Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical presets. The data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti reveals a configuration capable of very high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, with a substantial performance cost when moving to 4K Ultra. The benchmark results indicate a system that is primarily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the high-core-count CPU ensures headroom at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 208 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset, the average drops to 144 FPS, a reduction of 64 FPS. Scaling up to 3840x2160 at High, the average falls further to 86 FPS, representing a 122 FPS drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline—from 208 to 86 FPS between 1080p and 4K—indicates that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, and the RTX 4070 Ti is the limiting component in this configuration.

The trend is even more pronounced when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 291 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is still providing ample frame throughput. At 1440p Low, the score is 202 FPS, and at 4K Low, it is 120 FPS. The drop from 291 to 120 FPS across these resolutions is a 58.8% decrease, highlighting how the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become constraining as the number of pixels quadruples from 1080p to 4K. The fact that even at Low settings the 4K frame rate is less than half of the 1080p rate confirms that the performance ceiling is set by the graphics card, not the processor.

The Medium preset data provides a mid-point reference. At 1080p Medium, the average is 229 FPS, with a minimum of 194 and a maximum of 263 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 159 FPS (min 135, max 182), and at 4K Medium, it is 95 FPS (min 80, max 109). The consistency of the scaling—roughly 30% fewer FPS when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 40% fewer when moving to 4K—suggests a predictable workload. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with 133 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and only 55 FPS at 4K. This 78 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K Ultra is the largest absolute drop among all settings, emphasizing that Ultra settings place an exceptional burden on the GPU.

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. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.80 GHz provide substantial single-thread performance, which is critical for game logic and frame pacing. The CPU's benchmark scores reflect its strength: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. This high percentile indicates that the processor is unlikely to bottleneck a mid-to-high-end GPU like the RTX 4070 Ti in most gaming scenarios.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but it becomes more relevant at 1080p where frame rates are exceptionally high. At 1080p Low, the 291 FPS average suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher settings. However, even at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 55 FPS, the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the GPU is clearly saturated by the pixel and shading workload. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 192 KB of L1 cache per core provide a robust memory hierarchy for handling the game's data streams, though the exact impact on Greedfall's performance is not directly measured in the provided metrics.

The nearest rival data for the CPU shows it is closely matched with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, with a delta of 0.2% in average benchmark scores. This suggests that the 290K Plus offers a marginal improvement over its predecessor in synthetic tests, but in gaming, the difference is likely negligible given that the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's PassMark multi-thread score of 60860 and single-thread score of 4823 further underscore its capability, but these numbers do not translate into proportional FPS gains in Greedfall, as the game's engine appears to be more sensitive to GPU throughput.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti ranks 373rd out of 2938 tested combos for Greedfall. This places it in the top 12.7% of all configurations in the database, indicating a strong but not elite performance tier. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's high percentile (96th) and the GPU's lower percentile (84th), with the GPU pulling the combo down relative to what the CPU could support. The data suggests that this pairing is well-matched for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p, but it falls short of top-tier 4K performance.

Relative to other combos, the 373rd rank out of 2938 is a solid result, but it is not exceptional. The RTX 4070 Ti's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile (with a -0.8% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT (-1.3%), and the Intel Arc A730M (-1.7%), which are all within a narrow performance band. This indicates that the GPU is performing as expected for its class, and the combo's rank is largely determined by the GPU's capabilities rather than any CPU limitation. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 7F72 (with a -1.3% delta), are server-class processors that do not directly influence gaming performance, but their proximity in average scores confirms that the 290K Plus is a high-end part.

