Greedfall

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D brings substantial processing headroom to Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG that was designed before this CPU generation existed. With 12 cores and 24 threads, the processor operates with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, built on the Zen 5 architecture using a 4 nm process from TSMC. The 128 MB of L3 cache is a defining characteristic of this X3D variant, providing a large pool of fast memory that can benefit game logic and physics calculations.

Benchmark data positions this CPU in the 91st percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 54,762. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (average score 55,093, a 0.6% advantage), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54,053, 1.3% behind), the Intel Xeon 6505P (53,701, 2% behind), and the Intel Core i7-14700F (53,620, 2.1% behind). This clustering shows the 9900X3D sits in a competitive performance tier, though not at the absolute top.

For Greedfall specifically, the measured frames per second reveal that CPU performance is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 159 FPS average, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. This suggests the CPU can feed the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates. The single-thread performance score of 1,269 in 3DMark and 6,739 in Cinebench R23 single-core indicates strong per-core capability, which matters for games that rely on a few primary threads. The multi-threaded Cinebench R23 score of 47,737 shows the CPU can handle heavy background workloads without compromising game performance.

The 12-core configuration with 24 threads provides ample parallelism for any modern game engine, and Greedfall's older architecture likely does not fully utilize this capacity. The data implies that CPU headroom is abundant, meaning frame rate differences across resolutions and settings stem from GPU capability rather than processor limitations.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this CPU and GPU combination in Greedfall?

A: The highest average FPS is 159, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X3D compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF has an average benchmark score of 55,093, which is 0.6% higher than the Ryzen 9 9900X3D's average score of 54,762.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all processors?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D ranks in the 91st percentile of all CPUs based on its average benchmark score of 54,762.

Q: Does the CPU have integrated graphics that could serve as a fallback?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D includes Radeon Graphics as integrated graphics, though the dedicated RX 7600 XT handles all gaming workloads in this analysis.

Q: What memory bandwidth does the CPU support, and does it matter for Greedfall?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. Given the high frame rates measured, memory bandwidth does not appear to bottleneck this game.

Q: How many threads does the CPU offer for game logic and background tasks?

A: The CPU provides 24 threads across 12 cores, which is more than sufficient for Greedfall's workload, as evidenced by the high frame rates even at lower resolutions.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases, pointing directly to GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions. At 1080p High settings, the combination produces 114 FPS average. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 79 FPS, a reduction of 30.7%. At 4K High, the average falls to 47 FPS, which is 58.8% lower than the 1080p result.

This scaling is consistent with GPU limitation. The RX 7600 XT, with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, must process increasingly more pixels as resolution climbs. The 4K Ultra setting shows the most dramatic drop, with only 30 FPS average, suggesting the GPU is fully saturated at that configuration.

Interestingly, the Low settings at each resolution show the same pattern but with higher absolute values. At 1080p Low, the average is 159 FPS; at 1440p Low, it is 111 FPS (30.2% drop); at 4K Low, it is 66 FPS (58.5% drop from 1080p). The near-identical percentage drops across settings indicate that the scaling is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven.

The data implies that the CPU is not constraining performance at any resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU workload per frame is roughly constant. Instead, the consistent ~30% and ~59% drops from 1080p to 1440p and 4K respectively show that pixel throughput dictates performance. The 4K Ultra result of 30 FPS suggests this combination is not suitable for maximum quality at that resolution, while 1080p and 1440p offer playable to highly responsive frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080: The Low preset delivers an average of 159 FPS, the highest measured anywhere in this dataset. Medium settings reduce this to 125 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 144 FPS. High settings produce 114 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 73 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 86 FPS, representing a 54.1% reduction when maxing out quality.

2560x1440: At this resolution, Low settings yield 111 FPS average, a 30.2% decrease from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS. High settings produce 79 FPS, while Ultra falls to 50 FPS. The Ultra setting at 1440p is the first configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that high-refresh gaming requires lower settings at this resolution.

3840x2160: The 4K results show the most pronounced impact of resolution. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is only 41.5% of the 1080p Low score. Medium settings average 52 FPS, with a minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS. High settings produce 47 FPS, and Ultra drops to 30 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is exactly half of the 1080p Ultra score of 73 FPS, highlighting the significant pixel throughput demands.

