Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019, presents a demanding workload for modern hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the Intel Arc B570 across a range of resolutions and settings. The data indicates a configuration that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but becomes increasingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with specific settings and resolution trade-offs that define its playability envelope.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent performance hierarchy as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves a 92 FPS average on High settings. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 64 FPS, a reduction of 28 FPS or approximately 30%. Pushing further to 3840x2160, the average falls to 38 FPS, which is a 26 FPS drop from the 1440p result and a 54 FPS drop from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern demonstrates that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count.

The way performance degrades across the resolution steps points to the graphics card as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a significant performance penalty, and the leap to 4K proves even more punishing, with the average frame rate falling below the 40 FPS threshold on High settings. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of fillrate or memory bandwidth as the pixel workload increases. The Intel Arc B570, with its 160-bit memory bus and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, appears to be the bottleneck in this scenario.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. For instance, on Medium settings, the average FPS moves from 102 at 1080p to 71 at 1440p, and then down to 42 at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly harsh, with a performance loss of roughly 40% in both High and Medium presets. This indicates that the GPU is being saturated by the 4K resolution, leaving little headroom for higher visual fidelity without significant frame rate compromises.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Greedfall, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B570 ranks at 2344 out of 2938 tested combos. This places it in the lower percentile of tested systems, suggesting that while it can run the game, many other configurations deliver higher average frame rates. The `comboRankInGame` field confirms that this is not a top-tier setup for this specific title.

This ranking is a holistic measure that considers all tested settings and resolutions. The low rank is likely influenced by the GPU's performance headroom being exhausted at higher resolutions, as seen in the Resolution Scaling section. While the combo can achieve high frame rates at 1080p, its performance at 1440p and 4K drags down its overall standing. The data shows a system that is well-balanced for 1080p gaming but falls behind when compared to combos that can maintain higher frame rates at more demanding resolutions.

The position in the 2344th spot out of 2938 combos indicates that there is a substantial performance gap between this setup and the majority of others tested. It is important to contextualize this rank with the specific hardware. The Intel Core i5-14400F is a capable processor, but the Intel Arc B570's performance class, as indicated by its 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, caps the system's overall ability in this GPU-intensive scenario.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the central component driving the frame rates in this analysis. Its specifications include a 10 GB GDDR6 memory buffer on a 160-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz. These specifications directly correlate with the observed performance scaling. The 10 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the resolutions tested, as there are no indications of texture pop-in or other memory-related artifacts in the data, but the memory bandwidth appears to be a limiting factor at 4K.

The GPU's compute capabilities are defined by its 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The data shows that the Arc B570 is the primary bottleneck when resolution increases. The 1080p results, with a 130 FPS average on Low settings, show the GPU can handle the pixel workload when it is light. However, the 4K results, which drop to 38 FPS on High and 24 FPS on Ultra, illustrate that the GPU's fillrate and shading power are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at that resolution.

The GPU's performance is further contextualized by its benchmark scores. Its Passmark G3D score is 14195, and it achieves an average benchmark score of 20556. This places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which has a deltaPct of 0.1. This suggests that while the B570 is a mid-range performer, it is not designed for maximum settings at 4K in demanding titles like Greedfall.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the Arc B570 delivers playable frame rates across the board. The Low preset yields an average of 130 FPS, Medium offers 102 FPS, and High provides 92 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 59 FPS. This is the only setting at this resolution that falls below the 60 FPS mark, though it remains playable.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. The Low preset averages 90 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium averages 71 FPS, and High averages 64 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 41 FPS, which is a significant decrease from the High preset and indicates that Ultra settings are not recommended at this resolution for a consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset is the only one that manages to stay above 50 FPS, with an average of 54 FPS. Medium averages 42 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra drops to a challenging 24 FPS. The min FPS values recorded for the Medium preset are 36 FPS at 4K, 60 FPS at 1440p, and 87 FPS at 1080p, which provides insight into frame time consistency.

The data shows a clear pattern: the combination of resolution and settings must be balanced carefully. For a 60 FPS target, the system can handle High settings at 1080p and Low settings at 1440p. For a 30 FPS target, which is often considered the minimum for playable single-player experiences, the system can handle Medium settings at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the High preset is the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering a 92 FPS average. While the Ultra preset offers better visuals, the 59 FPS average is a significant drop and may not be worth the performance cost for most users. The Medium preset at 102 FPS is a solid alternative for those prioritizing higher frame rates.

For 2560x1440, the High preset provides a 64 FPS average, which is a good experience for most players. The Medium preset at 71 FPS is also a strong choice if slightly lower visual fidelity is acceptable. The Ultra preset at 41 FPS is not recommended as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold and the visual uplift might not justify the 36% performance drop from High.

For 3840x2160, the playable options are more limited. The Low preset is the only one that achieves a playable frame rate, averaging 54 FPS. The Medium preset at 42 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets at 38 FPS and 24 FPS respectively are not recommended for a smooth experience. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this GPU requires significant compromises in visual settings.

The data indicates that the "Medium" preset offers the most consistent experience across all resolutions when considering the min FPS data, which shows 87 FPS at 1080p and 60 FPS at 1440p. However, the High preset at 1080p and 1440p provides a better balance for most users who prioritize visual quality.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This is a strong mid-range processor, as evidenced by its benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055. It ranks in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performing processor.

In the context of Greedfall, the CPU is likely not the primary bottleneck. The performance scaling observed from 1080p to 4K points directly to the GPU being the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, where the GPU workload is lightest, the system achieves 130 FPS. This indicates that the CPU is able to feed the GPU with enough data to reach that frame rate. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a performance plateau at lower resolutions, which is not the case here.

The CPU's high single-thread performance, as shown by its Cinebench R20 single-core score of 1283, is more than sufficient for an Action RPG like Greedfall. The processor's 16 threads also provide ample multi-threading headroom for background tasks and any game engine threads. The data suggests that the i5-14400F is a capable partner for the Arc B570, offering enough performance to allow the GPU to be the deciding factor in frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Greedfall with this hardware?

A: Based on the data, 1920x1080 is the best resolution for this combo. It is the only resolution where the High preset achieves an average FPS above 90, and it offers the most headroom for different settings.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B570 capable of running Greedfall at 4K?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves a playable average frame rate of 54 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 42 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets are below 40 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, has an average score of 32233, a deltaPct of 0.1. The Intel Core i9-11900 is also close with a score of 32226 and a deltaPct of 0.2.

Q: Which settings preset should I use for a 60 FPS target at 1440p?

A: The data shows that the High preset at 2560x1440 averages 64 FPS. This is the highest quality preset that achieves an average above 60 FPS at this resolution. The Medium preset at 71 FPS also exceeds this target.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for this game?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory. The measured data does not show any performance anomalies or issues that would suggest VRAM capacity is a limiting factor at the tested resolutions and settings.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 130 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 59 FPS. This represents a performance drop of 71 FPS, or over 50%, when moving from the Low to the Ultra preset.