Greedfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 pairing in Greedfall demonstrates a configuration where the graphics card is the primary arbiter of performance, a conclusion drawn directly from the scaling patterns across the measured resolutions. The data set provides a comprehensive view of how this system handles the 2019 Action RPG, moving from high-refresh 1080p territory to borderline playable 4K.

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

The progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a steep, consistent decline in frame rates that points squarely at the GPU as the bottleneck. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 136 FPS at 1080p to 94 FPS at 1440p, a drop of 42 FPS (approximately 31%). Moving further up to 4K, the average collapses to 56 FPS, which is 80 FPS lower than the 1080p figure—a reduction of roughly 59% from the baseline. This pattern of diminishing returns as pixel count increases is the classic signature of a render-bound scenario.

The scaling becomes even more dramatic when examining the Low preset. The system produces 191 FPS at 1080p, which is a massive jump from the High setting's 136 FPS. At 1440p, Low yields 132 FPS, and at 4K it maintains 79 FPS. The fact that Low settings at 4K (79 FPS) outperform Ultra settings at 1440p (60 FPS) by a margin of 19 FPS is particularly telling. It suggests that the game's visual effects, which are heavily tied to the GPU's shading and rasterization capabilities, have a more profound impact on performance than the sheer number of pixels being pushed.

The data implies that the Ryzen 9 5950X, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is never the constraining factor in this equation. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see the frame rate differences between resolutions compress, with 1080p and 4K performance converging as the CPU reaches its maximum throughput. Instead, the gap between the lowest and highest resolutions remains vast across all settings, indicating that the RX 7700 is working at its limits long before the processor's headroom is exhausted. The delta between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is 112 FPS (191 minus 79), which is an enormous spread that only makes sense if the GPU is the one doing the heavy lifting.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is a RDNA 3.0 part based on the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process. It carries 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. In the context of Greedfall, a game from 2019, this memory configuration is more than ample. The game was designed for an era where 8 GB was considered high-end, so the 16 GB frame buffer here provides a substantial cushion against texture thrashing, even at 4K Ultra. The data supports this: the 4K Ultra preset still manages an average of 36 FPS, and while that is not smooth, it is a playable result that would likely be impossible if the card were running out of memory and forced to swap textures from system RAM.

The GPU's clock behavior is also relevant to the frame rates observed. The card has a base clock of 1900 MHz, a game clock of 2041 MHz, and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. The difference between the base and boost clocks is over 500 MHz, which indicates the card has significant thermal and power headroom to dynamically scale its frequency. In a game like Greedfall, which is not typically as punishing as modern titles, the RX 7700 is likely sustaining clocks closer to its boost ceiling, allowing it to reach the 191 FPS average seen at 1080p Low. The 200 W TDP and requirement for a 550 W power supply suggest the card is power-efficient enough to hold high clocks without immediately throttling, which is crucial for maintaining the consistent averages seen in the benchmark rows.

The GPU's raw compute metrics further contextualize its performance. It has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, with a texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s. These figures, combined with an FP32 throughput of 25.18 TFLOPS, explain why the card can handle the geometry and texture work in Greedfall at 1440p High with a 94 FPS average. The card sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, indicating it is a mid-to-upper-tier performer, which aligns with its ability to produce 60 FPS at 1440p Ultra but not at 4K Ultra.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 Vermeer architecture, running on the AM4 socket. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. For a game released in 2019, this processor is overkill in almost every conceivable way. Greedfall was built to run on quad-core and hexa-core CPUs from that era, so the 5950X's 16 cores are far beyond what the game's engine can utilize.

