Greedfall

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a fascinating case study in Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG that stresses both CPU and GPU in different ways depending on the resolution. The measured FPS data offers a clear narrative: the system is remarkably capable at 1080p, but the demands of 4K resolution expose the GPU as the limiting factor. This analysis dissects the measured frames to understand where the bottleneck lies, how this combination ranks among all tested setups, and what settings provide the most playable experience.

Resolution Scaling

The most immediate observation from the data is the dramatic impact of resolution on average FPS. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo delivers an average of 59 FPS, but this plummets to 24 FPS at 3840x2160 with the same preset. This is a 59.3% drop in performance when moving from 1080p to 4K, which strongly indicates that the rendering resolution is the primary constraint at higher quality settings. The pattern is consistent across all presets: Low settings show a drop from 130 FPS at 1080p to 54 FPS at 4K, Medium drops from 102 FPS to 42 FPS, and High drops from 92 FPS to 38 FPS.

This scaling behavior points directly at the GPU as the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The Intel Arc B570, with its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus, has a memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. As the pixel count increases from 2.07 million (1080p) to 8.29 million (4K), the demand on memory bandwidth and fill rate grows exponentially. The GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s, while respectable for 1080p, are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 24 FPS is notably below the 30 FPS threshold often considered a minimum for playability, suggesting the GPU is overwhelmed.

Conversely, the scaling from 1440p to 1080p is much less severe. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 64 at 2560x1440 to 92 at 1920x1080, a 43.8% improvement. This non-linear scaling pattern is typical of a system where the CPU has ample headroom. The Intel Core i7-14700K, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is able to feed frames quickly at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes the wall as resolution climbs. The data implies that for this combination, 1440p is the realistic ceiling for high-refresh-rate gaming, while 4K is only viable at Low settings, where the 54 FPS average is borderline playable.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of CPU and GPU holds a combo rank of 2344 out of 2938 tested combos for Greedfall. This places it in the 20th percentile of all tested pairings, which is a surprisingly low position given the individual component benchmarks. The Intel Core i7-14700K sits in the 94th percentile for all CPUs, and the Intel Arc B570 is in the 65th percentile for all GPUs. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU should theoretically rank higher, but the data suggests that Greedfall may be particularly sensitive to GPU raw power rather than CPU throughput.

The nearest rivals for the CPU provide context for its compute capability. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X has an average benchmark score of 69515, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-14700K's 69355. Similarly, the AMD EPYC 9115 is 0.1% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.7% ahead. The i7-14700K is 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F. These are marginal differences in synthetic benchmarks, indicating that the CPU is not a differentiator in this pairing. For the GPU, the nearest rival is the Intel Arc A750, with an average score of 20582, which is 0.1% higher than the B570's 20556. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1% ahead, while the AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5% behind.

The low combo rank, despite solid component-level scores, implies that the pairing has a specific weakness in Greedfall. The data shows the GPU's average benchmark score is 20556, but its percentile rank is only 65. This suggests that while the B570 performs adequately in synthetic tests, its real-world gaming performance, particularly in this title, may not scale as expected. The rank of 2344 out of 2938 suggests that many other combinations, likely with more balanced CPU-GPU pairings, achieve higher frame rates in this specific game.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and the Battlemage generation, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. The GPU has a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, which is identical, indicating a fixed operating point. Its memory subsystem is 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The FP32 performance is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS, which is a key metric for raw compute throughput.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role is pivotal at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's memory bandwidth is likely the constraining factor at 4K. For example, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 24, which is only 40.7% of the 1080p Medium result of 102 FPS. This disproportionate drop is a sign that the GPU is running out of memory bandwidth or fill rate. The 160-bit bus, while efficient for a mid-range card, limits the data throughput compared to wider buses found in higher-tier GPUs.

The GPU's TDP is 150 W, and it requires a 450 W power supply, which is modest for modern standards. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as the Passmark G3D score of 14195, places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. This indicates it is a capable mid-range card, but its 10 GB VRAM and 160-bit bus are modest for 4K gaming. The data from Greedfall confirms this, as the card can only achieve playable frame rates at 4K with Low settings. The GPU's clock behavior is static at 2500 MHz, which may limit its ability to boost under load, but this is a design choice that ensures consistent performance rather than variability.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice for a high-refresh-rate experience, delivering an average of 59 FPS. While not reaching 144 Hz, it is perfectly playable for an Action RPG. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 102 FPS, which is a significant improvement for those with 144 Hz monitors, but the visual fidelity drop is notable. The Low preset at 130 FPS is only recommended for competitive play or if extremely high frame rates are desired.

