Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019, presents a demanding environment for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination. The benchmark data reveals a system that is decisively GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while showcasing the CPU's ability to push very high frame rates at 1080p. The measured results show a clear hierarchy across settings and resolutions, with the pairing landing in the 57th percentile of tested combos for this title, indicating a mid-pack performance tier that prioritizes high refresh rates over maximum visual fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K paints a stark picture of where the performance bottleneck lies. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system produces an average of 119 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, that figure drops by 30% to 83 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls another 41% to 49 FPS. This steep, compounding decline as pixel count increases is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 2070 SUPER is being tasked with an exponentially larger workload, and its rendering throughput becomes the limiting factor.

The data for Low settings reinforces this analysis. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 167 FPS, which drops to 116 FPS at 1440p and further to 69 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops (31% and 41% respectively) are remarkably consistent with the High preset, despite the reduced graphical load. This consistency suggests that even when the visual effects are minimized, the GPU is still the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 10 threads, is not the limiting factor here; it is providing frames faster than the GPU can render them.

The scaling pattern implies that the Core Ultra 5 225 has significant headroom. The fact that the system can hit 167 FPS at 1080p Low shows the CPU's capability for high-refresh-rate gaming. However, the GPU's performance ceiling is reached quickly as resolution increases. For a player targeting 4K, the experience will be playable but not smooth at High settings, with the average FPS dipping below 50. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this title, but the raw compute power of the TU104 chip is what limits 4K performance. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates, rather than 4K, where it becomes a compromise.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Greedfall with this combo for a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo averages 119 FPS. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average drops to 83 FPS. For a 144Hz monitor, 1080p is the safer choice, while 1440p is still viable for a 75Hz or 100Hz display.

Q: How much of a performance hit comes from enabling Ultra settings?

A: The measured FPS shows a significant cost. At 1920x1080, moving from High to Ultra drops the average from 119 FPS to 76 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 2560x1440, the drop is from 83 FPS to 53 FPS, a 36% reduction as well. At 3840x2160, Ultra settings yield only 31 FPS, down from 49 FPS on High.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a bottleneck for the RTX 2070 SUPER in this game?

A: No, the benchmark data indicates the opposite. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 167 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit. However, the consistent performance drops at higher resolutions point to the GPU being the primary constraint. The CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the GPU's rendering speed limits performance as resolution scales.

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

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, scores 20480, which is 1% higher. The GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20534 (1.2% higher), and the Intel Arc B570 scores 20556 (1.3% higher). This places the 2070 SUPER in a tight performance cluster with these cards.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of this GPU among all tested GPUs?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER sits in the 65th percentile. This means that, based on the aggregate benchmark data, it performs better than 65% of all GPUs in the database, but it is outclassed by the top 35%.

Q: What kind of frame rate can I expect at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 54 FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. The minimum FPS recorded was 46, and the maximum was 63, indicating some variance but a generally playable experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the clear performance arbiter in this pairing for Greedfall. Its specifications, including 2560 shading units and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, dictate the frame rates at higher resolutions. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for the game's textures at 1440p but may be a limiting factor at 4K with Ultra settings. The data shows that the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 yields only 31 FPS, a figure that suggests the GPU's compute and memory resources are overwhelmed by the combined load of high resolution and maximum visual effects.

The GPU's general performance percentile of 65 places it in the upper-mid range of the database. Its nearest rivals, including the Intel Arc B570 and GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, score within 1.5% of it, showing that the 2070 SUPER is still competitive with newer hardware in synthetic benchmarks. In Greedfall specifically, the GPU's role is to render the detailed environments and character models. The scaling from 69 FPS at 4K Low to 49 FPS at 4K High shows that even modest increases in graphical fidelity have a substantial impact on the GPU's workload. This is a game where the GPU is the primary component to upgrade if higher resolutions or settings are desired, as the CPU is clearly capable of providing more frames than the GPU can render. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1651 for the GPU further contextualizes its compute capabilities in a modern DX12 workload, which aligns with its performance in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1672 out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall. This places the system in the 57th percentile of all pairings, indicating that it performs better than a majority of systems tested but is far from the top tier. This mid-pack ranking is logical given the components' individual standings. The CPU ranks in the 85th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 65th percentile against all GPUs. The combo's overall rank is dragged down by the GPU, which is the weaker link in this specific game.