The benchmark data confirms this surplus of CPU capability. The processor achieves a single-thread score of 1614 in Cinebench R23 and a multi-core score of 26017, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Core i9-13900F, which is 0.4% ahead, and the Intel Core i7-14700, which is 0.7% behind. These are modern, high-end processors, and the 5950X trades blows with them. In a scenario where the CPU was the limiting factor, we would see frame rates plateau regardless of resolution or settings. Instead, the 1080p Low result of 191 FPS is the highest in the entire data set, and it falls to 79 FPS at 4K Low. This is a pure GPU limitation.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and support for dual-channel DDR4 are also non-issues here. The L3 cache is a generous 64 MB, which helps feed the cores with data, but in Greedfall, the CPU is likely idling for most of the frame time. The 5950X's boost clock of 4.90 GHz is sufficient to maintain high single-thread performance, which is what most game engines rely on for their main game thread. The data suggests that even the most demanding single-threaded scenarios in Greedfall are handled with ease, as the frame rate is entirely dictated by the RX 7700's pixel throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The complete set of measured frames per second provides a granular look at the system's behavior. Beginning with 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 87 FPS, while High jumps to 136 FPS, Medium to 150 FPS, and Low to 191 FPS. The gap between Ultra and High is 49 FPS, which is a significant jump, indicating that the Ultra preset applies a heavy load that the GPU cannot fully sustain even at this lower resolution. The Medium preset at 1080p has a minimum FPS of 127 and a maximum of 172, showing a 45 FPS variance, which is typical for a game with dynamic scenes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop across the board. Ultra averages 60 FPS, High 94 FPS, Medium 104 FPS, and Low 132 FPS. The Medium preset here has a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combo, as it allows for High settings to stay above the 90 FPS mark, which is smooth for most displays. The drop from 1080p High to 1440p High is 42 FPS, which is a steeper percentage decline than the drop from 1440p to 4K, suggesting that the GPU is beginning to hit a memory bandwidth or fill-rate wall at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the results become more demanding. Ultra averages 36 FPS, which is a slideshow by modern standards. High averages 56 FPS, Medium 62 FPS, and Low 79 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. This data shows that 4K is only viable with Low settings if you desire a consistent 60+ FPS experience. The difference between 1440p Ultra (60 FPS) and 4K Ultra (36 FPS) is 24 FPS, which is a 40% reduction in performance for a doubling of pixel count. This is a clear indication that the RX 7700 is not designed for 4K Ultra in this title.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 is ranked 1307 out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the 44th percentile of all systems tested, meaning that roughly 56% of the tested configurations perform better. Given the hardware involved, this ranking is more a reflection of the RX 7700's position in the GPU hierarchy than the CPU's capability.

To put this in perspective, the CPU alone is in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU is only in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. The combo's rank of 1307 out of 2938 is lower than what the CPU's percentile might suggest, which reinforces the notion that the GPU is the limiting factor. The data implies that swapping the RX 7700 for a higher-tier GPU would significantly improve the combo's ranking, while swapping the CPU would yield almost no benefit in this game.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which is 1.7% ahead, and the AMD Radeon RX 9060, which is 1% ahead. These are comparable cards, and the RX 7700's ranking is likely within a few percentage points of these. In a game like Greedfall, the difference between these cards would be minimal, meaning the combo's rank is representative of a mid-range 1440p gaming system. The 5950X is a high-end CPU from 2020, but its age and the game's engine limitations mean it is not contributing to a higher rank.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60 FPS average on High settings?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves a 94 FPS average. At 3840x2160 with High settings, it drops to 56 FPS. Therefore, 2560x1440 is the highest resolution that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS on High.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 191 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 87 FPS. This represents a difference of 104 FPS, or approximately 120% faster with Low settings.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 5950X bottleneck the RX 7700 in this game?

A: No. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent across all settings, indicating the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU has a boost clock of 4.90 GHz and 16 cores, which is far more than this game requires.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Greedfall?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K with Low settings, it averages 79 FPS. The Medium preset averages 62 FPS, while High drops to 56 FPS and Ultra to 36 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, Low settings are required.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p on the Medium preset?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 150 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average is 104 FPS. This is a difference of 46 FPS.

Q: How does this combo's rank compare to the total number of tested systems?

A: This combo is ranked 1307 out of 2938 tested combos. This places it in the upper half of all tested systems, but below the median performance level.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear path for the optimal experience. For users with a 1080p display, the High preset at 136 FPS is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset drops to 87 FPS, which is still smooth, but the 49 FPS loss is substantial for what is often a marginal visual improvement in this era of game. The Low preset at 191 FPS is only useful for competitive play or if the user has a very high refresh rate monitor (above 165 Hz).

For 1440p users, the High preset at 94 FPS is the recommended choice. It provides a high level of detail while maintaining a frame rate that exceeds 90 FPS, which is excellent for most monitors. The Medium preset at 104 FPS is a viable alternative if the user prioritizes frame rate over visual effects, but the difference between Medium and High is only 10 FPS. The Ultra preset at 60 FPS is playable but does not offer enough headroom for dips, as the minimum FPS is not recorded for that row.

For 4K users, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 79 FPS is the only setting that consistently breaks the 60 FPS barrier. The Medium preset at 62 FPS is acceptable, but the minimum of 53 FPS could lead to noticeable stutters in demanding scenes. The High preset at 56 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 36 FPS should be avoided. The data suggests that 4K gaming on this combo is best served by accepting Low settings, or alternatively, dropping to 1440p and using High settings for a superior experience. The combination of the RX 7700's 16 GB VRAM and the 5950X's processing power is best utilized as a high-refresh 1440p machine rather than a 4K powerhouse.