Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical preset. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, using measured frame rate data to isolate the roles of the CPU and GPU and provide actionable settings guidance.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear and substantial drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 226 FPS at 1080p to 157 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 69 FPS. Moving to 4K, the average drops further to 94 FPS, which is 132 FPS lower than the 1080p result. This scaling pattern indicates that the system is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, as the pixel count increase directly translates into a near-linear performance cost.

The trend is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate goes from 318 FPS at 1080p to 220 FPS at 1440p and finally to 131 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is 187 FPS, a more substantial drop than the 132 FPS difference observed at High settings. This suggests that at lower settings, where the GPU is less burdened by shading work, the relative impact of the resolution increase becomes even more pronounced.

The data implies that the RTX 4080 is the primary bottleneck at 4K, as the workload scales almost directly with the number of pixels. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, exceeding 300 FPS at Low settings, which suggests that the CPU and GPU are both highly capable but the GPU is still the limiting factor in most scenarios. The performance deltas between 1440p and 4K are larger than those between 1080p and 1440p, which is consistent with the geometric increase in pixel count. This behavior is typical for a GPU-bound title, where the graphics card's rendering throughput dictates the final output.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this configuration for Greedfall. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s, which is sufficient for the game's assets at all tested resolutions. The GPU's architecture, Ada Lovelace, is built on a 5 nm process from TSMC, and its boost clock is rated at 2505 MHz. These specifications contribute to its high benchmark scores, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567 and a Passmark G3D score of 34457.

The GPU's percentile ranking versus all GPUs is 86, indicating that it performs better than the majority of graphics cards in the database. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, has an average score that is 0.1% higher, showing that the performance difference between the two is negligible in synthetic benchmarks. The data suggests that the RTX 4080 is a very high-end part, which is reflected in its ability to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra, where it still manages an average of 60 FPS.

Given that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, its clock speeds and memory bandwidth are the key factors determining performance. The boost clock of 2505 MHz allows for high compute throughput, while the 716.8 GB/s bandwidth ensures that texture and geometry data can be fed to the processing cores without stalling. The measured frame rates show that the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution, reinforcing its role as the main rendering engine in this pairing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K serves as the platform's processor, providing 16 cores and 24 threads with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its architecture, Raptor Lake, is built on a 10 nm process. While the GPU handles the bulk of the rendering, the CPU is responsible for game logic, physics, and draw calls. The benchmark results show that this CPU is highly capable, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 30745 and a single-core score of 2116.

The CPU's percentile ranking versus all CPUs is 89, and its average benchmark score is 46881. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, has an average score of 46971, which is only 0.2% higher. This indicates that the i7-13700K is positioned among the top-tier processors in the database. In Greedfall, the high single-thread performance is likely more critical than the multicore capabilities, as many game engines rely heavily on a few primary threads.

The data from the resolution scaling suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at 1080p, where the system achieves over 300 FPS at Low settings. Even at 4K, where the GPU is stressed, the CPU is still able to feed the graphics card with enough data to maintain an average of 60 FPS at Ultra settings. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and high boost clock help to minimize latency and ensure smooth frame delivery, particularly in scenes with many NPCs or complex interactions. The measured results indicate that this processor provides ample headroom for the RTX 4080 in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 holds a rank of 254 out of 3703 tested combos for Greedfall. This places it in the top 7% of all configurations tested, indicating a very high-performance pairing. The high rank is a direct result of both components being in the top percentile of their respective categories, with the CPU at the 89th percentile and the GPU at the 86th percentile.

The combination's performance is consistent with its component-level benchmarks. The GPU's average score of 54247 and the CPU's average score of 46881 both contribute to a system that can handle the most demanding settings at high resolutions. The rank of 254 suggests that while there are faster configurations, this pairing is well above the median and can deliver a premium gaming experience. The data shows that this combo is balanced, with neither component being a significant weak point in the context of this game.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score that is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080, indicating nearly identical performance.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 226 FPS at 1920x1080 to 94 FPS at 3840x2160, a difference of 132 FPS.

Q: Is this CPU or GPU combo more likely to be the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, as frame rates scale significantly with resolution.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking compared to all other CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs in the database.

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

A: The only minimum FPS values provided are for Medium settings, which are 88 FPS at 4K, 147 FPS at 1440p, and 212 FPS at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured average frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K displays, the High preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 94 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to an average of 60 FPS, which is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset at 4K offers a middle ground with 103 FPS, but High provides a better balance of visual quality and performance.

At 1440p, all presets are highly playable. The High preset achieves an average of 157 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 100 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS and provides the best visual fidelity. For users with 1440p 144Hz displays, the High or Ultra preset will allow the system to fully utilize the display's capabilities.

At 1080p, the system is capable of extremely high frame rates. The High preset averages 226 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 318 FPS. Even the Ultra preset maintains an average of 145 FPS. For competitive play or high refresh rate monitors, the Low or Medium presets will maximize performance. For a single-player RPG like Greedfall, the High preset at 1080p offers the best combination of visual detail and performance, as the frame rate is already well above the refresh rate of most standard monitors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: 60 FPS average.
• High: 94 FPS average.
• Medium: 103 FPS average, with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS.
• Low: 131 FPS average.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: 100 FPS average.
• High: 157 FPS average.
• Medium: 173 FPS average, with a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 199 FPS.
• Low: 220 FPS average.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: 145 FPS average.
• High: 226 FPS average.
• Medium: 249 FPS average, with a minimum of 212 FPS and a maximum of 287 FPS.
• Low: 318 FPS average.