Greedfall

Greedfall, the 2019 Action RPG from Spiders, presents a demanding mix of environments and NPC counts that stress both CPU and GPU. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. The data shows a configuration that is capable of high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions but requires careful settings management at higher pixel counts.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 941st out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall. This places the pairing in the middle of the distribution, indicating that while it is not a top-tier enthusiast setup, it is far from a low-end configuration. The rank is a composite measure, reflecting that the RTX 4060's overall performance percentile of 66 is the limiting factor compared to the CPU's much stronger standing.

The CPU itself is a powerhouse. Its average benchmark score of 47282 places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals, the data shows a tightly contested field. The Intel Core i7-13700KF scores a near-identical 47334, a delta of only -0.1% from the 13700K. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is just 0.5% ahead, and the AMD EPYC 4364P is 0.3% ahead. The Intel Core i9-12900F trails by a mere 0.4%. This means the 13700K is providing effectively the same processing power as its closest competitors, ensuring that the GPU is the primary determinant of the combo's rank.

In contrast, the GPU's average benchmark score of 23181 is only in the 66th percentile. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, scores 23321, which is 0.6% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti is also 0.7% higher, while the Intel Arc B580 and AMD Radeon 760M are 0.7% and 0.8% lower, respectively. These small deltas confirm that the RTX 4060 is performing exactly as expected for its class. Therefore, the combo's mid-pack rank is a direct result of a high-performing CPU being paired with a mid-range GPU, which bottlenecks the system in a GPU-bound title like Greedfall at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features the AD107 chip fabricated on a 5 nm process. Its memory configuration is a key factor in its performance profile. It comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This is a modest memory subsystem, and the data suggests it could be a limiting factor at 4K resolution where texture data demands are highest.

Clock speeds are relatively high, with a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz. The memory operates at an effective speed of 17 Gbps. These clocks allow the GPU to achieve a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s. The 3072 shading units are arranged to deliver 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power. These specifications are well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role is central. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern where performance scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 1080p, the GPU can push very high frame rates, indicating it is not fully saturated. However, at 4K, performance drops significantly, suggesting that the combination of the 8 GB VRAM capacity and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is being stressed. The transition from 1440p High (91.3 avg FPS) to 4K High (55.6 avg FPS) is a 39% drop, which is a steeper decline than the raw pixel count increase, pointing to memory bandwidth or capacity becoming a bottleneck at the higher resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. The goal is to maintain a smooth experience without sacrificing visual fidelity unnecessarily.

For 1920x1080, the High preset is the clear sweet spot. It delivers an average of 129.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and even suitable for 120Hz displays. The jump to Ultra provides diminishing returns, costing a significant 36% performance for a visual upgrade that may be subtle in a game like Greedfall. The Medium preset, at 141.9 FPS, offers a slight boost but the High preset provides a better balance of visual quality and performance.

At 2560x1440, the High preset remains the best choice for a high-refresh experience, yielding 91.3 FPS. This is an excellent result for 1440p gaming. The Medium preset provides a modest bump to 99 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often more noticeable. The Ultra preset is not recommended here, as it drops to 57.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Ultra preset is not viable, with an average of only 36.8 FPS. The High preset, at 55.6 FPS, is just shy of the 60 FPS standard. The Medium preset (57.5 FPS) is nearly identical to High. The Low preset (75 FPS) is the only option that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, but it comes with significant visual compromises. For a 60Hz 4K display, the High or Medium presets are playable, but users seeking a smoother experience should consider the Low preset or lowering the resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete frame rate data reveals a consistent performance hierarchy across all resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the RTX 4060 shows its strength. The Low preset achieves an average of 182.7 FPS, indicating a massive headroom for high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset delivers 141.9 FPS, while the High preset, as mentioned, offers 129.4 FPS. The Ultra preset brings a significant performance penalty, dropping the average to 82.7 FPS. This demonstrates a 100 FPS difference between the Low and Ultra presets at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down as expected. The Low preset still produces a very playable 123.6 FPS. The Medium preset hits 99 FPS, and the High preset is close behind at 91.3 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 57.8 FPS. This resolution shows that the High preset is the most balanced option, providing high frame rates without the steep cost of Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened by the Ultra settings. The average frame rate drops to 36.8 FPS, which is not a smooth experience for an action RPG. The High and Medium presets are nearly identical, with 55.6 FPS and 57.5 FPS respectively. This suggests that the performance limit is not solely based on shader complexity but also on memory bandwidth, as the two presets yield similar results. The Low preset provides the only 4K experience above 60 FPS, with an average of 75 FPS. This data shows that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4060 is best paired with the Low preset, or the user should accept a sub-60 FPS experience on higher settings.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K + RTX 4060 combo good for 1080p gaming in Greedfall?

A: Yes. The data shows excellent performance at 1920x1080. Even the High preset delivers an average of 129.4 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay and high refresh rates. The Ultra preset still provides 82.7 FPS, so all settings are viable at this resolution.

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

A: It is playable, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 55.6 FPS and the Medium preset averages 57.5 FPS, both just below 60 FPS. The Ultra preset is not playable, with an average of 36.8 FPS. Only the Low preset, at 75 FPS, provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS at 4K.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: The performance hit is significant but expected. For example, on the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 129.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 91.3 FPS at 2560x1440. This is a reduction of approximately 29%, which reflects the increased pixel count.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 60 FPS target at 1440p?

A: The High preset is the best choice. It averages 91.3 FPS, providing a comfortable buffer above the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset drops to 57.8 FPS, which is below 60 FPS, so High is the optimal choice for a stable and visually appealing experience.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K is effectively tied with its nearest competitors. Its average benchmark score is 47282. The Intel Core i7-13700KF is 0.1% faster, the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is 0.5% faster, and the AMD EPYC 4364P is 0.3% faster. The Intel Core i9-12900F is 0.4% slower. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: Does the GPU's memory configuration affect performance in Greedfall?

A: The data suggests it does at high resolutions. The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. At 3840x2160, the performance difference between the High and Medium presets is minimal (55.6 vs 57.5 FPS), which indicates the GPU may be hitting a memory bandwidth limit rather than a shader processing limit. At 1080p and 1440p, this is less of a constraint.