Greedfall

Greedfall is a 2019 Action RPG that stresses the GPU far more than the CPU, and pairing the flagship 16-core AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D with the aging AMD Radeon RX 570 produces a lopsided combination where frame rates are almost entirely dictated by graphics settings and resolution. The measured data shows a system that can deliver playable 1080p performance at Low and Medium presets, but quickly falls apart at 1440p and becomes unplayable at 4K, with the RX 570 acting as the clear bottleneck throughout.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and tells a clear story about where the limiting component sits. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 73 FPS, which drops to 51 FPS at 1440p Low and then to 30 FPS at 4K Low. That is a 58% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. At High settings, the trajectory is similar: 52 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 22 FPS at 4K — a 58% drop from 1080p to 4K as well. The consistency of these percentage drops across different presets indicates that resolution scaling is uniform and that the GPU is the primary constraint.

The gap between 1080p and 1440p is notable. At Medium settings, the average goes from 57 FPS at 1080p down to 40 FPS at 1440p, a 30% loss. Moving from 1440p to 4K Medium, the average falls from 40 FPS to 24 FPS, another 40% loss. The pattern is monotonic and predictable: each step up in resolution costs a significant chunk of performance, and there is no point where the CPU begins to limit the frame rate. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is far more capable than what this workload demands, so the scaling curve reflects pure GPU throughput limits.

At Ultra settings, the situation becomes even more pronounced. The 1080p Ultra average is 33 FPS, 1440p Ultra drops to 23 FPS, and 4K Ultra collapses to 14 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is 58%, matching the Low and High scaling. This consistent scaling pattern across all presets confirms that the RX 570's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are the limiting factors, not the CPU's 128 MB of L3 cache or its 5.70 GHz boost clock. The data suggests that any resolution above 1080p will require substantial settings reductions to remain playable, and 4K is only feasible at Low settings, where the 30 FPS average is marginal at best.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 as the only resolution where the combo consistently stays above 30 FPS across all settings. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 33 at Ultra to 73 at Low, while 1440p ranges from 23 to 51 and 4K ranges from 14 to 30. For a playable experience, 1080p is the recommended resolution.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 28766, putting it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, scores 28874, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 470 scores 28996, 0.8% higher, while the AMD Radeon R9 M295X scores 28580, 0.7% lower. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 scores 28421, 1.2% lower.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations for Greedfall?

A: This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 3548 out of 3703 tested combos in Greedfall. That places it in the bottom 5% of all tested configurations, reflecting the GPU's age and limited performance in this title.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings at any resolution?

A: The data shows Ultra settings are only playable at 1080p, where the combo averages 33 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 23 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 14 FPS. The 1080p Ultra result is borderline playable, but the lower presets provide much smoother performance.

Q: How much faster is the 9950X3D than its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9950X3D has an average benchmark score of 75779, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, scores 75738, which is 0.1% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D scores 75716, also 0.1% lower, while the AMD EPYC 8224P scores 75582, 0.3% lower, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 scores 75488, 0.4% lower.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 73 FPS, while Ultra averages 33 FPS. That is a 40 FPS difference, or a 55% reduction from Low to Ultra. The Medium preset sits in between at 57 FPS, and High averages 52 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It has a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, with 128 MB of L3 cache split across its design. The CPU's benchmark results are exceptional: it scores 42018 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2259 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 26736 and a single-core score of 3064. Its average benchmark score of 75779 places it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals are all within 0.4% of its score.

However, in Greedfall, the CPU's role is minimal. The measured FPS data shows that at any given resolution and settings combination, the frame rates are consistently low, which indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The 9950X3D's 3DMark scores reinforce its capability: it scores 17184 at max threads, 9259 at 8 threads, 4963 at 4 threads, and 2549 at 2 threads, with a single-thread score of 1292. These numbers show a processor that can handle far more demanding workloads than what Greedfall presents, but the RX 570's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth simply cannot feed frames fast enough.

