Greedfall

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Greedfall with the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B390 shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and presets. At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 35 FPS, which drops to 27 FPS on Medium with recorded minimums of 23 FPS and maximums of 32 FPS. High settings average 25 FPS, while Ultra falls to 16 FPS. None of these figures approach the 60 FPS playability threshold, and the gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, a 19 FPS difference that indicates the GPU is heavily burdened at 4K.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains below the playability threshold across all presets. Low settings average 58 FPS, which is the closest this combo gets to 60 FPS at this resolution. Medium averages 46 FPS with minimums of 39 FPS and maximums of 53 FPS. High settings average 42 FPS, and Ultra drops to 27 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline, with each preset tier costing roughly 10 to 15 FPS on average. The minimum recorded at Medium, 39 FPS, suggests that even the smoother presets can experience noticeable dips during demanding scenes.

At 1920x1080, the combo finally reaches playable territory. Low settings average 84 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure across all resolutions and presets. Medium averages 66 FPS with minimums of 56 FPS and maximums of 76 FPS, meaning the frame rate occasionally dips just below the 60 FPS threshold but generally stays above it. High settings average exactly 60 FPS, which matches the playability threshold precisely. Ultra averages 38 FPS, a significant drop that places it firmly in unplayable territory. The data shows that at 1080p, the first three preset tiers are viable, while Ultra is not.

The variance between minimum and maximum FPS is only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range spans 20 FPS, from 56 to 76. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 14 FPS, from 39 to 53. At 4K Medium, the range tightens further to 9 FPS, from 23 to 32. This pattern suggests that as resolution increases, the frame rate becomes more consistent but also lower, which is typical when a GPU is consistently saturated rather than alternating between idle and busy states.

Best Settings per Resolution

The verdict data identifies which settings clear the 60 FPS threshold at each resolution. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves playable frame rates. The best recorded average is 35 FPS on Low, which falls 25 FPS short of the threshold. The database lists no playable settings and no best settings for 4K, confirming that this resolution is entirely out of reach for this hardware combination.

At 2560x1440, the situation is nearly identical. No preset reaches 60 FPS, and the database lists no playable settings. Low settings come closest at 58 FPS, a mere 2 FPS below the threshold. This near miss is notable because it suggests that minor adjustments to the game's internal settings, such as reducing shadow quality or draw distance while keeping the overall preset on Low, might push the average above 60 FPS. However, the recorded data does not include such configurations, so this remains speculative.

At 1920x1080, three presets clear the threshold: High, Low, and Medium. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of exactly 60 FPS. This is the best settings choice for this resolution because it provides the highest visual quality while still meeting the playability standard. Low and Medium also qualify, with averages of 84 FPS and 66 FPS respectively, but High offers superior graphics without sacrificing the target frame rate. Ultra is excluded, as its 38 FPS average is far below the threshold.

The fact that High averages exactly 60 FPS, not above it, means that users should expect occasional dips below the threshold during intense combat or exploration sequences. The Medium preset, with its 66 FPS average and 56 FPS minimum, provides a safer margin for consistency. Users who prioritize smoothness over visual fidelity might prefer Medium, while those who want the best looking experience that remains playable should select High.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Greedfall, this CPU and GPU pairing ranks 3291 out of 3703 combos. This places it in the lower 11th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating that it is a below-average performer for this specific game. The rank reflects the combined capabilities of both components working together, and the data shows that this pairing is not competitive with the majority of systems tested.

The low rank is consistent with the measured FPS data. At 4K and 1440p, the combo fails to reach playable frame rates on any preset, which is a significant disadvantage compared to higher-ranked systems that can handle these resolutions. Even at 1080p, where the combo does achieve playability on three presets, the average FPS figures are modest compared to what higher-ranked systems likely achieve.

The GPU's benchmark percentile tells a similar story. The Intel Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482 based on the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. This is a low score that reflects the GPU's limited performance capabilities. The CPU, by contrast, sits in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254 across multiple tests. This indicates that the CPU is a mid-range part, while the GPU is decidedly entry-level.

The disparity between CPU and GPU performance levels suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor in this pairing. The CPU has enough headroom to support a more powerful GPU, but the Arc B390 cannot deliver the frame rates that the CPU might otherwise enable. This is an important consideration for anyone evaluating this combination for Greedfall or similar titles.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Greedfall at 4K resolution?

A: No. The best recorded average at 3840x2160 is 35 FPS on Low settings, which falls well below the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium averages 27 FPS, High averages 25 FPS, and Ultra averages 16 FPS. The database lists no playable settings for this resolution.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: High settings, which average exactly 60 FPS. Low settings average 84 FPS, and Medium averages 66 FPS, but High is the most demanding preset that still meets the playability threshold. Ultra averages 38 FPS and is not playable.

Q: How close does this combo get to playable frame rates at 1440p?

