Greedfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 presents a stark study in bottlenecking within Greedfall. The processor, a 12-core, 24-thread Zen 4 part based on the Raphael architecture, is a high-end desktop component with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its multi-threaded prowess is evident in synthetic benchmarks, scoring 43,695 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 51,406 in Passmark multithread. The data indicates this CPU is operating at a performance level that places it in the 93rd percentile of all processors, making it an exceptionally capable compute engine for a game that, while an Action RPG, does not demand the full might of a 5nm, 13,140 million-transistor chip.

In contrast, the GeForce GTX 1650 is a Turing-architecture GPU with a 4 GB GDDR5 memory buffer and a 128-bit memory bus, delivering 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base and boost clocks are 1485 MHz and 1665 MHz, respectively. With a Passmark G3D score of 7,880, it sits in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, a massive gulf in relative standing compared to the CPU. This configuration is fundamentally imbalanced. The CPU is never the limiting factor; instead, the GPU’s 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the primary constraint. Benchmark results consistently show that the frame rate is dictated by the graphics card’s ability to process the scene, not the CPU's ability to feed it data.

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

The Ryzen 9 7900X’s role in this combination is to be an over-provisioned spectator. Its architecture, with 12 cores and 24 threads, is built for heavy parallel workloads, as evidenced by its 3DMark max-thread score of 12,536. However, Greedfall’s measured performance does not scale with this level of CPU capability. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 75 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded across all tests, and it is still likely constrained by the GPU. A more balanced CPU would likely produce a similar result, as the 7900X is nowhere near its limits. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,168 and Passmark single-thread score of 4,238 are more than sufficient to handle the game's game logic and draw calls without breaking a sweat.

The processor's high clocks and extensive cache hierarchy—64 MB of shared L3 cache—are assets that go largely unused in this pairing. The CPU sits at the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, while its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 (with a deltaPct of -0.1) and the AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT (with a deltaPct of -0.4), are essentially performance equals. This indicates that the 7900X is not just adequate but top-tier. Yet, the data shows that even this immense processing power cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations. In the measured rows, the difference between the highest and lowest frame rates is dictated entirely by resolution and graphics settings, not by CPU load. The CPU is effectively idle, waiting for the GTX 1650 to finish its work.

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

The GeForce GTX 1650’s role is the definitive bottleneck. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM is a critical limitation, especially at higher resolutions and detail levels. The data shows a catastrophic performance cliff at 4K Ultra settings, where the average frame rate collapses to 11.8 FPS. This is a clear indicator that the GPU is overwhelmed, both in terms of raw compute and memory capacity. The 128-bit memory bus and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to feed the rendering pipeline at 3840x2160, causing the frame rate to plummet. At 1080p Low, the GPU manages 75 FPS, but this is its ceiling; the architecture, with 896 shading units and 32 ROPs, is simply outclassed by the demands of the game at higher presets.

The GPU's performance percentile of 43% relative to all other GPUs underscores its entry-level status. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (deltaPct -0.4) and the AMD Radeon 550X (deltaPct -0.4), are similarly positioned, confirming that this is not a high-performance part. The GTX 1650’s boost clock of 1665 MHz is not enough to prevent the frame rate from dropping by more than half when moving from 1080p High (51.3 FPS) to 1440p High (37.1 FPS). This scaling pattern is a textbook example of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary determinants of performance. The GPU is the sole component responsible for the poor performance at higher settings.

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

Based strictly on the measured rows, the optimal experience is found at 1080p with the Low preset, which yields an average of 75 FPS. This is the only setting combination that approaches a smooth, playable frame rate for a fast-paced Action RPG. The Medium preset at 1080p drops to 54.4 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably less fluid. The High preset at 1080p yields 51.3 FPS, a marginal difference from Medium and not worth the potential visual trade-offs given the data. The Ultra preset at 1080p is a poor choice, as the frame rate falls to 33.1 FPS, which is a 56% reduction from the Low preset and indicates the GPU is struggling significantly.

At 1440p, all presets are suboptimal. The Low preset achieves 49.8 FPS, which is playable but a compromise on resolution. The Medium preset at 42.7 FPS and High at 37.1 FPS are further compromises. The Ultra preset at 1440p is not viable, with an average of 21.5 FPS. At 4K, the results are uniformly poor, with the Low preset being the only one that even approaches playability at 27.6 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is a slideshow at 11.8 FPS. Therefore, the data strongly suggests that users should prioritize 1080p and select the Low preset for the best balance of performance and playability. If visual fidelity is paramount, the High preset at 1080p is the highest setting that maintains an average above 50 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of components ranks 1663 out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the bottom 2.5% of all configurations, a ranking that perfectly reflects the severe imbalance between the CPU and GPU. The rank is a direct consequence of the GTX 1650 holding back an otherwise top-tier processor. The data shows that the 7900X is capable of performance that rivals the Intel Core i9-13980HX (deltaPct -0.8) and the Intel Core i7-13850HX (deltaPct -0.5), yet the combo's overall standing is dragged down to near the bottom of the list. This is a clear indictment of the GPU pairing.

The combo’s rank of 1663 is not a reflection of the CPU's capabilities, but rather evidence of how a weak GPU can cripple a system's gaming performance. The measured frame rates are consistently low, and the synthetic benchmarks for the GPU, such as the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 305 and the Passmark DirectX 11 score of 58, are equally unimpressive. In a game like Greedfall, which relies heavily on visual effects and scene complexity, the GPU's limitations are amplified. The data indicates that this configuration is not suitable for a smooth gaming experience at any resolution above 1080p with low settings, and its overall rank correctly identifies it as a severely underperforming pairing relative to the potential of its CPU.

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

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K provides a definitive diagnosis of the system's limiting component. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 75 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 49.8 FPS, a reduction of 33.6%. At 4K Low, it falls to 27.6 FPS, a 63.2% reduction from the 1080p figure. This dramatic decline is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with resolution. Instead, the frame rate drops in near proportion to the increase in pixel count, which is the exact behavior expected when the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are saturated.

The trend is even more pronounced at higher settings. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 51.3 FPS at 1080p to 37.1 FPS at 1440p (a 27.7% decrease) and then to 23.9 FPS at 4K (a 53.4% decrease from 1080p). The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with a collapse from 33.1 FPS at 1080p to 11.8 FPS at 4K, a 64.4% reduction. This data conclusively shows that the GTX 1650 is the limiting component. The CPU, with its 24 threads and massive L3 cache, is more than capable of handling the game's logic at any resolution. The performance is entirely dictated by the GPU's ability to render pixels, and as the resolution increases, the GPU is progressively overwhelmed, leading to the sharp frame rate drops observed. The conclusion is unambiguous: upgrading the GPU would yield a transformative improvement in performance, while the CPU would remain a silent, powerful bystander.