Greedfall

Greedfall is an Action RPG from 2019 that still presents a meaningful challenge to older graphics hardware. This analysis focuses on the combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K processor and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card. The data provided is measured and specific to this pairing, offering a clear picture of what to expect from this setup. The GTX 1070, a Pascal-generation card with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, serves as the primary rendering engine here, while the 16-core, 24-thread Raptor Lake CPU provides substantial processing headroom. The benchmark results show a system that is firmly GPU-limited in most scenarios, with the CPU rarely acting as a bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data across resolutions and settings presets makes the optimal configuration clear. For a smooth experience at 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 87.5 FPS, which is 28.7 FPS higher than the Ultra preset's 59.8 FPS. While Ultra is playable, the High preset offers a significant performance buffer that is generally preferable for maintaining consistent frame pacing in combat. At 2560x1440, the High preset drops to 61.6 FPS, which is still playable, but the Medium preset at 69.3 FPS provides a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Pushing to Ultra at 1440p yields only 37.2 FPS, which is not recommended for a responsive experience.

At 3840x2160, the GTX 1070 is clearly out of its depth. The High preset manages only 40 FPS, and the Low preset achieves 51.8 FPS. The Ultra preset collapses to 26 FPS, making it unplayable. The data indicates that the Low preset is the only viable option at 4K, and even then, the frame rate hovers around the edge of playability. The best overall experience for this combo is the High preset at 1080p, which balances visual quality with a high frame rate. The Medium preset at 1440p is the best choice for users prioritizing resolution over maximum detail, as it stays above 60 FPS while offering a sharper image than 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i7-13700K and GTX 1070 ranks at position 1422 out of 1705 tested combinations for Greedfall. This places it in the lower 17% of all system configurations in the database, which is a direct consequence of the aging GPU. The CPU, however, is a top-tier performer; its average benchmark score of 47282 places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals like the Core i7-13700KF scoring 47334 (a delta of -0.1%) and the AMD EPYC 4364P scoring 47131 (a delta of 0.3%). This indicates the processor is not the limiting factor.

The GPU tells a different story. The GTX 1070's average benchmark score is 12331, placing it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the GTX 1650 SUPER at 12504 (a delta of -1.4%) and the Quadro K4200 at 12241 (a delta of 0.7%). This mid-range standing explains the system's overall low rank in Greedfall. The game's demands outpace the GTX 1070's capabilities, especially at higher resolutions and settings. The rank of 1422 out of 1705 reflects a system that can handle the game at 1080p with adjusted settings but struggles to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Greedfall at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only with significant compromises. The measured data shows an average of 51.8 FPS on the Low preset at 3840x2160. The High preset drops to 40 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 26 FPS, which is not smooth.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset is the recommended choice for 2560x1440. It achieves an average of 69.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset averages 61.6 FPS, which is adequate but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 59.8 FPS, while the High preset averages 87.5 FPS. The difference of 27.7 FPS shows that the High preset offers substantially better performance with a minor reduction in visual fidelity.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K bottlenecking the GTX 1070?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores are exceptionally high, ranking in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. The system's low rank in Greedfall is attributed to the GPU's performance limitations, as the GTX 1070 sits in the 51st percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What is the expected average frame rate on High settings at 1080p?

A: The measured data shows an average of 87.5 FPS for the High preset at 1920x1080. This provides a smooth experience for most gameplay scenarios.

Q: Is the GTX 1070 comparable to more modern GPUs?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the GTX 1070 scores 12331, while the GTX 1650 SUPER scores 12504, making the 1650 SUPER slightly faster by 1.4%. This shows the 1070 is still competitive with entry-level cards from later generations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive view of performance across all settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 126.9 FPS, which is the highest score in the dataset. The Medium preset follows at 98 FPS, then High at 87.5 FPS, and finally Ultra at 59.8 FPS. This progression shows a clear trade-off between visual quality and performance, with a 67.1 FPS difference between the lowest and highest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop predictably. The Low preset averages 87 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset averages 69.3 FPS, providing a solid experience. The High preset averages 61.6 FPS, which is near the edge of the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset averages 37.2 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth and not recommended for action-heavy sequences.

At 3840x2160, the GTX 1070's limitations become severe. The Low preset averages 51.8 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset averages 40.5 FPS, and the High preset averages 40 FPS, showing that the game becomes more dependent on resolution than settings. The Ultra preset averages 26 FPS, which is a poor experience. This data confirms that 4K gaming is not a practical option for this combination, even with the lowest settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the nature of the bottleneck. At High settings, the frame rate falls from 87.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 61.6 FPS at 2560x1440, a 25.9 FPS reduction. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is steeper, falling to 40 FPS, a 21.6 FPS decrease. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound system, where the rendering load increases exponentially with pixel count.

The data shows that the GTX 1070 is the primary limiting component. The CPU's high benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39000 and a single-core score of 5505, indicate it has ample headroom for this game. The frame rate drops are almost entirely due to the GPU's inability to process the increased pixel data. The fact that the difference between Low and High settings at 4K is only 11.8 FPS (51.8 vs 40) further confirms this, as the GPU is saturated regardless of the visual complexity. This means that reducing resolution is the only effective way to gain significant performance with this combo.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, along with 30 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 39000 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5505 in single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Core i7-13700KF, scores 47334, which is nearly identical, with a delta of -0.1%.

In Greedfall, this CPU is never the bottleneck. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales with resolution and settings in a way that is consistent with GPU limitations. The CPU's high single-thread performance, indicated by its 3dmark single-thread score of 1136 and Passmark single-thread score of 4333, ensures it can feed the GPU with data efficiently. The processor's 125W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a powerful component, but in this specific game, its capabilities far exceed the demands placed on it. The system's rank of 1422 out of 1705 combos is a direct result of the GPU's mid-range standing, not the CPU. This pairing demonstrates that a high-end CPU cannot compensate for an older GPU in a graphically intensive title like Greedfall.