A: The closest is Low settings, which average 58 FPS, just 2 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 46 FPS, High averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. No preset at this resolution achieves playable frame rates.

Q: Which component is more responsible for the frame rate limitations in this game?

A: The GPU. The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the Intel Core i5-9400 ranks in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU's low performance relative to the CPU indicates it is the bottleneck, particularly at higher resolutions where the frame rate drops sharply.

Q: Is there any preset at 4K that comes close to 60 FPS?

A: No. The highest average at 3840x2160 is 35 FPS on Low settings. This is 25 FPS below the threshold, leaving no preset within a reasonable range of playability.

Q: Does the system perform better at 1080p Medium or 1440p Low?

A: 1080p Medium is significantly better, averaging 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS. 1440p Low averages 58 FPS, which is below the playability threshold. The resolution reduction from 1440p to 1080p provides a larger performance gain than the preset reduction from Low to Medium.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in this pairing. At 1080p, the combo achieves its best results, with Low settings averaging 84 FPS. This figure suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to maintain high frame rates at this resolution. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking, based on an average benchmark score of 2254, indicates it has sufficient processing power for this game's demands.

As resolution increases, the frame rates drop disproportionately. From 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the average falls from 84 FPS to 58 FPS, a reduction of 26 FPS. From 1440p Low to 4K Low, the average falls from 58 FPS to 35 FPS, another reduction of 23 FPS. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions, as the pixel count increases and the GPU's fill rate and shading capabilities become the limiting factor.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at 1080p, where the frame rates are high enough that CPU overhead could matter. The fact that the combo achieves 84 FPS on Low settings at 1080p suggests that the CPU can handle the game's logic, physics, and AI processing without bottlenecking the GPU. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across resolutions, since the CPU workload is largely independent of resolution.

The scaling between presets also reveals the GPU's influence. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 46 FPS (84 to 38), while at 4K, the difference is 19 FPS (35 to 16). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is already saturated at 4K Low, so increasing the preset has a smaller absolute impact. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking, with an average benchmark score of 1482, confirms that it is a low-end part that struggles with demanding graphics workloads.

For this game, the practical implication is that users should focus on resolution and preset adjustments to manage GPU load. Lowering resolution from 1440p to 1080p provides a larger performance boost than lowering the preset from High to Low at a fixed resolution. The CPU has enough headroom to handle the game at 1080p with high frame rates, but the GPU limits the system's ability to scale to higher resolutions.

The Verdict

The verdict data is unambiguous: this system can run Greedfall, but only at 1920x1080 and only on select presets. The database lists High, Low, and Medium as playable settings at 1080p, with High being the best settings choice at an average of exactly 60 FPS. Low averages 84 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the threshold, while Medium averages 66 FPS, which is safer for maintaining consistent frame rates during demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the system cannot achieve playable frame rates on any preset. The closest is Low at 58 FPS, which falls just 2 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold. This near miss is frustrating because it means the system is almost capable of playing at this resolution, but not quite. Users who insist on 1440p would need to accept sub-60 FPS performance or make additional compromises beyond the tested presets.

At 3840x2160, the system is entirely inadequate. The best average is 35 FPS on Low, which is less than 60 percent of the playability threshold. Ultra settings average 16 FPS, which is effectively unplayable. This resolution is out of reach for this hardware combination.

The overall verdict is that the system is a 1080p machine for Greedfall. It can handle the game at High settings with an average of 60 FPS, but users should be aware that this is the boundary of its capabilities. For a smoother experience, Medium settings at 1080p provide a 6 FPS average improvement and a minimum of 56 FPS, which is closer to the threshold but still allows occasional dips. The system cannot handle higher resolutions, and the GPU is the primary constraint preventing it from doing so.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-9400, based on average benchmark scores, provide context for the CPU's performance level. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 has an average score of 2259, which is 0.2 percent higher than the i5-9400's score of 2254. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4 percent higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4 percent lower, and the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3 percent lower. These deltas are all within 0.5 percent, meaning these CPUs would behave nearly identically in Greedfall, with frame rate differences likely too small to notice.

The nearest rivals for the Intel Arc B390 tell a more concerning story. The GPU's average benchmark score is 1482, and its closest competitors are all significantly older, lower-end NVIDIA parts. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3 percent lower. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5 percent lower. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5 percent lower, and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7 percent lower. These GPUs are all in the same performance tier as the Arc B390, which explains why this combo ranks so low in the database.

For users considering alternatives, the data suggests that swapping the CPU for any of its nearest rivals would produce negligible performance changes in Greedfall, since the deltas are all under 0.5 percent. The GPU, however, is the critical component. While the nearest rivals are similarly performing, they are all older parts that would likely struggle with modern games just as much as the Arc B390. The 9th percentile GPU ranking indicates that this is a very low-end part, and any meaningful improvement in frame rates would require a GPU in a much higher performance tier.