Greedfall

# Greedfall with Intel Core i7-13700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a robust Greedfall experience across all tested resolutions, with the data showing a clear progression from playable 4K to high-refresh 1080p performance. The combo ranks 1584th out of 3703 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of systems evaluated for this title. Benchmark results indicate that this pairing handles the game's demands effectively, though the scaling patterns between resolutions reveal where each component's strengths and limitations manifest.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor built on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It features a 30 MB shared L3 cache, with 2 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core. The processor's 10 nm process node and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility position it as a high-end desktop part, and its benchmark scores reflect that standing—the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and single-core score of 2116 demonstrate strong computational throughput.

In Greedfall, an Action RPG from 2019, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage game logic, physics, and AI. The 3DMark scores show the processor scales well with thread count: 2-thread score of 2262, 4-thread score of 4469, 8-thread score of 8193, 16-thread score of 10717, and a max-thread score of 12412. This scaling indicates that the CPU handles both lightly threaded and heavily threaded workloads competently, which is relevant for a game that may not fully utilize all 16 cores but benefits from strong single-thread performance.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 89th versus all CPUs places it near the top of the market, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (deltaPct -0.2), AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (deltaPct -0.3), AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (deltaPct 0.5), and Intel Xeon w3-2535 (deltaPct 0.5). These tight delta percentages—all within 0.5%—suggest that the i7-13700K's average benchmark score of 46881 is essentially on par with these alternatives, meaning CPU performance should not be a differentiator in Greedfall's frame rates at most settings.

At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 204 FPS average, which is high enough that CPU overhead could theoretically become a factor. However, the single-thread score of 1136 in 3DMark and 4333 in PassMark indicates strong per-core capability, so the CPU is unlikely to bottleneck even at these elevated frame rates. The PassMark multi-thread score of 45887 reinforces that the processor has ample headroom for any background tasks while gaming.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which preset delivers the best experience at each resolution. At 3840x2160, the High preset produces 60 FPS average, which is the minimum threshold for smooth gameplay on many displays. The Medium preset yields 66 FPS average with a minimum of 56 and maximum of 76, offering a slight buffer above the 60 FPS target. Ultra drops to 38 FPS average, which is below the playable threshold for most users, while Low pushes to 84 FPS but sacrifices visual quality unnecessarily.

For 2560x1440, the High preset achieves 101 FPS average, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors. Medium delivers 111 FPS average with a minimum of 94 and maximum of 128, providing a more consistent experience if frame pacing is a concern. Low reaches 141 FPS, and Ultra falls to 64 FPS—still playable but with diminishing returns on visual fidelity versus the frame rate cost.

At 1920x1080, all presets exceed 90 FPS, with High at 146 FPS, Medium at 160 FPS (minimum 136, maximum 184), Low at 204 FPS, and Ultra at 93 FPS. The best experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1080p, which balances a 160 FPS average with a minimum above 136 FPS, ensuring no noticeable dips during intense combat sequences. The Ultra preset at 1080p is the only option that dips below 100 FPS, suggesting that the visual improvements from Ultra settings are not worth the frame rate penalty.

The data indicates that High is the optimal preset for 4K, as it hits exactly 60 FPS average without the variability seen in Medium's 56 FPS minimum. For 1440p, High or Medium both work well, with the choice depending on whether the user prefers higher average frame rates (High at 101) or tighter minimums (Medium at 94 vs. High's unlisted minimum). At 1080p, Medium offers the best combination of high average and high minimum frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 38 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold typically considered smooth for action games.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for Greedfall?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combo ranks 1584th out of 3703 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of systems evaluated for this game.

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

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers 101 FPS average, while Medium provides 111 FPS with a minimum of 94 and maximum of 128. Either is suitable, but Medium offers a higher minimum frame rate.

Q: Does the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM limit performance at 4K?

A: The data shows playable frame rates at 4K High (60 FPS) and Medium (66 FPS), but the 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth may contribute to the drop to 38 FPS at Ultra, where higher texture and detail settings increase memory pressure.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Low compared to 4K Ultra?

A: The 1080p Low preset achieves 204 FPS average, which is approximately 5.4 times faster than the 38 FPS at 4K Ultra, highlighting the significant impact of resolution on performance.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking versus all CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K sits at the 89th percentile versus all CPUs, and its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, is only 0.2% behind in average benchmark score.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1584 out of 3703 tested combinations places it in the 57th percentile of all configurations measured for Greedfall. This mid-tier ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual components' strong benchmark positions—the CPU at the 89th percentile and the GPU at the 61st percentile. The discrepancy suggests that Greedfall's performance characteristics may not fully leverage the strengths of this particular pairing.

