Greedfall

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 in Greedfall places at rank 912 out of 3703 tested combos, putting it comfortably in the top quarter of all system pairings evaluated. This is a strong position, indicating that this hardware pairing delivers a well-balanced experience for this Action RPG. The rank suggests that while there are many more powerful setups, this combo is far from the bottom, offering a level of performance that should satisfy most players seeking high frame rates.

The percentile data reinforces this interpretation. The CPU sits in the 84th percentile among all processors, while the GPU is in the 81st percentile among all graphics cards. Both components are performing near the top of their respective categories, which explains why the combined system ranks so highly. The data implies that neither component is acting as a severe bottleneck, allowing the other to operate near its potential. This is a sign of a cohesive pairing, where the strengths of the CPU and GPU complement each other in Greedfall's specific workload.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape for this combo, the average benchmark score of 35287 for the CPU and 37648 for the GPU indicates that both are strong performers in synthetic tests. However, the in-game rank of 912 out of 3703 shows that real-world gaming performance is where this pairing truly matters. The synthetic scores can sometimes be misleading, but the measured FPS data for Greedfall provides a clearer picture of what players can expect. The combo's rank suggests that it is not a fringe or unbalanced pairing, but rather a mainstream, capable setup that will handle the game's demands with aplomb.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. In Greedfall, this memory configuration is a key asset, as the game's open-world environments and detailed textures can place a significant load on VRAM. The 12 GB capacity ensures that the card is unlikely to run out of memory at the resolutions tested, which allows for consistent performance without stuttering caused by memory swapping. The 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is also sufficient to feed the GPU's processing cores, which is critical for maintaining high frame rates in a game that features dense, explorable areas.

The GPU's clock speeds are a major factor in its performance. The base clock is 1920 MHz, which can boost up to 2475 MHz. This high boost clock, combined with the 5888 shading units, allows the RTX 4070 to process the complex geometry and lighting effects in Greedfall efficiently. The GPU also includes 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, which are designed for ray tracing and DLSS features. While the measured FPS data does not specifically isolate ray tracing performance, the presence of these cores means the hardware is capable of enabling such features if the game supports them, providing a visual upgrade path for players with capable displays.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with an FP32 performance of 29.15 TFLOPS. This raw compute power translates directly into the frame rates seen in the measured data. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 248 FPS, indicating that the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution and settings level. The card's overall benchmark score of 37648 places it in the 81st percentile, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, is only 0.4% slower, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% faster. This shows that the 4070 is a well-positioned GPU, offering performance that is competitive with, but slightly below, the mobile version of a higher-tier card.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and expected trend: performance scales inversely with resolution. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves 177 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 123, a decrease of approximately 30%. At 3840x2160, the average FPS further drops to 73, which is about 41% lower than the 1440p result and 59% lower than the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is typical for a game like Greedfall, where the GPU's workload increases significantly with the number of pixels rendered.

The drop from 1080p to 1440p is steep but manageable, indicating that the GPU is still able to keep up with the increased pixel count. However, the jump to 4K is more punishing, as the frame rate drops to 73 FPS, which is still playable but shows the GPU is being pushed much harder. This data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is likely playing a more significant role in determining the final frame rate, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames quickly. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor, as the pixel throughput demands begin to exceed what the RTX 4070 can process at the same high frame rates.

