Greedfall

The pairing of a six-core, twelve-thread AMD Ryzen 5 2600 with the flagship-class NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER in Greedfall produces a fascinating dataset. It highlights a significant generational gap between the CPU and GPU, where the results are less about raw graphics muscle and more about the intricate balance of resolution, settings, and processor headroom. The measured frames per second reveal a pattern that defies the expectations one might have for such a powerful graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a dramatic shift in performance scaling as resolution increases, which is the clearest indicator of where the bottleneck lies in this system. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high, with the Low preset hitting 248.1 FPS and even the demanding Ultra preset maintaining a solid 144.2 FPS. This suggests the graphics card is not being fully utilized at this resolution; the CPU is likely the limiting factor, preventing the RTX 4080 SUPER from reaching even higher frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, we see a predictable but telling drop. The High preset falls from 217.9 FPS to 155 FPS, a reduction of about 29%. The Ultra preset drops from 144.2 FPS to 99.6 FPS, a 31% decrease. While these are still very playable numbers, the scaling is not linear with pixel count, indicating that the load is starting to shift more towards the GPU, but the CPU is still contributing to the overall performance ceiling.

The most revealing data comes at 3840x2160. Here, the GPU is finally pushed to its limits, and the frame rates become more consistent with what one might expect from a high-end card. The High preset delivers 90.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 59.6 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 132.2 FPS versus 59.6 FPS, a difference of over 55%. This wide gap at 4K, compared to the much smaller gap at 1080p, confirms that the GPU is the dominant constraint at this resolution. The CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, allowing the graphics card's performance characteristics to shine through.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 2018-era processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, running at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11186 and a single-core score of 1579, place it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. This is a competent processor, but its age is evident when paired with a modern, high-end GPU.

The benchmark results indicate that this CPU is the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are high, but the scaling between Low and Ultra settings is relatively modest. The jump from Low (248.1 FPS) to Ultra (144.2 FPS) is a 42% reduction, which is significant but not as large as the 55% reduction seen at 4K. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is limiting the maximum achievable FPS, preventing the GPU from fully flexing its muscles. The system is likely CPU-bound, meaning the graphics card is waiting on the processor to send it more work.

This is further supported by the fact that the CPU's performance is not far off from its nearest rivals in the benchmark database. For example, it is only 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-1345U and 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U. While this shows it is still a viable processor, it also highlights that its single-threaded performance, which is crucial for gaming, is not in the same league as the GPU's capabilities. The data implies that to fully unlock the RTX 4080 SUPER's potential at 1080p, a more modern CPU with higher single-core performance would be necessary.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a behemoth of a graphics card, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a massive 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its core clocks are high, with a base of 2295 MHz and a boost of 2550 MHz. In terms of raw compute, it offers 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its benchmark scores are equally impressive, with a Passmark G3D score of 34245, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs.

The data clearly shows that the GPU's role becomes dominant only at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the frame rates are directly tied to the graphics settings, demonstrating that the card is the limiting component. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is a substantial 72.6 FPS (132.2 vs 59.6), which is a direct result of the increasing graphical workload. The GPU is able to maintain high frame rates at 4K on High settings (90.4 FPS), but the Ultra preset pushes it to its limits.

The RTX 4080 SUPER is only 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT in average benchmark score, yet its performance in this game at 4K High is excellent. This suggests that while the card is not the absolute top-tier in every metric, its combination of high clock speeds, ample VRAM, and memory bandwidth is well-suited for Greedfall at high resolutions. The large 16 GB frame buffer is particularly beneficial at 4K, where texture and geometry data can quickly fill memory. The data suggests that this GPU is the star of the show, but it is held back by the older CPU at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 SUPER in Greedfall?

A: Yes, particularly at 1080p. The frame rates at 1920x1080 are high but show less variation between settings than at 4K, indicating the CPU is limiting the maximum FPS. At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary constraint.

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game with this combo?

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 on High settings offers an excellent balance, with a measured average of 155 FPS. This resolution is high enough to shift the load to the GPU, but not so high that the CPU becomes a major issue.

Q: How does the GPU perform at Ultra settings in 4K?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 59.6 FPS. This is the most demanding configuration tested and results in the lowest frame rate, indicating the GPU is nearly saturated.

Q: Is there a big difference between Low and Medium settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is modest. The measured average FPS for Low is 248.1, while Medium is 230.8. This small gap reinforces the idea that the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, as the GPU can handle both settings with ease.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rivals in raw processing power?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 is very closely matched with its peers. It is 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-1345U and 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U in average benchmark score, showing it is still a competitive, albeit older, processor.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER is in the 88th percentile of all GPUs in the benchmark database, with a Passmark G3D score of 34245. This indicates it is a top-tier performer.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers a very high average of 144.2 FPS. This allows the user to experience the game's maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness, as the frame rate is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is the sweet spot. It provides an average of 155 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset is also viable at 99.6 FPS, but the drop to below 100 FPS might be noticeable to some users. The High preset offers a perfect compromise between visual quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers a smooth 90.4 FPS average, which is ideal for a 4K gaming experience. The Ultra preset, at 59.6 FPS, is on the edge of playability and might not be consistent enough for fast-paced action. The data clearly shows that High settings at 4K provide the best experience, as it is the highest quality setting that maintains a frame rate well above 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured average FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination in Greedfall.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 248.1 FPS, Medium settings yield 230.8 FPS, High settings yield 217.9 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 144.2 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop but remain high: Low settings produce an average of 216.4 FPS, Medium settings produce 171.1 FPS, High settings produce 155 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 99.6 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates showcase the GPU's workload: Low settings deliver an average of 132.2 FPS, Medium settings deliver 106.2 FPS, High settings deliver 90.4 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 59.6 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a rank of 176 out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the top 10% of all system configurations for this game. This high ranking is almost entirely attributable to the graphics card's immense power, which allows the system to excel at higher resolutions where the CPU's limitations are less impactful.

The ranking suggests that this is a very capable gaming system for Greedfall, even with the older processor. The data implies that while the CPU holds the system back at lower resolutions, the sheer graphical power of the RTX 4080 SUPER is enough to secure a strong overall position. In a database of 1705 combinations, being in the 176th spot is a clear indication of high performance. It confirms how a powerful GPU can carry a system with an older CPU in a game like this, especially when playing at 1440p or 4K. The system is a high performer, but the data suggests that users with a modern CPU could see even better results, particularly at 1080p.