Greedfall

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a compelling mid-range configuration for Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is clearly capable of smooth gameplay at mainstream resolutions, but which hits a definitive performance ceiling at 4K Ultra. The data suggests a balanced pairing where the GPU becomes the primary scaling factor as resolution increases, while the CPU’s strong multi-threaded architecture provides a stable foundation.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 105 FPS at 1080p to 73 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 43 FPS at 4K. This represents a significant 59% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K. The scaling pattern strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B580 is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the workload shifts from CPU-bound at 1080p to heavily GPU-bound at 4K.

The data becomes more revealing when examining the Low settings preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 147 FPS, which drops to 102 FPS at 1440p and 61 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 58.5%, nearly identical to the drop seen at High settings. This consistency across settings presets suggests that the resolution scaling is primarily driven by the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth, rather than by the complexity of the graphical effects.

When looking at the Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, the scaling shows a similar trend: 115 FPS at 1080p, 80 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, however, reveals the steepest decline, with 67 FPS at 1080p falling to 46 FPS at 1440p and just 28 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS is barely playable, and the 58% drop from 1080p Ultra further confirms that the Arc B580's 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are insufficient for 4K Ultra demands in this title.

The implication of this scaling is that users targeting 4K will need to make significant compromises in visual fidelity. The gap between 4K Medium (48 FPS) and 4K High (43 FPS) is relatively small, suggesting that the game's High preset introduces additional effects that disproportionately impact the GPU. Conversely, the jump from 4K High to 4K Ultra (28 FPS) represents a massive 35% performance hit, indicating that Ultra settings in Greedfall include features that are particularly demanding on this GPU architecture.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its benchmark scores paint a picture of a well-rounded CPU: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and a single-core score of 3191. The 3DMark scores show scaling from 1880 in the 2-thread test to 7314 in the 16-thread test, with a max-thread score of 7307, indicating excellent multi-threading efficiency that diminishes slightly at the very highest thread counts.

In the context of Greedfall, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 147 FPS, which is the highest measured result across all configurations. This high frame rate at a low-resolution, low-settings preset suggests that the CPU is capable of handling the game's logic without bottlenecking the GPU, even when the GPU has relatively little pixel work to do. The Core i5-13400F's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 10 cores provide ample headroom for the game's streaming and AI systems.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 77 among all tested CPUs places it in the upper tier, and its average benchmark score of 25292 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS scores 25284 (0% delta), the Intel Core 5 120 scores 25362 (-0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D scores 25365 (-0.3% delta). This puts the i5-13400F in a virtual tie with these processors, suggesting that any of these CPUs would produce similar results in CPU-limited scenarios in Greedfall.

The 3DMark 8-thread score of 5591 versus the 16-thread score of 7314 suggests that the processor's performance scales well up to 8 threads, which is relevant for a game like Greedfall that may not fully utilize all 16 threads. The single-thread score of 960 in 3DMark and 3634 in PassMark indicates strong per-core performance, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in game logic that is often single-threaded. The data implies that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution, as the FPS drops consistently with resolution increases, a hallmark of GPU limitation.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Greedfall?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 147 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 115 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, followed by 105 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings.

*Q: Is the Intel Arc B580 capable of 4K gaming in Greedfall?*

A: The data shows that 4K gaming is playable but requires settings compromises. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 61, and at 4K Medium it drops to 48 FPS. However, 4K High yields 43 FPS and 4K Ultra yields 28 FPS, which is below the generally accepted playable threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-13400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292. It is statistically tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (25284, 0% delta) and slightly behind the Intel Core 5 120 (25362, -0.3% delta) and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365, -0.3% delta).

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 102 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 46 FPS. This represents a 55 FPS difference, or a 54.9% reduction in performance when moving from Low to Ultra settings.

Q: Does the system maintain a consistent frame rate at 1080p Medium?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 115, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS. The difference between the minimum and average is 17 FPS, indicating moderate frame pacing variance but generally smooth gameplay.

*Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combos for Greedfall?*

A: The Intel Core i5-13400F + Intel Arc B580 combo ranks 2787 out of 3703 total tested combos, placing it in the 25th percentile of performance for this specific game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2787 out of 3703 tested configurations places it in the lower-middle tier of systems tested in Greedfall. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual component strengths; the CPU ranks in the 77th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU ranks in the 68th percentile among all GPUs. The discrepancy between component-level percentiles and the game-specific combo rank suggests that Greedfall is either particularly demanding in ways that this hardware combination struggles with, or that the tested field includes many higher-end configurations that skew the ranking.

