Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical presets. When paired with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, the benchmark data reveals a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, but one that requires careful settings management to maintain smooth performance at 4K. The measured results show a clear interplay between the CPU's substantial processing power and the GPU's 12 GB of VRAM and Ada Lovelace architecture, with the frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K indicating a growing reliance on the graphics card as the primary bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 demonstrates a predictable yet steep decline in frame rates across all settings, highlighting the GPU's increasing workload at higher pixel counts. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 177 FPS at 1080p to 123 FPS at 1440p, and further down to 73 FPS at 4K. This represents a 31% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 41% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is not fully GPU-bound, as the high frame rates leave headroom for the CPU to feed frames, but the transition to 4K places a much heavier load on the RTX 4070.

Looking at the Low preset, the scaling is even more pronounced. The average frame rate at 1080p is 248 FPS, which drops to 172 FPS at 1440p and 103 FPS at 4K. This is a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p, identical to the High preset's relative decline, but a 40% drop from 1440p to 4K. The fact that the percentage drops are similar across presets suggests that the resolution scaling is largely independent of the graphical settings, pointing to a consistent architectural limit. However, the absolute numbers reveal that at 1080p Low, the system is achieving 248 FPS, which implies that either the CPU or the game engine's draw call processing is starting to become a limiting factor, preventing the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with an average of 113 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is particularly telling, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a smooth experience. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 31%, again consistent with other presets, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 40%. This pattern across all presets strongly indicates that the RTX 4070's rendering capabilities, including its 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate, are the primary constraints as resolution increases. The CPU's role, while significant at lower resolutions, becomes less impactful at 4K where the GPU is fully saturated.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: The average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 47 FPS. This is the lowest measured result in the dataset and suggests that Ultra settings at 4K are not ideal for a consistently smooth experience with this hardware combination.

Q: How much faster is the system at 1080p compared to 4K on High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average frame rate is 177 FPS, while at 4K High it is 73 FPS. This means the system is approximately 2.4 times faster at 1080p, indicating a substantial performance headroom at lower resolutions.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 have enough VRAM for Greedfall?

A: The RTX 4070 comes with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus. The benchmark data does not indicate any VRAM-related issues, as the game runs at all tested settings and resolutions, including 4K Ultra, which is typically the most memory-intensive configuration.

Q: What is the best resolution for maintaining a frame rate above 100 FPS?

A: At 1440p, the Medium preset achieves an average of 135 FPS, and the High preset reaches 123 FPS. At 1080p, all presets except Ultra exceed 170 FPS. The data shows that 1440p High is a viable option for high refresh rate gaming, while 4K only exceeds 100 FPS on Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its closest rivals?

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 and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX. It trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%, showing it is competitive with top-tier desktop processors.

Q: Is the system more CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 1080p?

A: The data suggests a balance. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 248 FPS, which is very high. The fact that the frame rate does not scale perfectly with resolution when moving from 1080p to 1440p suggests that while the GPU is a significant factor, the CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads are sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output at lower resolutions, preventing a complete bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is ranked 694 out of 2938 tested combos for Greedfall. This places the system in the top 24% of all configurations tested for this specific game. The percentile is a strong indicator that this pairing offers solid performance, but it is not at the very top tier, which is likely reserved for more powerful GPUs like higher-end 40-series cards.

The ranking is further contextualized by the individual components' percentiles. The CPU has a percentile of 96 when compared to all CPUs, placing it in the top 4% of processors. The GPU has a percentile of 81, placing it in the top 19% of graphics cards. The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's slightly lower percentile suggests that the RTX 4070 is the more limiting factor in this combo for Greedfall. The system's overall rank of 694 indicates that, while the CPU is exceptional, the GPU's performance level, which is 1.3% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile and 0.4% above the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, is what ultimately determines the frame rates in this game.

When compared to other combos, this ranking implies that there are many systems with similar or better performance, likely those pairing top-tier CPUs with higher-end GPUs. The data shows that the CPU's score is 1.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 9135, but this does not translate to a top-tier in-game rank because the GPU is not the absolute fastest. The combo rank is a holistic measure of the pair's performance, and the results indicate a well-balanced system that excels but leaves room for improvement on the graphics side.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system is highly capable, with the Low preset leading at 248 FPS average. The Medium preset follows at 195 FPS, with a minimum of 166 FPS and a maximum of 224 FPS. High settings achieve 177 FPS, while Ultra drops to 113 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system can easily drive high refresh rate monitors, even with demanding settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows a clear step down. The Low preset averages 172 FPS, while Medium averages 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS. High settings reach 123 FPS, and Ultra falls to 78 FPS. The results at 1440p are particularly interesting for gamers seeking a balance between visual fidelity and performance, as the High preset at 123 FPS is suitable for most high refresh rate displays.

