Greedfall

# Greedfall with AMD Ryzen 9 7900X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

Greedfall, the 2019 Action RPG from Spiders, presents an interesting challenge for the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 pairing. With the CPU ranking in the 91st percentile among all tested processors and the GPU sitting in the 66th percentile, this combination relies heavily on the graphics card to carry the visual load. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a component dynamic that shifts depending on how much pixel pushing is required, making this a useful case study in where the bottleneck actually lives for a game of this era.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story about which component is doing the heavy lifting. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 114 FPS, but dropping to 1440p reduces that to 79 FPS, and 4K further cuts it to 47 FPS. That represents a 59% reduction from 1080p to 4K at High settings, which is a substantial scaling penalty that points directly at the GPU as the limiting factor. The RTX 5050, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, is being asked to push increasingly more pixels, and the frame rate responds accordingly.

Looking at the Low settings row, the scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced. At 1080p Low, the system hits 160 FPS, which drops to 111 FPS at 1440p and then to 66 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 31% from 1080p to 1440p and another 41% from 1440p to 4K. This suggests that even when the graphical workload is minimized, the GPU's memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s becomes a hard ceiling at higher resolutions. The CPU side of the equation, with 12 cores and 24 threads running at a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, is clearly not the constraint here, as even the most demanding 1080p scenarios don't show signs of CPU-bound behavior.

The Medium settings data provides the only complete min/max frame time information in the dataset. At 4K Medium, the average is 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 60, while 1440p Medium averages 87 FPS with a range of 74 to 100, and 1080p Medium averages 126 FPS with a range of 107 to 144. The consistency of these ranges, roughly 16-17 FPS spread between min and max at each resolution, indicates that the frame pacing remains stable even as the average drops. This is a sign that the GPU is handling the workload in a predictable manner rather than encountering sporadic spikes in rendering complexity.

The Ultra settings row reveals the steepest scaling cliff. At 4K Ultra, the system manages only 30 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay in an action RPG. The jump from 4K High at 47 FPS to 4K Ultra at 30 FPS is a 36% performance hit for what is typically a modest visual improvement in Greedfall's art style. The data suggests that Ultra settings at 4K are simply beyond what this GPU can deliver, and the scaling curve indicates that the RTX 5050's 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is the bottleneck rather than any CPU limitation.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1776 out of 2938 tested combinations in Greedfall, placing it in the bottom 40% of all possible pairings. This might seem surprising given the CPU's strong benchmark showing, but it makes sense when considering that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates in this game. The RTX 5050's average benchmark score of 21035 places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, which is respectable but not exceptional. The nearest rival comparison shows the RTX 5050 trading blows with the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (which scores 21153, a 0.6% delta), the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, 1% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, 1.6% delta). This puts the GPU in a performance tier that is competitive with mid-range offerings from previous generations.

The CPU, by contrast, is a powerhouse. The Ryzen 9 7900X achieves an average benchmark score of 53288, which places it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7313P (53206, 0.2% delta), the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (53469, 0.3% delta), and the Intel Core i7-14700F (53620, 0.6% delta). The fact that the CPU is outperforming server-class processors in average benchmark scores while the combo still ranks in the bottom 40% of Greedfall combinations underscores that the GPU is holding back the overall experience. The ranking is not a reflection of CPU inadequacy but rather a demonstration of how a mid-tier GPU can cap the potential of a high-end processor in a GPU-intensive title.

The percentile data further reinforces this interpretation. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking versus the GPU's 66th percentile means there is a significant performance disparity between the two components. In a game like Greedfall, which is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, this disparity manifests as a combo ranking that is closer to the GPU's percentile than the CPU's. The 1776th position out of 2938 combos suggests that many pairings with weaker CPUs but stronger GPUs would outperform this specific configuration, which is an important consideration for anyone evaluating this hardware combination.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1080p, all settings are playable, with Low hitting 160 FPS, Medium at 126 FPS, High at 114 FPS, and Ultra at 73 FPS. For players with a 144Hz monitor, Medium or High settings would be the sweet spot, as both exceed the 114 FPS threshold needed for smooth gameplay. Ultra at 73 FPS is still playable but sacrifices the high refresh rate experience for marginal visual gains.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. High settings deliver 79 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target for most displays but below 100 FPS for high refresh rate monitors. Medium settings at 87 FPS are slightly better, and Low at 111 FPS is the only option that breaks the 100 FPS barrier. For a balanced experience, Medium or High at 1440p is recommended, as both maintain playable frame rates while preserving visual quality. Ultra at 50 FPS is borderline, and players sensitive to frame rate drops would likely prefer the smoother Medium or High options.

