Greedfall

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread Zen 5 processor built on Granite Ridge architecture. It carries a base clock of 4.70 GHz, a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, and includes 96 MB of shared L3 cache. This cache-heavy design, combined with high single-thread throughput (3dmark_single_thread score of 1212 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4800), makes it a powerful engine for Greedfall's CPU-bound scenes.

Benchmark results indicate that in Greedfall, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor at 1080p. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 236 FPS average. That figure drops to 171.5 FPS at High settings, which is still far above typical display refresh rates. The CPU's multithreaded muscle is evident in synthetic scores: Cinebench R23 multicore hits 34004, while Geekbench multicore records 18413. PassMark multithread lands at 40009, and 3dmark_max_threads scores 10067. These numbers suggest the processor has ample headroom for Greedfall's AI, physics, and game logic threads.

The processor's nearest rivals in aggregate CPU benchmarks include the Intel Xeon 6353P (deltaPct -0.1), Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (deltaPct -0.1), Intel Core i9-13900HK (deltaPct -0.6), and Intel Core i5-13600KF (deltaPct -0.7). The Ryzen 7 9800X3D sits nearly dead even with these parts, with a 90th percentile ranking across all CPUs. In Greedfall specifically, the data shows that at 1080p Low, the frame rate reaches 236 FPS — a strong indicator that the CPU's 8 cores and high boost clocks can keep up with the GPU's output at lower settings.

The 120 W TDP and 4 nm process node from TSMC make this a power-efficient part. It supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, which helps feed the GPU with data. For Greedfall, a 2019 title, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's architecture is far beyond what the game requires, but the high L3 cache and fast single-core performance translate directly into consistent frame delivery across all tested settings.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is an Ampere-architecture GPU with 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1440 MHz with a boost of 1710 MHz, and it packs 8704 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The GPU has 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, though Greedfall does not rely heavily on ray tracing or DLSS.

In Greedfall, the RTX 3080's VRAM capacity becomes a notable factor at 4K. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset drops to 45.9 FPS average — a steep decline from High's 73.1 FPS. This gap suggests that Ultra settings push memory bandwidth and fill rate to their limits. The GPU's pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s are high, but the 10 GB frame buffer may be stressed by Ultra textures at 4K resolution.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 80th percentile among all GPUs. Its PassMark G3D score is 25086, while 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 records 4407. Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores are 167014 and 145176, respectively. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (deltaPct -0.2), AMD Radeon 880M (deltaPct 0.4), AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (deltaPct -0.9), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (deltaPct 1). The RTX 3080 essentially ties these parts in aggregate scores, which means Greedfall's results reflect its specific strengths and weaknesses.

At 1080p, the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates. The jump from Low (236 FPS) to Medium (187.9 FPS) to High (171.5 FPS) shows scaling that is more gradual than at 4K, where the Ultra preset causes a massive drop. The 10 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but 4K Ultra appears to exceed the card's comfortable envelope, resulting in the 45.9 FPS result.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data shows that High settings offer the most balanced experience across all three resolutions. At 1080p, High delivers 171.5 FPS, which is more than enough for smooth gameplay on high-refresh monitors. At 1440p, High hits 120.1 FPS, a sweet spot for 120 Hz displays. At 4K, High maintains 73.1 FPS, which is playable on most TVs and monitors.

Medium settings provide a modest uplift over High: 187.9 FPS at 1080p, 131.2 FPS at 1440p, and 76.8 FPS at 4K. The gains are roughly 10-16% depending on resolution, but the visual fidelity loss may not be worth it for most players. Low settings push frame rates to 236 FPS at 1080p, 164.6 FPS at 1440p, and 98.5 FPS at 4K, but these come with noticeable visual compromises.

Ultra settings are the outlier. At 1080p, Ultra still delivers 111.4 FPS, which is fine. At 1440p, it drops to 73.6 FPS. But at 4K, Ultra falls to 45.9 FPS — a 37% drop from High's 73.1 FPS. This suggests that Ultra at 4K is not advisable for this combo. The data indicates that High is the recommended preset for a consistent experience, especially at 1440p and 4K, where the gap between High and Ultra widens significantly. For competitive play, Medium at 1080p offers a strong 187.9 FPS with better visuals than Low.

FAQ

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

A: 1440p High offers the best balance, hitting 120.1 FPS average. It provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining frame rates well above 60 FPS. At 4K High, the combo still achieves 73.1 FPS, making it viable for 60 Hz displays.

Q: How does the Ultra preset affect performance compared to High?

A: At 1080p, Ultra drops from High's 171.5 FPS to 111.4 FPS. At 1440p, it falls from 120.1 FPS to 73.6 FPS. At 4K, the drop is most severe: from 73.1 FPS to 45.9 FPS. The Ultra preset imposes a 35-37% penalty at 1440p and 4K.

Q: Is the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM sufficient for Greedfall at 4K?

A: The data shows that 4K High runs at 73.1 FPS, which indicates the 10 GB frame buffer is adequate for High settings. However, 4K Ultra drops to 45.9 FPS, suggesting that Ultra textures may exceed the VRAM capacity or memory bandwidth limits.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9800X3D compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D scores within 0.7% of the Intel Core i5-13600KF, Intel Core i9-13900HK, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, and Intel Xeon 6353P in aggregate benchmarks. It effectively trades blows with these parts, with deltaPct values ranging from -0.1 to -0.7.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and High settings at 1080p?

A: Low hits 236 FPS while High achieves 171.5 FPS, a difference of 64.5 FPS or roughly 27%. This gap reflects the GPU workload increase from higher-quality textures and effects.

Q: Does the combo rank high among all tested configurations for Greedfall?

A: This CPU/GPU combo ranks 515th out of 1705 tested combinations, placing it in the top 30% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the strong but not elite performance of the RTX 3080 paired with the top-tier Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases. At High settings, the combo delivers 171.5 FPS at 1080p, 120.1 FPS at 1440p, and 73.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 30% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 57% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario — the CPU's performance headroom is sufficient, and the RTX 3080's rendering load increases with pixel count.

At Low settings, the pattern is similar but with higher absolute numbers: 236 FPS at 1080p, 164.6 FPS at 1440p, and 98.5 FPS at 4K. The relative drops are 30% and 58%, respectively. Low settings reduce GPU workload, yet the frame rates still scale down sharply with resolution, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at all settings.

Medium settings show 187.9 FPS at 1080p, 131.2 FPS at 1440p, and 76.8 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 41%, which is slightly smaller than the High preset's 39% drop over the same range. This suggests that Medium settings are less VRAM-intensive, allowing the GPU to maintain better performance at 4K.

The Ultra preset exhibits the most dramatic scaling: 111.4 FPS at 1080p, 73.6 FPS at 1440p, and 45.9 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 34%, but the 1440p-to-4K drop is 38%. The absolute values at 4K Ultra (45.9 FPS) indicate that this setting combination is beyond the RTX 3080's comfortable performance envelope, likely due to VRAM pressure or memory bandwidth saturation.

The scaling data points to the GPU as the limiting component in this combo. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D's high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4800) and strong multithreaded scores mean it can feed the GPU at 1080p, where 236 FPS is achieved. As resolution climbs, the GPU's workload increases proportionally, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The fact that Low, Medium, High, and Ultra all show similar percentage drops from 1080p to 4K confirms that the GPU is consistently the bottleneck, not the CPU. For players targeting 4K, High settings at 73.1 FPS represent the practical ceiling for this hardware combination.