Greedfall

Greedfall, the 2019 Action RPG from Spiders, shows a clear performance hierarchy when paired with the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT. This combination delivers a wide range of frame rates that scale predictably with both resolution and graphical settings, revealing a system that is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but capable of exceptional throughput at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data for this combo shows a steep and consistent performance drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 248 FPS at 1080p to 172 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 103 FPS at 4K. That represents a 30.6% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 40.1% drop when moving from 1440p to 4K. This pattern indicates that the RX 9070 XT is doing increasingly heavy lifting as pixel count rises, with the CPU's role diminishing at higher resolutions.

The scaling is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 113, which drops to 78 at 1440p and just 47 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half the 1080p Ultra figure, a 58.4% reduction. This steep curve is typical of a game that becomes heavily pixel-bound at maximum quality, pushing the GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus to their limits. The RX 9070 XT's boost clock of 2970 MHz and 48.66 TFLOPS FP32 performance are clearly being taxed at 4K Ultra.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens significantly at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (248 FPS) and Ultra (113 FPS) is 135 FPS. At 1440p, that gap narrows to 94 FPS (172 vs 78), and at 4K it shrinks further to 56 FPS (103 vs 47). This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU even at lower settings, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor regardless of quality preset. The Ryzen 9 5950X, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is unlikely to be a bottleneck even at 1080p, but the data shows the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K.

The Medium preset provides the only complete dataset with min and max FPS recorded. At 1080p Medium, the average is 195 FPS with a minimum of 166 and maximum of 224. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 135 FPS (min 115, max 155), and at 4K Medium, the average is 81 FPS (min 69, max 93). These figures illustrate that even the minimum frame rates at 1440p Medium (115 FPS) are comfortably above the 4K Medium average (81 FPS), reinforcing the conclusion that resolution scaling is the dominant factor in this combo's performance profile.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT holds a combo rank of 912 out of 3703 tested combinations for Greedfall. This places it in the top 24.6% of all tested combos, indicating that it is a strong performer for this title, though not at the very top of the charts. The rank of 912 suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings can achieve higher frame rates in Greedfall, likely due to the game's age and the fact that it may not fully utilize the 16-core, 32-thread capability of the 5950X.

The CPU itself sits at the 91st percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 51947. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (average score 52073, delta -0.2%), the AMD EPYC 8124P (average score 52121, delta -0.3%), the Intel Core i9-13900F (average score 51730, delta 0.4%), and the Intel Core i7-14700 (average score 52301, delta -0.7%). These deltas are all within 1% of the 5950X's score, meaning the CPU is performing essentially on par with these alternatives in general compute benchmarks. However, Greedfall's specific engine may favor other architectures, which could explain why this combo does not rank higher despite the CPU's strong overall showing.

The GPU, on the other hand, has a lower percentile ranking at 55th among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13543. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (average score 13536, delta 0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (average score 13515, delta 0.2%), the NVIDIA P106-090 (average score 13470, delta 0.5%), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 (average score 13407, delta 1%). These are all older or lower-tier cards, which is surprising given the RX 9070 XT's modern RDNA 4.0 architecture and 4 nm process node. The 55th percentile reflects the fact that this GPU's benchmark scores, while respectable, are not exceptional compared to the broader database. This may be due to the specific benchmark suite used, as the RX 9070 XT scores 26795 in Passmark G3D but only 78 in Passmark DirectX 12, indicating variability across different test methodologies.

When considering the combo rank of 912, it's clear that the RX 9070 XT is the weaker link in this pairing for Greedfall. The CPU is a top-tier performer relative to all processors, but the GPU's mid-pack percentile holds back the overall combination. The data suggests that pairing the 5950X with a higher-ranking GPU would yield a much better combo rank, while swapping in a lower-end CPU would have less impact on this specific game's performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all four presets produce playable frame rates, but the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The High preset delivers 177 FPS on average, which is only 71 FPS less than Low (248 FPS) but provides significantly better graphical fidelity. Ultra at 1080p drops to 113 FPS, which is still smooth but represents a 36.2% reduction from High for what may be a marginal visual improvement in a 2019 title. Medium at 1080p provides 195 FPS, but High is the better choice for those who prioritize image quality without sacrificing the high refresh rate experience.

