Greedfall

Greedfall, the 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT pairing. The benchmark data indicates that this combination is capable of delivering high frame rates at mainstream resolutions, but its performance profile shifts dramatically depending on the graphics settings and resolution, revealing a system that is balanced at some points and clearly bottlenecked at others.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12th Gen Alder Lake desktop processor with 12 cores and 20 threads. It operates at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and can boost up to 5.00 GHz. This processor is positioned strongly in the database, holding the 89th percentile against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, which sits 0.3% lower, and the Intel Core i7-13700T, which is 0.6% higher. This places the i7-12700K in a very competitive performance tier for CPU-centric workloads.

In the context of Greedfall, the CPU's role appears to be more than adequate for the task. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 152.9 FPS, but this is a scenario where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The data shows that the processor’s multi-threaded capabilities, reflected in a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29241, far exceed what a game from 2019 would require. The i7-12700K’s performance is so high that it is unlikely to be the primary constraint on frame rates in this title, even at lower resolutions where CPU overhead is typically more significant. The processor’s high single-thread performance, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4013, ensures that the game’s primary logic thread has ample headroom. Even when paired with a GPU that is struggling at 4K Ultra, the CPU is not the cause of the frame rate drop, as the bottleneck shifts entirely to the graphics card.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 23 chip on a 7 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The GPU’s game clock is 2359 MHz, with a boost clock up to 2589 MHz. This graphics card holds the 71st percentile against all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, which is only 0.1% behind in average score. This indicates that the RX 6600 XT is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not a high-end card.

The GPU is the decisive factor in Greedfall’s performance, especially as resolution and settings increase. The data shows a clear pattern: the RX 6600 XT’s 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for most settings, but the card’s raw compute power becomes the limiting factor at 4K. At 1080p High, the card delivers 107.3 FPS, which is a very playable experience. However, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS plummets to 29.1, a 73% drop from the 1080p High result. This dramatic decline shows that the GPU is overwhelmed by the pixel count and the high-detail settings. The GPU’s performance in compute benchmarks, such as a Geekbench OpenCL score of 82736, does not translate to enough rasterization power to maintain high frame rates at 4K in this demanding title. The card is clearly optimized for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system scales across resolutions. At 1080p, the system is highly capable, with Low settings hitting 152.9 FPS, Medium at 118.5 FPS, and High at 107.3 FPS. Even Ultra at 1080p manages 67.4 FPS, which is playable. Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain strong: Low delivers 107.9 FPS, High drops to 76.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 50.9 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p represents a performance drop that is consistent with the increased pixel count, but the system remains fluid.

The real bottleneck appears at 4K. At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall off a cliff. Low settings still produce a passable 62.1 FPS, and Medium drops to 49.2 FPS. However, High settings yield only 43.4 FPS, and Ultra becomes a slideshow at 29.1 FPS. This scaling pattern is the classic signature of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU is powerful enough that it does not cause a disproportionate drop when moving from 1080p to 4K; instead, the RX 6600 XT’s memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s and its compute units are simply not enough to handle the 8.3 million pixels at high quality settings. The data strongly suggests that for 4K gaming, the GPU is the primary limiting component, and users should stick to lower settings or a lower resolution for a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT ranks 1191 out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the lower third of all possible pairings in the database. This ranking is notably low given the individual strengths of the components. The CPU is in the 89th percentile, and the GPU is in the 71st percentile, yet their combined performance in this specific game ranks them in the 30th percentile of all combos. This suggests that the pairing is not optimal for this title, likely because the GPU holds back the system in a game that is heavily dependent on it.

The low combo rank is a direct result of the GPU’s performance ceiling at higher resolutions. While the CPU has the headroom to push hundreds of frames per second, the RX 6600 XT cannot keep up at 4K. The benchmark results indicate that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it performs admirably. At 1440p High, the 76.9 FPS average is competitive. However, the system’s inability to maintain 60 FPS at 4K High settings cements its position near the bottom of the overall ranking. The data shows that users with this combo should target 1440p or lower to get the most out of their hardware, as aiming for 4K will result in a poor experience relative to other system configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Greedfall?

A: The data shows that the best experience is at 1440p or lower. At 1440p High, the combo achieves 76.9 FPS, and at 1080p High, it reaches 107.3 FPS. At 4K, even High settings only manage 43.4 FPS, making it less ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 6600 XT compare to its closest rival in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, which has an average score 0.1% higher. The RX 6600 XT is also 0.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 in average score.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 29.1, a significant drop from the 107.3 FPS seen at 1080p High. This indicates the RX 6600 XT cannot handle the pixel count and detail settings, while the i7-12700K has ample processing power.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p High and 1440p High?

A: At 1080p High, the system delivers 107.3 FPS. At 1440p High, it delivers 76.9 FPS. This represents a drop of approximately 30.4 FPS when moving up in resolution.

Q: How does the i7-12700K's CPU benchmark score compare to the Intel Core i7-13700T?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score that is 0.6% lower than the Intel Core i7-13700T. The i7-12700K is also 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845.

Q: Does the combo ranking suggest a balanced system for Greedfall?

A: No. The combo ranks 1191 out of 1705, which is in the bottom third. This low rank indicates the pairing is not optimal for Greedfall, primarily due to the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions, despite the CPU’s high performance percentile.