Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti pairing. The benchmark data shows a system that is overwhelmingly capable, delivering playable frame rates at even the most demanding settings, but the scaling patterns reveal a complex relationship between the CPU, GPU, and the game's engine. This analysis will break down the measured performance across resolutions and settings to understand where the bottlenecks lie and what the data implies for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The progression from 1080p to 4K shows a significant performance drop, but the magnitude of that drop is highly dependent on the graphics preset. At High settings, the system produces 174.7 FPS at 1920x1080, 120.5 FPS at 2560x1440, and 76 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 31% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 37% drop when moving to 4K. The scaling is steep and consistent, which points to the GPU becoming an increasingly dominant factor as pixel count rises.

However, the Low preset tells a different story. Here, the system achieves 248.6 FPS at 1080p, 171.3 FPS at 1440p, and 104 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are similar, but the absolute frame rates are much higher. This indicates that even at 4K with Low settings, the GPU is not being pushed to its absolute limit, as the frame rate remains well above 100 FPS. The fact that the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to hit 248.6 FPS at 1080p suggests that it is not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The Ultra preset reveals the true strain on the GPU. At 1080p, the system manages 113.1 FPS, which drops to 77.9 FPS at 1440p and plummets to 47 FPS at 4K. This 58% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K is a clear sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 3080 Ti, with its 12 GB of memory, is being overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical fidelity. The data suggests that for this game, the CPU has ample headroom, and the limiting component at high resolutions and settings is definitively the GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The gap is substantial. At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 171.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 77.9 FPS. This represents a 54.5% performance deficit when maxing out the settings, showing the heavy cost of the Ultra preset's visual enhancements.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Greedfall?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160, the High preset achieves a solid 76 FPS, which is smooth for most players. The Low preset is even faster at 104 FPS. However, the Ultra preset drops to 47 FPS, which may be below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience on high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does the CPU's single-core performance compare to its multi-core performance?

A: The Core i7-14700K shows a significant difference. In Cinebench R23, it scores 6287 points in the single-core test and 44534 points in the multi-core test. This indicates that while it has massive parallel processing power, its single-threaded capability is also strong, which is crucial for older game engines.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 Ti's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for Greedfall?

A: Based on the measured data, yes. The card's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, with a 384-bit bus width and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth, is more than enough to handle the game's demands. The frame rates at 4K High (76 FPS) suggest that VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor in this title.

Q: What is the system's overall ranking among tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 471 out of 1705 tested combinations in Greedfall. This places it in the top 27.6% of all systems, indicating that it is a high-end configuration that outperforms the majority of others tested.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 3090?

A: The data shows they are extremely close. The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41224, while the RTX 3090 scores 41441. This gives the RTX 3080 Ti a deltaPct of -0.5%, meaning it is essentially neck-and-neck with the RTX 3090 in synthetic benchmarks.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip. Its specifications are formidable: 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The card operates at a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz. The memory subsystem is a key strength, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, delivering a massive 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This high bandwidth is crucial for feeding the GPU's 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role is clearly dominant. The benchmark data shows that the frame rate scales inversely with both resolution and settings, a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. For instance, at 1080p, the difference between Low (248.6 FPS) and Ultra (113.1 FPS) is 135.5 FPS, highlighting the GPU's workload increase. The card's 80 RT cores and 320 Tensor cores are present, but this game, released in 2019, does not appear to leverage ray tracing heavily, as the performance drop from High to Ultra is more about traditional rendering effects.

