Greedfall

Greedfall, the 2019 Action RPG from Spiders, presents an interesting case study in system scaling. The measured data for the Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti reveals a configuration that shifts its bottleneck characteristics dramatically depending on the resolution and quality preset. The benchmark results indicate a system that is capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p but becomes firmly GPU-limited as the resolution climbs, with the CPU's substantial headroom becoming increasingly irrelevant. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, the role of each component, and how this specific combination ranks against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data across the three tested resolutions tells a clear story about where the performance ceiling lies. At 1080p, the system demonstrates significant fluidity, with the Low preset hitting an average of 152.3 FPS. Moving up to 1440p, that same Low preset drops by roughly a third to 102.9 FPS, and at 4K it falls further to 65.1 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering workload becomes the primary constraint as pixel count increases.

The gap between 1080p and 4K is most pronounced at the Ultra settings. The average frame rate at 1080p Ultra is 70.3 FPS, which drops to 50.9 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 28.9 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is over 58%, a far steeper decline than the roughly 57% drop seen at Low settings. This indicates that the higher-quality presets place a disproportionately heavy load on the GPU's shading and memory subsystems, which are the limiting factors at 4K.

The frame rate deltas between presets also change with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 82 FPS, showing that the settings have a massive impact when the CPU can keep up. At 4K, that same Low-to-Ultra spread compresses to just 36.2 FPS. This compression is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck; the graphics card is saturated even at Low settings, so increasing the quality has a smaller absolute impact on the final frame rate. The data shows that at 4K, the RTX 3060 Ti is the definitive limiter, while at 1080p, the system is more balanced, allowing the CPU's capabilities to shine through.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29241 and a single-core score of 4128. In Greedfall, the CPU's role is most evident at the 1080p resolution, where the average FPS of 152.3 at Low settings suggests that the processor is not the primary bottleneck. The high boost clock and efficient core layout allow it to feed the GPU effectively even at lower resolutions where draw calls and game logic can often limit performance.

The data shows that the CPU's performance is sufficient to push frame rates well above 100 FPS at 1440p on lower settings, which is a demanding scenario for many processors. The 20 threads and 25 MB of shared L3 cache provide ample resources for the game's AI and world simulation. However, the benchmark results indicate that the CPU's potential is largely untapped at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 28.9, a figure that is clearly dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities, not the CPU's processing power.

Comparing the i7-12700K to its nearest rivals shows it is a competitive part. Its average benchmark score of 35684 places it just 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700T. This performance headroom means that in Greedfall, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor, especially at 1440p and above. The system's ability to maintain over 100 FPS at 1440p Low reflects the CPU's strength, but the data clearly shows that scaling to 4K will always be governed by the graphics card.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Greedfall, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti holds a rank of 1144 out of 1705 total combinations. This places it in the lower-mid tier of all tested systems, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance class. While the CPU is a high-end part that ranks in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, the GPU sits in the 69th percentile among all GPUs. The combination's overall rank is thus dragged down by the graphics card, which is the bottleneck in the most demanding scenarios.

This ranking suggests that while the system is entirely playable, it is not optimized for maximum performance in this title. Many combinations with higher-ranked GPUs will naturally outperform it, particularly at 4K. The combo's rank of 1144 out of 1705 indicates that it is in the bottom third of the tested pool. This is not a criticism of the components themselves, but rather a reflection of the pairing's balance. A more powerful GPU would boost this combo's rank significantly, as the CPU has the headroom to support it.

The data implies that this is a mid-range gaming setup for Greedfall. It can handle 1080p and 1440p with high frame rates, but it will struggle to maintain playable performance at 4K with maximum settings. The ranking reflects this reality, showing that the system is a solid performer for mainstream resolutions but does not compete with high-end configurations that feature more powerful graphics cards.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system's performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1080p, the system is highly capable, with all presets exceeding the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Low preset achieves an average of 152.3 FPS, Medium hits 122.6 FPS, and High reaches 110.9 FPS. Even the demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 70.3 FPS, making it a viable option for high refresh rate monitors.

At 1440p, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU starting to work harder. The Low preset still delivers a very smooth 102.9 FPS, while Medium and High provide 81.9 FPS and 75.3 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset drops to 50.9 FPS, which is still playable but shows a significant step down from the lower settings. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combination, offering a good balance between visual fidelity and frame rate.

The 4K results are where the system's limitations become apparent. The Low preset manages a playable 65.1 FPS, but this drops to 51.5 FPS at Medium and 47.7 FPS at High. The Ultra preset falls to an average of 28.9 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth, responsive gameplay. The data shows that 4K is only feasible with significant compromises to visual quality, and even then, the frame rates are not consistently high. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a clear progression of GPU load, with the Ultra preset demanding nearly double the rendering work of the Low preset.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the defining component in this system's gaming performance. Based on the Ampere architecture, it features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock of 1665 MHz and 4864 shading units give it a solid foundation for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The GPU's benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 20349, place it in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, confirming its mid-range status.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role is to handle the rendering workload, which scales directly with resolution and settings. The data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K and at higher quality presets. The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K with Ultra textures, it may be a limiting factor. The significant frame rate drop from 47.7 FPS at High to 28.9 FPS at Ultra at 4K suggests that the memory bandwidth and shading capacity are being heavily taxed.

The GPU's performance relative to its peers is also important. Its average benchmark score of 25120 places it very close to the AMD Radeon RX 6700M, which is only 0.2% faster. This indicates that the 3060 Ti is a predictable and consistent performer. In Greedfall, this translates to a system that excels at 1080p and handles 1440p well, but it is not designed for 4K gaming at high settings. The data confirms that the GPU is the primary factor limiting the combo's overall rank in the database, as its performance ceiling is reached far sooner than that of the CPU.