Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019, presents an interesting stress test for the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT. The data indicates a system that is overwhelmingly capable at mainstream resolutions but begins to show its limits when pushed to maximum settings at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, revealing a combo that ranks in the 64th percentile of tested configurations, with the GPU typically acting as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. This configuration provides a solid foundation for gaming, as Greedfall is not heavily threaded. The CPU's performance envelope is well-documented in its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15045 and a single-core score of 2124. These scores suggest a processor that can deliver high frame rates without becoming a significant limiting factor in most scenarios.

In the context of Greedfall, the Ryzen 5 3600's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates. At 1080p, the measured FPS figures are exceptionally high, indicating that the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's logic and physics at that resolution. However, as the resolution increases, the demand on the CPU decreases relative to the GPU, shifting the bottleneck. The data suggests that the 6-core processor has sufficient single-thread performance for this title, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 696 and PassMark single-thread score of 2562. The processor's performance is closely matched by rivals like the Intel Core i5-11400, which has a nearly identical average score with a deltaPct of -0.1, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, which is a mere 0.2% faster. This indicates a balanced CPU that won't hold back the RX 6800 XT in most instances.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

When looking at the broader landscape of hardware combinations tested in Greedfall, this specific pairing of the Ryzen 5 3600 and RX 6800 XT achieves a rank of 613 out of 1705 total combos. This places it in the upper echelon of tested systems, outperforming a significant majority of configurations. The combo's rank reflects the strength of the RX 6800 XT, which is the more dominant component in this pairing. The GPU's individual performance is strong, as it sits in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 76th percentile.

The rank suggests that while this is a high-performing system, there are many combinations that can outperform it, likely those pairing the RX 6800 XT with more powerful CPUs. However, the data shows that this combo is a formidable gaming machine. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, are only 2.6% slower in average benchmark scores, but the RX 6800 XT's substantial 16 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth make it particularly effective in games like Greedfall that can utilize large textures. The performance gap between this combo and the top-ranked systems is likely due to CPU limitations in specific scenarios, but the overall ranking confirms it is a well-balanced setup for high-refresh-rate gaming.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

Analyzing the performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound behavior. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 164.2 FPS. Moving to 1440p, this drops by approximately 31% to 112.5 FPS. At 4K, the frame rate falls a further 41% to 66.3 FPS. This steep decline with each resolution increase is a clear indicator that the graphics card is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU has more than enough headroom to handle the increased pixel count, but the GPU's rendering capabilities are stretched thin.

This trend is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The 1080p Ultra average of 107.1 FPS drops to 75.9 FPS at 1440p (a 29% decrease) and then to 44.8 FPS at 4K (a 41% decrease). The data shows that the gap between 1080p and 1440p is relatively consistent, but the jump to 4K is particularly punishing, suggesting that the RX 6800 XT's 16 GB of VRAM and 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth are being saturated. At lower settings like Low, the frame rates are so high (230.3 FPS at 1080p) that the CPU might begin to play a more significant role, but the overall scaling pattern firmly places the GPU as the main bottleneck for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the combo's performance across different resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the system is exceptionally fast, easily exceeding 100 FPS at all settings. The lowest average is 107.1 FPS at Ultra, while the highest is 230.3 FPS at Low. Medium and High settings yield averages of 178.3 FPS and 164.2 FPS, respectively. This indicates that at 1080p, the user can max out the game's settings and still enjoy a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience.

At 1440p, the system remains highly capable. High settings deliver an average of 112.5 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz monitors. Medium and Low settings produce 123.5 FPS and 159.9 FPS, respectively. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 75.9 FPS, which is still playable but shows the first signs of strain. Moving to 4K, the performance becomes more demanding. High settings yield 66.3 FPS, Medium 72.6 FPS, and Low 94.8 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K are the most taxing, resulting in an average of just 44.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target that many gamers prefer. The data highlights a clear performance hierarchy, with the Ultra preset at 4K being the only configuration that struggles to maintain a smooth frame rate.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a powerful GPU built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, featuring the Navi 21 chip. It operates with a base clock of 1825 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, with a game clock of 2015 MHz. The card is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This large memory pool is a significant advantage in Greedfall, as the game can utilize high-resolution textures without running into VRAM limitations.

The GPU's performance is well-reflected in its PassMark G3D score of 24980, which places it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. This score is slightly higher than that of the Intel Arc A550M, which has a deltaPct of 0.5%, and significantly higher than the NVIDIA CMP 50HX, which is 1.9% slower. The RX 6800 XT's 4608 shading units and 128 ROPs are key to its ability to handle the pixel fill rate demands of 4K gaming. The data shows that the GPU is the dominant component in this pairing, and its performance is the primary driver of the measured FPS results.

The 4K Ultra performance of 44.8 FPS is a clear indication that the GPU is being pushed to its limits, despite its high bandwidth and VRAM capacity. The transition from High (66.3 FPS) to Ultra (44.8 FPS) at 4K shows a 32% performance penalty, which is a substantial cost for the visual fidelity offered by the Ultra preset. This suggests that for a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, users would need to dial back to High or Medium settings. The GPU's 300 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate it is a power-hungry component, but its performance in this game justifies its position as the top-tier card in this configuration. Overall, the RX 6800 XT is the clear workhorse of this combo, and its capabilities define the gaming experience at all resolutions.