Greedfall

# Greedfall Performance Analysis: Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + Intel Arc B570

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 delivers a playable but not exceptional experience in Greedfall, with the data showing a clear pattern of performance that varies significantly across resolutions and quality presets. The combo ranks 2344 out of 2938 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of systems tested for this Action RPG. The benchmark results reveal a system that can handle 1080p gaming comfortably but struggles to maintain fluid frame rates at higher resolutions, with the GPU appearing to be the primary limiting factor in most scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 brings 10 cores and 10 threads to this pairing, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This Arrow Lake-S architecture processor, built on TSMC's 3 nm process, sits in the 85th percentile among all CPUs in the benchmark database, indicating strong overall processing capability. The CPU's Cinebench R23 scores of 25891 multi-core and 3655 single-core suggest it has ample processing headroom for a game like Greedfall, which was released in 2019 and does not demand extreme multi-threading performance.

Looking at the nearest rivals for this CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F scores essentially identically with a 0% delta, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D trails by 0.2% and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 by 0.4%. The Intel Core i9-12900T is 0.5% behind. This clustering of scores around the 37,000 average benchmark mark suggests the Ultra 5 225 is performing right in line with expectations for its class, neither overachieving nor underdelivering relative to its competition.

In Greedfall specifically, the CPU's role appears to be largely supportive rather than limiting. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 130 FPS average, which is the highest recorded number across all tested configurations. If the CPU were a bottleneck at this resolution and settings level, we would expect to see frame rates capped at a lower value regardless of GPU headroom. The fact that FPS scales significantly when moving from Low to Medium to High at 1080p (130 to 102 to 92 FPS) indicates the GPU is the component driving performance differences at these settings.

The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4412 and multi-thread score of 30459 provide context for its gaming performance. Modern games, including action RPGs like Greedfall, often rely heavily on single-thread performance for game logic and physics calculations. With a Cinebench R20 single-core score of 891, this processor demonstrates solid per-core capability that should not create noticeable bottlenecks in this title. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide adequate memory hierarchy for game data access patterns.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the more consequential component in this pairing, and the data suggests it is the primary determinant of Greedfall's performance envelope. This Battlemage-generation GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. With 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, the GPU operates at a consistent 2500 MHz for both base and boost clocks, producing 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance.

The GPU's benchmark profile places it in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% ahead), Intel Arc A750 (0.1% behind), NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (0.4% ahead), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (0.5% behind). This positioning suggests the B570 is a mid-range performer that can handle modern games at reasonable settings but will not dominate demanding titles.

In Greedfall, the GPU's 10 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's demands at all tested resolutions and settings. The measured FPS data shows the GPU being pushed to its limits at higher resolutions, particularly at 4K where even Low settings only produce 54 FPS average. The 380.0 GB/s memory bandwidth appears adequate for this game, as we do not see unusual frame rate collapses that would indicate memory bandwidth starvation. The GPU's 18 ray tracing cores are present but Greedfall does not appear to leverage ray tracing based on the available data, so these cores likely sit idle during gameplay.

The PassMark G3D score of 14195 and DirectX 11 score of 118 indicate this GPU is well-suited for the DirectX 11 rendering path that games from this era commonly use. The GPU's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) provides forward compatibility, but for Greedfall, the legacy rendering paths appear to be the ones that matter most based on the performance characteristics observed.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling pattern in the measured data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at High settings, the average FPS drops from 92 to 64 to 38, representing a 30.4% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a further 40.6% decrease from 1440p to 4K. This scaling curve is steep and consistent with a system where the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions above 1080p.

At Low settings, the frame rate scaling is even more pronounced: 130 FPS at 1080p, 90 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop of 30.8% is nearly identical to the High settings drop, suggesting that at Low settings, the GPU is still the bottleneck. The 1440p to 4K drop of 40.0% at Low settings is also consistent with the High settings pattern. This consistency across settings levels indicates that resolution scaling is primarily driven by GPU rendering load rather than any settings-specific effect.

The Medium settings data provides the most complete picture, with minimum and maximum FPS values recorded alongside averages. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 102 FPS with a range of 87 to 117 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 71 FPS with a range of 60 to 81 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 42 FPS with a range of 36 to 48 FPS. The frame time consistency, as evidenced by the min-max ranges, remains relatively stable across resolutions, suggesting the GPU maintains consistent performance without sudden stuttering or frame pacing issues.

The Ultra settings data shows the most dramatic resolution scaling: 59 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 24 FPS average is the lowest recorded value in the entire dataset and represents a 59.3% drop from the 1080p Ultra result. This steep decline at Ultra settings indicates that the combination of high resolution and maximum quality settings overwhelms the GPU's capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Examining the measured FPS data across all settings presets, the Medium settings at 1440p emerge as the strongest balance point for this hardware combination. The 71 FPS average at 1440p Medium, with a minimum of 60 FPS and maximum of 81 FPS, demonstrates that the system can maintain playable frame rates while providing a resolution that takes advantage of modern displays. The 60 FPS minimum ensures that the experience stays above the threshold where frame rate drops become noticeable.

