Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting study in hardware scaling for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT combination. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by both resolution and the game's demanding Ultra preset, with performance characteristics that shift the bottleneck between CPU and GPU depending on the settings chosen.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the severity of that decline is highly dependent on the quality preset. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 193.7 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low reduces this to 129.8 FPS, a 33% drop, and then to 77.5 FPS at 4K Low, which is a 60% drop from the 1080p figure. This substantial scaling penalty at Low settings indicates that the system is not purely GPU-bound; the CPU is playing a significant role in maintaining those high frame rates at lower resolutions, and its limits become apparent as the resolution increases.

The scaling pattern shifts when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the average is 138.3 FPS. This falls to 94.8 FPS at 1440p High and further to 58.5 FPS at 4K High. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 58%, which is similar to the Low preset's drop. However, the absolute frame rates are lower, suggesting that the increased graphical load of the High preset is now placing more stress on the GPU, making it the more dominant limiting factor. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is still significant, but the progression is smoother, indicating that neither component is being completely overwhelmed.

The Ultra preset, however, tells a different story. Performance at 1080p Ultra is 87 FPS, which drops to 62.2 FPS at 1440p Ultra and plummets to 35.8 FPS at 4K Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 4K is a massive 59%, but more telling is the absolute performance. The 4K Ultra result of 35.8 FPS is barely playable, and the gap between 1440p and 4K is proportionally larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p. This indicates that the Ultra preset imposes a massive load on the GPU, and the RX 6750 XT's capabilities are the primary constraint at these higher resolutions. The data shows that the limiting component is fluid: the CPU is more relevant at 1080p Low, while the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20875. This places it in close competition with the Intel Core i5-12500, which has an average score of 20897, a negligible 0.1% delta. This level of single and multi-threaded performance appears sufficient to feed the RX 6750 XT in Greedfall at lower resolutions.

The evidence for the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p. The jump from Low to High settings only reduces the average FPS from 193.7 to 138.3, a 28% decrease. This relatively modest drop, compared to the larger percentage drops seen at higher resolutions, suggests that the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates and is not the primary limiter at this resolution. The Ryzen 5 5500's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16429, likely helps maintain consistent frame pacing in the game's more complex scenes. However, its 16 MB of L3 cache and PCIe Gen 3 interface are factors that could theoretically limit performance in CPU-intensive scenarios, though the measured data does not show this becoming a major issue until the resolution is raised and the GPU load increases.

At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes. The frame rates across all presets are lower, and the differences between presets are more pronounced, indicating that the GPU is now the dominant constraint. The Ryzen 5 5500's performance is sufficient to avoid becoming a severe bottleneck, but its influence on the final frame rate is less significant than the GPU's. The data suggests that the CPU provides a solid foundation, but the GPU's rendering capabilities dictate the upper limits of performance at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for optimizing the gameplay experience. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and the results show it is not a viable option for smooth gameplay at any resolution tested. At 1080p Ultra, the average of 87 FPS is acceptable, but the 1440p Ultra result of 62.2 FPS and the 4K Ultra result of 35.8 FPS are below the threshold for a consistently fluid experience. The performance cost of Ultra is substantial, with a 37% drop in FPS from High to Ultra at 1080p.

The High preset appears to be the sweet spot for this combination. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 138.3 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p High, the 94.8 FPS average remains highly playable and provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p. Even at 4K High, the 58.5 FPS average is near the playable threshold, though it may require some adjustments for those sensitive to frame rate dips. The High preset offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance.

The Medium preset is a viable alternative for those seeking higher frame rates at 1440p or 4K. It provides a 12% performance increase over High at 1440p (106.2 FPS vs 94.8 FPS) and a 7% increase at 4K (62.6 FPS vs 58.5 FPS). The Low preset, while offering the highest frame rates, comes with a significant visual compromise. It does, however, show the system's maximum potential, with 193.7 FPS at 1080p. For the best balance of image quality and performance, the High preset is the recommended choice, especially for 1440p gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT combination ranks 800th out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the middle of the pack, which is consistent with its component specifications. The CPU's percentile rank of 79 and the GPU's percentile rank of 79 both suggest they are above-average performers individually, but the combo's mid-pack ranking in this specific game implies that the pairing does not produce exceptional results in Greedfall.

The ranking suggests that while each component is capable, the overall system performance is not outstanding in this title. The RX 6750 XT's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, which has a higher average benchmark score of 35787 compared to the RX 6750 XT's 35327, a 1.3% difference. This indicates that the GPU is competitive but not top-tier. Similarly, the Ryzen 5 5500's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, has a nearly identical average score, showing that the CPU is a solid mid-range option.

The combo's rank of 800 out of 1705 means it outperforms roughly 53% of all tested combinations. This is a respectable result, but it does not place the system in the upper echelon. The data indicates that the combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it is not optimized for 4K Ultra settings, which likely contributes to its mid-pack ranking. The system's performance is a reflection of its balanced, mid-range components rather than any single exceptional attribute.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the primary driver of graphical performance in this combo. It is based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is rated at 2600 MHz, with a game clock of 2495 MHz. These specifications position it as a capable 1440p graphics card, and the measured data in Greedfall supports this assessment.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and settings increase. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 35.8 is a clear indication that the GPU is overwhelmed by the rendering demands. The 12 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for the game's textures, but the raw compute power of the RX 6750 XT, rated at 13.31 TFLOPS, is not enough to maintain high frame rates at this extreme setting. The significant drop from High to Ultra settings at all resolutions further emphasizes the GPU's limitations under maximum load.

The GPU's performance is more favorable at 1440p, where it delivers 94.8 FPS on High settings. This confirms that the RX 6750 XT is well-matched for 1440p gaming. Its benchmark scores, such as the Passmark G3D score of 20700, place it in the 79th percentile of all GPUs. However, its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, outperforms it by 1.3% in average benchmark score, suggesting that while the RX 6750 XT is strong, it is not at the top of its class. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K and at Ultra settings, but it provides a very good experience at 1080p and 1440p with High settings.