The RTX 3080 Ti's percentile ranking of 83 among all GPUs confirms its high-end status. Its synthetic benchmark scores, such as 26896 in Passmark G3D, align with its strong gaming performance. The memory clock of 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective) and the 384-bit bus are fully utilized at 4K, as evidenced by the 76 FPS at High settings. The data implies that for a game like Greedfall, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, and its 12 GB VRAM buffer is sufficient to prevent any memory-related stutters at the tested resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast across all presets. The Low preset leads with 248.6 FPS, followed by Medium at 196.8 FPS, High at 174.7 FPS, and Ultra at 113.1 FPS. Even at Ultra, the frame rate is high enough for a 120Hz monitor, but the jump from High to Ultra costs 61.6 FPS, a significant penalty for the extra visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive. The Low preset delivers 171.3 FPS, Medium achieves 134.4 FPS, and High reaches 120.5 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 77.9 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction of roughly 30-35% for each preset, which is expected as the pixel count increases by 77%. The system remains highly playable at this resolution on all but the most demanding preset.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. Low settings still produce a very respectable 104 FPS, and Medium dips to 81.9 FPS. High settings manage 76 FPS, which is smooth for a 60Hz display. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 47 FPS, which is below 60 and may introduce noticeable judder. The data shows a clear hierarchy: the RTX 3080 Ti is comfortable at 4K with optimized settings, but Ultra is reserved for those who prioritize visuals over frame rate.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Raptor Lake-R architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its cache hierarchy is robust, with 2 MB of L2 per core and a shared 33 MB L3 cache. This CPU is a powerhouse, ranking in the 96th percentile among all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 scores of 44534 (multi-core) and 6287 (single-core) demonstrate its dual strengths in both multithreaded and single-threaded workloads.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The evidence is in the frame rates at 1080p Low, where the system hits 248.6 FPS. This high number indicates that the CPU can process game logic and draw calls quickly enough to not bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions. The single-core performance is particularly relevant here, as many game engines, especially those from 2019, rely heavily on a few main threads. The i7-14700K's strong single-core score of 6287 ensures that these threads are handled with minimal delay.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which is essentially identical with a deltaPct of 0, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which is 0.5% faster on average. The i7-14700K's 125W TDP is a modest power draw for its performance level. The data suggests that in Greedfall, the CPU is never the limiting factor. Even at 1080p with the Low preset, the frame rate is likely capped by the GPU's rendering speed rather than the CPU's processing power, as the GPU is still generating over 240 frames per second.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Analyzing the measured rows, the optimal preset depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p users with a high-refresh-rate monitor (144Hz or more), the High preset at 174.7 FPS is the best choice, as it provides a smooth experience while retaining good visual quality. The Medium preset at 196.8 FPS is also viable, but High offers a better balance of fidelity and speed. The Ultra preset at 113.1 FPS is playable but represents a 35% frame rate drop from High for diminishing visual returns.

For 1440p, the High preset at 120.5 FPS is the standout recommendation. It delivers a frame rate that is perfect for a 120Hz monitor and looks significantly better than Low or Medium. The Medium preset at 134.4 FPS is a great alternative for those who prefer a higher frame rate buffer. The Ultra preset at 77.9 FPS is still smooth for a 60Hz display but is not ideal for competitive play.

For 4K, the High preset at 76 FPS is the most balanced option. It provides a solid 60+ FPS experience with good visual details. The Medium preset at 81.9 FPS is also excellent, offering a slight performance edge over High. The Low preset at 104 FPS is the best choice for maximizing frame rate at 4K, but it sacrifices visual quality. The Ultra preset at 47 FPS is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience, as it falls below the 60 FPS target.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 471 out of 1705 tested combinations in Greedfall. This places the system in the upper 27.6% of all configurations tested, confirming its high-end status. The ranking confirms the raw power of both components, but it also suggests that there are other combinations that perform better in this specific game.

Given the GPU's benchmark scores, the RTX 3080 Ti sits just behind the RTX 3090 (deltaPct of -0.5%) and the RTX 5070 (deltaPct of -1.1%). This suggests that the GPU is a top-tier performer, but not the absolute fastest. The CPU's ranking is more impressive, as it is in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival, the i7-14700KF, being statistically identical.

The 471st rank implies that while this system is excellent, the game may be more sensitive to GPU performance than CPU. Since the RTX 3080 Ti is outclassed by the RTX 3090 and newer cards, the combo does not crack the top 400. However, the data shows that this system is far above the average, and for most users, the performance will be more than satisfactory. The ranking is a useful metric for comparing against other builds, but the actual measured FPS shows that this is a very capable gaming machine.