Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019, presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB combination. The measured data provides a clear picture of how this pairing handles the game across different resolutions and quality presets. Analysis of the benchmark results indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with playable performance at 1440p depending on the user's tolerance for settings adjustments. The data shows a significant performance drop at 4K, making that resolution largely impractical for this hardware configuration.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data shows a clear optimal path for this combo. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 109.5 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for any configuration. However, the Medium preset at 84.6 FPS and High preset at 79.2 FPS both remain well above the 60 FPS threshold, offering a better visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. The Ultra preset drops to 47.8 FPS, which is a noticeable step down and may not be worth the visual gains for most users. Benchmark results indicate that the Medium preset is the best balance for 1080p, delivering a 22.7% improvement in frame rate over High while still maintaining a substantial visual upgrade over Low.

For 2560x1440, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset produces 76 FPS, which is the only setting that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS at this resolution. The Medium preset falls to 59 FPS, which is borderline playable but may exhibit stutter on displays with higher refresh rates. The High preset at 52.2 FPS is playable but requires some compromise, while the Ultra preset at 33.6 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The data suggests that 1440p users should stick with Low or Medium settings to maintain consistent performance.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves a playable frame rate. The Low preset tops out at 44.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard, and the Ultra preset drops to a nearly unplayable 20.8 FPS. The measured rows indicate that 4K gaming is not viable with this combo, and users should avoid this resolution entirely unless they are willing to accept significant performance compromises.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB plays the primary role in determining this combo's gaming performance. The GPU features 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s. The memory operates at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective speed. The card's base clock is 1545 MHz with a boost clock of 1740 MHz, and its 90 W TDP suggests it is designed for efficient operation. The GPU's 2048 shading units and 64 texture mapping units contribute to its raw processing capability of 7.127 TFLOPS FP32 performance.

The 4 GB VRAM capacity is a significant limiting factor in Greedfall, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The performance drop from High to Ultra at 1080p (79.2 to 47.8 FPS) and the even more dramatic decline at 1440p (52.2 to 33.6 FPS) suggests that the Ultra preset likely exceeds the memory capacity or bandwidth limits of the card. The data shows that the GPU's performance scales poorly with increased settings, indicating that the memory subsystem is a bottleneck. At 4K, even the Low preset struggles to reach 45 FPS, confirming that the RTX 3050 4 GB is not designed for high-resolution gaming in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1531 out of 1705 tested combinations in Greedfall. This places it in the lower percentile of tested hardware, specifically in the 10.2% percentile range (calculated from the rank data). The ranking reflects the RTX 3050 4 GB's position at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU performs much better relative to other processors. The Intel Core i7-12700K sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that the processor is not the limiting factor in this combo. The benchmark results show that the GPU is holding back the overall system performance, as evidenced by the significant frame rate variations across settings that are typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

The combination's low rank is primarily attributable to the GPU's modest specifications. While the CPU provides ample processing power, the GPU's 4 GB memory capacity and 128-bit bus width restrict its ability to handle the demands of Greedfall at higher quality settings. The data indicates that this combo performs adequately for 1080p gaming but falls short of what more balanced systems can achieve in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low preset achieves 109.5 FPS, Medium preset achieves 84.6 FPS, High preset achieves 79.2 FPS, and Ultra preset achieves 47.8 FPS. The progression from Low to Medium represents a 22.7% decrease in frame rate, while the jump from High to Ultra represents a 39.6% decrease. This suggests that the Ultra preset imposes a disproportionately heavy load compared to the other settings.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values drop significantly: Low preset achieves 76 FPS, Medium preset achieves 59 FPS, High preset achieves 52.2 FPS, and Ultra preset achieves 33.6 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a 30.6% decrease in frame rate at Low settings, indicating that the resolution increase has a substantial impact on performance. At this resolution, only the Low preset remains above 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls below the playability threshold.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are: Low preset achieves 44.1 FPS, Medium preset achieves 36.3 FPS, High preset achieves 34.2 FPS, and Ultra preset achieves 20.8 FPS. The performance at 4K is uniformly poor across all settings, with the best case (Low) still falling 26.5% short of 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K produces a frame rate that is less than one-fifth of what the Low preset achieves at 1080p, highlighting the extreme performance penalty at this resolution.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all presets except Ultra remain above 60 FPS. The Low preset achieves 109.5 FPS, Medium achieves 84.6 FPS, and High achieves 79.2 FPS at 1080p.

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

A: No. The best 4K result is the Low preset at 44.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset at 4K only reaches 20.8 FPS, making it unplayable.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to Low at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1440p achieves 33.6 FPS, which is 55.8% lower than the Low preset's 76 FPS. The performance loss is substantial and may not justify the visual improvements.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile relative to other processors?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K is in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong performance. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, has an average score that is 0.3% lower.

Q: Is the GPU's 4 GB memory sufficient for Greedfall?

A: The data suggests it is limiting. The frame rate drops sharply when moving from High to Ultra at the same resolution, which is consistent with a memory capacity or bandwidth constraint. At 4K, performance degrades across all settings.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1531 out of 1705 tested combinations in Greedfall, placing it in the lower tier of systems for this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K provides strong processing capabilities that are not fully utilized in this gaming scenario. The CPU features 12 cores and 20 threads with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It is built on the Alder Lake architecture using a 10 nm process, with 25 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor's benchmark scores are robust, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29241 and a single-core score of 4128. Its PassMark multithread score reaches 34404, and the Geekbench multicore score is 13892.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the performance scaling across settings. The processor's 89th percentile ranking indicates it is well above average, but the measured FPS values suggest the system is GPU-bound. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, has a similar average benchmark score with a delta of -0.3%, while the Intel Core i7-13700T is 0.6% ahead. The CPU's high single-thread performance, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and PassMark single-thread score of 4013, helps maintain frame times even when the GPU is under load. However, the data indicates that upgrading the GPU would yield larger performance gains in Greedfall than upgrading the CPU.