Greedfall

Greedfall, the 2019 action RPG from Spiders, presents a demanding workload that scales heavily with both resolution and graphical preset. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, drawing exclusively from benchmark data to interpret how this combination behaves across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions. The data reveals a system that is capable at lower settings but shows significant strain at higher presets, particularly at 4K, where the frame rate drops below playable thresholds. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and the CPU's 16 cores both play distinct roles in shaping these results, and the measured FPS breakdown provides a clear picture of where the bottlenecks lie.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent decline as resolution increases, which is expected, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly depending on the preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate moves from 156 FPS at 1920x1080 down to 108 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 64 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 41% drop from 1440p to 4K. The 4K result of 64 FPS is still smooth, but the scaling pattern suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is beginning to feel the pressure of the higher pixel count.

Moving to Medium settings, the pattern intensifies. At 1080p, the average is 122 FPS, which drops to 85 FPS at 1440p (a 30% reduction) and then to 51 FPS at 4K (a 40% reduction from 1440p). The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium is 72, while at 4K Medium it falls to 43, indicating that the frame pacing becomes more erratic as resolution climbs. The gap between average and minimum FPS widens at 4K, suggesting that the rendering workload is spiking beyond what the GPU can consistently handle.

High settings show a similar trend but with lower absolute numbers. At 1080p, the average is 111 FPS, dropping to 77 FPS at 1440p (a 31% decrease) and then to 46 FPS at 4K (a 40% decrease from 1440p). The 4K High result is below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the baseline for smooth gameplay, which indicates that this resolution and preset combination is too demanding for the RTX 5060 in this game.

Ultra settings produce the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p, the average is 71 FPS, which falls to 49 FPS at 1440p (a 31% drop) and then to 29 FPS at 4K (a 41% drop from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result of 29 FPS is essentially unplayable, and even the 1440p Ultra result of 49 FPS is below the ideal threshold. The consistent percentage drops across all presets—roughly 30% between 1080p and 1440p, and roughly 40% between 1440p and 4K—strongly indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor.

The data implies that the RTX 5060, with its 128-bit memory bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being saturated by the pixel throughput required at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is likely not the constraint here, as the frame rate drops are too uniform and too large to be caused by processor limitations. The scaling pattern suggests that Greedfall's rendering engine is heavily dependent on fill rate and memory bandwidth, both of which are finite resources on this GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 111 FPS on average, which is a solid result. However, the Ultra preset drops to 71 FPS, which is still playable but represents a significant 36% reduction for what is likely a marginal visual improvement. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 122 FPS, which is only 10% faster than High, so High appears to be the sweet spot for 1080p, balancing visual fidelity with a frame rate well above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the High preset produces 77 FPS, which is smooth for most players. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 85 FPS, a modest 10% improvement over High, but the minimum FPS of 72 for Medium versus the lack of a minimum for High makes direct comparison difficult. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls to 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, so it is not recommended. The Low preset at 1440p hits 108 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off is substantial. For 1440p, High is the recommended preset, as it delivers a framerate in the 70s without resorting to Low or Medium compromises.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The High preset averages 46 FPS, which is below 60 and may be acceptable only for slower-paced exploration. The Medium preset at 4K averages 51 FPS, slightly better than High, but the minimum FPS of 43 indicates occasional stutters. The Low preset at 4K reaches 64 FPS, which is the only measured 4K result above the 60 FPS mark. For players who prioritize smoothness at 4K, Low is the only viable choice based on this data. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 29 FPS, is not recommended under any circumstances.

The data suggests that the RTX 5060 is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p with High settings. Pushing to Ultra at any resolution incurs a penalty of roughly 40% in frame rate, which is a steep cost for additional graphical fidelity. The measured results indicate that the Medium preset offers diminishing returns over High, and the Low preset, while providing high frame rates, sacrifices too much visual quality for the gain. The recommendation is to use High settings at 1080p or 1440p, and to only consider Low settings at 4K if the higher resolution is non-negotiable.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 111 FPS, which is a smooth experience for this action RPG.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset playable with this hardware?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 29 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and is likely to feel sluggish.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 85 at 2560x1440 to 51 at 3840x2160, which is a 40% reduction. The minimum FPS also drops from 72 to 43.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p based on the measured data?

A: The High preset at 1440p delivers 77 FPS on average, which is above the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset is slightly faster at 85 FPS, but High offers a better visual experience with a still-playable framerate.

Q: Does the RTX 5060's 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Greedfall?

A: The data does not explicitly show VRAM capacity errors, but the 8 GB VRAM, paired with a 128-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, correlates with the significant frame rate drops at higher resolutions and presets, suggesting memory bandwidth is a limiting factor.

Q: How does the CPU's core count affect performance in this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has 16 cores and 32 threads. The uniform FPS drops across resolutions indicate that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the GPU is being saturated. The CPU's high multi-core scores, such as 35314 in Cinebench R23, suggest it has ample headroom for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination ranks 2454 out of 3703 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the lower 34th percentile of all configurations, which is a notable finding given the hardware's specifications. The rank suggests that while the CPU is a high-end mobile part—ranking in the 95th percentile against all CPUs—the GPU's performance relative to other graphics cards is more modest, sitting in the 72nd percentile.

