Greedfall

# Greedfall: Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus processor and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER graphics card produces a playable but not exceptional experience in Greedfall, an Action RPG released in September 2019. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings show a system that is capable at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, but struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K Ultra. The combo ranks 1672 out of 2938 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Greedfall?

A: Based on measured FPS data, 1920x1080 provides the most comfortable experience across all settings, with averages ranging from 76 FPS at Ultra to 167 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, High settings produce an average of 83 FPS, while 4K resolution drops below 60 FPS for every tested setting except Low, which averages 69 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807), 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090), and 1.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 9135 (82980). It sits 1.3% below the AMD EPYC 7F72, which scores 85072.

Q: What is the GPU's standing relative to similar graphics cards?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282 and sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, scores 20480, which is 1% higher. The RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20534 (1.2% higher), the Intel Arc B570 scores 20556 (1.3% higher), and the Intel Arc A750 scores 20582 (1.5% higher).

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher settings. At 1920x1080, average FPS drops from 167 at Low to 119 at High, a 48 FPS reduction. The CPU's strong multi-core performance (51731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) and single-core performance (7303 in Cinebench R23 single-core) indicate it is not the primary constraint.

Q: What is the largest frame rate drop between 1080p and 4K?

A: For High settings, the average FPS falls from 119 at 1920x1080 to 83 at 2560x1440, then to 49 at 3840x2160. This represents a 70 FPS total drop from 1080p to 4K, which is a 58.8% reduction in performance.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER still competitive in this game?

A: The GPU achieves playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with medium-to-high settings, but 4K performance is marginal. At 3840x2160, only Low settings exceed 60 FPS average (69 FPS), while Medium averages 54 FPS and High averages 49 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K average just 31 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It features a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The CPU includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support includes DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The processor also supports ECC memory and uses PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates strong performance across both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and single-core score of 7303 highlight its capability in both areas. PassMark results show a multi-thread score of 60860 and a single-thread score of 4823. The CPU's percentile ranking versus all CPUs is 96, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database.

For Greedfall specifically, the CPU's role is largely to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain frame rates. The game was released in 2019, and the CPU's 24 cores with 24 threads are far more than the game likely utilizes. The high single-core performance, as shown by the 736 score in Cinebench R15 single-core and 3067 in Cinebench R20 single-core, ensures that the game's main thread is well-served. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 167 FPS average, which suggests the CPU is not limiting performance at lower settings where the GPU has less work to do.

The CPU's position relative to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score (84003) places it just 0.2% above the Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.1% above the EPYC 4584PX. These differences are minor in synthetic tests, but the 290K Plus's high boost clock of 5.80 GHz may provide advantages in games that are sensitive to single-thread performance. The fact that the combo rank in Greedfall is 1672 out of 2938 suggests that the CPU's capabilities are not fully utilized, given that the GPU is likely the bottleneck in most scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER uses the TU104 chip on a 12 nm process from TSMC, with 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, along with 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. The base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across an 8 GB GDDR6 interface with a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card's FP32 performance is 9.062 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The GPU's synthetic benchmarks show a PassMark G3D score of 18169 and a PassMark GPU compute score of 7557. In Geekbench, it scores 83358 in OpenCL and 90637 in Vulkan. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1651. The GPU sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20282. Its nearest rivals are all within 1.5% of its score, including the Quadro M4000M at 20480, the RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534, the Intel Arc B570 at 20556, and the Intel Arc A750 at 20582.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role is dominant in determining frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: at 1920x1080, the GPU can deliver 167 FPS at Low settings, but this drops to 76 FPS at Ultra. At 2560x1440, the range is 116 FPS at Low to 53 FPS at Ultra. At 3840x2160, the range narrows to 69 FPS at Low and 31 FPS at Ultra. The 8 GB of VRAM may be sufficient for this 2019 title, but the GPU's compute power becomes the limiting factor at 4K, particularly with Ultra settings.

The RTX 2070 SUPER's position in the 65th percentile of GPUs indicates it is a mid-range card by current standards. Its performance in Greedfall reflects this: playable at 1080p and 1440p with settings adjustments, but not capable of maintaining 60 FPS at 4K on higher presets. The card's 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is modest by modern standards, and the 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is adequate but not exceptional. The measured data suggests that for Greedfall, the GPU is the primary constraint on performance, particularly at resolutions above 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for this specific CPU and GPU pairing in Greedfall is 1672 out of 2938 tested combinations. This places the combo in the lower-middle range of all tested hardware pairings. The rank indicates that while this system can run the game, many other combinations deliver higher frame rates. The CPU's high percentile ranking (96th) is not reflected in the game's performance, which suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor.

The gap between the CPU's synthetic performance and the combo's in-game rank is notable. The CPU scores 84003 on average benchmarks, placing it well above most processors, but the GPU's 20282 average score and 65th percentile ranking cap the system's overall capability. In a game like Greedfall, which is not heavily CPU-dependent, the GPU's performance determines the final frame rates.

