Greedfall

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 delivers a playable, if not luxurious, experience in Greedfall, but the data clearly shows that the graphics card is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across three resolutions and four quality presets to show exactly where this combo stands.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 89 FPS at 1920x1080 to 62 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 37 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 27 FPS loss when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 25 FPS loss when moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is nearly linear, which is a classic sign that the GTX 1070 is running out of pixel-pushing power.

The situation becomes even more pronounced at the Ultra preset. The combo manages 57 FPS at 1080p, but this plummets to 39 FPS at 1440p and a marginal 23 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is essentially unplayable for a smooth experience, and the 1440p Ultra result is borderline. This is not a CPU limitation; the i5-14600K has ample headroom, as evidenced by its strong synthetic benchmarks. The data shows that the GTX 1070 is the limiting component, as the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the increase in pixel count.

Conversely, at Low settings, the GPU is less stressed, and the scaling becomes less drastic. The average FPS at 1080p Low is 125, dropping to 86 at 1440p Low and 52 at 4K Low. Even at 4K Low, the system is not able to hit 60 FPS, which reinforces the idea that the GTX 1070's 8 GB of VRAM and 256-bit memory bus are not sufficient for Greedfall's demands at that resolution, regardless of the quality preset. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is 73 FPS, a significant margin that highlights the GPU's struggle to fill the extra pixels.

The min FPS data available for Medium settings further illustrates the strain. At 1080p Medium, the minimum frame rate is 83 FPS, which is acceptable. However, at 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 58 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it falls to 34 FPS. These minimums are closer to the averages than one might expect, suggesting that frame pacing is relatively stable, but the overall performance is being dragged down by the sheer workload. The 4K Medium result, with an average of 40 FPS and a minimum of 34 FPS, would result in noticeable stutter during intense combat or exploration.

The data indicates that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming. At 1440p, users must be willing to compromise on settings to stay above the 60 FPS threshold. The 4K resolution is simply beyond the capabilities of this GPU for this title, with even Low settings failing to provide a smooth experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the definitive performance ceiling for this combination. With 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, it offers a memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. The GPU's base clock of 1506 MHz and boost clock of 1683 MHz are the driving forces behind its performance, but these clocks are not enough to overcome the geometric complexity and texture loads present at higher resolutions. The measured FPS across all settings shows a clear correlation between the GPU's workload and the frame rate output.

The GTX 1070's position in the market is confirmed by its percentile ranking, which places it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs. This is a mid-range performer, and the benchmark results in Greedfall reflect this. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 13498 and its average benchmark score of 9780 are indicative of its overall capability, but they do not translate to high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p or 4K in this specific title.

The GPU's VRAM capacity appears to be a factor. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 23, which is a massive performance hit. This is likely due to the GPU struggling to manage the high-resolution textures and geometry, potentially exceeding its 8 GB VRAM buffer. The performance difference between 4K Low (52 FPS) and 4K High (37 FPS) is 15 FPS, which is significant, but the jump to 4K Ultra (23 FPS) is a further 14 FPS loss, suggesting that the Ultra preset introduces a disproportionate amount of work that the GPU cannot handle.

The GPU’s FP32 performance of 6.463 TFLOPS and its texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s are the theoretical limits, but the practical limits are far lower. The data shows a system that is consistently GPU-bound, with the i5-14600K waiting on the GTX 1070 to complete its rendering tasks. The GTX 1070's DirectX 12 score of 48 in Passmark is notably low, which may hint at architectural inefficiencies with certain modern API workloads, although Greedfall does not seem to benefit from any specific optimizations for this card.

In summary, the GTX 1070 is the workhorse, but it is a dated one. Its performance in Greedfall is usable at 1080p, acceptable at 1440p with lowered settings, but insufficient for a high-quality 4K experience. The GPU's clock speeds and memory configuration are simply not adequate for the demands of the game at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1920x1080, the High preset is the clear winner. It delivers an average of 89 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides a significant visual improvement over Medium (98 FPS) and Low (125 FPS). The Ultra preset, while visually superior, only yields 57 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action. Therefore, High at 1080p offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.

At 2560x1440, the choice becomes more difficult. The High preset delivers an average of 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS mark. However, the Medium preset achieves 68 FPS and has a minimum of 58 FPS, making it a safer choice for maintaining a consistent frame rate. While High is playable, the Medium preset's higher average and minimum FPS suggest it is the more reliable option for a stable experience. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with an average of 39 FPS, is not recommended for gameplay.

For those attempting 4K (3840x2160), the data is sobering. The Low preset is the only option that comes close to playability, with an average of 52 FPS. The Medium preset averages 40 FPS with a minimum of 34 FPS, which is likely to result in noticeable stuttering. High and Ultra are not viable options, with averages of 37 and 23 FPS respectively. If 4K is a requirement, users must accept Low settings and still be prepared for frame rates that dip below 60 FPS.

The data also suggests that the difference between Low and Medium is not as significant as the difference between Medium and High at 1080p. Specifically, the jump from Low to Medium is a 27 FPS decrease (125 to 98), while the jump from Medium to High is only a 9 FPS decrease (98 to 89). This indicates that the High preset is a very efficient upgrade over Medium in terms of performance cost. The Ultra preset, however, is a massive performance hog, costing 32 FPS over High at 1080p.

