Greedfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon 880M integrated graphics presents a stark picture in Greedfall: this is a CPU-bound platform held back by its IGP. The data shows a combo that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions, yet the underlying processor demonstrates immense headroom. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, focusing on where the bottleneck lies and how to configure the game for the best possible experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic case of GPU saturation as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 71 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 49 FPS, a 31% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 29 FPS, which is a 59% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline strongly indicates that the integrated Radeon 880M is the primary limiting factor; the rendering workload is overwhelming the GPU before the CPU can even be taxed.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For High settings, the average FPS goes from 51 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p (a 31% drop) and then to 21 at 4K (a 59% drop from 1080p). The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 56 FPS at 1080p, 39 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K. Even the Ultra preset, which starts at a low 32 FPS at 1080p, plummets to 22 FPS at 1440p and 13 FPS at 4K. The consistent ~30% penalty for stepping up to 1440p and another ~40% penalty for stepping up to 4K points to a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and shading power.

Crucially, the gap between Low and High settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (71 FPS) and High (51 FPS) is 20 FPS. At 4K, that difference shrinks to just 8 FPS (29 FPS vs 21 FPS). This convergence is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario; at 4K, the pixel fill rate is the bottleneck, so reducing graphical complexity offers diminishing returns because the GPU is already spending most of its time on the base rendering pass. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is not the constraint here; the data shows the iGPU's performance ceiling is hit long before the processor's capabilities are exhausted.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this specific combination at rank 2870 out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall. This puts it in the bottom 3% of all tested configurations, which is an expected outcome for a system relying on integrated graphics for a demanding Action RPG. The rank reflects the measured FPS across all resolutions, and the data clearly shows that this combo is not designed for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution gaming in this title.

This low ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance tier. The Radeon 880M's average benchmark score places it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330. These are older or entry-level discrete graphics solutions, and the 880M matches their performance within a 1.3% delta. In contrast, the Ryzen 9 8945HX sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with a benchmark score that is essentially tied with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (0.1% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (0.6% delta). The disparity between the CPU's top-tier ranking and the GPU's mid-low tier ranking is the defining characteristic of this combo.

The data shows that this pairing is heavily imbalanced. While the processor is capable of competing with the best desktop-class chips, the integrated graphics anchor the entire system's gaming performance. For a game like Greedfall, which has a 2019 release date and is not known for modern graphics, the 880M's performance is still insufficient for a smooth experience at higher settings. The combo rank of 2870 out of 2938 serves as a warning: this is a productivity powerhouse, but a gaming lightweight.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 880M is the decisive component in this combo's gaming performance. Its specifications—768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs—are typical for an integrated graphics solution. The boost clock of 2900 MHz is high for an IGP, but the system-shared memory is a critical bottleneck. With a memory bandwidth listed as "System Dependent" and a bus width of "System Shared," the GPU must share the system's DDR5 memory, which limits its effective bandwidth compared to a discrete card with dedicated VRAM. This shared memory architecture is a primary reason for the significant FPS drops at higher resolutions, where bandwidth demands increase exponentially.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-low tier standing. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 535 and Passmark G3D score of 7615 place it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and the AMD Radeon HD 8870M, both of which are over a decade old. The 880M's performance delta of 0.1% to 1.3% against these older parts shows that while it is modern, it does not offer a generational leap in raw compute for gaming. The FP32 performance of 4.454 TFLOPS is modest, and the pixel rate of 46.40 GPixel/s is too low to handle 4K rendering in Greedfall, as evidenced by the 21 FPS average on High settings at that resolution.