The differences between settings levels also highlight the scaling behavior. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is stark: 103 FPS vs 47 FPS. This 56 FPS gap is larger than the gap between resolutions at the same settings, suggesting that the GPU is highly sensitive to the graphical complexity of the scene. The data implies that players targeting 4K will need to make a trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate, as the Ultra preset pushes the GPU to its limits, resulting in a frame rate that is half of what is achievable on Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an excellent 177 FPS, which is more than sufficient for a smooth, responsive experience. The Medium preset offers 195 FPS, which is a marginal improvement, while the Ultra preset still maintains a very playable 113 FPS. For players with high refresh rate monitors, the Medium or Low presets (248 FPS) are the best choices, as they ensure the frame rate stays well above the refresh rate ceiling. However, the High preset is a sweet spot, offering a substantial visual upgrade over Medium with minimal performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering 123 FPS. This is a strong result that balances visual quality with a high frame rate, making it ideal for most gaming scenarios. The Medium preset provides 135 FPS, which is a small increase, but the visual difference may not justify the trade-off. The Ultra preset drops to 78 FPS, which is still playable but represents a significant reduction in smoothness. For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 172 FPS is an option, but it sacrifices too much visual detail to be a general recommendation.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. The High preset yields 73 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset offers 81 FPS, which is a better balance for 4K gaming. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it drops to 47 FPS, which can feel sluggish and less responsive. The Low preset at 103 FPS is the best option for players who want a smooth 4K experience, but it comes at the cost of visual fidelity. Essentially, for 4K, Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides a playable frame rate while maintaining acceptable visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its highest performance ceiling. With Low settings, the average FPS is 248, which is an exceptionally high result that indicates the game is not heavily taxing the system at this resolution. Medium settings yield 195 FPS, with a minimum of 166 and a maximum of 224, showing a stable performance range. High settings produce 177 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 113 FPS. This last number is still high, but the 135 FPS gap between Low and Ultra illustrates the significant performance cost of the highest visual preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the GPU's increased workload. Low settings deliver 172 FPS, which is still an excellent result. Medium settings average 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 and a maximum of 155, indicating a slightly wider variation than at 1080p. High settings produce 123 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 78 FPS. The scaling here is more pronounced, with the Ultra preset being less than half the frame rate of the Low preset, underscoring the GPU's sensitivity to higher resolution and graphical fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops are more severe. Low settings still manage an average of 103 FPS, which is playable. Medium settings average 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 93, showing a tighter but lower range. High settings yield 73 FPS, which is on the edge of smoothness for some players. Ultra settings fall to 47 FPS, which is the lowest result in the entire dataset and is generally not recommended for a consistent experience. The data across all resolutions shows a clear pattern: the combo is most comfortable at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires careful settings management.

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. This high boost clock is crucial for gaming, as it ensures that the CPU can handle the single-threaded tasks that many game engines, including the one powering Greedfall, rely on. The CPU's benchmark scores support this, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1850.5 and a multi-core score of 19784. The strong single-core performance is a key factor in ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU is more likely to be the bottleneck.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities, evidenced by a Geekbench multi-core score of 15790, are also important for Greedfall, which may utilize multiple cores for background tasks like physics and AI. The 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample parallel processing power, preventing the CPU from becoming a limiting factor in most scenarios. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is likely the primary driver of performance, as the GPU can easily render frames at over 200 FPS, which requires a fast CPU to feed it. This is reflected in the high FPS numbers at 1080p, where the combo achieves 248 FPS on Low settings.

The CPU's nearest rivals highlight its position in the market. It is only 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i5-13600T and 0.2% slower than the Intel Core i7-12700KF, while being 0.3% slower than the Intel Core i7-13700T. These deltas are extremely small, indicating that the 12700K is performing at a level nearly identical to several other competitive processors. The CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms that it is a high-end processor. However, the measured FPS data shows that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, meaning the CPU's strong performance is not always the limiting factor, but it ensures that it will not hold the GPU back.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves 123 FPS, which is a strong balance of visual quality and performance. At 1920x1080, it can hit 177 FPS on High, but the 1440p result is more visually immersive while still being very smooth.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 47. This is a significant reduction compared to other settings and may not provide a consistent, smooth experience for all players.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU plays a larger role at 1080p. The GPU achieves 248 FPS on Low settings, which is a very high frame rate, implying the CPU's single-core speed (boost clock of 5.00 GHz) is sufficient to keep up, but the CPU is likely the component that prevents even higher frame rates.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded in the measured data is 69 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. All other settings levels have a higher minimum, though this is the only one explicitly listed for some resolutions.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The data shows the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P4 and 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, but 1.3% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K is in the 84th percentile among all CPUs, indicating it performs better than 84% of all tested processors. This is a strong showing, confirming its high-end status for gaming workloads like Greedfall.