The 3840x2160 results are where the system's limits become apparent. The Low preset is the only one that consistently exceeds 100 FPS, averaging 103 FPS. Medium settings average 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. High settings drop to 73 FPS, and Ultra settings average 47 FPS. The minimum FPS of 69 at 4K Medium indicates that even this preset can experience dips, while the 47 FPS average at Ultra suggests a less than ideal experience for fast-paced action. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is for maximum frame rates, 1440p is the sweet spot for high refresh rate gaming with good visuals, and 4K requires lower settings for acceptable performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, plays a central role in determining the game's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This bandwidth is a critical factor for texture loading and data transfer at high resolutions, and the benchmark data suggests it is sufficient for Greedfall's demands, as no performance anomalies are observed.

The GPU's core configuration includes 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output pipelines. Its boost clock is rated at 2475 MHz, which is a key factor in its compute performance. The measured results show that the GPU's raw power is the primary bottleneck at 4K, where the pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s are heavily taxed. The frame rate drops from 123 FPS at 1440p High to 73 FPS at 4K High, a reduction that aligns with the increased pixel count (approximately 2.25 times more pixels), indicating that the GPU is working near its limits.

The GPU's performance is also reflected in its benchmark scores. It has a Passmark G3D score of 26927, placing it at the 81st percentile among all GPUs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3854, and its Geekbench OpenCL score is 154858. These scores, while not directly related to Greedfall, provide a baseline for its capabilities. The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, is only 0.1% away in average benchmark score, but the RTX 4070's 12 GB of VRAM and modern architecture give it a significant advantage in a game like Greedfall, which benefits from larger memory pools and advanced features. The data shows that the GPU is a strong performer, but its end-of-life status and the 1.3% performance deficit to the RTX 4080 Mobile suggest that it is not the most powerful option available.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data offers clear guidance on which settings presets provide the best experience at each resolution. For players targeting 60 FPS or higher, the 4K resolution is only viable with the Low preset, which achieves an average of 103 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K produces an average of 81 FPS, which is playable but with a minimum FPS of 69 that could cause noticeable stutters. For a more stable 4K experience, the High preset at 73 FPS average is a possibility, but it lacks minimum FPS data, making it a riskier choice.

At 1440p, the options are more flexible. The High preset delivers an average of 123 FPS, which is excellent for most high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset achieves 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS, providing a consistent and smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 78 FPS is also viable for users with 60 Hz displays, but the High preset offers a better balance of visual quality and performance. For the absolute highest frame rates, the Low preset at 172 FPS is the top choice, but it sacrifices significant visual fidelity.

For 1080p users, the system is overqualified. The Ultra preset achieves 113 FPS, which is more than sufficient for most displays. However, the Medium preset at 195 FPS and High preset at 177 FPS provide even higher headroom for competitive play. The data suggests that the Ultra preset is the best choice for visual quality at 1080p, as it maintains a high frame rate while offering the most detailed graphics. The Low preset at 248 FPS is only for those who prioritize frame rate above all else. The overall recommendation is that 1440p High is the sweet spot for this combo, balancing visual fidelity with high performance, while 4K should be reserved for users who prefer higher settings and can tolerate lower frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a powerhouse processor that provides the foundation for this system's performance. With 24 cores and 24 threads, it is designed for heavy multi-threaded workloads. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, and it can boost up to 5.80 GHz, ensuring high single-thread performance when needed. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache is substantial, and its DDR5 memory support with a dual-channel bus offers a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, which is crucial for feeding data to the GPU.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and draw calls. The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the system achieves 248 FPS on Low settings, which is a very high number. This suggests that even at this resolution, the CPU is not severely bottlenecked, but the frame rate is likely limited by the GPU's output rather than the CPU's processing power. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and single-core score of 7303 place it in the top 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it has ample headroom for this game.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is also noteworthy. It is 0.2% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.1% faster than the AMD EPYC 4584PX in average benchmark scores. However, it is 1.3% slower than the AMD EPYC 7F72. These small differences suggest that in a game like Greedfall, the CPU is unlikely to be the differentiating factor between systems. The data implies that the CPU's 24 cores and high boost clock are more than adequate for the game's demands, and the primary performance limiter is the GPU. The CPU's L1 cache of 192 KB per core and L2 cache of 3 MB per core further enhance its ability to handle the game's data efficiently, but the overall frame rates are dictated by the RTX 4070's capabilities.