Greedfall

Greedfall, the 2019 Action RPG from Spiders, shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern when paired with the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT. The measured frames per second (FPS) at 1920x1080 with High settings is 191, which drops to 132 at 2560x1440, and further to 79 at 3840x2160. This represents a 31% decrease in performance from 1080p to 1440p, and a 59% decrease from 1080p to 4K. The progression is not linear, indicating that the game becomes significantly more demanding on the rendering hardware as pixel count increases.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the spread from Low (268 FPS) to Ultra (122 FPS) is 146 FPS, a 55% reduction. At 1440p, the spread from Low (186 FPS) to Ultra (84 FPS) is 102 FPS, a 55% reduction as well. At 4K, the spread from Low (111 FPS) to Ultra (50 FPS) is 61 FPS, a 55% reduction. This consistent percentage drop across resolutions suggests that the visual fidelity settings scale compute load uniformly, with the Ultra preset imposing a heavy penalty regardless of resolution. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU has enough headroom to push frame rates past 200 FPS, but the game engine's thread scheduling on the six-core processor caps the output.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic resolution scaling curve that is heavily weighted toward GPU performance. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the combo achieves 210 FPS, while at 2560x1440 it drops to 146 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it falls to 87 FPS. This represents a 30% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 59% drop from 1080p to 4K. The 4K result is particularly telling: the 79 FPS average at High settings is only 41% of the 1080p High result of 191 FPS. This indicates that the RX 7900 XT is being pushed to its limits at 4K, while the i5-10400F is able to feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions.

The Low preset shows the most extreme scaling. At 1080p Low, the system produces 268 FPS, which is an exceptionally high frame rate that suggests the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1440p Low, it drops to 186 FPS, and at 4K Low, it hits 111 FPS. The 4K Low result is still higher than the 1080p Ultra result of 122 FPS, which demonstrates that the resolution is less of a constraint than the graphical settings. The data suggests that for players targeting 60 FPS or higher, the 4K resolution is viable only with Low or Medium settings, as the Ultra preset at 4K averages just 50 FPS, which may feel stuttery on high-refresh-rate displays.

The Medium preset provides the most balanced scaling profile, with 210 FPS at 1080p, 146 FPS at 1440p, and 87 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS for Medium at 1080p is 179, at 1440p it is 124, and at 4K it is 74. These minimums are all above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the Medium preset offers a smooth experience across all tested resolutions. The gap between average and minimum FPS is relatively small, suggesting that frame pacing is consistent and the system does not experience severe hitches.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 688 in 3dmark single-thread and 4,748 in 3dmark 16-thread tests. The Cinebench R23 multicore score is 10,283, while the single-core score is 1,451. These numbers indicate a mid-range processor that excels in lightly threaded tasks but is outclassed by higher-core-count parts in heavily threaded workloads. The processor's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for Greedfall, which is not known for being particularly cache-hungry.

Greedfall's performance at 1080p reveals the CPU's influence. At 1080p Low, the system produces 268 FPS, which is likely near the engine's maximum frame rate ceiling. The fact that 1080p High produces 191 FPS and 1080p Ultra produces 122 FPS suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at these settings, as the GPU is still able to render the frames. However, the 1080p Medium result of 210 FPS with a minimum of 179 FPS shows that the CPU can maintain high frame rates without significant frame drops, indicating that the 12 threads are sufficient for the game's threading model.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 68 among all CPUs places it in the upper third of processors, but its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E with an average score of 14,163 and a deltaPct of 0.2, and the AMD EPYC 7552 with a score of 14,115 and a deltaPct of 0.5. These are server-class chips with higher core counts, yet the i5-10400F's average benchmark score of 14,185 is comparable. For gaming, the single-thread performance is more critical, and the 3dmark single-thread score of 688 is respectable, though not class-leading. The boost clock of 4.30 GHz helps ensure that the game's main thread is serviced promptly, which is evident in the high 1080p frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks 743 out of 3,703 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the 80th percentile of all tested systems. This is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The ranking indicates that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems tested, but it is not at the very top, which is expected given the CPU's mid-range status. The data suggests that the GPU is the dominant component in this pairing, as the RX 7900 XT's performance is what drives the overall ranking.

