Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG from 2019, presents a demanding workload where the combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces playable results only at lower resolutions and settings. The measured data indicates this pairing ranks 2672 out of 2938 combinations for this game, placing it in the lower third of all tested hardware pairings. The system is heavily constrained by the GPU, with the CPU’s substantial processing power largely untapped as resolution and settings increase, resulting in a performance profile that favors 1080p gaming over higher-fidelity experiences.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor includes a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 80 KB of L1 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core. This configuration provides a solid foundation for gaming, as the high boost clock and large cache are designed to minimize latency and maximize single-threaded performance, which is often critical for game logic and frame pacing.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D achieves strong results, scoring 22807 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2228 points in single-core tests. Its Passmark single-thread score is 4704, and it reaches a multi-thread score of 41318. These figures place the CPU in the 92nd percentile against all CPUs, indicating that it is a top-tier processor for general and gaming workloads. The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this system; rather, it provides a massive amount of headroom for the GPU to operate.

When examining Greedfall’s performance, the CPU’s role becomes clear. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 81 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all tests. As the resolution increases to 2560x1440 and then 3840x2160, the average frame rates drop significantly, even at the same Low settings (56 FPS and 34 FPS, respectively). This pattern demonstrates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s rendering workload becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases. The CPU’s high performance is evidenced by its proximity to rivals like the Intel Core i9-14900, which has an average benchmark score of 58115, a mere 0.5% difference from the 9850X3D's average score of 58386. This shows the processor is more than capable of handling the game's computational demands.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this hardware in Greedfall?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 81 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration that breaks the 80 FPS barrier.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D has an average benchmark score of 58386, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (score of 58323) and 0.5% higher than the Intel Core i9-14900 (score of 58115). It trails the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 by 0.7%, which has a score of 58826.

Q: Is the GPU a limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data strongly indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 34 FPS on Low to just 15 FPS on Ultra. These low figures suggest the AMD Radeon RX 580 cannot handle the pixel throughput required at this resolution.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 81 FPS on Low settings to 37 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a substantial 54% reduction in performance, showing that the Ultra preset is far too demanding for this GPU at this resolution.

Q: Does the CPU’s performance vary significantly with game settings?

A: The data shows frame rates change with settings, but this is due to the GPU workload. The CPU’s benchmark scores (like 22807 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) are static, and its high performance means it is not the cause of frame rate drops. The frame rate scaling across settings is a direct result of the GPU’s rendering capabilities.

Q: What is the overall rank of this hardware combination for Greedfall?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 2672 out of 2938 tested combinations for the game. This places the pairing in the lower percentile of systems, indicating it is not well-suited for high-end gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent trend: performance drops dramatically as resolution increases. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate falls from 58 FPS to 40 FPS, a decrease of 31%. The drop from 1080p to 4K is even more severe, with the High preset yielding only 24 FPS at 3840x2160, a 59% reduction from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern points directly to the GPU as the limiting component.

The AMD Radeon RX 580, with its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, provides a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. This is insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering, where the sheer number of pixels requires immense memory bandwidth and fill rate. The GPU’s pixel rate is 42.88 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 193.0 GTexel/s, but these figures are overwhelmed at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only manages 34 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The scaling is linear and steep, confirming that the GPU is saturated long before the CPU’s capabilities are fully utilized.

This behavior is typical of a system where the CPU is vastly more powerful than the GPU. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D, with its high boost clock of 5.60 GHz and 96 MB of L3 cache, can easily process game logic and prepare frames. However, the RX 580 cannot render those frames quickly enough at high resolutions. The result is that users must choose between higher resolutions with lower settings or lower resolutions with higher settings to achieve a playable experience. The data suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this GPU, and even then, only with reduced settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a clear matrix of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system performs best. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 81 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 64 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS. High settings yield an average of 58 FPS, while the Ultra preset brings the average down to 37 FPS. This range shows that 1080p is viable for most settings, though the Ultra preset is noticeably demanding.

At 2560x1440, the performance becomes more constrained. Low settings produce an average of 56 FPS, which is still playable. Medium settings average 44 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 40 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 26 FPS. The data shows a significant step down from 1080p, with the Ultra preset at 1440p being almost unplayable. The frame rate at 1440p High (40 FPS) is 31% lower than at 1080p High (58 FPS), highlighting the GPU’s struggle as pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly out of its depth. Low settings manage an average of 34 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. Medium settings average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS. High settings drop to 24 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to just 15 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware combination, as even the lowest settings fail to reach 60 FPS. The gap between Low (34 FPS) and Ultra (15 FPS) at 4K shows a 56% performance difference, further confirming the GPU is the sole bottleneck.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a graphics card based on the Polaris 20 chip, utilizing the GCN 4.0 architecture on a 14 nm process. It has 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1257 MHz and a boost clock of 1340 MHz. It is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory running at 2000 MHz, which translates to 8 Gbps effective, and a 256-bit memory bus providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s.

In the context of Greedfall, the RX 580’s role is the primary limiting factor. Its benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 8813 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1005, place it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. This mid-range positioning is reflected in the gaming performance. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (average score 12940, 0.1% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (average score 12986, 0.4% higher). The RX 580’s average benchmark score is 12928, showing it is competitive with these cards, but none are high-end solutions.

The data from Greedfall shows that the RX 580’s 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game’s demands at 1080p, but the GPU’s compute power is not. The card’s FP32 performance is 6.175 TFLOPS, which is modest by modern standards. As the resolution increases, the GPU must process more fragments and pixels, and its 32 ROPs and 144 TMUs become overwhelmed. This results in the steep frame rate drops observed. The GPU’s power consumption is rated at 185 W, and it requires a 450 W power supply, but these are secondary to its rendering limitations. The data clearly shows that the RX 580 is best paired with lower resolutions to maintain acceptable frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this hardware combination is at 1920x1080 resolution. The data shows that the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance, with an average of 64 FPS and a minimum of 54 FPS. This ensures that the frame rate remains above 60 FPS for the majority of gameplay, providing a smooth experience. The High preset at 1080p also performs acceptably with an average of 58 FPS, but the Medium preset provides a more consistent frame rate with a higher minimum.

For users seeking the highest frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration that achieves an average above 80 FPS (81 FPS). However, this comes at a significant visual cost. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 37 FPS and is not recommended, as it falls below the threshold for comfortable play and offers diminishing returns in visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that only the Low preset is viable, with an average of 56 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 44 FPS, which is playable but may feel less smooth. The High and Ultra presets at this resolution (40 FPS and 26 FPS, respectively) are not recommended due to sub-60 FPS averages. At 3840x2160, the data indicates that no preset is recommended, as even the Low preset only averages 34 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to a slideshow-like 15 FPS.

To sum up, the best experience is achieved with the Medium preset at 1920x1080. This configuration provides a playable frame rate with a reasonable balance of visual effects. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor, and any attempt to increase resolution or settings beyond this point will result in a significant and noticeable drop in performance. The High preset at 1080p is a secondary option for users who prioritize visual quality over a perfectly stable frame rate, but the Medium preset is the recommended choice for a consistent and enjoyable gameplay experience.