Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019, presents a demanding workload for modern hardware. This analysis examines the performance data of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the Intel Arc B570, based on measured frame rates across resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p, the combo achieves 130 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 92 FPS on High. Moving to 1440p, the same settings yield 90 FPS and 64 FPS, respectively. At 4K, the numbers fall further to 54 FPS and 38 FPS. This progression shows a roughly linear reduction in performance as pixel count increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p represents a 1.78x increase in pixel count, yet the FPS drop is only about 30% on High settings (from 92 to 64). This suggests the system is not fully GPU-limited at 1080p, as the frame rate does not scale inversely with pixel count. The drop from 1440p to 4K is steeper, with a 2.25x pixel increase causing a 40% FPS reduction on High (64 to 38). This indicates the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Looking at the Medium preset, which has both min and max FPS data, the scaling pattern is consistent. At 1080p Medium, the average is 102 FPS with a min of 87 and max of 117. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 71 FPS with a min of 60 and max of 81. The 4K Medium average is 42 FPS with a min of 36 and max of 48. The min-to-max range tightens as resolution increases, suggesting more consistent frame pacing at higher pixel counts where the GPU is more uniformly saturated.

The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling. It delivers 59 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and just 24 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below playable thresholds, indicating this combo cannot handle the game's maximum settings at that resolution. The data suggests that the Intel Arc B570's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor at 4K, while at 1080p, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has enough headroom to keep the GPU well-fed.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, codenamed Battlemage, using a 5 nm process from TSMC. It features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. The GPU operates at a fixed clock speed of 2500 MHz for both base and boost, which is notable for a modern graphics card. Memory is 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1080p, the CPU is likely the primary driver, as evidenced by the substantial FPS headroom. However, by 4K, the GPU's throughput limits performance. The 4K High average of 38 FPS and Ultra average of 24 FPS demonstrate that the 10 GB frame buffer and 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are insufficient for smooth 4K gameplay at higher presets.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 0.1% higher, and the Intel Arc A750, which scores 0.1% lower. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5% behind, while the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 0.4% ahead. These close margins indicate the Arc B570 sits in a specific performance tier, and its Greedfall results reflect that positioning.

The 19.6 billion transistors on a 272 mm² die yield a density of 72.1M per mm². The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6, which covers the API requirements for Greedfall. The 150 W TDP and dual-slot design with a single 8-pin power connector are standard for this class of card. The 380.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is a key specification, as Greedfall's open-world environments can be texture-heavy, and the measured FPS at 4K suggests the bandwidth is a constraining factor at that resolution.

FAQ

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

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 92 FPS.

Q: Does the combo achieve playable frame rates at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 54 on Low to 24 on Ultra. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS, which is borderline playable, but High and Ultra presets fall below 40 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 20556, which is 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and 0.1% higher than the Intel Arc A750.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum measured FPS is 60, with an average of 71 and a maximum of 81.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at High settings shows only a 30% FPS drop despite a 78% pixel increase, indicating the system is not fully GPU-limited at 1080p. This suggests the CPU has sufficient headroom at that resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 59. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 41 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 24 FPS. Therefore, 1080p is the only resolution where Ultra settings maintain a playable average frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2344 out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, specifically around the 20th percentile from the top. The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier positioning, as the CPU is a high-end desktop processor.

The CPU itself is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64640. Its nearest rivals are the AMD EPYC 4464P, which scores 0.3% higher, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, which scores 0.3% lower. The AMD EPYC 7343 is 0.7% ahead, and the AMD EPYC 9124 is 0.7% behind. This indicates the CPU is performing near the top of its class, yet the overall combo rank is dragged down by the GPU's more modest standing.

The GPU's 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556, is the limiting factor for this combo's position. The rank of 2344 out of 2938 suggests that while the CPU is capable, the GPU prevents the system from achieving higher frame rates in Greedfall. The delta between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's mid-tier percentile explains this ranking: the system is balanced toward CPU-heavy workloads, but Greedfall requires more GPU throughput at higher settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process from TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role is most pronounced at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 130 FPS, which is a high frame rate that requires strong single-thread performance. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score is 5960, and its Passmark single-thread score is 4689, indicating robust single-threaded capability. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz is likely the key factor here, as Greedfall's game logic and draw call processing benefit from high clock speeds.

The CPU's multi-threaded performance is also substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 and a Passmark multithread score of 49682. However, Greedfall does not appear to be heavily multi-threaded, as the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is more consistent with GPU limitations. The 20 cores and 20 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks, but they do not directly translate to higher frame rates in this game compared to the GPU's influence.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel configuration provides 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This is sufficient for feeding the GPU at 1080p, as evidenced by the high frame rates at that resolution. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 lanes ensures the GPU has adequate bandwidth for data transfer, though the Arc B570 itself uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which is less demanding.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across settings is as follows: Low delivers 130 FPS, Medium delivers 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117, High delivers 92 FPS, and Ultra delivers 59 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 71 FPS, showing a significant performance cost for higher presets.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 90 FPS, Medium at 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 and maximum of 81, High at 64 FPS, and Ultra at 41 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with an average reduction of about 30%. The Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS, which is a notable threshold for many players.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 54 FPS, Medium at 42 FPS with a minimum of 36 and maximum of 48, High at 38 FPS, and Ultra at 24 FPS. The 4K results show that only the Low preset maintains an average above 50 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 36 FPS indicates potential stuttering in demanding scenes, while High and Ultra are below playable standards.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data at all resolutions. The range from min to max is 30 FPS at 1080p (87 to 117), 21 FPS at 1440p (60 to 81), and 12 FPS at 4K (36 to 48). This tightening range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes more consistently saturated, reducing frame time variance but also lowering the average.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution. At 1080p, the High preset at 92 FPS provides a smooth experience with good visual quality. The Ultra preset at 59 FPS is playable but approaches the 60 FPS threshold, so players prioritizing frame rate smoothness may prefer High. The Medium preset at 102 FPS offers a high frame rate with reduced visual fidelity, but the High preset is recommended for the best balance.

At 1440p, the High preset at 64 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maintains a playable frame rate above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 71 FPS offers a slight performance boost, but the visual quality difference is minimal. The Ultra preset at 41 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in less responsive gameplay, so it is not recommended for this resolution.

At 4K, the Low preset at 54 FPS is the only viable option for a reasonably smooth experience. The Medium preset at 42 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets at 38 and 24 FPS, respectively, are not recommended due to sub-30 FPS averages. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant settings compromises, and players should expect to use Low or Medium presets at most.

For the best overall experience, the 1080p High preset delivers 92 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides a good visual experience. The 1440p Medium preset at 71 FPS is also a strong option for players with 1440p displays, offering a balance between resolution and frame rate. The Ultra preset is only recommended at 1080p, where it achieves 59 FPS, and players should avoid it at higher resolutions.