Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates component capabilities. For the combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, the benchmark data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet shows signs of CPU constraint at lower settings. The measured results indicate that this pairing delivers a playable experience at 4K with high settings, but users targeting maximum refresh rates will need to make significant graphical compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep and exposes the GPU as the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 261 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low settings drops the average to 181 FPS, a reduction of 80 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 108 FPS. This progression shows that the GPU is being tasked progressively harder as pixel count increases, with the frame rate dropping by roughly 30% at each resolution step.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. With High settings, the average FPS drops from 186 at 1080p to 129 at 1440p, and then to 77 at 4K. The 4K High result of 77 FPS is particularly notable because it indicates the RTX 5090, despite its massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, is still heavily loaded by this game's engine at Ultra HD resolution. The gap between 1440p and 4K at High settings is 52 FPS, which is a larger absolute drop than the 57 FPS difference seen between 1080p and 1440p, suggesting the GPU workload scales super-linearly with resolution in this title.

At Ultra settings, the frame rates become the most constrained. The system delivers 119 FPS at 1080p, 82 FPS at 1440p, and just 49 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered the minimum for smooth gameplay, and it represents only 41% of the performance seen at 1080p Ultra. This data strongly suggests that for this game, the RTX 5090 is the limiting component at all tested resolutions, as the frame rate consistently scales with the number of pixels rendered rather than stabilizing due to CPU limitations.

However, the scaling between Medium and Low settings at 1080p provides a hint of CPU involvement. At 1080p Low, the system hits 261 FPS, while Medium achieves 205 FPS. The 56 FPS gap between these settings is smaller than the 80 FPS gap between Low and High settings, which is counterintuitive. This suggests that at very high frame rates, the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes a factor, as the Ryzen AI Max+ 395's 16 cores and 32 threads are being pushed to their limits in this scenario. The 4K results, by contrast, show no such anomaly, with frame rates strictly ordered by settings, confirming the GPU is the sole bottleneck at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 813th out of 3703 tested combos for Greedfall, placing it in the top 22% of all configurations. This is a strong showing, but not a top-tier result, which is surprising given the hardware involved. The ranking suggests that while this combo is capable, other pairings with different CPU-GPU balances achieve higher frame rates in this specific title.

The CPU's individual benchmark performance helps contextualize this ranking. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 35,314 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2,044 in single-core, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900K, which scores 1.7% higher on average, and the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX, which scores 2% lower. This places the CPU in elite company, yet its performance in Greedfall is not the primary driver of the combo's rank.

The GPU's individual performance is similarly strong. The RTX 5090 achieves a Passmark G3D score of 39,650 and sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scores 0.3% lower on average, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 1.4% higher. Despite this GPU being near the top of the performance charts, the combo's rank of 813 suggests that Greedfall's engine may favor different hardware configurations, or that the CPU-GPU balance is not optimal for this specific workload.

The data shows a clear discrepancy: the CPU is in the 95th percentile and the GPU in the 92nd percentile, yet the combo ranks in the 78th percentile. This indicates that other factors, such as the game's engine limitations or specific driver optimizations, are preventing this hardware from achieving its full potential in Greedfall. The rank is respectable, but it does not reflect the raw computational power of the components, suggesting that users with this combo will see better relative performance in other, more modern titles.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Greedfall at 4K with High settings smoothly?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 77 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This is a playable experience, though not at high refresh rates.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximum frame rates with this hardware?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 261 FPS. This is the highest measured frame rate in the dataset, suitable for 240Hz displays. For 1440p, the maximum average is 181 FPS at Low settings.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 the bottleneck in this system for Greedfall?

A: The data suggests yes, particularly at higher resolutions. At 4K, frame rates drop consistently with increased settings, from 108 FPS at Low to 49 FPS at Ultra, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p, the scaling is less consistent, suggesting some CPU involvement at very high frame rates.

Q: How does the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 compare to the Intel Core i9-14900K in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 35,314 in Cinebench R23 multicore. The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score that is 1.7% higher, making it a slightly faster CPU in general compute workloads, though the difference is small.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 49, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 72, at 3840x2160 with Medium settings, indicating the system can experience frame drops even at lower settings.