The fact that the Arc B580's nearest GPU rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (with a 0.6% delta) and the RTX 3080 (with a -0.7% delta) indicates that the GPU is performing at a level comparable to previous-generation high-end cards. Yet, the combo rank of 2787 suggests that in Greedfall specifically, this configuration faces stiff competition from systems with more powerful GPUs or CPUs that are better optimized for this game's engine.

The data implies that while the individual components are solid mid-range performers, their combination does not boost the system to a top-tier position in Greedfall. The 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS is a clear indicator of the system's limitations, and even at 1080p Ultra, the 67 FPS result is relatively modest compared to what higher-ranked combos would achieve. This ranking serves as a caution that component-level benchmarks do not always translate directly to game-specific performance, particularly in an Action RPG with complex scenes and effects.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580, based on the Xe2-HPG architecture and codenamed Battlemage, is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC with 19,600 million transistors. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a consistent 2670 MHz for both base and boost clocks, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). Its compute capabilities include 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 80 ROPs, and 20 RT cores, delivering 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role is clearly dominant in determining performance at higher resolutions. The transition from 1080p Low (147 FPS) to 4K Low (61 FPS) shows how the GPU's pixel fill rate becomes the limiting factor. The 80 ROPs and 213.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K resolution requires nearly four times the pixel throughput of 1080p, which overwhelms the GPU's capabilities.

The memory subsystem plays a critical role in this game. The 12 GB frame buffer is more than adequate for Greedfall's textures, even at 4K Ultra, but the 456.0 GB/s bandwidth appears to be a bottleneck. The 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS, compared to 4K High at 43 FPS, suggests that Ultra settings may increase texture streaming demands or memory pressure beyond what the bandwidth can sustain. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 15748 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3068 provide context for its overall capability, but the game-specific data shows that Greedfall is particularly sensitive to memory bandwidth at high resolutions.

The GPU's performance relative to its rivals is notable. With an average benchmark score of 23021, it is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23061, -0.2% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895, 0.6% delta). However, the RTX 3080 scores 23172, which is only 0.7% higher. This suggests that in synthetic benchmarks, the Arc B580 competes with much older and some newer high-end cards, but its real-world gaming performance in Greedfall may be limited by driver optimization or specific engine interactions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent performance across all presets: Low averages 147 FPS, Medium averages 115 FPS with a range of 98-133 FPS, High averages 105 FPS, and Ultra averages 67 FPS. These results indicate that 1080p gaming is virtually flawless, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining a smooth frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU beginning to strain. The Low preset averages 102 FPS, Medium averages 80 FPS (68-92 FPS range), High averages 73 FPS, and Ultra drops to 46 FPS. The 1440p results suggest that High settings provide a good balance, as the 73 FPS average is still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. The Low preset averages 61 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium averages 48 FPS (41-55 FPS range), High averages 43 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. The 4K results show that only the Low preset maintains an average above 60 FPS, and even that is marginal. The Medium preset's minimum of 41 FPS indicates potential frame drops during intense scenes, which could impact gameplay experience.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution from 1080p to 1440p to 4K reduces performance by roughly 30-40% across all settings. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic drop, with a 58% reduction from 1080p to 4K (67 to 28 FPS). This suggests that the Ultra preset includes effects that scale super-linearly with resolution, such as advanced anti-aliasing or ambient occlusion techniques that tax the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth disproportionately at higher pixel counts.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 105 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, while Ultra at 67 FPS is also viable for users who prioritize maximum visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 115 FPS provides a slight performance boost over High with minimal visual compromise, making it a strong choice for competitive play or for users with 144Hz monitors.

For 2560x1440, the High preset at 73 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it delivers smooth gameplay while maintaining good visual quality. Users seeking higher frame rates can drop to Medium at 80 FPS, which provides a 9.6% performance increase. The Ultra preset at 46 FPS is playable but may result in noticeable stuttering during action sequences, making it less ideal for a game that requires precise timing in combat.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations become more conservative. The Low preset at 61 FPS is the only option that maintains an average above 60 FPS, but the visual quality will be significantly reduced. The Medium preset at 48 FPS is a reasonable compromise for users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, as the 41 FPS minimum suggests occasional dips but generally playable performance. The High preset at 43 FPS and Ultra at 28 FPS are not recommended for 4K, as they fall below the 40 FPS threshold that is generally considered the minimum for a playable Action RPG experience.

The data suggests that the best overall experience for this combo is 1440p with High settings, offering 73 FPS average with solid visual fidelity. For 1080p users, the High or Ultra presets provide excellent experiences, while 4K users should stick to Low or Medium settings to maintain playable frame rates. The system's 12 GB of VRAM is not the limiting factor at any resolution, as even the 4K Ultra preset would fit within the memory capacity, but the GPU's compute and bandwidth limitations dictate the settings choices at higher resolutions.