPS, which is a 30% reduction, but the 4K Low result of 47.6 FPS still falls short of a smooth 60 FPS target. The data implies that the rendering pipeline becomes increasingly pixel-bound at 4K, where the 6 GB frame buffer and 192-bit memory interface of the GTX 1660 SUPER struggle to keep up with the data throughput required.

At 1080p, the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, ranging from 117.5 to 55.7 FPS, which indicates that the GPU still has enough resources to handle the lower resolution with ease. However, at 4K, the same settings range only spans from 47.6 to 24.6 FPS, showing that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are exhausted regardless of graphical fidelity. This pattern suggests that users should prioritize resolution over settings when aiming for playable frame rates, as the GPU cannot compensate for the increased pixel workload.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves to be a critical factor in Greedfall's performance. The GPU's base clock of 1530 MHz and boost clock of 1785 MHz provide the raw compute power of 5.027 TFLOPS, yet the benchmark scores indicate it sits at the 55th percentile among all GPUs. This mid-range positioning is reflected in the measured FPS, where the card achieves playable frame rates at 1080p but falls below 60 FPS at 4K across all settings.

The 6 GB VRAM capacity appears sufficient for Greedfall at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results suggest potential memory pressure, as the average FPS at 4K Ultra drops to 24.6, which is only 44% of the 1080p Ultra score of 55.7. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT with a deltaPct of -0.7, show that the GTX 1660 SUPER is closely matched with other mid-range options of its generation. The data implies that the GPU's memory bandwidth is a limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the 336.0 GB/s throughput cannot sustain the texture and geometry data required for 4K rendering.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a Passmark G3D score of 12699 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1278, correlates well with the measured gaming results. The DirectX 12 Passmark score of 50 suggests that the GPU's API overhead handling is modest, which may explain why Greedfall, an Action RPG from 2019, shows significant frame rate variations across settings. The data indicates that the GTX 1660 SUPER is a capable 1080p card, but its age and memory configuration limit its utility for higher-resolution gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF provides substantial processing power with 10 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This Alder Lake architecture processor scores in the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27827, placing it just 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-12600K and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700H. The CPU's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23444, ensures that it does not become the bottleneck in Greedfall, even at lower resolutions where frame rates are higher.

The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the combination achieves 117.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them. The CPU's single-thread performance, with a Passmark single-thread score of 3925 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2529, is sufficient for the game's AI and physics calculations, which are typically single-threaded. The L3 cache of 20 MB shared across the cores provides ample data storage for game assets, reducing the need for frequent memory accesses.

However, the CPU's potential is largely untapped in this configuration, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K. At 1440p Ultra, the average FPS drops to 39.2, which is far below the CPU's capability to produce frames, confirming that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary constraint. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield significant performance gains, while the i5-12600KF has headroom to support more powerful graphics cards without becoming a bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 86.6 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings, which is well above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: Can this combination handle 4K gaming?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 47.6 on Low settings to 24.6 on Ultra settings, indicating that 4K gaming is not viable for a smooth experience, as even the lowest settings fall short of 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF scores 27827, matching the Intel Core i9-10900K at a 0% delta, and is 0.1% below the Intel Core i5-12600K. It is also 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700H.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER ranks in the 55th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 14286, placing it close to the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT which has a deltaPct of -0.7.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields 81.7 FPS, while High produces 56.0 FPS. For a balance between visual quality and performance, High settings at 56.0 FPS may be acceptable, but Medium at 63.6 FPS offers a safer margin above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: The CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23444 and a single-core score of 3309, showing strong scaling across cores. The Passmark multithread score of 27575 versus a single-thread score of 3925 confirms this trend.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset for this combination depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver playable frame rates, but the High preset at 86.6 FPS offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, as it stays well above 60 FPS while providing better graphical detail than Medium at 91.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 55.7 FPS is technically playable but dips below the 60 FPS threshold, making it a less desirable choice for competitive or fast-paced action.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 63.6 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS while offering improved visuals over Low at 81.7 FPS. The High preset at 56.0 FPS is also viable, but it falls slightly below the 60 FPS target, which could result in noticeable stuttering during intense combat scenes. The Ultra preset at 39.2 FPS is not recommended, as the performance drop is significant and the visual gains are minimal.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS, but the Low preset at 47.6 FPS is the only playable option, though it may still feel sluggish. The Medium preset at 37.8 FPS and High at 34.6 FPS are borderline, while Ultra at 24.6 FPS is unplayable. Users targeting 4K should consider lowering the resolution or upgrading the GPU, as the data clearly shows this combination is not suited for 4K gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 117.5 on Low to 55.7 on Ultra, with Medium at 91.8 and High at 86.6. This shows a 68% performance difference between the lowest and highest settings, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution to handle increased graphical demands.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 81.7 on Low, 63.6 on Medium, 56.0 on High, and 39.2 on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 52% reduction in performance, with only the Low preset exceeding 80 FPS. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for this combination, as Medium and High presets remain playable, though Ultra becomes marginal.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 47.6 on Low, 37.8 on Medium, 34.6 on High, and 24.6 on Ultra. The performance drops by 48% from Low to Ultra, with no preset reaching 60 FPS. The 4K results highlight the GPU's limitations, as even the lowest settings cannot achieve a smooth frame rate, making this resolution impractical for serious gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12600KF with the GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1491 out of 1705 tested combinations in Greedfall, placing it in the lower 12.5% of systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range status, as the CPU is a high performer at the 84th percentile, but the graphics card at the 55th percentile drags down the overall system performance. The data suggests that this combination is suitable for 1080p gaming but is outclassed by systems with more powerful GPUs.

The combination's rank is consistent with the measured FPS results, which show strong 1080p performance but weak 4K capabilities. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-10900K and i5-12600K, perform nearly identically, indicating that the GPU is the differentiating factor in the ranking. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, show similar benchmark scores, but the GTX 1660 SUPER's performance in Greedfall is ultimately limited by its 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth.

The data implies that users with this combination should focus on 1080p gaming with High or Medium settings to achieve the best experience. Upgrading the GPU would significantly improve the ranking, as the CPU has ample headroom to support more powerful graphics cards. The combination's low rank is not a reflection of poor component quality, but rather a mismatch between the CPU's high-end capabilities and the GPU's mid-range performance ceiling.