Greedfall

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus pairs with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 to deliver a high-refresh-rate experience in Greedfall, with the data showing a clear shift in system bottleneck as resolution increases. This combination of a 24-core Arrow Lake Refresh processor and a Blackwell 2.0 GPU provides a robust foundation for the 2019 Action RPG, though the optimal settings depend heavily on whether you prioritize frame rate or visual fidelity.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, which are the figures that matter most for gaming responsiveness. The processor’s 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample on-die storage for game assets, while its dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth ensures the CPU can feed data to the GPU without stalling. The CPU’s 125 W TDP and 17,800 million transistors indicate a high-end part, and its benchmark percentile of 96 versus all CPUs confirms its top-tier status.

In the context of Greedfall, the CPU’s role is primarily to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 265 FPS average, which is a scenario where the CPU’s single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2439) and high boost clock are critical. The processor’s multi-core strength, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253, ensures that background tasks and game logic do not introduce frame time spikes. However, the CPU’s performance headroom becomes less relevant as resolution increases; at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 50 FPS, which is a GPU-bound scenario.

The nearest rivals for the CPU, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Xeon 6520P (deltaPct 0), AMD EPYC 4564P (deltaPct -1.5), AMD EPYC 9175F (deltaPct -1.9), and AMD EPYC 4565P (deltaPct -2.1). These deltaPct values indicate that the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is essentially performance-equivalent to the Xeon 6520P and only slightly behind the EPYC parts in synthetic averages. For Greedfall, this means the CPU is not a weak link; it is capable of pushing well beyond 200 FPS at 1080p, as shown by the 265 FPS Low average. The 24 threads are more than sufficient for this title, which was released in 2019 and does not scale heavily beyond a handful of cores. The data suggests that the CPU’s role is to provide a stable, high-frequency platform that allows the GPU to express its full potential at lower resolutions.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, featuring 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. It comes with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, and its memory runs at an effective 28 Gbps. These specifications translate to 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, with 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores for ray tracing and AI workloads. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 30.87 TFLOPS, and it has a 250 W TDP with a suggested 600 W PSU.

In Greedfall, the GPU is the dominant factor at higher resolutions. The measured FPS shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1080p High, the combo hits 189 FPS, but at 4K High, it drops to 78 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 5070’s capabilities are stretched at 4K, particularly with the game’s High and Ultra settings. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for this title, as the game’s requirements are modest by modern standards, but the GPU’s raw compute power is what limits performance at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 50. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 29137 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5077 place it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, confirming its upper-midrange positioning.

The nearest rivals for the GPU include the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (deltaPct 0.1), AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (deltaPct 0.8), AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (deltaPct -1.2), and NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (deltaPct 2). These deltaPct values show that the RTX 5070 is closely matched with professional-grade workstation cards in synthetic benchmarks, though the gaming-specific performance in Greedfall is what matters here. The data indicates that the GPU’s boost clock of 2512 MHz is the key driver for the 1080p results, where it achieves 189 FPS on High. At 4K, the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s and 12 GB capacity become more relevant, as the higher resolution demands more texture data and pixel throughput. The GPU’s role is to provide the visual fidelity at 1440p and 4K, but the frame rate drop to 50 FPS at 4K Ultra suggests that the RTX 5070 is better suited for 1440p gaming or 4K at Medium settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent scaling pattern across all settings when moving from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 265 at 1080p to 184 at 1440p and then to 110 at 4K. This represents a 58.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases. At High settings, the drop is from 189 FPS at 1080p to 131 FPS at 1440p and 78 FPS at 4K, a 58.7% reduction. The Medium settings show a similar trend: 208 FPS at 1080p, 144 FPS at 1440p, and 86 FPS at 4K, with a 58.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The Ultra settings demonstrate the steepest drop: 121 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K, a 58.7% reduction.

