Greedfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the Intel Arc B370 delivers playable, if not spectacular, frame rates in Greedfall, but the combination's overall standing is surprisingly low given the CPU's pedigree. The data shows this combo ranks 2699 out of 2938 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This poor ranking is almost entirely attributable to the Intel Arc B370, an integrated graphics solution that lands in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, dragging down what would otherwise be a capable gaming platform.

The Ryzen 9 5900X, by contrast, is a high-end desktop processor that sits in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. This stark contrast between the CPU and GPU performance tiers defines the entire experience. In Greedfall, the processor's substantial 12-core, 24-thread configuration is largely underutilized, as the game's engine leans heavily on the graphics subsystem. The result is a system where the CPU is rarely the limiting factor, and the GPU's modest 6.144 TFLOPS of compute power dictates the performance ceiling across all resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The composite rank of 2699 out of 2938 combos places this pairing firmly in the lower echelons of tested hardware configurations. This is a critical finding: despite the CPU's strength, the Intel Arc B370's performance profile anchors the entire system. The GPU's average benchmark score of 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is a clear indicator of its limits, and its nearest rivals—the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and AMD FirePro M2000—are all legacy or low-power parts from a different era.

The deltaPct values against these rivals are minuscule, ranging from -0.7% to +1.4%. The Arc B370 effectively trades blows with the ATI Radeon HD 5770, a card released well over a decade ago, coming in just 0.5% behind it. This level of performance places the combo in a territory where modern gaming at high settings is a struggle. The Ryzen 9 5900X's own benchmark scores, such as 16,262 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 14,118 in Geekbench multi-core, are impressive, but they do little to boost the in-game rank when the GPU cannot keep pace. The data indicates that this combination is severely imbalanced for gaming, with the CPU's potential wasted by the GPU's output.

FAQ

*Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X or the Intel Arc B370 the bottleneck in Greedfall?*

A: The benchmark data strongly indicates the Intel Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck. The CPU sits in the 87th percentile of all processors, while the GPU languishes in the 5th percentile. The FPS deltas between resolution and settings changes are characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card's compute limits are hit long before the CPU's processing power is exhausted.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B370's average benchmark score is 1184. It performs nearly identically to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186, and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190. It is a marginal 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000, which scores 1168, and 0.7% faster than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, which scores 1192.

Q: Can this combo achieve a stable 60 FPS experience at 1080p?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080, only the Low preset achieves an average above 60 FPS, hitting 76 FPS. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, but with minimums as low as 51 FPS, indicating that a locked 60 FPS experience without drops is not guaranteed. High and Ultra presets average 54 FPS and 35 FPS, respectively.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that maintains an average of 60 FPS or more?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only one that averages above 60 FPS, with an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset's average of 60 FPS is technically at the threshold, but its minimum of 51 FPS suggests it will not feel consistently smooth. At higher resolutions, no preset achieves a 60 FPS average.

*Q: How much does the CPU's multi-threading capability help in Greedfall?*

A: The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads provide ample headroom, as evidenced by its 3DMark max threads score of 10075. However, Greedfall's performance is constrained by the GPU, meaning the CPU's multi-threading advantage does not translate into higher frame rates at higher settings or resolutions. The CPU's role is to ensure it never becomes a limiting factor, which it does.

Q: Is the Arc B370's performance consistent across different settings presets?

A: No, the performance deltas between presets are significant. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces the average FPS from 76 to 60, and from Medium to High it drops to 54. The Ultra preset takes a severe hit, falling to 35 FPS. This steep scaling is typical of a GPU with limited compute and memory bandwidth.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. This CPU is a powerhouse for multi-threaded workloads, scoring 16,262 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 39,002 in Passmark multi-thread. In Greedfall, this processing power ensures that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any tested setting or resolution.

The game's engine does not appear to be heavily threaded, as the CPU's single-thread performance is also strong, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 941 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2083. However, the benchmark results reveal that the system's FPS is directly tied to GPU load. For example, at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 76 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 35 FPS. If the CPU were the limiting factor, these numbers would be closer together. The CPU is effectively "waiting" on the GPU to render frames.

The 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide a solid foundation for gaming, but the Intel Arc B370's "System Shared" memory architecture means it relies on the same system memory, which can introduce latency and bandwidth contention. Despite the CPU's high percentile ranking, its role in this specific game and combo is to provide a stable platform that does not throttle or stutter, which it does admirably. The bottleneck is unequivocally the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the Arc B370's capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo shows its best performance. The Low preset yields an average of 76 FPS, which is the only "smooth" performance level in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, indicating playable but not perfectly stable frame times. The High preset drops to an average of 54 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 35 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly. The Low preset averages 53 FPS, which is a substantial drop from the 76 FPS at 1080p. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, with minimums of 35 and maximums of 48. The High preset averages 38 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 24 FPS. At this resolution, the GPU is clearly struggling to maintain fluid motion, and only the Low preset approaches a playable frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the Arc B370 is overwhelmed. The Low preset averages 31 FPS, which is a 59% drop from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 25 FPS, with minimums of 21 and maximums of 28. The High preset averages 22 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages a nearly unplayable 14 FPS. The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU's performance collapses as resolution increases, confirming its limited pixel throughput and memory bandwidth.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior reveals a GPU that is severely bandwidth and compute limited. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS across all settings drops by roughly 30%. For example, the High preset goes from 54 FPS at 1080p to 38 FPS at 1440p, a 30% reduction. From 1440p to 4K, the drop becomes even more pronounced. The High preset falls from 38 FPS to 22 FPS, a 42% reduction.

This escalating performance loss as resolution increases is a classic sign of a GPU that is running out of raw fill rate and memory bandwidth. The Arc B370's specs support this conclusion: it has a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s, which are modest figures for modern gaming. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," meaning it shares the system's DDR4 memory, which is far slower than dedicated GDDR6 or GDDR6X found on discrete graphics cards.

The data points to the GPU being the absolute limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K would be minimal, as the CPU's workload would remain similar. Instead, we see a dramatic decrease in performance, with the 1080p Low average of 76 FPS plummeting to a 4K Low average of 31 FPS. This 59% reduction in performance is directly correlated with the increase in pixel count, leaving no doubt that the Intel Arc B370 is the constraining factor in this pairing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo are highly dependent on the user's target resolution and tolerance for frame rate dips. At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only option that guarantees an average above 60 FPS, hitting 76 FPS. For gamers who prioritize a smooth, responsive experience and can tolerate lower graphical fidelity, this is the recommended choice. The Medium preset's 60 FPS average is tempting, but the 51 FPS minimum suggests that action-heavy scenes could cause noticeable stutter.

For 2560x1440, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only playable option, with an average of 53 FPS. The Medium preset's 41 FPS average is borderline, but the 35 FPS minimum makes it risky for fast-paced combat. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for serious gameplay at this resolution, as they average 38 FPS and 24 FPS, respectively.

At 3840x2160, the combo cannot deliver a consistently playable experience on any setting. The Low preset's 31 FPS average is technically playable in a turn-based or slower RPG, but Greedfall's real-time combat would feel unresponsive. The Medium preset's 25 FPS average and the High preset's 22 FPS average are too low for a satisfying experience. The Ultra preset's 14 FPS average is effectively a slideshow. For 4K, the recommendation is to play at 1080p or 1440p with lower settings, as the GPU simply does not have the horsepower to drive this resolution. The "best" experience per the measured data is unequivocally the 1080p Low preset, which provides the highest frame rates and the most stable performance.