Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG from 2019, presents a demanding workload for the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F processor and the AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is consistently constrained by the GPU, with the CPU providing ample headroom. This analysis examines the performance data, focusing on scaling behavior, comparative ranking, and component-specific roles.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear, predictable decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, indicating that the rendering load on the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 58 FPS at 1080p to 40 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 18 FPS. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings results in a further drop to 24 FPS, another 16 FPS reduction. This steep decline, particularly the 40% performance loss from 1080p to 1440p, underscores that the RX 580's fillrate and shading capabilities are being saturated as pixel count increases.

The pattern holds across all quality presets. At Low settings, the system achieves 81 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 56 FPS at 1440p and 34 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low is a 25 FPS drop, while the transition to 4K costs another 22 FPS. This consistent proportional decrease suggests that the CPU, with its Zen 4 architecture and 6 cores, is not the limiting factor; if it were, we would expect to see frame rates plateau or become more erratic at higher resolutions, as the CPU work per frame is relatively constant. Instead, the smooth, linear decline in performance points directly to the GPU's processing limits.

The most demanding preset, Ultra, shows the most dramatic scaling, with frame rates of 37 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and a nearly unplayable 15 FPS at 4K. The gap between Medium and Ultra settings is substantial at every resolution, suggesting that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly taxing on the Polaris 20 architecture. The data indicates that for this combo, 1080p is the only resolution that consistently provides a playable experience, while 1440p is marginal and 4K is only suitable for static scenes or lower presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's position in the benchmark database is firmly in the lower percentile, reflecting its age and mid-range orientation. With a rank of 3371 out of 3703 tested combinations, this pairing of the Ryzen 5 8400F and RX 580 sits in the bottom 10% of all tested system configurations for Greedfall. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance ceiling, as the processor is capable of significantly more. The data shows that while the CPU is a modern part with a high average benchmark score, the GPU's age and architecture limit the overall system experience.

The CPU's individual percentile is 77, meaning it outperforms 77% of all tested processors. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and Intel Core i7-13620H, have average scores that are within 0.4% of the 8400F, indicating that its processing power is competitive with other modern mid-range options. In contrast, the GPU's individual percentile is 53, placing it almost exactly in the middle of the pack. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, has a score that is only 0.4% higher, showing that the RX 580 is still competitive within its own performance tier.

The stark disconnect between the high CPU percentile and the mid-range GPU percentile, combined with the overall combo rank of 3371, confirms that the GPU is the primary determinant of this system's low standing in Greedfall. The processor has significant untapped potential, but the RX 580's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are simply insufficient for high-fidelity gaming at higher resolutions, dragging the entire combo down in the rankings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the sweet spot is the High preset, which delivers an average of 58 FPS. This provides a smooth, playable experience with a significant visual upgrade over the Low preset's 81 FPS. The Medium preset, at 64 FPS, offers a slight performance gain over High but comes with a noticeable reduction in visual fidelity, making High the better balance. The Ultra preset should be avoided, as the drop to 37 FPS introduces stutter and compromises the action-RPG gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the situation changes. The High preset yields only 40 FPS, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience in a game that requires precise timing. The Low preset, at 56 FPS, provides a more fluid frame rate, but the visual compromise is significant. The Medium preset, at 44 FPS, is a middle ground that may be acceptable for players who prioritize visual quality over absolute smoothness, but it is still not ideal. For 1440p gaming, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only option that reliably maintains playable frame rates.

