Greedfall

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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture, fabricated on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It runs at a base clock of 3.90 GHz and boosts to 5.50 GHz, with 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core. Its memory bandwidth is rated at 102.4 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface. These specifications place the CPU in the 97th percentile among all processors in the benchmark database, with an average benchmark score of 79,102.

In Greedfall, the CPU’s role is most visible at lower resolutions and higher frame rates. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 302.7 FPS on average, a figure that far exceeds what a GPU-bound workload would typically produce. This suggests the 265K provides enough single-thread and multi-thread throughput to keep the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti fed, even when the GPU is working at its least demanding settings. The processor’s single-core score of 7,060 in Cinebench R23 and multi-core score of 50,009 reinforce its capability to handle both the game’s simulation logic and the rendering thread overhead.

Comparing the 265K to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, the data shows a narrow spread. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF scores 79,240 on average, a delta of -0.2% relative to the 265K. The Intel Core i9-14900KF also sits at -0.2% with 79,245, while the Intel Core i9-14900K is -0.9% behind with 79,824. Even the AMD EPYC 7413, a server-class chip, trails by only -1.2% at 80,041. These small deltas mean the 265K is not a bottleneck in Greedfall; its performance is virtually interchangeable with its closest competitors for this title’s workload.

The 20-core configuration is notable because Greedfall, as an Action RPG from 2019, does not scale perfectly across many threads. However, the high boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures that lightly threaded tasks—such as physics, AI, and game logic—execute with minimal latency. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,904 confirms strong per-core performance, which is often more critical for older game engines than raw core counts.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank among tested configurations for Greedfall?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 166th out of 1,705 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the top 10% of all configurations tested.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to its closest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 52,086, which is exactly 0% different from the RTX 4080 at 52,085. The AMD Radeon RX 7700S is 0.8% higher at 52,505, while the NVIDIA RTX A1000 is 2.5% higher at 50,826, and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% lower at 53,414. The GPU sits in the 87th percentile among all graphics cards.

Q: What FPS can be expected at 1440p with High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo averages 150.1 FPS. This is a strong result for a demanding resolution, indicating the system is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming.

Q: Does the CPU hold back performance at 1080p?

A: No. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 302.7 FPS average, and with Medium settings it achieves 242.4 FPS. These numbers show the CPU is not a limiting factor, as the frame rates scale consistently with GPU load.

Q: How does the Ultra 7 265K’s synthetic score compare to the i9-14900K?

A: The Ultra 7 265K averages 79,102 in benchmark scores, while the i9-14900K averages 79,824. The delta is -0.9%, meaning the 265K is marginally slower in aggregate synthetic tests, but this difference is negligible for gaming workloads.

Q: What is the 265K’s percentile ranking among all CPUs?

A: The 265K is in the 97th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,102. This places it near the top of the desktop processor hierarchy.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 166 out of 1,705 tested configurations places it comfortably in the upper echelon of Greedfall systems. This rank reflects the balance between the 265K’s high CPU throughput and the RTX 5070 Ti’s graphics power. The CPU’s 97th percentile standing and the GPU’s 87th percentile standing both contribute to this strong position, but the rank also accounts for how the two components interact in this specific game.

What stands out in the ranking data is that the combo achieves this position despite Greedfall being a title from 2019, which may not fully utilize modern hardware features like hardware ray tracing or DLSS. The game’s engine appears to favor high single-thread performance, which the 265K delivers via its 5.50 GHz boost clock, while also benefiting from the GPU’s raw rasterization throughput. The 166th rank out of 1,705 combos means that only about 9.7% of all tested systems perform better in Greedfall, proof of the hardware’s overall capability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). At 1080p, the average frame rates are 302.7 FPS on Low, 242.4 FPS on Medium, 216.9 FPS on High, and 139.8 FPS on Ultra. At 1440p, the averages drop to 208.4 FPS on Low, 164.4 FPS on Medium, 150.1 FPS on High, and 94.4 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the averages are 127.3 FPS on Low, 100.6 FPS on Medium, 88.5 FPS on High, and 56.3 FPS on Ultra.