The GPU's percentile ranking is 55 among all GPUs, which is lower than the combo's overall rank, indicating that the CPU is actually helping the combo rank higher than the GPU alone would suggest. This is unusual, as in most games the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The RX 7900 XT's average benchmark score is 13,745, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 660M with a deltaPct of -0.5 and the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile with a deltaPct of -0.5. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is 1.5% faster, while the RX 570X is 0.9% slower. This suggests that the RX 7900 XT is a solid performer, but not the absolute top-tier card, and the combo ranking of 743 is a reflection of the GPU's capabilities in this specific title.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing is well above average. The fact that it ranks in the top 20% of all tested combos (743/3703) indicates that it will provide a smooth gameplay experience at most settings. The combo's performance at 1440p and 4K is particularly strong, as the GPU has enough memory bandwidth (800.0 GB/s) and VRAM (20 GB) to handle the higher resolutions without hitting memory limitations. The 20 GB of GDDR6 memory is a significant advantage, as it ensures that texture-heavy scenes at 4K will not cause the GPU to spill over into system memory, which would cause stuttering.

FAQ

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 132. This is a very playable frame rate for most displays, and the data indicates that the system has headroom, as the Medium preset produces 146 FPS at the same resolution.

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

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 50. This is below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider smooth, so it is not recommended for competitive play or fast-paced action. However, the 4K Medium preset produces 87 FPS, which is much more comfortable.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 268 FPS, which is a very high frame rate. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at this resolution, and the bottleneck shifts to the GPU as settings are increased. The 1080p Ultra preset produces 122 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS.

Q: What is the minimum FPS I can expect on Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS for Medium settings is 179 at 1080p, 124 at 1440p, and 74 at 4K. These minimums indicate that the system maintains a consistent frame rate without significant drops, even in demanding scenes.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 743 out of 3,703 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the top 20% of all systems in the database. This is a strong result, indicating that the pairing is well-balanced for this game.

Q: Does the 20 GB of VRAM matter for Greedfall?

A: The RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory. While Greedfall is a 2019 title and may not require that much VRAM at 1080p, the 20 GB ensures that 4K textures and high-resolution rendering do not cause memory-related stutters, as the bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s is more than sufficient for the game's needs.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the primary driver of performance in this combo, especially at higher resolutions. Its 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus provides 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Greedfall's texture streaming needs. The GPU's boost clock of 2394 MHz and game clock of 2025 MHz are high for a card of this class, and the 5 nm process node from TSMC allows for efficient power delivery. The 84 ray tracing cores are present but are not heavily utilized in this game, as Greedfall does not have ray tracing support.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a mixed profile. The 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 5,623, which is a modern test and indicates good DirectX 12 performance. The Passmark G3D score is 29,009, which is strong, but the Passmark DirectX 12 score is just 110, which is surprisingly low and may indicate driver overhead in that specific test. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 71,068 is excellent, suggesting that the card performs well in Vulkan titles. The GPU's percentile ranking of 55 among all GPUs is modest for a high-end card, but this is likely due to the inclusion of newer cards in the database.

In Greedfall, the GPU's performance is the limiting factor at 4K. The 4K High setting produces 79 FPS, which is a solid result, but the 4K Ultra setting drops to 50 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset's additional effects (likely ambient occlusion, shadows, and post-processing) are too demanding for the GPU to maintain high frame rates. The 4K Low setting produces 111 FPS, which shows that the GPU is capable of high frame rates at 4K when the visual load is reduced. The GPU's 192 ROPs and 336 TMUs are well-suited for this game, as Greedfall relies primarily on fill-rate and texture throughput rather than complex compute shaders.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium produces 210 FPS with a minimum of 179 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor. At 1440p, Medium produces 146 FPS with a minimum of 124 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz displays. At 4K, Medium produces 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience on most 4K TVs and monitors.

The High preset is also viable at 1080p and 1440p, with 191 FPS and 132 FPS respectively, but the 4K High result of 79 FPS is still playable. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p, where it produces 122 FPS, but at 1440p it drops to 84 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 50 FPS, which may be too low for some players. The Low preset is not recommended for general play, as it produces 268 FPS at 1080p, which is unnecessary, and the visual downgrade is significant. However, for competitive play or if the user prioritizes maximum frame rates, Low at 1080p is the best choice.

The data indicates that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo. It provides a 31% increase in FPS over High at 4K (87 vs 79) and a 44% increase over Ultra (87 vs 50), while still maintaining a minimum FPS above 60. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 74 at 4K is particularly notable, as it ensures that the game never drops below the 60 FPS threshold, even in intense combat scenes. Players with 1440p 144Hz monitors should use Medium for a locked 144 FPS experience, while 4K 60Hz display owners will find Medium to be the most reliable setting.