At 4K, the choices become more constrained. Low settings at 66 FPS is the only option that provides a consistently playable experience above 60 FPS. Medium at 52 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced exploration but may feel sluggish during combat sequences. High at 47 FPS and Ultra at 30 FPS are both below the ideal playability threshold, with Ultra being particularly problematic. For 4K gaming, Low settings are the practical recommendation, and even then, the 66 FPS average suggests there is little headroom for demanding scenes. The data indicates that 4K is not this combo's strong suit, and players prioritizing resolution over frame rate would need to accept significant compromises.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset provides a comprehensive view of this combo's performance across all twelve tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 160 FPS on Low, 126 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 107 and maximum of 144), 114 FPS on High, and 73 FPS on Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 87 FPS, showing a 54% performance penalty for maxing out the settings. The Medium settings row is the only one at this resolution with min/max data, indicating a frame time range of 37 FPS between the lowest and highest recorded frames.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops become more pronounced. Low settings produce 111 FPS, Medium yields 87 FPS (minimum 74, maximum 100), High delivers 79 FPS, and Ultra drops to 50 FPS. The Low to Ultra spread here is 61 FPS, a 55% reduction. The Medium settings at 1440p show a 26 FPS range between minimum and maximum, which is tighter than the 1080p Medium range of 37 FPS, suggesting better frame consistency at the higher resolution relative to its average.

At 3840x2160, the performance hits its lowest points. Low settings achieve 66 FPS, Medium averages 52 FPS (minimum 44, maximum 60), High falls to 47 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 30 FPS. The Low to Ultra spread is 36 FPS, representing a 55% penalty, consistent with the scaling pattern seen at other resolutions. The Medium settings at 4K show a 16 FPS range between minimum and maximum, which is the tightest frame time distribution in the entire dataset, indicating that the GPU is working consistently at this resolution without major spikes.

Comparing across resolutions at the same settings reveals the scaling factors. At Low, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 49 FPS (31%), and from 1440p to 4K is 45 FPS (41%). At High, the drops are 35 FPS (31%) from 1080p to 1440p and 32 FPS (41%) from 1440p to 4K. At Ultra, the drops are 23 FPS (32%) and 20 FPS (40%). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the scaling is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven, further confirming the GPU as the primary bottleneck.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X brings substantial processing power to this pairing, with 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture using a 5 nm process. Its base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz represent the high end of what the 7000 series offers, and the CPU's benchmark results confirm its capability. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29300 and single-core score of 2016.5 place it among top-tier desktop processors, while the Geekbench multicore score of 19267 and single-core score of 2617 reinforce this positioning.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU across all measured configurations. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings changes in a manner that tracks GPU load rather than CPU load. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do, but instead the system reaches 160 FPS at 1080p Low, suggesting the CPU can feed frames well beyond what the GPU can render at higher settings.

The CPU's 91st percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 53288 indicate it is operating far above the median processor. Its nearest rivals, including the AMD EPYC 7313P and Intel Xeon Phi 7290, are server or workstation-class parts, yet the 7900X matches or exceeds them in synthetic benchmarks. This suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor in any gaming scenario, and Greedfall's modest CPU requirements are easily satisfied by this processor's 24 threads. The fact that the combo ranks 1776th out of 2938 in this game, despite the CPU's strength, is a clear indicator that the processor is being underutilized relative to its potential.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the component that defines this combo's gaming performance. Based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB207 chip, this GPU features 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. Its base clock of 2317 MHz and boost clock of 2572 MHz, combined with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, deliver a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The GPU's FP32 compute of 13.17 TFLOPS places it in the mid-range tier of the GeForce 50-series lineup.

The measured frame rates in Greedfall show that the RTX 5050's performance is strongly tied to resolution and settings. At 1080p, it delivers playable frame rates across all settings, but the 73 FPS at Ultra indicates that even at 1080p, the GPU is being pushed hard. The 4K results, where Ultra settings drop to 30 FPS, demonstrate that the GPU lacks the raw compute and memory bandwidth for high-resolution, high-detail gaming. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Greedfall's requirements, but the 128-bit memory bus limits the bandwidth available for texture streaming at higher resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide additional context. The Passmark G3D score of 17326 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 89381 show solid mid-range performance, while the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502 indicates DirectX 12 capability. The GPU's 66th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 21035 place it in the company of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT and RTX A4000 Mobile, which are comparable performers. In Greedfall, the GPU's role is clearly the determining factor for frame rates, with the measured data showing that resolution scaling has a linear impact on performance that aligns with GPU compute and bandwidth limitations.

FAQ

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

A: Based on measured data, 1080p is the optimal resolution, with all settings delivering playable frame rates from 73 FPS at Ultra to 160 FPS at Low. 1440p is viable with Medium or High settings (87 FPS and 79 FPS respectively), while 4K is only playable at Low settings (66 FPS).

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 7900X has an average benchmark score of 53288, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P (53206), 0.3% lower than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (53469), 0.6% higher than the Intel Xeon 634 (52974), and 0.6% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700F (53620).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings produce 79 FPS while Ultra settings produce 50 FPS, representing a 37% performance drop for the visual upgrade from High to Ultra.

Q: Is the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Greedfall?

A: The measured data shows no evidence of VRAM-related issues, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 320.0 GB/s bandwidth appears adequate for this game, though the 128-bit bus limits overall memory throughput at higher resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1776 out of 2938 tested combinations in Greedfall, placing it in the bottom 40% of all pairings. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier positioning (66th percentile) rather than the CPU's high-end performance (91st percentile).

Q: What settings provide the smoothest frame rate at 1080p?

A: Medium settings at 1080p deliver 126 FPS average with a minimum of 107 FPS and maximum of 144 FPS, making it the best balance of visual quality and frame rate consistency. Low settings reach 160 FPS but sacrifice visual fidelity, while High at 114 FPS is also a strong option.