For 1080p gaming, the High settings preset at 92 FPS average provides an excellent experience with room to spare. The 92 FPS figure is well above the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay, and the visual quality improvement from Medium (102 FPS) to High (92 FPS) comes at a relatively modest 9.8% performance cost. Players who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum frame rates could consider Ultra settings at 1080p, where the 59 FPS average is just below the 60 FPS mark but still playable.

At 4K, the data suggests that only Low settings (54 FPS) approach playability, and even then, the frame rate is not ideal for a smooth experience. The 4K Medium result of 42 FPS and 4K High result of 38 FPS fall below the 60 FPS threshold that defines smooth gameplay, while 4K Ultra at 24 FPS is clearly not a viable option. Players with 4K displays would need to accept significant compromises in visual quality or consider reducing their display resolution.

The 1440p Medium setting stands out as the recommended configuration because it delivers a frame rate (71 FPS) that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS while providing a resolution that balances sharpness with performance. The 1440p High setting at 64 FPS is also viable, offering slightly better visuals at a 9.9% performance cost. The progression from Low to Medium to High at 1440p (90, 71, 64 FPS) shows diminishing returns in visual quality for the performance investment beyond Medium settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2344 out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the 79.7th percentile of all tested configurations. This ranking means that approximately 20% of tested system combinations perform worse than this pairing, while 80% perform better. The rank position is notable because it falls below what the individual component percentiles might suggest, with the CPU sitting at the 85th percentile and the GPU at the 65th percentile among their respective categories.

This discrepancy between component-level percentiles and the in-game combo ranking suggests that Greedfall's performance is more heavily influenced by the GPU than the CPU. The CPU's strong standing among processors (85th percentile) does not translate into a correspondingly high combo ranking because the GPU's more modest position (65th percentile) drags the overall system performance down. This pattern is consistent with the resolution scaling analysis, which identified the GPU as the primary bottleneck.

The combo ranking also reflects the game's age and optimization profile. Greedfall, being a 2019 title, does not leverage the latest multi-threading capabilities or advanced GPU features that more recent games might use. The Intel Arc B570's modern architecture may not be optimally utilized by this older game engine, potentially explaining why the combo ranking is lower than the GPU's individual benchmark percentile might suggest. The PassMark DirectX 10 score of 65 and DirectX 9 score of 164 for the GPU indicate that legacy API performance is variable, which could impact an older game like Greedfall.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Greedfall with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p with Medium settings provides the best experience, achieving 71 FPS average with a minimum of 60 FPS. This configuration delivers smooth gameplay while maintaining a higher resolution than 1080p, where the system has more headroom but lower visual clarity.

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

A: The 4K results are marginal at best. Low settings achieve 54 FPS average, Medium settings 42 FPS, High settings 38 FPS, and Ultra settings 24 FPS. Only the Low settings preset approaches playable frame rates, and even that falls short of the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does this GPU compare to its closest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, 0.1% ahead of the Intel Arc A750, 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, and 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M390X.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more limiting in Greedfall?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. This is evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution at the same settings, such as the 30.4% decrease from 1080p to 1440p at High settings, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with different quality settings?

A: The measured results show 130 FPS at Low, 102 FPS at Medium, 92 FPS at High, and 59 FPS at Ultra settings. All except Ultra settings provide frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The CPU scores 3655 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 25891 in multi-core, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4412. The single-core performance is adequate for gaming workloads, while the multi-core performance supports other demanding tasks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 130 FPS, Medium settings yield 102 FPS with a range of 87 to 117 FPS, High settings achieve 92 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 59 FPS. The 1080p results demonstrate that this resolution is well within the system's capabilities, with even High settings maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance remains playable but with reduced headroom. Low settings average 90 FPS, Medium settings produce 71 FPS with a range of 60 to 81 FPS, High settings achieve 64 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 41 FPS. The 1440p results show a clear step down from 1080p, with Medium settings being the highest preset that consistently stays above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 54 FPS, Medium settings produce 42 FPS with a range of 36 to 48 FPS, High settings achieve 38 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 24 FPS. The 4K results reveal that this resolution exceeds the hardware's comfortable performance envelope, with even Low settings failing to reach 60 FPS.

The complete dataset shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, with the most dramatic drop occurring between 1440p and 4K. The Medium settings preset at each resolution provides the most complete data, including minimum and maximum FPS values, which helps characterize the frame rate stability. The min-max ranges at Medium settings remain relatively tight across all resolutions, indicating consistent performance without major frame rate spikes or drops.