Greedfall

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a predictable scaling pattern in Greedfall. The data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, clearly identifying the Intel Arc B390 as the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 84 FPS, but this drops by roughly 31% to 58 FPS at 2560x1440, and then further to 35 FPS at 3840x2160. This pattern is consistent with a GPU that is overwhelmed by pixel count, while the CPU's substantial headroom remains untapped. The scaling curve indicates that the Arc B390's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in this Action RPG, making 1080p the only viable territory for smooth gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 1440p yields a significant performance penalty across all settings presets. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 60 FPS at 1920x1080 to 42 FPS at 2560x1440, a 30% reduction. The story is similar at Low settings, where the drop from 84 FPS to 58 FPS represents a 31% loss. This consistent ~30% decline across presets strongly suggests that the GPU's shading units and texture mapping units are the limiting factor, rather than any CPU-related constraint. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is far from being saturated at these resolutions, as evidenced by its strong synthetic scores like the 23,230 multi-core score in Cinebench R23.

Moving from 1440p to 4K introduces an even harsher penalty, confirming the GPU-bound nature of the system. At High settings, the average FPS plummets from 42 to 25, a 40% drop. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 58 to 35 FPS, a 40% decline as well. This non-linear degradation as resolution increases is a classic sign of the GPU running out of memory bandwidth and raw fill rate. The Arc B390 relies on System Shared memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent," which is a severe disadvantage at 4K where data transfer demands are immense. The result is that the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 becomes nearly unplayable, with an average of just 16 FPS.

The data reveals that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (84 FPS) and Ultra (38 FPS) is 46 FPS. At 1440p, that gap shrinks to 31 FPS (58 vs. 27 FPS), but at 4K, the difference narrows to just 19 FPS (35 vs. 16 FPS). This compression of performance at 4K indicates that the GPU is so heavily saturated that reducing graphical fidelity offers diminishing returns, as the pixel fill rate and memory subsystem become the absolute limiting factors, regardless of the complexity of the scene being rendered.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2595 out of 2938 tested combos for Greedfall. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations, a poor showing that underscores the mismatch between the high-end CPU and the entry-level GPU. The combo's ranking is dragged down almost entirely by the GPU's performance, which sits in the 9th percentile of all tested GPUs, averaging a score of just 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test.

This GPU score is remarkably low, placing the Arc B390 in direct competition with legacy mobile and OEM parts. The nearest rivals for the GPU are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which has an average score of 1463 (a delta of 1.3% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, with a score of 1460 (a delta of 1.5% behind). Even the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, with a score of 1443, is only 2.7% slower. This data clearly illustrates that the Arc B390's performance class is not suited for modern gaming at high resolutions, and its inclusion in this combo severely limits the potential of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

In contrast, the CPU is a powerhouse, ranking in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 39,768 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (39,603, a delta of 0.4% behind) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40,048, a delta of -0.7% ahead). This data shows that the 9800X3D is performing exactly as expected for a high-end desktop processor. The massive discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile ranking and the GPU's low percentile ranking is the core issue, creating a severely unbalanced system where the CPU's capabilities are wasted in this gaming workload. The combo's overall rank of 2595 reflects this imbalance, as it is dragged down by the GPU's inability to keep pace with the CPU's potential.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured frame rates, the optimal settings for this combo are clearly at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only configuration that consistently delivers an average frame rate above 60 FPS, achieving 84 FPS. This provides a playable experience, though it requires sacrificing visual fidelity. The Low preset at 1080p is the only way to leverage the CPU's power to generate high frame rates, even if the GPU cannot handle higher graphical loads.

At 1080p, the High preset still offers a playable average of 60 FPS, making it a viable alternative for users who prioritize visual quality over maximum frame rates. The Medium preset sits between the two, with an average of 66 FPS and a minimum of 56 FPS, which could be a good middle ground. However, the Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 38 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, making it a poor choice. For 1440p, the Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, with an average of 58 FPS, but the High and Medium presets at 42 and 46 FPS respectively will be noticeably less smooth.

