Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for mobile hardware, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 produces a broad spectrum of performance across resolutions and presets. The measured data indicates a configuration that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, capable at 1440p, but increasingly constrained at 4K, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck in the most demanding scenarios. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results, contextualizes them against rival hardware, and offers practical settings guidance based solely on the provided data.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 160 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 111 FPS, a 31% reduction, and then to 66 FPS at 4K Low, a further 41% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep decline as pixel count rises strongly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the limiting component; the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s rendering throughput becomes the ceiling as resolution increases.

The scaling is even more pronounced at higher settings. At Ultra, the average FPS falls from 73 at 1080p to 51 at 1440p (a 30% drop) and then to 30 at 4K (a 41% drop from 1440p). The fact that the percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is similar across Low and Ultra presets suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are being saturated consistently, regardless of the visual complexity. The 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus, with a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s, are likely contributing factors at 4K, where texture data and frame buffer requirements escalate sharply.

At 1080p, the data suggests the CPU is more relevant. The jump from Low (160 FPS) to Medium (126 FPS) to High (114 FPS) shows a performance cost per preset tier, but the fact that even Ultra holds 73 FPS means the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, is not holding the system back. The CPU’s benchmark percentile of 93 versus all CPUs, and an average benchmark score of 63173, places it in a strong position to feed frames at lower resolutions. The real story is that 4K Ultra, at 30 FPS average, is the only truly unplayable configuration, while 4K High at 47 FPS is borderline, and 4K Medium at 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS is the most viable 4K option.

The data indicates that for a smooth experience, users should target 1440p or 1080p. At 1440p High, the 79 FPS average is a solid result, while 1440p Medium at 87 FPS offers a slight edge. The minimum FPS figures, where provided, show that 1440p Medium has a floor of 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. In contrast, the 4K Medium minimum of 44 FPS would be noticeable in action-heavy scenes. The scaling behavior confirms that this is a GPU-limited platform for Greedfall, and resolution choices should be made with the RTX 4060’s capabilities in mind.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the defining component in this system’s gaming performance. Its role is characterized by a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, operating on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivers a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s, which is a modest figure for 4K gaming but adequate for 1080p and 1440p. The GPU’s benchmark results, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 and a Passmark G3D score of 19545, place it in the 61st percentile versus all GPUs, indicating a mid-range performer.

In Greedfall, the GPU’s limitations are most evident at 4K. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 30, which is exactly half of the 1080p Ultra result of 73 FPS. This halving of performance with a quadrupling of pixel count is a clear sign that the GPU’s fillrate and memory bandwidth are overwhelmed. The 4K High result of 47 FPS and 4K Medium of 52 FPS further illustrate that even lowering settings cannot fully compensate for the resolution’s demands. The GPU’s pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s are simply not sufficient for 4K Ultra in a game like Greedfall, which has dense environments and effects.

Conversely, at 1080p, the RTX 4060 shows its strength. The Low preset’s 160 FPS average demonstrates that the GPU can push high frame rates when not constrained by resolution. The Medium preset at 126 FPS and High at 114 FPS are both excellent results for a mobile GPU. The 1440p results, with High at 79 FPS and Medium at 87 FPS, suggest that the GPU has enough headroom to handle a moderate resolution increase without a major compromise in smoothness. The data shows that the RTX 4060 is best utilized at 1080p for maximum refresh rates, or at 1440p for a balanced experience, but it is not a 4K-capable part for this title beyond Low settings.

The GPU’s VRAM capacity of 8 GB is a critical factor. At 4K, high-resolution textures and larger frame buffers can easily exceed this amount, leading to potential stuttering or texture thrashing. While the measured FPS data does not explicitly show VRAM-related issues, the significant drop from 4K Medium (52 FPS) to 4K High (47 FPS) suggests that the additional memory pressure from higher-quality assets impacts performance. The GPU’s memory clock of 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) is also a limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the 128-bit bus cannot move data as quickly as wider-bus alternatives.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Greedfall with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the best resolution for high frame rates, with all presets except Ultra exceeding 100 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 2560x1440 is viable, with High and Medium presets averaging 79 and 87 FPS respectively. 3840x2160 is only playable at Low settings (66 FPS) or Medium (52 FPS), with Ultra dropping to 30 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU has an average benchmark score of 63173, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-13790F (63080) and 0.7% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (62738). It is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G (63331) and 0.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 (62839). This places it in a tightly contested mid-range mobile CPU tier.

Q: Is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 a strong performer relative to other GPUs?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639 and sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, which is 0.2% higher, while the AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, 0.3% lower. This indicates the RTX 4060 is a solid mid-range part, though not a high-end one.