Ultimately, the benchmark results indicate that the "High" preset at 1080p is the sweet spot for this hardware combination. It provides a high frame rate that is well suited for the game's action-oriented combat. At 1440p, the Medium preset is the most balanced choice, offering a playable experience without the risk of frequent frame drops. At 4K, users are forced to compromise with Low settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At High settings, the combo achieves an average of 89 FPS, while at 2560x1440 the average drops to 62 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it falls to just 37 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Greedfall?

A: Barely. The only 4K setting with a playable average is Low, which yields 52 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 40 FPS with a minimum of 34 FPS, while High and Ultra are not recommended due to average frame rates of 37 and 23 FPS, respectively.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, which is a classic sign of a GPU limitation. The Intel Core i5-14600K, with its high scores in multi-core tests, is not the limiting factor.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset for the best experience?

A: No. The Ultra preset is extremely demanding. At 1080p, it only produces 57 FPS, and at 1440p it drops to 39 FPS. The High preset at 1080p provides 89 FPS, which is a much better experience and is only a small visual step down.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its closest rivals in terms of overall benchmark scores?

A: The GTX 1070's average benchmark score is 9780. Its nearest rival, the AMD FirePro W5000, has an average score of 9803, which is a -0.2% difference. The NVIDIA Quadro M2000M scores 9832, a -0.5% difference, while the NVIDIA Tesla M10 scores 9724, a 0.6% difference.

Q: What is the minimum FPS I can expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows that at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 58, with an average of 68 FPS. This is the only resolution/settings combination with a recorded minimum FPS that is above 60.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand database of tested hardware combinations for Greedfall, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 3062nd out of 3703 total combos. This places it in the lower percentile of tested systems, which is consistent with the GTX 1070's age and market position. The GPU itself only ranks in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, which drags the entire combo down despite the CPU's high performance.

The rank of 3062 out of 3703 means that a significant majority of other tested combinations deliver better performance in this specific game. This is not a commentary on the CPU, which is a top-tier part, but rather a reflection of the GPU's inability to keep up with modern titles at higher resolutions. The combination is heavily unbalanced in favor of the processor, which is underutilized in this scenario. The data suggests that the i5-14600K is a capable partner, but it is being held back by the GTX 1070's 8 GB VRAM and older Pascal architecture.

This ranking is a direct result of the measured FPS. While the combo can achieve 125 FPS at 1080p Low, this is not a realistic gaming scenario for most users. The more realistic presets, such as High and Ultra, produce frame rates that are well below what other, more modern GPU pairings would achieve. The fact that the combo ranks so low despite the CPU's excellent Cinebench scores (24491 in R23 multi-core) highlights the importance of GPU selection for gaming performance.

For a user with an i5-14600K, this ranking suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in Greedfall. Upgrading the graphics card would yield a massive improvement in the combo's rank and overall playability. The current rank reflects the GTX 1070's legacy as a solid 1080p card, but it is no longer competitive in the higher-resolution landscape. The data is clear: this combo is ranked low because the GPU is a bottleneck, not because the CPU is weak.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K plays a supporting role in this combination, and the benchmark data suggests it is more than capable of handling Greedfall's demands. With 14 cores and 20 threads, it possesses a significant amount of parallel processing power. Its base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensure that single-threaded performance is also excellent, which is crucial for game logic and physics. The CPU's strong synthetic benchmarks, such as a Geekbench multi-core score of 16673 and a single-core score of 2491, confirm it is not a bottleneck.

The fact that the frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution changes is the key evidence that the CPU is not the limiting factor. If the CPU were the problem, the frame rates would plateau at lower resolutions and not improve much when the resolution is lowered. However, the data shows that the 1080p Low preset achieves 125 FPS, which is more than double the 4K High result of 37 FPS. This indicates that the CPU is feeding the GPU frames as fast as it can at lower resolutions, but the GPU is unable to render them at higher resolutions.

The i5-14600K's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for high-speed memory are additional benefits that help keep the data flowing to the GPU. The CPU's performance in the Passmark multithreaded test (38682) and integer math test (125737) are indicative of its ability to handle complex game code. In Greedfall, an Action RPG with numerous NPCs and interactive elements, this processing headroom is valuable.

However, the data suggests that the CPU's potential is largely untapped in this configuration. The average FPS at 1080p High is 89, which is a very good result, but it is clear the CPU could push much higher if the GPU were more powerful. The CPU's percentile ranking of 90th among all CPUs is a stark contrast to the GPU's 47th percentile, highlighting the mismatch in this pairing. The i5-14600K is a modern, high-performance processor that is being wasted on a graphics card from 2016.

Ultimately, the CPU is not a factor in this game's performance limitations. The i5-14600K provides more than enough computational power to run Greedfall smoothly. The bottleneck is exclusively the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070. Any performance issues experienced by a user with this setup can be directly attributed to the GPU, and upgrading that component would yield a substantial increase in frame rates across all resolutions and settings.