The consistency of these percentage drops—hovering around 58-59%—is a strong indicator that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU’s performance does not change with resolution, so if the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, the data shows a clear decline that correlates with the increased pixel count and shading workload, which falls squarely on the GPU. At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom, allowing the GPU to work at its maximum potential, as evidenced by the 265 FPS Low result. However, as resolution climbs to 4K, the GPU’s fill rate and compute resources are exhausted, leading to the observed frame rate drops. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical across all settings further confirms that the scaling is resolution-driven, not settings-driven. This suggests that for players targeting 4K, the RTX 5070 is the limiting component, while at 1080p, the system is well-balanced with the CPU and GPU working in tandem.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience per the measured rows depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset provides an excellent balance, delivering 208 FPS average with a minimum of 177 FPS and a maximum of 240 FPS. This is a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience that is well above the 144 Hz threshold for most gaming monitors. The High preset at 1080p drops to 189 FPS average, still excellent, but the Medium preset offers a higher minimum frame rate, which is better for avoiding stutter. The Low preset at 1080p hits 265 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play, but it sacrifices visual quality for marginal gains.

At 1440p, the Medium preset stands out as the optimal choice, with 144 FPS average, 123 FPS minimum, and 166 FPS maximum. This is a 144 Hz experience that maintains smoothness while offering better visual fidelity than Low. The High preset at 1440p delivers 131 FPS average, which is still playable but slightly below the 144 Hz mark. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 84 FPS average, which is a significant reduction for visual gains that may not be worth the frame rate loss. For 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a playable experience, with 86 FPS average and a 73 FPS minimum. The High preset at 4K drops to 78 FPS, which is borderline, while the Ultra preset falls to 50 FPS, which is not smooth for action RPG combat. The Low preset at 4K achieves 110 FPS, but it negates the purpose of 4K by reducing detail.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the “sweet spot” across all resolutions. At 1080p, it offers 208 FPS, which is 10% higher than High and 21% lower than Low, but with better visuals than Low. At 1440p, Medium provides 144 FPS, which is a perfect match for 144 Hz monitors, while at 4K, it is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution except 1080p, where it still achieves 121 FPS, but the visual difference between Ultra and High may not justify the frame rate drop. For a balanced experience, Medium is the clear winner, offering the best combination of frame rate and visual quality across all measured resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 582nd out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the top 19.8% of all systems tested. This ranking is a composite measure that considers the performance of both the CPU and GPU in the context of this specific game. The rank of 582 indicates that this combo is solidly above average, but it is not at the very top of the leaderboard. The top-tier combos likely feature higher-end GPUs like the RTX 5090 or RTX 5080, which would push the 4K Ultra frame rates higher than the 50 FPS observed here.

The combo’s ranking is driven by the GPU’s performance at higher resolutions, as the CPU is more than capable of keeping up. The data shows that the RTX 5070’s 82nd percentile standing among all GPUs is the limiting factor in the ranking. If the combo were paired with a higher-end GPU, the rank would improve significantly, especially at 4K where the frame rates are currently constrained. However, within the context of all tested combos, this pairing is competitive, outperforming the majority of systems. The rank of 582 out of 2938 suggests that there are over 2300 combos that are slower, which puts this system in the upper quintile. The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs further solidifies that the processor is not the bottleneck; it is the GPU that determines the overall position. For a mid-to-high-end configuration, this rank is respectable, and the measured FPS data confirms that the combo delivers playable performance at 1440p and 4K, with excellent results at 1080p.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Greedfall?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 265, achieved at 1080p resolution with Low settings. This demonstrates the CPU’s ability to push high frame rates when the GPU is not heavily burdened.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor. The average FPS drops from 110 at Low settings to 50 at Ultra settings, while the 1080p to 4K scaling shows a consistent ~58-59% reduction across all settings, indicating GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144 Hz monitor?

A: For a 144 Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 1440p is the best choice, as it delivers 144 FPS average with a 123 FPS minimum. At 1080p, Medium offers 208 FPS, which also exceeds 144 Hz, but 1440p Medium provides a better visual experience.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is essentially tied with the Intel Xeon 6520P (deltaPct 0) and slightly behind the AMD EPYC 4564P (deltaPct -1.5), AMD EPYC 9175F (deltaPct -1.9), and AMD EPYC 4565P (deltaPct -2.1) in average benchmark scores.

*Q: Does the combo support ray tracing in Greedfall?*

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 includes 48 RT cores, which supports ray tracing. However, the measured FPS data does not specify whether ray tracing was enabled, so its impact on performance in this game is not quantified in the data.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 582nd out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the top 19.8% of all systems. This rank indicates solid performance, with the GPU being the primary determinant of the position.