The CPU's 170 W TDP and dual-chiplet design with a 4 nm process node from TSMC are irrelevant to this game's performance. The PassMark scores, including 70255 in multi-thread and 4737 in single-thread, further demonstrate that the processor is not the limiting factor. The data suggests that even a much weaker CPU would produce identical frame rates in this configuration, as the RX 570's 5.095 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 32 ROPs dictate the output. The 9950X3D's 16 cores and 32 threads are overkill for a game from 2019, and the measured FPS at 1080p Low of 73 FPS is likely near the maximum the GPU can deliver regardless of CPU choice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. The Low preset averages 73 FPS, making it the only configuration that approaches high refresh rate territory. Medium averages 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 66, providing a smooth experience for most displays. High averages 52 FPS, which is still playable but requires some compromise. Ultra drops to 33 FPS, which is the weakest 1080p result but technically playable for slower-paced RPG gameplay. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 40 FPS, showing that settings have a massive impact at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance takes a significant hit. Low averages 51 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium drops to 40 FPS with a minimum of 34 and maximum of 46. High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra falls to 23 FPS, which is noticeably stuttery for an action RPG. The 1440p results show a 28 FPS spread from Low to Ultra, with only Low and Medium being viable for consistent gameplay. The minimum FPS data for Medium at 1440p is 34, which indicates occasional dips below the average.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles across the board. Low averages 30 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. Medium averages 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 and maximum of 27, making it difficult to maintain a smooth experience. High averages 22 FPS, and Ultra collapses to 14 FPS, which is essentially a slideshow. The 4K results show a 16 FPS spread from Low to Ultra, and even the best preset fails to reach 60 FPS. The minimum FPS of 20 at 4K Medium illustrates how close this GPU is to its limits at this resolution.

The data reveals a clear hierarchy: 1080p Low is the only configuration that exceeds 70 FPS, 1440p Low is the only 1440p preset above 50 FPS, and 4K Low is the only 4K preset at 30 FPS. The RX 570's 4 GB memory capacity is likely a factor at higher resolutions, as texture-heavy scenes can exceed this limit, but the measured FPS values already show the GPU's raw compute limits.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 3548 out of 3703 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the bottom 5% of all configurations, which is a striking result given the CPU's top-tier status. The ranking reflects the GPU's age and limited performance in this title, as the RX 570 was released in 2017 and is now end-of-life. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs is completely overshadowed by the GPU's 74th percentile ranking, and the combo's overall position in Greedfall is dragged down by the graphics card.

The delta between the CPU and GPU performance is stark. The 9950X3D's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, is only 0.1% slower, while the RX 570's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, is 0.4% faster. This means the CPU is essentially at the top of its class, while the GPU is mid-pack among all GPUs. In Greedfall, the GPU's limitations dominate, producing a combo rank that is far below what the CPU alone would suggest.

The rank of 3548 out of 3703 also indicates that most other tested combos, even those with weaker CPUs but stronger GPUs, deliver better frame rates in this game. Greedfall is not a CPU-intensive title, so the 9950X3D's 16 cores and 32 threads provide no advantage over a mid-range processor. The RX 570's 2048 shading units and 128 TMUs are simply insufficient for this game's demands at higher settings, and the combo rank reflects that reality. The data is measured, not estimated, and it clearly shows that this pairing is one of the weakest for Greedfall among all tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance, averaging 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 66. This provides a smooth experience while maintaining visual quality above Low. The High preset at 52 FPS is also viable, but the 5 FPS gain from Medium to High is not worth the additional graphical load. Low at 73 FPS is the fastest option, but it sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a game that already runs well at Medium. Ultra at 33 FPS is not recommended, as the frame rate dips below the threshold for consistent action gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only reliable choice, averaging 51 FPS. Medium averages 40 FPS with a minimum of 34, which is borderline but may cause stutter in busy scenes. High at 36 FPS and Ultra at 23 FPS are both too slow for a responsive experience. For 1440p users, Low is the recommended preset, as it provides the highest frame rate while keeping the game playable. The drop from 1080p Medium to 1440p Low is significant, but it is the only way to maintain a reasonable FPS at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, averaging 30 FPS. Medium at 24 FPS and High at 22 FPS are too slow, and Ultra at 14 FPS is unplayable. For 4K users, the data suggests that this GPU is not suitable for Greedfall at any preset, and even Low requires accepting a 30 FPS cap. The recommended approach is to play at 1080p Medium for the best experience, as it delivers the highest frame rate with acceptable visual quality. The measured minimum FPS of 49 at 1080p Medium ensures that the game stays smooth during combat and exploration, making it the clear choice for this hardware combination.