The data indicates that the GPU's role is to provide a baseline of playability at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, it manages 71 FPS, which is smooth. However, its performance collapses under the load of higher settings and resolutions. The Ultra preset at 4K yields a dismal 13 FPS average, making the game essentially unplayable. The GPU's 15W TDP and IGP form factor mean it is constrained by thermal and power limits, further capping its performance. In this combo, the Radeon 880M is the clear limiting factor, and its system-shared memory design is the primary reason for the steep performance cliff between 1080p and 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Greedfall with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1080p is the only viable resolution. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 71, and at 1080p Medium it is 56. Moving to 1440p drops the average FPS to 49 on Low and 39 on Medium, while 4K at any setting falls below 30 FPS, which is not a smooth experience.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score that is within 0.6% of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and within 0.1% of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX. It also edges out the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX by 0.4%. This indicates the CPU is a top-tier performer.

Q: Is the Radeon 880M a good GPU for gaming?

A: In this game, the data suggests it is not. Its average benchmark score places it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 and the AMD Radeon R9 M375X. The measured FPS in Greedfall shows it only achieves 71 FPS at 1080p Low, which is adequate, but it struggles to maintain 30 FPS at higher settings.

Q: Why does the FPS drop so much from 1080p to 4K?

A: The FPS drop is due to the GPU's limited pixel rate and memory bandwidth. The Radeon 880M has a pixel rate of 46.40 GPixel/s and uses system-shared memory. At 4K, the GPU has to process four times as many pixels as 1080p, and its shared memory cannot provide the necessary bandwidth, causing the average FPS to drop by roughly 59% across all settings presets.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset yields an average of 71 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 32 FPS. This is a 55% reduction in performance from Low to Ultra, showing that the Ultra preset is too demanding for the integrated graphics to handle smoothly.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: No, the data does not support that. The CPU is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 43rd percentile. The FPS drops consistently with resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU one. The processor has ample headroom.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a powerhouse that is largely untapped in this gaming scenario. With 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, it offers a level of multi-threaded performance that rivals desktop-class processors. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and Passmark multithread score of 51405 place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. The base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz provide strong single-thread performance, as seen in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030.

In Greedfall, this CPU has more than enough computational power to feed the Radeon 880M. The game is not heavily multi-threaded, but even if it were, the 16-core processor would handle it with ease. The CPU's benchmark scores show it is competitive with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, both of which are high-end desktop parts. This means the CPU is not the limiting factor in the measured FPS; the integrated GPU is.

The 55W TDP and 5nm process node make this a highly efficient part, but that efficiency does not translate to gaming performance when paired with an IGP. The CPU's role in this combo is to ensure that the system never stutters due to processor limitations. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 71 FPS, but the CPU could likely push far higher frame rates if it were paired with a more powerful GPU. The CPU's L3 cache of 64 MB and support for DDR5 memory are excellent, but the GPU's shared memory access negates some of that advantage in gaming. The processor is a future-proofing asset; it will not need an upgrade for years, but the GPU will need to be replaced or supplemented with a discrete card for a better gaming experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo are a balance between visual quality and playability. The data shows that the Medium preset at 1080p is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 56 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS. This is a smooth, playable experience that maintains a reasonable frame rate above the 30 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 1080p offers a higher average of 71 FPS, but the visual fidelity is significantly reduced, which is a poor trade-off for an Action RPG where world detail matters.

The High preset at 1080p yields 51 FPS, which is still playable, but it is only 5 FPS lower than Medium. However, the Medium preset's minimum FPS of 47 is more stable than the High preset's unspecified minimum, suggesting better frame pacing. The Ultra preset at 1080p is not recommended, as its average of 32 FPS is too close to the edge of playability, and any demanding scene could cause noticeable stutter.

At 1440p, the data shows that only the Low preset (49 FPS) is close to playable, but the Medium preset drops to 39 FPS and High to 35 FPS. These are marginal frame rates for a game like Greedfall. At 4K, all presets are below 30 FPS, making the game unplayable at that resolution. Therefore, the recommendation is clear: play at 1080p with the Medium preset. This gives the best combination of visual quality and performance, with a 56 FPS average that is smooth and responsive. If you prefer a higher frame rate and can tolerate lower textures and effects, the Low preset at 1080p offers 71 FPS, but the Medium preset is the best overall experience per the measured data.