Greedfall

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 in Greedfall presents a classic study in bottleneck dynamics. The data shows a system where a modern, high-end CPU is mated to an older mid-range GPU, and the performance ceiling is largely dictated by the latter. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings to interpret what the numbers reveal about the hardware's interaction.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 121.5 FPS on average. Moving to 1440p drops that to 86 FPS, a reduction of approximately 29%. Pushing further to 4K (3840x2160) at Low settings yields 48.4 FPS, which is a 44% drop from the 1440p figure and a 60% drop from 1080p.

This scaling behavior is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat regardless of resolution, as the CPU's workload (draw calls, physics) stays constant. Instead, the consistent and substantial FPS decline with each resolution increase indicates that the GTX 1070's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint. The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU is likely not being fully utilized, as the GPU is already working hard to produce frames.

The gap between settings also widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 65.2 FPS (121.5 vs. 56.3). At 4K, the same comparison shows a 26.8 FPS difference (48.4 vs. 21.6). This further supports the GPU-bound conclusion; at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing settings to Low only recovers a limited amount of performance, whereas at 1080p, the GPU has more headroom to benefit from lower graphical loads.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience per the measured rows, the data points to a balance between visual quality and frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 90.8 FPS, which is a solid margin above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 95.5 FPS offers a marginal FPS gain of 4.7 FPS over High, but the visual difference between Medium and High in an Action RPG is often noticeable in texture detail and shadow quality. Given the small performance cost, High at 1080p appears to be the optimal choice for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the High preset produces 63.7 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 66.3 FPS provides a slightly larger safety margin. The data suggests that either setting is viable, but High is the better choice for visual fidelity if the user can tolerate a frame rate that is closer to the 60 FPS line. The Ultra preset at 39.2 FPS is not recommended, as the significant performance hit is not worth the marginal visual improvements in most games.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. The High preset yields 37.7 FPS, which is below the ideal playable threshold. The Low preset at 48.4 FPS is the only setting that approaches a playable frame rate, but it comes with a substantial reduction in visual quality. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo is not a smooth experience on High or Ultra settings, making Low the only practical option for 4K, and even then, it remains below 50 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 9000 series, based on the Zen 5 architecture. Its boost clock is listed at 5.40 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it shows strong single-thread performance with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1253 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3363. Its multi-threaded capabilities are also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25525.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role appears to be secondary. The FPS scaling with resolution strongly indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 9600X's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score, is likely more than sufficient for the game's logic. The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the FPS drops are consistent with GPU load. The game is likely not heavily multi-threaded, but the 6-core/12-thread configuration provides ample headroom for background tasks and the game's core threads. The processor's percentileVsAllCpus of 85 indicates it is a high-performing chip, and its performance in this game is effectively held back by the GTX 1070.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Ryzen 5 9600X and GTX 1070 ranks 1451 out of 1705 tested combinations in Greedfall. This places it in the lower 15% of all tested combos. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's age and performance class. While the CPU is a modern, high-end part, the GTX 1070 is an older mid-range GPU that limits the overall system performance.

The ranking suggests that in the context of all tested hardware, this pairing is not competitive for high-end gaming. The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 51 places it in the middle of the pack for all GPUs, but its performance in this specific title, combined with the high-end CPU, results in a low overall combo rank. The data indicates that the GPU is the primary determinant of the system's rank in this game, as a more powerful GPU would likely push this combo much higher in the rankings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal architecture GPU with a boost clock of 1683 MHz. It has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 6.463 TFLOPS. These specifications are from a 2016 release and represent a solid mid-range performer from that era.

In Greedfall, the GTX 1070 is the clear performance bottleneck. This is evident from the FPS scaling and the overall combo rank. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is likely not a constraint at 1080p or 1440p, but at 4K with Ultra settings, the 21.6 FPS average suggests the card is struggling with both memory bandwidth and raw compute. The data implies that the GPU's compute power is insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in this title. The texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s are simply not high enough to maintain fluid frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU's performance is close to that of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER and GTX 880M, with deltaPct values of -1.4% and -1.3% respectively, indicating it is a mid-range performer.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Greedfall at 60 FPS on High settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average of 90.8 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for a smooth experience with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with High settings (90.8 FPS) offers a strong balance of quality and performance. At 2560x1440, the High preset (63.7 FPS) is also viable but provides a smaller margin above 60 FPS.

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

A: The FPS data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. Frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases, which is a characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its closest rival, the GTX 1650 SUPER?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 12331, which is 1.4% lower than the GTX 1650 SUPER's score of 12504.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The High preset runs at 63.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset runs at 39.2 FPS. This represents a 24.5 FPS drop for the higher visual quality settings.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this setup?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, only the Low preset (48.4 FPS) approaches a playable frame rate. The High (37.7 FPS) and Ultra (21.6 FPS) presets are below acceptable playable levels.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|---|---|---|

| 3840x2160 | High | 37.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 48.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 39.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 21.6 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 63.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 86.0 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 66.3 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 39.2 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 90.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 121.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 95.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 56.3 |

The data shows a consistent pattern: FPS decreases as resolution and settings increase. The largest performance gap is between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p, which shows a 65.2 FPS difference. The smallest gap is between Medium and High at 1440p, which is only 2.6 FPS. This suggests that the High preset is often a more efficient choice than Medium, offering better visuals for a negligible performance cost. The Ultra preset across all resolutions incurs a significant performance penalty, making it a less desirable option for this hardware combination.