Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study for the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is capable of high frame rates at mainstream resolutions but which begins to show its limitations as the pixel count climbs. This analysis walks through the benchmark results, detailing how the CPU and GPU each contribute to the final performance picture.

Resolution Scaling

The most telling data from the benchmark set is the frame rate progression across the three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 160 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 111 FPS, a significant reduction of about 30%. This pattern continues when scaling up to 3840x2160, where the Low setting yields an average of 66 FPS, another substantial drop from the 1440p figure.

This scaling behavior is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The Ryzen 7 7700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is clearly capable of feeding the RTX 5050 at 1080p, as evidenced by the very high 160 FPS average. However, the RTX 5050's workload increases exponentially with each resolution step. The 1080p to 1440p transition shows a 49 FPS loss, while the 1440p to 4K transition shows a 45 FPS loss. The near-consistent absolute drop in frame rate, despite the growing pixel count, suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

The data for the High preset tells a similar story. The average FPS goes from 114 at 1080p, to 79 at 1440p, and finally to 47 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 31%, and from 1440p to 4K it is about 40%. This increasing percentage loss as resolution rises further confirms that the rendering load is overwhelming the GPU. The CPU, which is in the 85th percentile compared to all tested CPUs, has ample headroom to handle the game's logic and draw calls. The limiting factor is the RTX 5050's ability to process and output the frames.

The fact that the 4K Low setting (66 FPS) performs better than the 4K High setting (47 FPS) shows that reducing the graphical load directly translates to higher throughput. This is a clear sign that the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity are the constraining resources. The system is not bottlenecked by memory bandwidth or CPU processing at these settings; it is purely the GPU's execution speed that dictates the final frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. In Greedfall, this memory configuration appears sufficient for the tested settings, as the performance scaling is smooth and predictable. The GPU's boost clock is listed at 2572 MHz, and its benchmark percentile places it at 66, meaning it outperforms the majority of tested GPUs but is not a top-tier part.

The performance deltas against its nearest rivals are minimal. It is only 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL and 1% behind the AMD Radeon HD 8970M. It is 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT. These very close margins indicate that the RTX 5050 sits in a highly competitive performance tier. In Greedfall, this translates to its observed frame rates: it is a capable 1080p and 1440p card, but it struggles to maintain high refresh rates at 4K.

The 4K Ultra setting is particularly revealing. The average FPS there is just 30, which is a steep drop from the 47 FPS seen at High settings. This 17 FPS penalty for moving from High to Ultra shows that the Ultra preset likely introduces effects that are very demanding on the GPU's compute and memory resources. The 8 GB VRAM is not necessarily the issue, but the increased texture detail and post-processing effects are taxing the chip's raw processing power. The data suggests that for a smooth experience at 4K, users will need to stay on Medium or Low settings, as the GPU's performance ceiling is reached quickly at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1440p on High settings?

A: The benchmark data shows an average of 79 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT?

A: The RTX 5050's average benchmark score is 1.6% higher than the RX 5600 XT's score.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter, as the CPU is likely not the constraint when the 1080p Low setting yields 160 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average is 30 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p Low setting compared to the 1080p Ultra setting?

A: The 1080p Low setting averages 160 FPS, while the 1080p Ultra setting averages 73 FPS. The Low setting is more than twice as fast.

Q: At what resolution does the system fail to maintain a 60 FPS average on High settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 47, which is below the 60 FPS mark.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination is ranked 1776 out of 2938 tested combos for Greedfall. This places it in the 60th percentile of all combinations, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is also far from the bottom. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where the CPU is not holding back the GPU significantly, but the GPU's performance ceiling limits the overall result.

This rank is more heavily influenced by the GPU's performance than the CPU's. The RTX 5050 is in the 66th percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 7 7700X is in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. The system's overall rank is lower than the CPU's individual percentile, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor. The data shows that a more powerful GPU would likely push this combination higher in the rankings, as the CPU has the headroom to support it.

The combo's position in the middle of the pack suggests it is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates. For 4K gaming, its rank would likely be lower, as the GPU struggles to keep up with the demands of the higher resolution. The system is a competent mid-range performer, but it is not designed for maximum fidelity at the highest resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is derived directly from the measured FPS table, showing the average frame rates for each resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080:

• Low: 160 FPS average
• Medium: 126 FPS average (min 107, max 144)
• High: 114 FPS average
• Ultra: 73 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 111 FPS average
• Medium: 87 FPS average (min 74, max 100)
• High: 79 FPS average
• Ultra: 50 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 66 FPS average
• Medium: 52 FPS average (min 44, max 60)
• High: 47 FPS average
• Ultra: 30 FPS average

The data shows a clear and consistent hierarchy. For every resolution, the Low preset provides the highest frame rate, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. The gap between Medium and High is relatively small in most cases, while the jump from High to Ultra is often significant, particularly at higher resolutions. The 4K Medium setting, for instance, shows a min FPS of 44, indicating that even this preset can experience noticeable dips.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth and responsive experience, the data points to the 1080p and 1440p resolutions as the primary targets for this combo. At 1080p, the High preset at 114 FPS is an excellent choice, providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium (126 FPS) while still maintaining a very high frame rate. The Ultra preset at 73 FPS is also playable, but the 41 FPS drop from High is a substantial cost for the extra visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the High preset (79 FPS) is the sweet spot for most users. It offers a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset (87 FPS) is a viable alternative for those who prioritize higher frame rates, while the Ultra preset (50 FPS) may be acceptable for slower-paced gameplay but is not ideal for action-heavy sequences.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the Ultra preset is not a viable option, as the 30 FPS average is below the threshold for smooth play. The High preset at 47 FPS is playable but may feel slightly sluggish. To achieve a more consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, users would need to use the Medium (52 FPS) or Low (66 FPS) presets. The Low preset is the only one that consistently stays above the 60 FPS mark, though it does so at a significant cost to visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a Zen 4 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 4.50 GHz, and it can boost up to 5.40 GHz. In the context of Greedfall, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The benchmark results suggest that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing. The high frame rates at 1080p Low (160 FPS) indicate that the CPU can easily keep up with the GPU's output.

The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19088 and a single-core score of 1987. Its average benchmark score is 35909, placing it in the 85th percentile. It is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core 7 250H and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350. This level of performance is more than sufficient for Greedfall, which is not known to be a heavily CPU-threaded game.

The fact that the frame rate scales almost entirely with resolution and settings, rather than being capped by CPU performance, confirms that the Ryzen 7 7700X is providing a solid foundation. The system's performance is limited by the RTX 5050's rendering capabilities. If the GPU were upgraded, the CPU would be able to support higher frame rates without becoming a limiting factor, as its single-threaded performance is robust enough to handle the game's primary simulation thread.