Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting scaling study for the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination. The measured data shows a system with substantial headroom at lower resolutions, where the CPU’s single-threaded strength drives high frame rates, while the GPU becomes the definitive factor at 4K Ultra settings. The benchmark results indicate a pairing that is well-balanced for high-refresh 1440p gaming but requires careful settings management for a stable 4K experience.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

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 cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 25 MB L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a single-thread score of 1043 in 3dmark and a multi-thread score of 9979 at max threads, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. This strong single-thread performance is directly reflected in Greedfall’s low-resolution results, where the game’s engine is less likely to be bottlenecked by the GPU.

At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 274.7 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the processor’s 5.00 GHz boost clock is effectively feeding the GPU with enough draw calls to avoid a severe CPU bottleneck. The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the CPU’s influence on the final average FPS diminishes. For instance, at 1440p Low, the average FPS drops to 189, while at 4K Low, it falls further to 113.3. The delta between these scores indicates that the CPU is still capable of handling the game’s logic and physics at high speed, but the rendering load is shifting to the GPU.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-12700K’s average benchmark score is 35684. This is 0.6% higher than the Intel Core i7-13700T and 0.8% higher than the Intel Core i7-13800H, while being 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and 0.7% lower than the Intel Core i5-14500HX. These marginal deltas suggest that in a game like Greedfall, which does not appear to be heavily multi-threaded based on the scaling data, the i7-12700K’s performance is competitive with other high-end processors. The 20 threads provided by the hybrid architecture are more than sufficient for this title, as the frame rate differences between Low and Medium settings are relatively small, indicating that the CPU is not the primary limiter in most scenarios.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2475 MHz, and it contains 7168 shading units. In the Passmark G3D benchmark, the card scores 29995, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. This hardware profile is well-suited for Greedfall, which is a visually demanding title, but the data shows that the 12 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth become crucial at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s role is most evident when observing the Ultra settings results. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 128.7, which drops to 87.8 at 1440p Ultra and further to 52.8 at 4K Ultra. This performance cliff from 1080p to 4K indicates a significant increase in rendering workload, likely due to the higher pixel count and the game’s detailed textures. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra result of 52.8 FPS suggests that the card is being pushed to its limits, with the memory bus width and bandwidth becoming potential constraints.

Comparing the GPU to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 42576. This is 0.2% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and 0.3% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE, but it is 1.4% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580X and 1.6% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla M40. These small percentage differences imply that the RTX 4070 SUPER’s performance in Greedfall is typical for its class, but the measured FPS results show that it struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maxed-out settings. The boost clock of 2475 MHz helps at lower settings, where the card can achieve 274.7 FPS at 1080p Low, but the inherent workload at 4K Ultra overshadows the clock speed advantage.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trend of diminishing returns as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 274.7 at 1080p to 189 at 1440p, a reduction of 85.7 FPS, and then to 113.3 at 4K, a further reduction of 75.7 FPS. This pattern indicates that while the CPU is still capable of driving high frame rates, the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are becoming the limiting factors as pixel count rises. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 31.2%, and from 1440p to 4K is approximately 40.1%, showing an accelerating performance loss.

For High settings, the scaling is steeper. The average FPS falls from 197.9 at 1080p to 139.9 at 1440p, a 29.3% decrease, and then to 82.2 at 4K, a 41.2% decrease. This suggests that the High preset introduces more complex shading and texture work, which puts additional pressure on the GPU’s compute units. The fact that the 4K High result of 82.2 FPS is still above 60 FPS indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is capable of handling this resolution with High settings, but the headroom is limited.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. The average FPS drops from 128.7 at 1080p to 87.8 at 1440p, a 31.8% decrease, and then to 52.8 at 4K, a 39.9% decrease. The 4K Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold, which strongly suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting component at this resolution. The CPU’s performance at 1080p Ultra (128.7 FPS) is high enough to rule out a CPU bottleneck, and the consistent drop across resolutions points to the GPU’s inability to keep up with the increased pixel throughput. This data confirms that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4070 SUPER is sufficient for High settings but not for Ultra.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset is viable, with an average of 128.7 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. However, the High preset at 197.9 FPS offers a more comfortable margin for high-refresh monitors, while the Medium preset at 218.4 FPS provides even more headroom. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is not a bottleneck, and the GPU can handle even the heaviest preset without issue, so players can choose Ultra for maximum visual fidelity.

For 1440p, the High preset is the best balance, delivering 139.9 FPS on average. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and close to the 144 Hz refresh rate that many 1440p monitors support. The Medium preset at 152.8 FPS is also a strong option, offering a slight performance boost over High without a significant visual compromise. The Ultra preset at 87.8 FPS is playable but requires a variable refresh rate display to avoid stutter, as the frame time variance may be noticeable. The Low preset at 189 FPS is unnecessary unless the user prioritizes competitive play over visuals.

For 4K, the High preset is the only recommended option, with an average of 82.2 FPS. This is comfortably above 60 FPS and provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 92.1 FPS is also viable, but the High preset’s visual improvements are worth the 9.9 FPS trade-off. The Ultra preset at 52.8 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience, as it falls below the 60 FPS target, and the Low preset at 113.3 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality for a marginal performance gain. In summary, the data indicates that High settings are the sweet spot for 1440p and 4K, while Ultra is reserved for 1080p.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p High provides an average of 139.9 FPS, which is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 4K High, the average is 82.2 FPS, which is still smooth, but the Ultra preset at 4K drops to 52.8 FPS, making 1440p the most consistent high-refresh option.

Q: Can this system handle Greedfall at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, the measured data shows an average FPS of 52.8 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 4K, with an average of 82.2 FPS, is the highest playable setting at that resolution.

Q: How does the i7-12700K compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35684. It is 0.6% faster than the Intel Core i7-13700T and 0.8% faster than the Intel Core i7-13800H, while being 0.3% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and 0.7% slower than the Intel Core i5-14500HX.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 274.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 128.7 FPS. This represents a 146 FPS difference, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a significant load on the GPU, but the system remains well above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB VRAM sufficient for Greedfall at 4K?

A: The data suggests it is sufficient, as the card achieves 82.2 FPS at 4K High with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. The performance drop to 52.8 FPS at 4K Ultra is likely due to the GPU’s compute workload rather than a memory capacity limitation, given the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How does the GPU’s benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 42576. It is 0.2% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and 0.3% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE, but it is 1.4% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580X and 1.6% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla M40.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for Greedfall with the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 274.7 FPS, the Medium preset yields 218.4 FPS, the High preset yields 197.9 FPS, and the Ultra preset yields 128.7 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each settings tier reduces performance, with the largest drop occurring between High and Ultra, a 69.2 FPS difference.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 189 FPS for Low, 152.8 FPS for Medium, 139.9 FPS for High, and 87.8 FPS for Ultra. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a 31.2% decrease for Low settings, a 30.0% decrease for Medium, a 29.3% decrease for High, and a 31.8% decrease for Ultra. This consistent percentage drop indicates that the GPU is handling the additional pixel load in a linear fashion, with no sudden bottlenecks.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 113.3 FPS for Low, 92.1 FPS for Medium, 82.2 FPS for High, and 52.8 FPS for Ultra. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced: 40.1% for Low, 39.7% for Medium, 41.2% for High, and 39.9% for Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 52.8 FPS is the only measured value below 60 FPS, confirming that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component at this resolution. The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra widens with resolution: 146 FPS at 1080p, 101.2 FPS at 1440p, and 60.5 FPS at 4K, indicating that the GPU’s headroom shrinks as pixel count increases.