The combo's rank suggests that users with this configuration will experience excellent performance in Greedfall at 1080p and 1440p, with playable but less impressive results at 4K Ultra. The data does not show any anomalous behavior, such as CPU-induced stuttering or GPU memory exhaustion, which would lower the rank further. Instead, the rank is a straightforward reflection of the hardware's measured FPS across the tested settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers high frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 291 FPS, which is the highest recorded value. The Medium preset averages 229 FPS, with a minimum of 194 and a maximum of 263 FPS, showing good frame consistency. The High preset averages 208 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 133 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz or 240Hz) even at High settings, and only Ultra settings dip below the 144 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows a clear step down. The Low preset averages 202 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. The Medium preset averages 159 FPS (min 135, max 182), providing a smooth experience on 144Hz displays. The High preset averages 144 FPS, which is exactly at the refresh rate of many 1440p monitors, making it a suitable choice for high-refresh gaming. The Ultra preset averages 92 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh displays, and it represents a 36% drop from the High preset. This suggests that the jump from High to Ultra at 1440p has a significant performance cost that may not be justified by visual improvements.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more constrained. The Low preset averages 120 FPS, which is still playable on 120Hz 4K displays. The Medium preset averages 95 FPS (min 80, max 109), providing a stable experience but with occasional dips below 90 FPS. The High preset averages 86 FPS, which is below the 90 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay on many 4K displays. The Ultra preset averages 55 FPS, which is only suitable for 60Hz displays and may feel sluggish in fast-paced combat. The data shows that 4K Ultra is a demanding target for this combo, and users seeking higher frame rates at 4K will need to consider lower settings or a more powerful GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 144 FPS?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo averages exactly 144 FPS, making it a perfect match for 144Hz monitors. At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 208 FPS, providing ample headroom above 144 FPS.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: The 4K Ultra average is 55 FPS, while the 1080p Ultra average is 133 FPS. This represents a 78 FPS drop, or a 58.6% reduction in frame rate, when moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 291 FPS, which is the highest recorded average. This suggests that the CPU is capable of driving very high frame rates, and the GPU is not yet saturated, but the exact limiting component is not identified in the data.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only minimum FPS values recorded are for the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 194 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 135 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 80 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 373rd out of 2938 tested combos for Greedfall, placing it in the top 12.7% of all configurations in the database.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1440p Ultra?

A: The 1440p Ultra preset averages 92 FPS, which is below the 144 FPS threshold for high-refresh monitors but still playable on standard 60Hz displays.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 208 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it exceeds 144 FPS and provides a smooth experience on high-refresh monitors. The Ultra preset at 133 FPS is also viable for 120Hz displays, but the 75 FPS drop from High to Ultra is significant. For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 291 FPS is the best choice, but it sacrifices visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 144 FPS is the recommended choice, as it aligns perfectly with the refresh rate of most 1440p gaming monitors. The Medium preset at 159 FPS offers a slight performance boost with minimal visual compromise, making it a better option for users with 165Hz or 180Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 92 FPS is not recommended for high-refresh gaming, but it remains playable for users who prioritize visual quality over smoothness. For 4K, the Low preset at 120 FPS is the only setting that consistently exceeds 100 FPS, making it the best choice for 120Hz 4K displays. The Medium preset at 95 FPS is a viable alternative for 90Hz displays, while High at 86 FPS and Ultra at 55 FPS are best reserved for 60Hz screens.

The data shows that the Medium preset provides the most consistent frame pacing, with recorded minimum and maximum values that are closer together than other presets. At 1080p Medium, the range is 194 to 263 FPS (a 69 FPS spread), while at 1440p Medium, it is 135 to 182 FPS (a 47 FPS spread). This consistency suggests that Medium is a well-balanced preset for this hardware, offering good performance without the extreme frame rate swings that might occur at other settings. For users who want a stable experience across all resolutions, Medium is the safest recommendation.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is a GeForce 40-series GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz, with 7680 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. Its benchmark scores include a PassMark G3D score of 31624 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5024, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. This percentile is lower than the CPU's 96th percentile, confirming that the GPU is the performance bottleneck in this combo.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role is dominant, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's textures at 4K, as the data does not show any signs of memory-related stuttering or performance collapse. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s is a key factor in maintaining playable frame rates at 4K Medium (95 FPS) and High (86 FPS), as the game likely streams high-resolution textures that require substantial bandwidth. The boost clock of 2610 MHz contributes to the GPU's ability to sustain high frame rates at lower resolutions, where the shading units are not fully saturated.

The nearest rival data for the GPU shows it is closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile (delta of -0.8%), the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT (-1.3%), and the Intel Arc A730M (-1.7%). These narrow deltas indicate that the RTX 4070 Ti is performing at the expected level for its hardware class, with no anomalous behavior in Greedfall. The GPU's 40.09 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 626.4 GTexel/s texture rate are sufficient to handle the game's effects at 1440p High, but they are stretched at 4K Ultra, where the 55 FPS average reflects the GPU's limits. The measured data suggests that the RTX 4070 Ti is a capable 1440p card that can handle 4K with adjusted settings, but it is not a 4K Ultra card for Greedfall.