Greedfall

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER delivers a playable but demanding 1080p experience in Greedfall, with performance dropping sharply as resolution and settings increase. This combination ranks in the lower tier of tested configurations, and the data indicates that the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom. The following analysis breaks down the measured results, offering practical guidance for optimizing the game experience with this specific hardware.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Greedfall at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The data shows an average of 50.7 FPS at 3840x2160 with Low settings, which drops to 35.5 FPS at Medium and 34.5 FPS at High. Ultra settings at 4K yield an unplayable 21.4 FPS average.

Q: What is the best resolution for a smooth 60+ FPS experience?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently hits 60 FPS or higher. At 1080p, Low settings average 118.4 FPS, Medium averages 92.1 FPS, and High averages 86.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low settings (83.3 FPS) exceed 60 FPS.

Q: How does Ultra settings performance compare to High?

A: The jump from High to Ultra is significant. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 55.1 FPS compared to 86.6 FPS on High, a difference of over 30 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 39.3 FPS versus 56.7 FPS on High. This suggests Ultra is disproportionately demanding.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the frame rates?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. While the i7-12700KF has strong benchmark scores, the GTX 1660 SUPER has a 55th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The steep FPS drops from 1080p to 4K point to GPU limits rather than CPU processing constraints.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this hardware at 1440p?

A: Low settings at 2560x1440 is the only option that provides a smooth experience, averaging 83.3 FPS. Medium settings drop to 66.5 FPS, which is still playable, but High (56.7 FPS) and Ultra (39.3 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 1469 out of 1705 tested combinations in Greedfall, placing it in the bottom 14% of all combos. This low rank is primarily due to the GTX 1660 SUPER's mid-to-low tier performance profile.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF 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. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 28979 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4091 in single-core, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. This high level of processing power suggests it is not the limiting factor in Greedfall's frame rates.

The game's performance scaling across resolutions reveals the CPU's headroom. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 118.4 FPS, but this drops to 50.7 FPS at 4K on Low. This 67.7 FPS decline is far more attributable to the GPU's workload than to CPU limitations, as the processor's benchmark scores remain constant. The i7-12700KF's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14400 (0.1% faster) and Intel Core i9-12900HX (0.2% faster), show that the CPU is well within the performance range of other high-end chips.

The 12 cores and 20 threads provide substantial multi-threaded capability, as evidenced by the 3DMark max threads score of 9983 and Passmark multithread score of 34092. However, Greedfall, being an action RPG from 2019, does not appear to require this level of parallel processing to achieve smooth frame rates, as even the 4K Ultra result of 21.4 FPS is likely due to GPU memory and bandwidth constraints rather than CPU stalls.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal balance of visual quality and performance for this combo is High settings at 1920x1080, which yields an average of 86.6 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining higher visual fidelity. For users with 1440p monitors, Low settings at 2560x1440 is the only preset that delivers a frame rate above 60 FPS, averaging 83.3 FPS.

The performance drop from High to Ultra is severe across all resolutions. At 1080p, Ultra averages 55.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, while at 1440p, Ultra falls to 39.3 FPS. Medium settings provide a middle ground: 92.1 FPS at 1080p and 66.5 FPS at 1440p, both playable but with diminishing returns compared to High. The data suggests that the Ultra preset is poorly optimized for this hardware tier, offering marginal visual gains for a significant FPS penalty.

For those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Low settings at 1920x1080 is the best choice, achieving 118.4 FPS. However, the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p only costs 26.3 FPS (from 118.4 to 92.1), making Medium a reasonable upgrade for smoother gameplay. At 4K, only Low settings are viable, with 50.7 FPS, but this is below the 60 FPS threshold and may not be worth the visual compromise.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1469 out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the bottom 14% of all configurations, indicating that while the CPU is high-end, the GPU pulls the overall performance down significantly.

The ranking reflects the GPU's limitations more than the CPU's capabilities. The i7-12700KF sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, but the GTX 1660 SUPER only reaches the 55th percentile of all GPUs. This imbalance is evident in the measured FPS: at 1080p High, the system achieves 86.6 FPS, which is respectable, but the combo's overall rank suggests that most other tested configurations with this CPU have much stronger GPUs.

Comparing to the GPU's nearest rivals, the GTX 1660 SUPER is nearly identical in performance to the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (0.2% slower) and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (0.2% slower), but that places it behind more capable cards like the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (0.7% faster). This mid-tier GPU performance, combined with a top-tier CPU, results in a combo that underperforms relative to its component costs, though the CPU provides excellent headroom for future GPU upgrades.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture and features 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation units. It has a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz, with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. These specifications place it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14286.

The GPU's role in Greedfall is critical, as the measured FPS declines sharply with increasing resolution. At 1920x1080, the GPU manages 86.6 FPS on High settings, but this drops to 56.7 FPS at 2560x1440 and 34.5 FPS at 3840x2160 on the same preset. This scaling pattern indicates that the 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are insufficient for the higher resolution textures and pixel counts, causing the GPU to become the primary bottleneck.

The GTX 1660 SUPER's performance in synthetic tests, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1278 and a Passmark G3D score of 12699, confirms its mid-range positioning. The GPU's nearest rivals perform within 0.7% of its average score, meaning there is no significant performance gap between them. This means that users cannot expect meaningful gains by switching to a similarly priced GPU; instead, the data suggests that this card is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it delivers playable frame rates across most settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 50.7 FPS, which is the only 4K preset above 30 FPS. Medium settings drop to 35.5 FPS, High to 34.5 FPS, and Ultra to 21.4 FPS. These results indicate that 4K gaming is not viable for this hardware, even at the lowest settings.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), performance is more workable but still limited. Low settings average 83.3 FPS, providing a smooth experience. Medium settings average 66.5 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. High settings drop to 56.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39.3 FPS. The data shows a clear step-down between Medium and High, suggesting that High settings at 1440p are too demanding for the GTX 1660 SUPER.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo performs best. Low settings average 118.4 FPS, Medium averages 92.1 FPS, and High averages 86.6 FPS, all of which provide smooth gameplay. Ultra settings average 55.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but still playable for some users. The difference between Low and High is 31.8 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is 31.5 FPS, showing that Ultra is a significant performance hit.

The overall pattern across all resolutions is consistent: Low settings provide the highest FPS, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the most demanding. The data shows that this combo is best utilized at 1080p with High settings or below, as it balances visual quality with a comfortable 60+ FPS frame rate.