At 3840x2160, all presets fail to provide a satisfactory experience. The highest average FPS is 34 at Low settings, which is playable but far from smooth. The High and Medium presets, at 24 and 26 FPS, respectively, are too slow for action sequences, and the Ultra preset's 15 FPS is a slideshow. Consequently, 4K gaming with this hardware is not recommended, even at the lowest settings. The data clearly indicates that this combo is a 1080p-oriented solution for Greedfall, with 1440p being a stretch and 4K being out of the question.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings combination. The minimum and maximum FPS are provided where available, offering a glimpse into frame time consistency.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :------ | :------ | :------ |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 34 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 26 | 22 | 30 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 24 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 15 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 56 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 44 | 38 | 51 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 40 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 26 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 81 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 64 | 54 | 73 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 58 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 37 | - | - |

The data shows a consistent hierarchy, with Low being the fastest and Ultra being the slowest at every resolution. The difference between Low and Ultra is substantial, ranging from a 2.27x performance gap at 1080p (81 vs 37 FPS) to a 2.27x gap at 4K (34 vs 15 FPS). This indicates that the Ultra preset's additional graphical effects, likely including enhanced shadows and post-processing, have a significant and consistent performance cost across all resolutions. The Medium preset's min/max range at 1080p (54-73 FPS) shows some variance, but the average of 64 FPS is stable enough for play.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Greedfall at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, where it achieves an average of 81 FPS. With the High preset, the average drops to 58 FPS, which is close to but not consistently at 60 FPS. At 1440p and 4K, the average FPS falls below 60 in all tested presets.

Q: What is the most demanding settings preset for this GPU?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding, resulting in an average of 37 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and 15 FPS at 4K. This preset's performance cost is significant, reducing frame rates by more than half compared to the Low preset at the same resolution.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its direct rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i7-13620H. It is also 0.4% higher than the AMD EPYC 9474F, showing it is a strong performer in its class.

Q: Is the GPU or the CPU the limiting factor for this game?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU's high percentile (77) and modern architecture suggest it has plenty of headroom, while the GPU's mid-range percentile (53) and the linear FPS scaling with resolution point to it being the bottleneck.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Greedfall with this hardware?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the best choice. At this resolution, the combo can achieve a playable 58 FPS at High settings. 1440p is possible with Low settings, but 4K should be avoided as even the Low preset only yields 34 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for Greedfall?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. While Greedfall is a 2019 title, the performance data suggests this memory configuration is adequate for the game's requirements at 1080p, but the overall compute performance limits higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a modern 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Phoenix. It has a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, operating within a 65 W TDP. Built on TSMC's 4 nm process, it is a highly efficient part. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943, place it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong performance headroom for gaming.

In Greedfall, this CPU power is largely underutilized. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales consistently with resolution, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates at 1080p and 1440p would be more similar, as the CPU's workload does not increase with resolution. The fact that the 8400F can produce 81 FPS at 1080p Low but the GPU cannot maintain that at higher resolutions confirms that the processor is not holding the system back.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 and dual-channel bus provides a high-bandwidth platform, but this does not translate into higher FPS in this scenario. The processor's high average benchmark score of 25005, which is only 0.2% higher than its nearest rival, the Ryzen 5 7500F, shows that it is a solid mid-range choice. However, its potential is capped by the graphics card, and in this specific combo, the CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is always fed with data, which it does without issue.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is an older graphics card, based on the Polaris 20 chip and GCN 4.0 architecture. It has a base clock of 1257 MHz and a boost clock of 1340 MHz, with 2304 shading units. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory operates at 2000 MHz, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card's peak FP32 performance is 6.175 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 (12_0). Its average benchmark score of 12928 places it in the 53rd percentile, showing it is an average performer by today's standards.

The RX 580 is the definitive bottleneck in this system. Its performance in Greedfall is consistently low, with the highest average frame rate being 81 FPS at 1080p Low. The card's 14 nm process and older architecture mean it struggles with the game's rendering demands, particularly at higher resolutions. The FPS drops from 58 at 1080p High to 40 at 1440p High, a 31% loss, illustrating the card's limited pixel throughput. At 4K, the card can only manage 24 FPS at High, which is not playable.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s is a limiting factor, but its compute performance is the main issue. The card's score is only 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, showing it is still competitive with that older card, but it is far behind modern mid-range GPUs. The data indicates that the RX 580 is best suited for 1080p gaming with medium to high settings in a game like Greedfall, and its age prevents it from delivering a high-refresh-rate or high-resolution experience.