Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B370 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is consistently bound by the graphics processor, with performance scaling that makes lower resolutions and settings the only viable path to smooth gameplay. This analysis examines the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, the roles of the CPU and GPU, and how this pairing ranks against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a pronounced and predictable decline in frame rates as resolution increases, which clearly identifies the Intel Arc B370 as the primary bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 54 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High setting drops the average to 38 FPS, a reduction of 16 frames, or roughly 30%. The jump to 3840x2160 at High settings further collapses performance to just 22 FPS. This pattern indicates that the GPU's rendering capabilities are being saturated well before the CPU's processing limits are reached.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is steep, but the transition from 1440p to 4K is even more punishing. At Medium settings, the average frame rate falls from 41 FPS at 2560x1440 to 25 FPS at 3840x2160, a drop of 16 FPS. Similarly, at Low settings, the average drops from 53 FPS at 1440p to 31 FPS at 4K. This non-linear scaling is typical of a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth; the B370, with its system-shared memory, is particularly susceptible to the increased data demands of higher resolutions.

The limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. The CPU's workload in Greedfall is not the primary constraint, as evidenced by the fact that frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution, which is a GPU-centric variable. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in performance at lower resolutions where the CPU's processing speed would cap the frame rate. Instead, the average FPS at 1080p Low (76 FPS) is substantially higher than at 4K Low (31 FPS), demonstrating that the GPU is the component that is being overwhelmed as the pixel count increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the playable performance ceiling for this CPU-GPU combo in Greedfall?

A: Based on the measured data, the only configuration that achieves an average above 60 FPS is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which produces 76 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset is next at 60 FPS, and High settings at 1080p yields 54 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370's benchmark standing relate to its in-game performance?

A: The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, have scores of 1186 and 1190, respectively, showing it is in a performance class that is not designed for high-end gaming, which aligns with the low FPS observed.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 a limiting factor in these results?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 5600 has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18309 and a single-core score of 2584, placing it in the 74th percentile of all CPUs. Since frame rates change dramatically with resolution, the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between the Low and Ultra presets at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 53 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages only 24 FPS. This represents a 29 FPS difference, or a 54.7% reduction in performance, when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Does this combo rank highly among all tested combinations for this game?

A: No. The combo rank for Greedfall is 2699 out of 2938 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems. This low ranking is consistent with the GPU's 5th percentile standing.

Q: Is there a significant performance gap between the Medium and High presets at 1080p?

A: The measured data shows a 6 FPS difference, with Medium averaging 60 FPS and High averaging 54 FPS. This is a smaller jump than between other tiers, making the High preset a reasonable step up from Medium if the slight drop in frame rate is acceptable.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. It features a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark results indicate a solid mid-range processor; for example, it scores 18309 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2584 in single-core. This places it in the 74th percentile of all CPUs, a much stronger standing than the GPU's 5th percentile.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The frame rates across all resolutions and settings are low enough that the processor is unlikely to be the limiting factor. Even at 1080p Low, where the average FPS is highest at 76, the Ryzen 5 5600's 12 threads and Zen 3 cores are sufficient to feed the Intel Arc B370. The data does not show any signs of CPU-bound performance, such as frame rates that remain constant regardless of resolution changes.

The processor's specifications support this conclusion. With a large 32 MB shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 memory, it is well-equipped to handle the game's logic and physics. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5641 and the PassMark multi-thread score of 21541 further confirm its capability. The bottleneck in this system is not the processor, but the graphics solution. The CPU is performing its role adequately, but the GPU cannot translate that processing power into high frame rates in this demanding title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across a grid of resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 76 FPS. The Medium preset follows at 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. High settings average 54 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 35 FPS. This shows a clear step-down in performance as graphical fidelity increases.

At 2560x1440, performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset averages 53 FPS, which is still playable. Medium settings average 41 FPS, with a min-max range of 35 to 48 FPS. High settings average 38 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 24 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is substantial, reinforcing the GPU's struggle with higher pixel counts.

At 3840x2160, the system is largely overwhelmed. The Low preset is the only one to approach playable territory, averaging 31 FPS. Medium settings average 25 FPS, with a min-max range of 21 to 28 FPS. High settings drop to 22 FPS, and Ultra settings become unplayable at an average of just 14 FPS. The data shows that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo, even on the lowest settings, as the average frame rate falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its performance is severely limited, as indicated by its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This score is nearly identical to that of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), showing that it is in a very low performance tier.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a critical factor in Greedfall's performance. The memory bandwidth is "System Dependent," which in this case is limited by the CPU's dual-channel DDR4 support of 51.2 GB/s. At higher resolutions, the demand for memory bandwidth increases, and the shared memory setup likely becomes a bottleneck, contributing to the steep FPS drops observed at 1440p and 4K.

The GPU's compute capabilities are also modest. It has 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. Its FP32 performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS. These figures are low compared to dedicated gaming GPUs. The 25 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm its status as a low-power integrated solution. In Greedfall, this translates to the observed low frame rates, particularly at higher settings and resolutions where the pixel fill rate and texture processing requirements exceed what the GPU can deliver.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the most balanced experience for this combination is the 1920x1080 Medium preset, which averages 60 FPS. This provides a smooth frame rate that is suitable for an Action RPG, while offering a reasonable visual quality improvement over the Low preset. The minimum FPS of 51 ensures that there is some headroom for dips during demanding scenes.

If a higher frame rate is the absolute priority, the 1920x1080 Low preset achieves an average of 76 FPS. However, this comes at the cost of visual fidelity. The 1080p High preset, at 54 FPS, is a viable alternative for those who prioritize visual quality over a 60 FPS target, though it may feel less smooth during intense combat.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only option that maintains a playable average of 53 FPS. The Medium preset at 41 FPS may be acceptable for some, but it is below the 60 FPS target. All settings at 3840x2160 should be avoided, as even the Low preset at 31 FPS is not smooth enough for a responsive gaming experience. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with medium-to-low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2699 out of 2938 tested combos for Greedfall. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems, a poor result that is heavily influenced by the GPU's weak performance. The CPU itself is not the issue; its 74th percentile standing among all CPUs shows it is a capable processor.

The combo's ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's 5th percentile performance. While the Ryzen 5 5600 provides a strong foundation, the Intel Arc B370 cannot deliver the necessary graphics horsepower for this game. The result is a system that is severely unbalanced for gaming, where a high-performing CPU is paired with a low-performing GPU. This pairing creates a situation where the CPU is left waiting for the GPU to finish its work, resulting in the low frame rates and poor overall ranking observed in the data. The performance is consistent with the GPU's nearest rivals, which all have similar benchmark scores and are not considered gaming-class hardware.