The Medium settings consistently provide the only min/max FPS data across all resolutions, suggesting these configurations were tested with more granularity. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 106 FPS and maximum of 144 FPS show a range of 38 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 26 FPS (74 to 100). At 4K Medium, the range is 16 FPS (44 to 60). This tightening range at higher resolutions further confirms GPU-bound behavior, as frame time variance decreases when the GPU is consistently saturated.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture using a 6 nm process from TSMC, featuring the Navi 33 chip with 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1980 MHz, a game clock of 2470 MHz, and a boost clock of 2755 MHz. Its memory configuration includes 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth with memory clocked at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

The 16 GB VRAM capacity is notable for a GPU in this performance class. Greedfall, released in 2019, likely does not require anywhere near this much memory, even at 4K Ultra. The data suggests that VRAM is not a limiting factor at any tested configuration, as the frame rate drops at 4K Ultra are more consistent with compute and pixel throughput limits than memory capacity exhaustion.

Benchmark scores place this GPU in the 60th percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 17,083. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (average score 17,208, 0.7% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17,037, 0.3% lower), the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17,019, 0.4% lower), and the NVIDIA Tesla M4 (16,932, 0.9% lower). The RTX 3070 comparison is particularly relevant, as it represents a well-known mid-range to upper-mid-range GPU from NVIDIA.

The GPU's 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units provide a pixel rate of 176.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 352.6 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 22.57 TFLOPS (with FP16 also at 22.57 TFLOPS due to 1:1 ratio) indicates the compute capability available for shader work. The 32 ray tracing cores support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), though Greedfall's 2019 release likely does not leverage ray tracing features.

The measured FPS results show this GPU is well-matched for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Greedfall. At 1080p High, the 114 FPS average provides a smooth experience on standard 60 Hz and 120 Hz displays. At 1440p High, 79 FPS remains playable. However, 4K performance falls below 60 FPS for all settings except Low, indicating that this GPU cannot sustain high-quality 4K gaming in this title.

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

Based on the measured data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality across all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average of 125 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS ensures consistent frame delivery, and the maximum of 144 FPS allows for high-refresh display utilization. This represents a 9.6% performance increase over High settings (125 vs 114 FPS) while likely providing most of the visual fidelity improvements over Low.

At 1440p, Medium settings deliver 87 FPS average with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS. This is the only 1440p configuration that maintains an average above 60 FPS while still offering enhanced visuals over Low. The High preset at 79 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset's 8 FPS advantage (87 vs 79) with potentially similar visual quality makes it the safer choice for maintaining frame rate stability.

At 4K, no preset achieves a consistently smooth experience. Medium settings average 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for ideal smoothness. Low settings at 66 FPS average provide the only 4K configuration that stays above 60 FPS, but this requires sacrificing most visual quality. For 4K gaming, players must choose between playable frame rates with Low settings or visual quality with Medium (52 FPS) and High (47 FPS) settings that dip below 60 FPS.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the 73 FPS average is playable but represents a 41.6% performance loss compared to Medium (125 vs 73 FPS) for what may be marginal visual improvements. At 1440p Ultra, 50 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K Ultra, 30 FPS is generally considered too low for smooth gameplay in an action RPG that requires responsive combat.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT ranks 1,840th out of 2,938 tested combos for Greedfall, placing it in the 37.4th percentile of all combinations tested. This ranking situates the combo in the lower-middle tier of tested hardware configurations, which aligns with the RX 7600 XT's 60th percentile GPU ranking and the CPU's 91st percentile ranking.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile (91st) and the combo's lower rank (37.4th percentile) clearly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component in this pairing. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D provides more than enough processing power for Greedfall, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low (159 FPS) that far exceed what most displays can show. The GPU's 60th percentile ranking among all GPUs is the more relevant indicator of this combo's gaming performance.

The combo rank of 1,840 out of 2,938 means that 1,839 other combinations perform better in this game. Given that the GPU is the bottleneck, better-performing combos likely pair the RX 7600 XT with weaker CPUs (which would not reduce frame rates given the GPU limit) or pair stronger GPUs with similar CPUs. The data does not specify which combos rank above or below, but the implication is clear: upgrading the GPU would yield significant performance improvements, while upgrading the CPU would yield negligible gains for Greedfall.

The measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 159 FPS, which is likely near the ceiling of what the GPU can produce regardless of CPU. The consistent FPS drops across resolutions (approximately 30% from 1080p to 1440p, and 59% from 1080p to 4K) follow GPU scaling patterns rather than CPU limitations. For users considering this combo for Greedfall specifically, the 1,840th rank suggests it is a functional but not exceptional choice, best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming where the GPU can maintain respectable frame rates.