These numbers show a consistent scaling pattern across all three resolutions. The largest absolute gap between Low and Ultra is at 1080p, where the difference is 162.9 FPS (302.7 vs 139.8). At 1440p, the gap narrows to 114.0 FPS (208.4 vs 94.4), and at 4K, it narrows further to 71.0 FPS (127.3 vs 56.3). This pattern suggests that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor, reducing the impact of settings changes on absolute frame rates.

The High preset at 1080p delivers 216.9 FPS, which is 77.1 FPS below the Low preset but still well above typical high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p, High produces 150.1 FPS, and at 4K, High produces 88.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, at 56.3 FPS, indicating that maximum settings at 4K may require additional optimization or a lower resolution for smoother gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

Examining how frame rates scale from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the bottleneck in this system. For the High preset, the average FPS drops from 216.9 at 1080p to 150.1 at 1440p, a reduction of 30.8%, and then to 88.5 at 4K, a further reduction of 41.1% from 1440p. For the Low preset, the drop is 31.1% from 1080p to 1440p (302.7 to 208.4) and 38.9% from 1440p to 4K (208.4 to 127.3). For the Medium preset, the drop is 32.2% from 1080p to 1440p (242.4 to 164.4) and 38.8% from 1440p to 4K (164.4 to 100.6). For the Ultra preset, the drop is 32.5% from 1080p to 1440p (139.8 to 94.4) and 40.4% from 1440p to 4K (94.4 to 56.3).

The consistent pattern of roughly 30-32% reductions from 1080p to 1440p and 39-41% reductions from 1440p to 4K indicates that the rendering workload scales predictably with pixel count. The fact that these percentages are similar across all settings presets suggests that the system is not hitting a hard CPU ceiling at any resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the frame rate gaps between resolutions to shrink at higher settings, where GPU load increases. Instead, the gaps remain proportionally consistent, pointing to the GPU as the primary scaling factor.

However, the absolute frame rates at 1080p—302.7 FPS on Low, 242.4 FPS on Medium, and 216.9 FPS on High—are high enough that CPU overhead could become relevant at the very top end. The 265K’s single-thread score of 7,060 in Cinebench R23 and multi-thread score of 50,009 suggest it has ample headroom, and the data shows no signs of a CPU-induced plateau. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p to 4K is smooth, with no anomalous jumps that would indicate a bottleneck shift.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings based on the target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 139.8 FPS, which is more than sufficient for most high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at 216.9 FPS offers a substantial margin for competitive play or for users with 240 Hz monitors, while the Medium preset at 242.4 FPS provides an even higher ceiling. For 1080p gaming, the High preset is the best balance, as it maintains excellent visual quality while keeping frame rates far above the 144 Hz threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 94.4 FPS, which is playable but may dip below the refresh rate of 144 Hz panels. The High preset at 150.1 FPS is the recommended choice for 1440p, as it delivers smooth, high-refresh-rate performance with only a modest visual compromise compared to Ultra. The Medium preset at 164.4 FPS offers an alternative for users who prioritize maximum frame rates, while the Low preset at 208.4 FPS is best reserved for esports-style play or when extreme responsiveness is needed.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset falls to 56.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 88.5 FPS is the clear recommendation for 4K, providing a solid margin above 60 FPS while retaining high visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 100.6 FPS further improves the experience for users with 120 Hz 4K displays, and the Low preset at 127.3 FPS maximizes performance for those who prioritize frame rate above all else at this resolution.

Across all resolutions, the High preset offers the most balanced experience. It consistently maintains frame rates well above 60 FPS at every resolution tested, and it does so without the performance penalty of Ultra. The Ultra preset is only advisable at 1080p, where the 139.8 FPS average remains smooth, but at higher resolutions, the visual gains from Ultra are not worth the significant frame rate drops. For most users, the High preset is the optimal choice, delivering the best combination of image quality and performance in Greedfall.