Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical fidelity. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700, using measured FPS data to isolate the roles of the CPU and GPU across various settings.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers 136 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 94 FPS, a 31% reduction. The jump to 4K further reduces the average to 56 FPS, which is a 40% drop from the 1440p figure and a 59% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep, consistent decline as pixel count increases is a definitive indicator that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions.

The scaling behavior becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 191 FPS, suggesting substantial headroom. At 1440p Low, it still manages 132 FPS, but the 4K Low result of 79 FPS shows a significant 40% performance loss from 1440p. This pattern—where even the lowest settings cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K—confirms that the GPU's rendering throughput, rather than CPU limitations or memory bandwidth, is the bottleneck at that resolution.

Interestingly, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p at High settings (136 to 94 FPS) is a 31% decrease, while the scaling from 1440p to 4K at the same preset is a steeper 40% decrease. This non-linear scaling is typical of a GPU that is becoming increasingly saturated; the cost of each additional pixel grows as the GPU nears its maximum output. The 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS further underscores this, showing a 60% drop from the 1440p Ultra score of 60 FPS. The frame rate data clearly suggests that for a smooth experience, resolution and settings must be balanced to keep the GPU's workload within its capable range.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 32 chip, is the central figure in this performance analysis. Its memory configuration, which includes 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, provides a substantial bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This is a critical resource for Greedfall, as the game's detailed environments and textures benefit from high memory throughput, particularly at higher resolutions where the demand for texture data increases.

The GPU's clock behavior also plays a role in the observed results. With a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz, the card has a significant dynamic range. The measured FPS at 1080p Medium (150 FPS) and High (136 FPS) suggests that the GPU is operating at high utilization but not necessarily at its maximum boost clock, as the game engine may be limited by other factors. However, the 4K results, particularly the drop to 36 FPS at Ultra, indicate that the GPU is likely hitting its compute and memory limits, preventing it from maintaining higher clock speeds under extreme load.

The GPU's overall performance percentile, which sits at 58, places it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9060, scores just 1% higher on average, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 1.7% ahead. This close grouping in synthetic benchmarks suggests that in Greedfall, the RX 7700's real-world performance is competitive with these cards, but the specific demands of this title may favor one architecture over another. The 4K High result of 56 FPS is particularly telling, as it shows the card is capable of producing playable frame rates at 4K with tweaked settings, but it cannot sustain a smooth 60 FPS at the highest preset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS target, the data provides a clear hierarchy of choices.

At 1920x1080, the system has ample headroom. The Ultra preset yields 87 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a visual quality upgrade. However, for players with high refresh rate monitors, the Medium preset at 150 FPS or even the Low preset at 191 FPS would be preferable to maximize smoothness. The High preset at 136 FPS offers a balanced mix of visual fidelity and high frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the choices become more constrained. The Ultra preset drops to 60 FPS, which is exactly at the target but offers no headroom for demanding scenes. The High preset at 94 FPS is the recommended choice here, as it provides a significant performance buffer (56% higher than Ultra) while still delivering a high level of visual detail. The Medium preset at 104 FPS is also a viable option for those who prioritize frame rate over the extra visual effects in the High preset.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The Ultra preset is not playable at 36 FPS. The High preset achieves 56 FPS, which is close to but below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset, with an average of 62 FPS and a minimum of 53 FPS, is the only option that consistently breaks the 60 FPS barrier on average, though it may dip below during intense action. For a more stable experience, the Low preset at 79 FPS provides the best frame rate, but at a significant cost to visual quality. The data suggests that for 4K, the Medium preset offers the best compromise between playability and graphical fidelity, as the High preset's 56 FPS average is a marginal miss of the target.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Greedfall, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 7700 holds a rank of 1307 out of 2938 combos. This places it in the 44th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it is a mid-pack performer for this specific game. This ranking is a direct result of the GPU's mid-range standing, as the CPU is a high-end part that is not likely to be the bottleneck.

The combo's rank is more heavily influenced by the GPU's performance than the CPU's. The RX 7700's percentile of 58 versus all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 15852, which is just 0.1% below the AMD Radeon R9 370X in its nearest rival list, highlight that it is not a top-tier graphics card. In contrast, the CPU's percentile of 85 and an average benchmark score of 35365, which is 0.2% above the Intel Core i5-13600T, show it to be a strong performer. Therefore, the 1307th rank reflects a system where the CPU has significant untapped potential, leaving the overall performance ceiling to be determined by the GPU. This is a classic sign of a balanced but not enthusiast-grade build for this title.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Greedfall at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: No. The measured average FPS for 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset is 36 FPS, which is well below the standard 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for a consistent 100+ FPS experience?

A: At 1920x1080, the system achieves 136 FPS on High and 150 FPS on Medium. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset (132 FPS) and Medium preset (104 FPS) exceed the 100 FPS mark.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The difference is significant. The High preset at 2560x1440 yields 94 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 60 FPS, which is a 36% decrease in performance.

Q: Does the 16 GB of VRAM on the RX 7700 help in Greedfall?

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 624.1 GB/s bandwidth. While the data does not measure VRAM usage, this large capacity and high bandwidth are likely beneficial for the game's high-resolution textures, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at 4K Medium and High settings.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's performance is in the 85th percentile, while the GPU's is in the 58th. The FPS scaling patterns with resolution changes also point to a GPU bottleneck.

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

A: The only measured minimum FPS values are for the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 127 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 88 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 53 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact average, minimum, and maximum FPS measurements for each resolution and settings combination.

• 1920x1080
• Low: Average 191 FPS.
• Medium: Average 150 FPS, with a minimum of 127 FPS and a maximum of 172 FPS.
• High: Average 136 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 87 FPS.

• 2560x1440
• Low: Average 132 FPS.
• Medium: Average 104 FPS, with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS.
• High: Average 94 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 60 FPS.

• 3840x2160
• Low: Average 79 FPS.
• Medium: Average 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS.
• High: Average 56 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 36 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its substantial compute resources are reflected in its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a single-core score of 4071. In the context of Greedfall, the data suggests that the CPU is providing more than enough headroom.

The evidence for this is in the resolution scaling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload would be the limiting factor. However, the data shows a clear and consistent drop in FPS as resolution increases. For instance, at High settings, the FPS drops from 136 at 1080p to 56 at 4K. This pattern is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario, where the graphics card's rendering speed is the primary constraint.

The CPU's high multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its Passmark multi-thread score of 34092, ensures that it can handle the game's background simulation and AI tasks without becoming a limiting factor. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13700T with a score of 35403, are within 0.1% of its average score, indicating that any of these CPUs would likely perform similarly in Greedfall. The i7-12700KF's role is to provide a stable, high-performance foundation that allows the RX 7700 to operate at its full potential, which it does effectively across all tested settings and resolutions.