Greedfall

Greedfall is an Action RPG from 2019 that responds predictably to resolution and settings changes, and the data for the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB shows a combo that is firmly constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the three tested resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system that can deliver smooth 1080p gameplay but struggles to maintain playable rates at 4K, with the CPU showing it is rarely the limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are severe, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 77.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 52.1 FPS at 2560x1440, a significant reduction, and then plummets to 30.5 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 61% loss in performance from 1080p to 4K, a steep curve that is characteristic of a graphics card being overwhelmed by pixel count. The data shows that even the jump from 1440p to 4K cuts the frame rate by over 40%, moving from a playable 52.1 FPS to a borderline 30.5 FPS.

The pattern is consistent across all quality presets. At Low settings, the average FPS is 105.2 at 1080p, dropping to 76.5 at 1440p, and then to 44.2 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is again substantial, a 42% reduction. At Medium settings, the trend continues: 84 FPS at 1080p, 60.9 at 1440p, and 37.7 at 4K. Even at the lowest settings, the 4K resolution proves too demanding for the RTX 3050 4 GB, as the frame rate barely exceeds 44 FPS. This scaling behavior strongly suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and processing power are exhausted at higher resolutions, rather than any limitation in the processor.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with 49.3 FPS at 1080p, 34.1 at 1440p, and a nearly unplayable 21.2 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is a 57% drop, which is consistent with the other presets. The fact that the frame rate at 4K Ultra is less than half of what it is at 1080p High highlights how quickly the GPU saturates. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates even at High settings, and that 1440p is only viable with reduced settings, while 4K should be avoided for a smooth experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23444 and a single-core score of 3309, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. This level of performance is far beyond what is needed to drive a mid-range GPU like the RTX 3050 4 GB in Greedfall. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-10900K with an average score of 27829 and a delta percentage of 0, and the Intel Core i5-12600K with a score of 27851 and a delta of -0.1%, show that this chip is competitive with older high-end parts.

Given that the frame rates at 1080p are high (over 100 FPS at Low settings), the CPU is clearly feeding the GPU enough data to avoid becoming a bottleneck at that resolution. The 3dmark single-thread score of 1016 and the Passmark single-thread score of 3925 indicate strong per-core performance, which is important for a game like Greedfall that may not scale perfectly across all 16 threads. The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support also contribute to its ability to handle game logic and asset streaming without issue.

The data suggests that even at 4K, where the GPU is heavily taxed, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The consistent FPS drops across all presets when moving from 1440p to 4K point to the GPU being the sole constraint. The i5-12600KF has enough headroom to handle the game's AI and physics calculations, as evidenced by its high Passmark physics score of 1539 and data compression score of 343231. In this specific game, the processor's role is to stay out of the way, and the benchmark results confirm it does, allowing the GPU to be the primary determinant of performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is a compact Ampere-architecture card with a base clock of 1545 MHz and a boost clock of 1740 MHz. Its 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s, which is modest by modern standards. The GPU's 7.127 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 32 ROPs are sufficient for 1080p gaming, but the 4 GB VRAM capacity is a critical limitation in a game like Greedfall, which has detailed environments and textures. The card sits in the 50th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a mid-range part.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the dominant factor in performance. At 1080p High, the card delivers 77.7 FPS, which is smooth, but at 4K High, it drops to 30.5 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. The 4 GB VRAM is likely a contributing factor to the steep performance decline at higher resolutions, as the game may be forced to swap textures or reduce detail, leading to stutter and lower average frame rates. The memory clock of 1500 MHz, or 12 Gbps effective, is not high enough to compensate for the limited capacity.

The GPU's role is clear: it provides playable frame rates at 1080p and acceptable performance at 1440p with lower settings, but it is overwhelmed at 4K. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at any resolution is substantial, with a 53% increase in FPS from Ultra to Low at 1080p (49.3 to 105.2). This shows that the GPU's shading units and TMUs are the limiting factor, as lowering the graphical load directly translates to higher frame rates. The 8 nm process node and 8,700 million transistors do not prevent the card from being outclassed by the demands of 4K rendering. In summary, the RTX 3050 4 GB is the clear bottleneck in this combo, and its performance characteristics define the experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this combo is at 1080p with the High preset, which delivers 77.7 FPS on average. This provides a smooth and visually pleasing experience without the performance penalty of Ultra settings. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 49.3 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for a fast-paced action RPG, and the drop from High to Ultra is 36%, which is a significant cost for marginal visual gains. Therefore, High is the recommended preset for 1080p gaming.

For users who prioritize higher frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p offers 105.2 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play or for those with high-refresh-rate monitors, but it comes at the cost of reduced visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p provides a balanced 84 FPS, which is also a good option, but High is the sweet spot for quality and performance. At 1440p, the data suggests that High is not viable, as it only achieves 52.1 FPS, which is borderline. The Low preset at 1440p delivers 76.5 FPS, making it the recommended choice for that resolution, as it offers a playable experience without dipping too far below 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p is 60.9 FPS, which is also acceptable, but Low is safer for consistency.

At 4K, no preset is truly recommended for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 4K achieves 44.2 FPS, which is marginally playable but not ideal, while the High preset at 30.5 FPS is too low for action sequences. The Ultra preset at 4K is unplayable at 21.2 FPS. Therefore, the data indicates that this combo should be used at 1080p for the best experience, with High settings being the optimal balance. If 1440p is required, users should stick to Low or Medium settings to maintain playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB ranks 1541 out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the bottom 10% of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's limitations, as the CPU is a strong performer. The i5-12600KF's percentile rank of 84% among all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's 50th percentile, highlighting an imbalance where the processor is capable of much more than the graphics card can deliver. The combo's rank suggests that while it can handle the game at lower resolutions, it is far from optimal.

The data shows that this pairing is not competitive with higher-end combos, and the low rank of 1541 out of 1705 reflects its performance ceiling. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-10900K and the Intel Core i5-12600K, have nearly identical average benchmark scores (27829 and 27851, respectively, with delta percentages of 0 and -0.1), meaning the processor is not the reason for the low ranking. Instead, the GPU's 4 GB VRAM and modest compute power are the limiting factors. In a game like Greedfall, which can be demanding on graphics hardware, this combo falls short of the performance needed to rank higher. The ranking indicates that for users seeking a better experience, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a faster graphics card.