For 2560x1440 gaming, High is again the recommended preset. The average of 123 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a fluid experience on most high-refresh monitors. Low at 1440p hits 172 FPS, but the visual downgrade is noticeable and unnecessary given that High still clears 120 FPS. Ultra at 1440p drops to 78 FPS, which is playable but may be a tough choice for those who prefer consistent high refresh rates. Medium at 1440p offers 135 FPS, but High's extra visual polish is worth the modest 12 FPS reduction. The minimum frame rate at Medium (115 FPS) suggests that High would likely stay above 100 FPS even in demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation shifts to Medium. The Medium preset at 4K delivers 81 FPS on average, with a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 93 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that consistently stays above 60 FPS, making it the best choice for a smooth 4K experience. High at 4K drops to 73 FPS on average, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for frame drops in busy scenes. Low at 4K reaches 103 FPS, which is impressive but sacrifices too much visual detail for a game that benefits from its atmospheric environments. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as the 47 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS threshold and would result in a noticeable stutter on most displays. For 4K users, Medium is the clear winner, offering a 34 FPS advantage over Ultra while maintaining a stable frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete FPS dataset for this combo is as follows. At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 248 FPS. Medium settings yield 195 FPS on average, with a minimum of 166 FPS and a maximum of 224 FPS. High settings deliver 177 FPS on average. Ultra settings produce 113 FPS on average. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 135 FPS, showing the significant impact of quality settings on this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Low settings average 172 FPS. Medium settings average 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS. High settings average 123 FPS. Ultra settings average 78 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 94 FPS, narrower than at 1080p but still substantial. Notably, the 1440p High average (123 FPS) is nearly identical to the 1080p Ultra average (113 FPS), suggesting that the GPU is capable of maintaining similar throughput when pixel count and quality settings trade off.

At 3840x2160, Low settings average 103 FPS. Medium settings average 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. High settings average 73 FPS. Ultra settings average 47 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 56 FPS, the smallest of the three resolutions. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is already near its limits even at Low settings, so the incremental cost of higher quality presets is less pronounced in absolute terms but more severe in relative terms. The 4K Ultra result of 47 FPS is the only measured average below 60 FPS across all settings and resolutions, marking it as the least playable configuration in this dataset.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the 195 FPS average with a 166 FPS minimum shows good frame pacing. At 1440p, the 135 FPS average with a 115 FPS minimum maintains a healthy buffer above 60 FPS. At 4K, the 81 FPS average with a 69 FPS minimum is the closest call, but still stays above the 60 FPS threshold. This consistency makes Medium the most predictable preset for this combo, particularly at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 with High settings is the sweet spot, delivering 123 FPS on average. At 1080p, all presets exceed 113 FPS, while at 4K, only Medium (81 FPS) and Low (103 FPS) stay above 60 FPS. The 1440p High setting offers a strong balance of visual quality and performance.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X a bottleneck in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The 5950X has 16 cores and 32 threads with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, and it ranks at the 91st percentile among all CPUs. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 248 FPS, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. The performance drops at higher resolutions are consistent with GPU limitations rather than CPU constraints.

Q: How does the RX 9070 XT compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 9070 XT has an average benchmark score of 13543, which is within 1% of the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (13536, delta 0.1%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13515, delta 0.2%), NVIDIA P106-090 (13470, delta 0.5%), and AMD Radeon Pro 555 (13407, delta 1%). This places it at the 55th percentile among all GPUs, indicating a mid-pack standing.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Medium, the combo averages 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS, which is playable. At 4K High, it averages 73 FPS, and at 4K Low, it reaches 103 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset averages only 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 248 FPS on average, while Ultra settings produce 113 FPS. This represents a 135 FPS difference, or a 54.4% reduction from Low to Ultra. The High preset sits between them at 177 FPS, offering a middle ground.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combos for Greedfall?

A: The combo ranks 912 out of 3703 tested combinations, placing it in the top 24.6% of all pairings. While this is a strong result, it indicates that many other CPU-GPU combinations achieve higher frame rates in this specific title.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The CPU has a 64 MB L3 cache, with 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. The 5950X is built on a 7 nm process node at TSMC, containing 8,300 million transistors across a 2x 74 mm² die size.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. At 1080p, where CPU load is typically highest, the combo achieves 248 FPS at Low settings, suggesting the 5950X has ample headroom. The CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads are more than sufficient for a 2019 Action RPG, which likely uses fewer threads. The benchmark scores reflect this capability: the 5950X scores 26017 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1614 in single-core, with a 3DMark max threads score of 11597. These figures place it at the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 51947.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all within 1% of its average score. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX scores 52073 (delta -0.2%), the AMD EPYC 8124P scores 52121 (delta -0.3%), the Intel Core i9-13900F scores 51730 (delta 0.4%), and the Intel Core i7-14700 scores 52301 (delta -0.7%). This tight grouping means that, in general compute tasks, the 5950X performs essentially identically to these alternatives. However, in Greedfall specifically, the combo rank of 912 out of 3703 suggests that the game's engine may not fully exploit the CPU's multi-threading capabilities, making the GPU the more significant factor in determining overall performance.

The 5950X's high boost clock of 4.90 GHz helps with single-threaded workloads, as shown by its Geekbench single-core score of 2083 and Passmark single-thread score of 3470. These scores are competitive, but Greedfall's performance scaling from 1080p to 4K indicates that frame rates are largely dictated by the RX 9070 XT's rendering capabilities rather than CPU throughput. At 4K Ultra, the 47 FPS average is a GPU limitation, not a CPU one, as the same CPU can push 248 FPS at 1080p Low. This suggests that players with this combo should focus on GPU settings to improve performance, as the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor in any resolution or preset combination measured.