The combo rank of 2454 indicates that many other CPU and GPU pairings achieve higher frame rates in this specific game. The RTX 5060's average benchmark score of 26331 is close to rivals like the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, which has a score of 26011 and a deltaPct of 1.2, and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary, which scores 26553 with a deltaPct of -0.8. This proximity in raw GPU benchmarks suggests that the RTX 5060 is a mid-range performer, and in Greedfall, that translates to a sub-60 FPS experience at 4K on higher presets.

The CPU's strong showing—the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has an average benchmark score of 77740, which is 1.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX and 2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX—does not compensate for the GPU's limitations in this title. The rank of 2454 out of 3703 implies that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance in Greedfall, and the RTX 5060's mid-range positioning holds the combo back. For context, the CPU's percentile rank of 95 versus the GPU's percentile rank of 72 highlights the mismatch: a top-tier processor paired with a mid-tier graphics card results in a combo that underperforms relative to its CPU potential.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB206 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 3840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores. The base clock is 2280 MHz, boosting to 2497 MHz, and the memory runs at 1750 MHz with a 28 Gbps effective rate. The 8 GB of GDDR7 memory is connected via a 128-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role is critical, as evidenced by the measured FPS scaling. The 128-bit memory bus is a likely bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is insufficient to feed the GPU's shading units at 4K with high texture loads. The 8 GB VRAM capacity, while not explicitly flagged in the data, is a limitation for a 2019 action RPG that may use high-resolution textures at Ultra settings. The drop from 51 FPS at 4K Medium to 29 FPS at 4K Ultra suggests that the Ultra preset increases memory pressure beyond what the GPU can sustain.

The RTX 5060's FP32 performance is 19.18 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 119.9 GPixel/s, with a texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s. These figures indicate a capable mid-range chip, but the data shows that Greedfall's rendering demands at 4K exceed its capabilities. The GPU's average benchmark score of 26331 places it near the AMD Radeon 860M (26401, deltaPct -0.3) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (26421, deltaPct -0.3), which are integrated or entry-level parts. This is a surprising comparison, suggesting that the RTX 5060's real-world gaming performance in this title is not far above those lower-tier products.

The measured results show that the RTX 5060 delivers playable frame rates only at 1080p and 1440p on Medium or High settings. At 4K, the GPU is overwhelmed, and even Low settings only manage 64 FPS. The GPU's role in this combo is to provide a baseline experience, but it cannot handle the highest demands of Greedfall without significant compromises. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB VRAM are the likely culprits, as they limit the GPU's ability to process the large textures and high pixel counts at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 156 FPS on average, which is the highest measured result. Medium settings at 1080p drop to 122 FPS, with a minimum of 104 FPS and a maximum of 141 FPS. High settings at 1080p average 111 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 71 FPS. The 1080p results show a clear hierarchy, with Low being the fastest and Ultra being the slowest, but all presets except Ultra are above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 108 FPS, still a strong result. Medium settings at 1440p produce 85 FPS on average, with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. High settings at 1440p average 77 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 49 FPS. The 1440p results show a similar pattern to 1080p, but the gap between Low and Ultra narrows in percentage terms, with Ultra being 55% slower than Low.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 64 FPS, which is the only 4K result above 60 FPS. Medium settings at 4K average 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS. High settings at 4K average 46 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 29 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that the RTX 5060 can only handle the lowest preset at a playable frame rate, and the Ultra preset is effectively unplayable.

The data shows that the difference between Low and Medium is relatively small at each resolution—roughly 20% at 1080p and 1440p, and 20% at 4K. The jump from Medium to High is smaller, around 9% at 1080p and 1440p, and 10% at 4K. The jump from High to Ultra is the largest, with a 36% drop at 1080p, 36% at 1440p, and 37% at 4K. This indicates that the Ultra preset introduces a significant rendering overhead that the GPU cannot absorb.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Strix Halo. It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. The CPU features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 64 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports LPDDR5X memory via a quad-channel interface, providing 256.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS drops across resolutions are consistent, regardless of preset, which indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395's multi-core performance is exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35314 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 20992. Its single-core performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2044 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2464.

The CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads are likely more than sufficient for Greedfall, which is a 2019 title that may not fully utilize such a high core count. The game's engine appears to be more dependent on GPU throughput, as the frame rate scales almost linearly with resolution. The CPU's high memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s, while useful for other workloads, does not directly benefit this game, as the GPU's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is the more relevant figure.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 95th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77740. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76513, deltaPct 1.6) and the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (76492, deltaPct 1.6), while the Intel Core i9-14900K scores 79097 with a deltaPct of -1.7. This shows that the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a top-tier mobile CPU, but in this combo, its performance is held back by the GPU.

The data implies that the CPU is not the bottleneck in Greedfall. The frame rate differences between presets at a given resolution are more significant than the differences between resolutions at a given preset, which points to the GPU as the primary constraint. The CPU's strong passmark scores, such as 54934 in multithread and 200665 in integer math, suggest that it can handle any game logic or physics calculations without issue. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data, and in this case, it does so efficiently, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of FPS.