At 4K resolution, the data suggests that all settings are effectively unplayable. The highest average frame rate achieved is 35 FPS at Low settings, which is still below the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience. The High and Medium presets at 25 and 27 FPS respectively are stuttery, and the Ultra preset at 16 FPS is a slideshow. The recommendation is to avoid 4K entirely with this configuration. The performance data indicates that the Arc B390 is not capable of handling the pixel throughput required for 4K gaming in Greedfall, and users should stick to 1080p with Low or High settings to get the best balance of frame rate and visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear tiering of performance. The Low preset yields the highest average frame rate at 84 FPS. The Medium preset follows at 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS, indicating some frame time variance. The High preset delivers a solid 60 FPS average. The Ultra preset is significantly slower, with an average of just 38 FPS, making it the least desirable option at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. The Low preset still leads with an average of 58 FPS. The Medium preset averages 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. The High preset averages 42 FPS. The Ultra preset suffers a severe hit, dropping to an average of 27 FPS. This resolution tests the limits of the GPU, and only the Low preset comes close to providing a consistent 60 FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, all settings struggle. The Low preset produces an average of 35 FPS, which is the highest of the group. The Medium preset averages 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 32 FPS. The High preset averages 25 FPS. The Ultra preset is the worst performer, with an average of just 16 FPS. The data confirms that 4K is not a viable option for this hardware combination, as even the lowest settings cannot achieve a smooth frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Greedfall?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides a consistently playable experience. At this resolution, the Low preset achieves an average of 84 FPS, and the High preset achieves 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset approaches playability at 58 FPS, while 3840x2160 results in unplayable frame rates across all settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, has a score of 1463, which is 1.3% slower. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M and GeForce GT 625 OEM are also close, with scores of 1460 and 1446, respectively, demonstrating the GPU's low performance tier.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D the bottleneck in this system?

A: No, the data shows the opposite. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D ranks in the 87th percentile of all CPUs with a high average benchmark score of 39,768. The performance limitations in Greedfall are clearly attributable to the GPU, which ranks in the 9th percentile and is unable to keep up with the CPU's processing power at higher resolutions.

Q: What are the measured frame rates at Medium settings across all resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average is 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 32 FPS.

Q: How does this combo's rank compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2595 out of 2938 tested combos for Greedfall. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations, a ranking heavily influenced by the GPU's low performance relative to other components in the database.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 84 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages just 38 FPS. This represents a 46 FPS difference, showing that the graphical settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a high-end desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. This CPU is clearly not the limiting factor in Greedfall, as its substantial processing power is evidenced by strong benchmark scores, including a 23,230 multi-core score in Cinebench R23 and a 4,430 single-thread score in PassMark.

The CPU's 96 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support (with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth) are more than adequate for gaming workloads. Its high percentile ranking (87th) and average benchmark score of 39,768 place it in the top tier of processors, far ahead of what this game requires. The data suggests that even at 1080p with Low settings, where the combo achieves 84 FPS, the CPU is not being fully utilized, as the frame rate is capped by the GPU's performance.

The 8-core, 16-thread configuration is well-suited for modern games, and Greedfall, an Action RPG from 2019, is unlikely to stress all cores heavily. However, the CPU's potential is wasted in this pairing. The Intel Arc B390, with its 1,536 shading units and 80W TDP, is a low-power integrated graphics solution that cannot translate the CPU's power into high frame rates. The benchmark results show that the CPU is effectively idle while the GPU struggles, making this a highly unbalanced configuration where the processor's capabilities are largely irrelevant to the final gaming performance. The CPU's high scores in synthetic tests like 3DMark (10,081 in 16-thread) and Geekbench (18,696 multi-core) further underscore that it is performing as expected, while the GPU's low score of 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad is the sole cause of the combo's poor in-game results.