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

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The only 4K preset with an average above 60 FPS is Low, at 66 FPS. Medium averages 52 FPS, High averages 47 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, 4K is not recommended; 1440p or 1080p are better choices.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 160 FPS, while Ultra produces 73 FPS. This represents a 54% reduction in frame rate from Low to Ultra. Medium (126 FPS) and High (114 FPS) sit in between, offering a more moderate trade-off between visual fidelity and performance.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 4K, the FPS drops significantly across all presets, indicating the GPU is maxed out. At 1080p, the high frame rates (up to 160 FPS) suggest the CPU has enough headroom to keep the GPU fed, but the 20-core, 20-thread Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is not the limiting factor in any measured scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Greedfall, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2262 out of 3703 total combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the ranking, which is consistent with the GPU’s mid-range standing. The RTX 4060’s percentile of 61 versus all GPUs and the CPU’s percentile of 93 versus all CPUs highlight a mismatch: the processor is a top-tier mobile part, but the graphics card is not, and the overall combo ranking reflects the GPU’s limitations in this specific game.

The rank of 2262 out of 3703 means that roughly 39% of tested combos perform better in Greedfall, while 61% perform worse. This is a below-average result for a modern mobile setup, but it is important to consider the context. The CPU is exceptionally strong, as evidenced by its average benchmark score of 63173, which is 0.7% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX and 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-13790F. However, Greedfall’s engine appears to be more GPU-intensive, so the CPU’s strength does not translate into a high combo rank.

The data shows that the combo’s performance is heavily dependent on the resolution and settings chosen. At 1080p Low, the 160 FPS average would likely rank much higher than the overall combo rank suggests. Conversely, at 4K Ultra, the 30 FPS average would rank much lower. The single aggregate rank of 2262 is a compromise across all measured scenarios, and it underscores that this system is not optimized for the highest-end 4K experiences. For users who prioritize frame rates at 1080p or 1440p, this combo would perform better than the rank implies, but for 4K enthusiasts, it would be disappointing.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (0.2% higher score) and the AMD Radeon 780M (0.3% lower score), which are both older or integrated parts. This suggests that the RTX 4060’s performance is closely matched by significantly cheaper or less powerful hardware in synthetic tests, though the real-world Greedfall results may differ. The combo rank of 2262, when combined with the GPU’s 61st percentile, indicates that this is a mainstream gaming laptop configuration, not a high-end enthusiast one.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s resolution and frame rate priorities. For 1920x1080, the High preset is the best choice for most users, delivering an average of 114 FPS. This provides a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience without the visual compromises of Low or Medium. The Ultra preset at 73 FPS is still playable, but the 36% performance drop from High may not be worth the visual gains, especially in a game like Greedfall where the art style is not heavily dependent on ultra-level effects.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is recommended, with an average of 87 FPS and a minimum of 74 FPS. This ensures that frame times stay above the 60 FPS threshold for most of the gameplay. The High preset at 79 FPS is also viable, but the minimum FPS is not provided, and the lower average suggests it may dip below 60 FPS in intense scenes. The Ultra preset at 51 FPS is not recommended for a consistent experience, as it falls below the 60 FPS target.

For 3840x2160, the only playable option is Low, which averages 66 FPS. The Medium preset at 52 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 44 FPS, which would be noticeable during combat or exploration. The High preset at 47 FPS and Ultra at 30 FPS are not recommended for any serious gameplay. Users who want to play at 4K should stick to Low settings and accept the visual downgrade, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

The data indicates that the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions, with the exception of 4K where Low is the only smooth option. At 1080p, Medium’s 126 FPS is excellent, and at 1440p, its 87 FPS is strong. The High preset is a good choice for 1080p, but at 1440p, it starts to show strain. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p, where it still manages 73 FPS, but its 30 FPS result at 4K makes it a poor choice for higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across settings is as follows: Low delivers 160 FPS, Medium delivers 126 FPS, High delivers 114 FPS, and Ultra delivers 73 FPS. The Medium preset has a recorded minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS, indicating a stable frame time distribution. No minimum or maximum values are provided for the Low, High, or Ultra presets at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 111 for Low, 87 for Medium, 79 for High, and 51 for Ultra. The Medium preset again has the only recorded minimum and maximum, at 74 FPS and 100 FPS respectively. This shows a narrower performance envelope compared to 1080p, with the gap between Low and Ultra widening to 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 66 for Low, 52 for Medium, 47 for High, and 30 for Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 60 FPS. This is the only resolution where even the Low preset drops below 100 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to a barely interactive 30 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent reduction in performance, with the most dramatic drop occurring between 1440p and 4K.

The data reveals that the step from Low to Medium costs roughly 21% performance at 1080p (160 to 126 FPS), 22% at 1440p (111 to 87 FPS), and 21% at 4K (66 to 52 FPS). The step from Medium to High is smaller, costing 10% at 1080p (126 to 114 FPS), 9% at 1440p (87 to 79 FPS), and 10% at 4K (52 to 47 FPS). The step from High to Ultra is the largest, costing 36% at 1080p (114 to 73 FPS), 35% at 1440p (79 to 51 FPS), and 36% at 4K (47 to 30 FPS). This consistent pattern suggests that the Ultra preset introduces a significant rendering load that the RTX 4060 cannot handle efficiently, regardless of resolution. The Medium preset offers the most efficient balance, with the smallest incremental cost from Low, while High provides a moderate visual upgrade at a reasonable cost.