Q: Does the CPU's 16-core configuration help in Greedfall?

A: The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has 16 cores and 32 threads. The benchmark data does not show a clear scaling benefit from these cores, as the frame rates are primarily limited by the GPU. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35,314 is strong, but Greedfall appears to be more GPU-bound.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience measured in the data, the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate is achieved at 2560x1440 with High settings. This configuration delivers an average of 129 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for most high-refresh-rate monitors. The jump from Medium to High at this resolution costs 13 FPS (from 142 to 129), which is a reasonable trade for the visual fidelity increase.

At 4K, the recommended setting is High, which produces an average of 77 FPS. This is the highest setting that maintains a playable frame rate above 60 FPS at this resolution. The Ultra preset drops to 49 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay, while Medium at 85 FPS provides a safer margin but with reduced visual quality. The data shows that 4K High is the sweet spot for this combo, as it balances the GPU's capabilities with the game's demands.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the 1080p Medium setting at 205 FPS is the best option, as it provides a significant boost over High (186 FPS) while maintaining better visuals than Low (261 FPS). The minimum FPS at 1080p Medium is 174, which ensures consistent performance even during intense scenes. The Ultra setting at 1080p drops to 119 FPS, which is still playable but not optimal for competitive play.

The data indicates that the Low preset, while achieving the highest frame rates, is not necessary for this hardware. Even at 4K Low, the system delivers 108 FPS, which is above the standard 60 FPS target. Therefore, the recommended path is to start at High settings and only drop to Medium if the user requires frame rates above 100 FPS at 4K, or to stick with 1440p High for a balanced experience that the data shows as a strong performer.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system's performance is at its highest across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 261 FPS, the highest frame rate in the entire dataset. Medium settings deliver 205 FPS average, with a minimum of 174 and maximum of 236 FPS. High settings produce 186 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 119 FPS average. The 142 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution highlights the significant impact of graphical settings on frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings achieve 181 FPS average, Medium delivers 142 FPS average (with a range of 121 to 163 FPS), and High produces 129 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 82 FPS average. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 99 FPS, showing that the GPU is more heavily taxed as pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more constrained. Low settings still achieve 108 FPS average, which is playable. Medium settings deliver 85 FPS average, with a minimum of 72 and maximum of 98 FPS. High settings drop to 77 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 49 FPS average. The 59 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is smaller than at lower resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at this resolution.

The Medium preset is the only one for which minimum and maximum FPS values are provided across all resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 174 to 236 FPS; at 1440p, it is 121 to 163 FPS; and at 4K, it is 72 to 98 FPS. These ranges indicate consistent performance without severe frame pacing issues, as the minimums are never more than 15% below the averages. This data supports the conclusion that the system maintains stable frame delivery across all tested configurations.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on TSMC's 4 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with 64 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications make it a high-end mobile processor, ranking in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. In Greedfall, however, the data suggests that its role is secondary to the GPU.

The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35,314 demonstrates its raw computational power, but this does not translate directly to higher frame rates in Greedfall. The game's engine appears to be more dependent on GPU performance, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate scaling with resolution changes. At 4K, the frame rates are strictly ordered by GPU settings, with no indication that the CPU is limiting performance.

Evidence of CPU involvement appears only at 1080p with Low settings, where the system reaches 261 FPS. This high frame rate approaches the limits of what even a powerful CPU can feed to the GPU, and the smaller than expected gap between Low (261 FPS) and Medium (205 FPS) suggests the CPU may be approaching its limit. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395's single-core performance, measured at 2,044 in Cinebench R23, is strong, but Greedfall's engine may not be optimized to fully utilize the 16 cores available.

Comparisons with rival CPUs show the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is competitive but not dominant. It trails the Intel Core i9-14900K by 1.7% in average benchmark score, and it leads the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX by 2%. This positioning in synthetic benchmarks aligns with its in-game behavior, where it provides sufficient performance to avoid being a bottleneck except in extreme frame rate scenarios. The 55 W TDP of the processor, combined with its mobile market segment, suggests it is designed for efficiency, but in this desktop-like configuration with the RTX 5090, its role is clearly to support, not lead, the gaming experience.