The CPU's nearest rivals all cluster within 0.5% of its average benchmark score, indicating that processor choice among these top-tier options has minimal impact on overall system performance in this game. The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (deltaPct 0.7), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (deltaPct 1), AMD Radeon HD 7970M (deltaPct 1.1), and NVIDIA Tesla K40c (deltaPct -1.5). These deltas show the RTX 3070's average benchmark score of 17208 is within 1.5% of these alternatives, suggesting that Greedfall's frame rates are more dependent on the specific game engine's optimization than on raw GPU compute differences.

The rank distribution implies that many other combos achieve higher frame rates in Greedfall, potentially due to configurations with more VRAM or different architecture characteristics that better match the game's requirements. However, the measured FPS data shows this combo still delivers smooth experiences at most settings and resolutions, with only 4K Ultra falling below 60 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA104 chip, manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. It features 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, 96 ROPs, 46 RT cores, and 184 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1725 MHz, and its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s provide substantial compute capability for Greedfall's rendering demands. The pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s is particularly relevant at higher resolutions, as it determines how quickly the GPU can fill the framebuffer. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3162 and PassMark G3D score of 22214 position the GPU in the 61st percentile versus all GPUs.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to keep the GPU fed, but at 4K, the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth become the limiting factors. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for High and Medium presets at 4K (60 and 66 FPS respectively), but the Ultra preset's 38 FPS suggests that either VRAM capacity or memory bandwidth becomes a constraint at maximum settings.

The GPU's benchmark scores relative to its nearest rivals—all within 1.5%—indicate that the RTX 3070 is a well-balanced mid-range performer. However, the measured FPS data in Greedfall shows that this GPU can handle 1440p High at 101 FPS and 1080p Ultra at 93 FPS, demonstrating that it has sufficient headroom for high-refresh gaming at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low preset achieves 204 FPS average, followed by Medium at 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 184. High reaches 146 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 93 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 111 FPS, representing a 54% reduction in performance when enabling maximum visual settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low produces 141 FPS average, Medium delivers 111 FPS (minimum 94, maximum 128), High achieves 101 FPS, and Ultra falls to 64 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 77 FPS difference, with the Ultra preset barely maintaining 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope narrows significantly. Low yields 84 FPS average, Medium produces 66 FPS (minimum 56, maximum 76), High achieves 60 FPS, and Ultra drops to 38 FPS. This resolution demonstrates the most dramatic impact of settings changes, with a 46 FPS spread between Low and Ultra.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions: 136-184 at 1080p, 94-128 at 1440p, and 56-76 at 4K. This consistency suggests that Medium provides the most predictable frame pacing, which is valuable for maintaining smooth gameplay during combat sequences where frame time spikes can occur.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important information about which component limits performance at each resolution. At Low settings, the system goes from 204 FPS at 1080p to 141 FPS at 1440p to 84 FPS at 4K—a 59% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the progression is 146 FPS to 101 FPS to 60 FPS—a 59% reduction as well. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 93 FPS to 64 FPS to 38 FPS—a 59% reduction.

The consistent 59% reduction across all presets indicates that resolution scaling is uniform, regardless of visual complexity. This pattern suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU's performance is unaffected by resolution changes. The RTX 3070's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 165.6 GPixel/s pixel rate become increasingly strained as pixel count increases from 2.07 million at 1080p to 8.29 million at 4K.

However, the fact that the CPU maintains high frame rates at 1080p Low (204 FPS) without bottlenecking suggests that the i7-13700K has ample headroom even in this CPU-sensitive scenario. The 3DMark max-thread score of 12412 and single-thread score of 1136 indicate that the processor can sustain frame generation well above the GPU's capabilities at lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern also shows that the Ultra preset's 38 FPS at 4K is disproportionately low compared to High's 60 FPS—a 37% reduction for one settings tier. This non-linear drop suggests that Ultra settings introduce rendering features that heavily tax the GPU's resources, potentially exceeding the 8 GB VRAM capacity or overwhelming the memory bandwidth. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 56 at 4K, while lower than High's unlisted minimum, still provides a playable experience, indicating that the GPU's limitations are most pronounced at maximum settings.