The rank suggests that this system is competitive with a wide range of hardware. It would likely outperform systems with older or lower-tier GPUs, but it will be outclassed by those with high-end cards like the RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT. The data for this combo shows a balanced pairing, but one where the GPU's 65th percentile performance is the deciding factor in its overall position. In a game like Greedfall, which is demanding on the GPU, the system's rank is more closely tied to the graphics card than the CPU. The 57th percentile rank is a reasonable outcome for a mid-range GPU paired with a strong, modern CPU, suggesting that users will get a solid, but not exceptional, experience relative to all other possible combinations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: Average FPS is 167. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for this preset.
• Medium: Average FPS is 131. The minimum recorded was 112 FPS, and the maximum was 151 FPS.
• High: Average FPS is 119. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for this preset.
• Ultra: Average FPS is 76. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for this preset.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average FPS is 116. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for this preset.
• Medium: Average FPS is 91. The minimum recorded was 77 FPS, and the maximum was 105 FPS.
• High: Average FPS is 83. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for this preset.
• Ultra: Average FPS is 53. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for this preset.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average FPS is 69. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for this preset.
• Medium: Average FPS is 54. The minimum recorded was 46 FPS, and the maximum was 63 FPS.
• High: Average FPS is 49. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for this preset.
• Ultra: Average FPS is 31. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for this preset.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 30-35% of the average FPS, and the step from 1440p to 4K costs another 40-45%. The Medium preset at 1440p (91 FPS) is the highest resolution and setting combination that maintains an average above 90 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K (31 FPS) is the most demanding, resulting in a stuttery, unplayable experience by modern standards. The minimum FPS values for the Medium preset at 1080p (112 FPS) and 1440p (77 FPS) show that the system maintains reasonably stable frame times, avoiding severe dips.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal experience for this combo depends on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset is the clear winner, offering an average of 119 FPS. This provides a smooth experience on a 120Hz or 144Hz monitor. Upgrading to Ultra drops the average to 76 FPS, which is a significant 36% reduction in performance for a visual gain that may be marginal in a fast-paced game. The Medium preset at 131 FPS is also viable, but High delivers a better visual experience while still maintaining a frame rate above 115 FPS. The Low preset's 167 FPS is only useful for competitive play, which is not the focus of an Action RPG.

For 2560x1440, the High preset again provides the best balance, with an average of 83 FPS. This is smooth on a 75Hz or 100Hz monitor. The Medium preset at 91 FPS is also a strong option if a higher refresh rate is desired, but the visual quality reduction from High to Medium is more noticeable than the frame rate gain. The Ultra preset at 53 FPS is playable on a 60Hz screen but will feel less fluid. At 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Ultra preset is not viable, with an average of only 31 FPS. The High preset at 49 FPS is borderline, but the Medium preset at 54 FPS is the most practical option for maintaining a playable frame rate. The recommendation is to stick with the High preset for 1080p and 1440p, and to drop to Medium settings only when pushing 4K resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225, with its 10 cores and 10 threads, plays a supporting role in Greedfall's performance. Its strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, is crucial for maintaining high frame rates. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 167 FPS, a figure that is likely near the CPU's limit with this GPU. The CPU's boost clock of 4.90 GHz helps ensure that the game's main logic and AI routines are processed quickly, preventing a CPU-side bottleneck.

However, the CPU's role becomes less critical as resolution increases. The consistent frame rate drops when moving from 1080p to 4K are entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering workload. The Core Ultra 5 225 is not a limiting factor in this scenario. Its general performance percentile of 85, with an average benchmark score of 36938, places it well above the RTX 2070 SUPER in relative performance. The CPU is effectively providing more than enough headroom for the GPU to work at its maximum potential. In this game, the CPU is a capable partner that ensures frame delivery is not a constraint, allowing the GPU's performance to be the sole determinant of the final frame rate. The Passmark multithread score of 30459 and single-thread score of 4412 further confirm its balanced capabilities for gaming workloads.