At 2560x1440, the High preset provides an average of 64 FPS, which is a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. The Medium preset offers 71 FPS, but the difference in visual quality is minimal compared to the FPS gain. The Ultra preset drops to 41 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for most gamers, so it is not recommended unless visual fidelity is the absolute priority. The Low preset at 90 FPS is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the game will look noticeably less detailed.

For 3840x2160, the options are limited. The Low preset is the only playable choice, with an average of 54 FPS. The Medium preset at 42 FPS is borderline, but the minimum FPS of 36 suggests occasional stutters. The High preset at 38 FPS is not recommended, and the Ultra preset at 24 FPS is unplayable. Therefore, for 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option for a smooth experience, and even then, it may not hold a locked 60 FPS. The data suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, with High settings providing a good balance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured FPS data reveals consistent patterns across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 130 at Low to 59 at Ultra. The Medium preset has an average of 102 FPS, with a minimum of 87 and a maximum of 117, indicating a stable frame time. The High preset averages 92 FPS. At 2560x1440, the range is from 90 at Low to 41 at Ultra. The Medium preset averages 71 FPS, with a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 81. High averages 64 FPS. At 3840x2160, the range is from 54 at Low to 24 at Ultra. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 and a maximum of 48. High averages 38 FPS.

The data shows a clear linear progression: as settings increase from Low to Ultra, the average FPS decreases at every resolution. The most significant drop occurs between Medium and Ultra at each resolution. For example, at 1080p, the drop from Medium (102 FPS) to Ultra (59 FPS) is a 42.2% reduction. At 4K, the drop from Medium (42 FPS) to Ultra (24 FPS) is a 42.9% reduction. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive on the GPU, such as advanced lighting or shadows.

The minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution: 87 at 1080p, 60 at 1440p, and 36 at 4K. These minimums are close to the averages, indicating that the frame pacing is generally smooth. However, the lack of minimum data for other presets means we cannot assess their frame stability. The maximum FPS values for Medium are 117, 81, and 48 at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively, which are consistent with the averages.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. The CPU has a TDP of 125 W and uses the Intel Socket 1700.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role is less critical than the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling. At 1080p, the CPU must keep up with the GPU's frame generation. The i7-14700K's multi-threaded performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 at 33440.5 points, is more than sufficient for a game from 2019. Its single-thread score of 2160 in Cinebench R23 is also strong, ensuring that the game's main simulation thread is not a bottleneck. The CPU's 33 MB of L3 cache is likely beneficial for game assets that need to be accessed quickly.

The benchmark data for the CPU shows a 94th percentile ranking, meaning it outperforms 94% of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, have nearly identical average scores, with a delta of -0.2%. This indicates that the i7-14700K is at the very top of consumer CPU performance. However, in Greedfall, this raw power is not fully utilized, as the bottleneck is on the GPU side. The fact that the combo rank is low (2344 out of 2938) despite the CPU being high-end suggests that the game is not CPU-bound at any resolution tested. The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are likely underutilized, as the game may not be optimized for such high thread counts, but it still ensures no CPU-related stutters.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Greedfall?*

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, the average FPS is 64, which is playable, while at Low settings it reaches 90 FPS. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are higher, but 1440p offers a better balance of visual quality and performance.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Greedfall?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 54. At Medium settings, the average drops to 42 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutters. High and Ultra settings are not recommended for 4K, as they average 38 and 24 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the Arc A750 has an average score of 20582, which is 0.1% higher than the B570's 20556. This indicates they have nearly identical raw performance, though the B570 has a newer architecture.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU is in the 94th percentile and has ample headroom, while the GPU's performance drops significantly as resolution increases, indicating it cannot keep up with the pixel workload.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 59. This is a solid frame rate for a single-player Action RPG, though it may not be sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Greedfall?*

A: This combo ranks 2344 out of 2938 tested combos. This is a low ranking, suggesting that many other pairings achieve higher frame rates, likely due to the GPU's mid-range positioning despite the CPU's high-end performance.