Greedfall

Greedfall, the 2019 action RPG from Spiders, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with resolution on this platform. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile delivers a wide range of performance, from high refresh rate territory at 1080p to a playable, though less fluid, experience at 4K. The measured data indicates a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the substantial headroom provided by the 16-core processor becomes more apparent as the pixel count drops.

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a classic pattern of GPU limitation. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 128 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average FPS drops to 89, a reduction of approximately 30%. The most significant hit comes when moving to 3840x2160, where the average falls to 53 FPS, a 40% drop from the 1440p figure and less than half the 1080p performance.

This scaling behavior indicates that the GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. The 1080p to 1440p transition shows a substantial cost, but the 1440p to 4K transition is even more punishing, suggesting the GPU's memory bandwidth and processing power are being saturated. The frame rate almost halves from 1080p to 4K on High settings (128 to 53 FPS), which is a sharper decline than the pixel count increase alone would suggest, pointing to the game's heavy reliance on pixel shading and memory throughput.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings also widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (180 FPS) and Ultra (82 FPS) is 98 FPS. At 4K, the same settings gap is 40 FPS (74 vs 34 FPS). This compression at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is the limiting factor; the extra work demanded by Ultra settings cannot be fully compensated for when the GPU is already strained by the 4K pixel count. The data suggests that for a consistent 60 FPS experience, 1440p is the practical ceiling for High settings, while 4K requires a significant compromise in visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile achieves a rank of 2006 out of 3703 combos in Greedfall. This places it in the 54th percentile, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of all tested configurations for this specific title. The ranking indicates a mid-pack performance level, which is noteworthy given the high-end nature of both components individually.

This rank is likely influenced by the game's engine and its specific demands. While the processor is a top-tier mobile part, its performance percentile of 95 against all CPUs does not translate directly to a top-tier gaming rank. Similarly, the GPU's percentile of 73 against all GPUs is strong, but the combination still lands in the middle of the pack for this game, suggesting that other factors, such as memory configuration or driver optimization, may play a more significant role in Greedfall's performance than raw compute power alone. The combination's performance is competitive, but not dominant, in the broader context of all tested systems.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is the central component in determining Greedfall's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s, which becomes a critical resource when rendering at 4K with high-detail textures. The data shows the GPU's average benchmark score is 27435, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks is the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT with a negligible 0% delta, indicating nearly identical average scores.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 1395 MHz and a boost of 1695 MHz, are characteristic of a mobile part designed to balance performance with thermal constraints. In Greedfall, this translates to strong 1080p performance but a clear struggle to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra. The benchmark results show a 34 FPS average at 4K Ultra, compared to 82 FPS at 1080p Ultra, a 59% reduction in performance that is directly attributable to the GPU's rendering limits. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 19587 further contextualizes its capabilities, indicating a solid, but not flagship-level, DirectX 12 performance that aligns with the observed in-game frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates excellent headroom for high-refresh-rate displays. The Low preset yields an average of 180 FPS, while Medium produces 141 FPS. High settings provide 128 FPS, and Ultra drops to 82 FPS. The Medium preset also provides a minimum FPS of 120 and a maximum of 163, showing some frame time variance but maintaining a smooth experience overall.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's limits. Low settings produce an average of 125 FPS, with Medium at 98 FPS and High at 89 FPS. Ultra settings drop significantly to 57 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS, indicating more pronounced frame pacing issues than at 1080p. This resolution is the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and performance, with High settings staying comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes severe. Low settings average 74 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 58 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS. High settings average 53 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34 FPS. This resolution is only viable for the Low or Medium presets if a consistent 60 FPS is desired. The gap between the Low (74 FPS) and Ultra (34 FPS) presets at 4K highlights the massive cost of the Ultra preset's additional effects and geometry at this pixel density.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for maintaining a 60 FPS average with High settings?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the system achieves an average of 89 FPS. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average drops to 53 FPS. Therefore, 2560x1440 is the highest resolution that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS target with High settings.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from Ultra to Low settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 180 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 82 FPS. This represents a 98 FPS increase in average frame rate when moving from Ultra to Low.

Q: Is the system capable of 4K gaming in Greedfall?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average of 74 FPS and the Medium preset achieves 58 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fall below 60 FPS, averaging 53 and 34 FPS respectively. 4K is playable only with reduced settings.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, has an average score of 76155, a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D scores 75779, a 0.6% delta, indicating the 8945HX is slightly faster in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all other GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27435. This places it ahead of a majority of graphics cards but behind top-tier desktop parts.

Q: What is the FPS range for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 98, with a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS. This provides a consistent experience with some fluctuation.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX plays a supporting role in Greedfall's performance, providing ample computational headroom that prevents it from becoming a bottleneck in most scenarios. With 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, the processor offers exceptional multi-threaded capabilities, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 51405. Its boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030.

The processor's 95th percentile ranking against all CPUs underscores its high-end positioning. However, in Greedfall, the data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU's influence is most apparent at 1080p Low settings, where the 180 FPS average indicates the processor is capable of feeding frames to the GPU without issue. The 64 MB of L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth are sufficient for the game's data streaming needs. The CPU's performance is a non-factor in limiting the experience; instead, it provides a stable platform that allows the RTX 4070 Mobile to operate at its full potential.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the Greedfall experience on this hardware. For users with high-refresh-rate 1080p displays, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the optimal choice, delivering an average of 128 FPS while maintaining strong visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at this resolution is also viable for those prioritizing image quality, with an 82 FPS average that remains smooth on most monitors.

For 1440p displays, the High preset is the recommended balance, achieving an average of 89 FPS. This setting provides a fluid experience with significant visual upgrades over the Medium preset, which averages 98 FPS but with a lower minimum of 83 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is not recommended for competitive play, as its 57 FPS average may be unsuitable for fast-paced action.

At 4K, compromises are necessary. The Low preset is the only option that consistently stays above 60 FPS, averaging 74 FPS. The Medium preset is a viable alternative for those who want better visuals, with a 58 FPS average, but the minimum FPS of 50 indicates potential stutters in demanding scenes. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended for a smooth experience, given their 53 and 34 FPS averages respectively. The data indicates that the best overall experience is achieved by using the High preset at 1440p, which offers a strong balance of performance and visual quality without requiring significant compromises.