When considering the combo rank, it is useful to compare the GPU's nearest rivals. The RTX 2070 SUPER is within 1.5% of the Quadro M4000M, RTX 3070 Mobile, Intel Arc B570, and Intel Arc A750 in average scores. This means that swapping the GPU for any of these would produce similar in-game performance, assuming the CPU remains the same. The combo rank of 1672 reflects the GPU's mid-range position; systems with higher-tier GPUs would rank higher, while those with lower-tier GPUs would rank lower.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, which include the Core Ultra 9 285K and several EPYC processors, are all within 1.3% of its score. This indicates that the CPU choice has minimal impact on the combo's in-game rank, as the GPU is the bottleneck. The data shows that the combo's performance is essentially determined by the RTX 2070 SUPER, and the CPU's high-end capabilities do not translate into proportionally higher frame rates in Greedfall.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the combo scales across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 76 at Ultra to 167 at Low. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 53 at Ultra and 116 at Low. At 3840x2160, the averages fall further to 31 at Ultra and 69 at Low. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario: as resolution increases, the GPU must render more pixels, and frame rates drop accordingly.

The percentage drops between resolutions are significant. For High settings, the average FPS goes from 119 at 1080p to 83 at 1440p (a 30.3% decrease) and then to 49 at 4K (a 41.0% decrease from 1440p). For Medium settings, the averages are 131 at 1080p, 91 at 1440p (30.5% decrease), and 54 at 4K (40.7% decrease). Low settings see averages of 167 at 1080p, 116 at 1440p (30.5% decrease), and 69 at 4K (40.5% decrease). Ultra settings show the steepest relative drops: 76 at 1080p, 53 at 1440p (30.3% decrease), and 31 at 4K (41.5% decrease).

The consistent pattern of approximately 30% drops from 1080p to 1440p and 40% drops from 1440p to 4K indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU's performance does not vary with resolution, so if the CPU were the bottleneck, frame rates would remain stable across resolutions. The data shows otherwise, confirming that the RTX 2070 SUPER's rendering capabilities dictate the frame rates.

The 4K results are particularly telling. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only average 69 FPS, and Medium averages 54 FPS. High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages just 31 FPS. These numbers suggest that 4K gaming is only viable at Low settings for this combo, and even then, the frame rate is not consistently above 60 FPS. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely strained at this resolution, contributing to the performance drop.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves an average of 167 FPS at Low settings, which is the highest recorded average in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 131 FPS, with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 151 FPS. High settings average 119 FPS, and Ultra settings average 76 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are lower but still playable for most settings. Low settings average 116 FPS, Medium averages 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS and maximum of 105 FPS, High averages 83 FPS, and Ultra averages 53 FPS. The Medium settings data shows a 28 FPS variance between minimum and maximum, indicating some frame time inconsistency but generally smooth performance.

At 3840x2160, the averages drop significantly. Low settings average 69 FPS, which is the only 4K setting above 60 FPS. Medium averages 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS and maximum of 63 FPS, High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. The Medium settings variance at 4K is 17 FPS, which is narrower than at 1440p, but the overall performance is marginal.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low settings provide the highest frame rates at every resolution, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra in descending order. The differences between settings are substantial. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 91 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 63 FPS. At 4K, the gap is 38 FPS. This pattern reflects the GPU's diminishing ability to handle higher settings as resolution increases.

The Medium settings rows are the only ones with min and max FPS data. At 1080p, the range is 112 to 151 FPS, a 39 FPS spread. At 1440p, the range is 77 to 105 FPS, a 28 FPS spread. At 4K, the range is 46 to 63 FPS, a 17 FPS spread. This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes more consistently loaded, reducing frame time spikes but also lowering overall performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, all settings provide playable frame rates. Ultra averages 76 FPS, which is above 60 FPS and should provide a smooth experience. High averages 119 FPS, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors. Medium averages 131 FPS, and Low averages 167 FPS. For most players at 1080p, High or Ultra settings would be recommended, as both exceed 60 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the choices are more constrained. Low settings average 116 FPS, Medium averages 91 FPS, and High averages 83 FPS, all above 60 FPS. Ultra averages 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable stutter. The recommendation for 1440p would be High settings, which provides 83 FPS average and balances visual quality with performance. Medium is also viable at 91 FPS, and Low offers the highest frame rate at 116 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the options are limited. Low settings average 69 FPS, which is above 60 FPS but not by a large margin. Medium averages 54 FPS, High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. For 4K gaming, Low settings are the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS. However, the margin is thin, and players may experience occasional dips below 60 FPS. Medium settings at 54 FPS average could be acceptable for players who prefer visual quality over frame rate, but the 46 FPS minimum might cause noticeable hitches.

The data suggests a tiered approach: at 1080p, Ultra is the best choice for visual fidelity while maintaining 76 FPS average. At 1440p, High offers the best balance at 83 FPS. At 4K, Low is the only settings preset that keeps the average above 60 FPS, and even then, the margin is slim. Players who prioritize frame rate consistency might prefer Medium at 1440p (91 FPS average, 77 FPS minimum) over High, despite the visual downgrade. For those who accept lower frame rates, Medium at 4K (54 FPS average) provides a more detailed image than Low while remaining relatively stable, given the 46 to 63 FPS range.

The measured FPS data does not include frame time or 1% low values, so the recommendations are based solely on average and minimum FPS. The Medium settings rows provide minimum FPS values, which are useful for assessing consistency. At 1080p Medium, the 112 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay. At 1440p Medium, the 77 FPS minimum is still above 60 FPS. At 4K Medium, the 46 FPS minimum may cause noticeable stutter in fast-paced scenes. Given these data points, the safest recommendation is High settings at 1080p or 1440p, and Low settings at 4K for a consistent experience above 60 FPS average.