Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG from 2019, presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB combination. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor demonstrates sufficient capability to drive high frame rates at 1080p. This analysis interprets the benchmark results to show exactly where the bottlenecks lie and what settings deliver the best playable experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates a system that becomes progressively GPU-limited. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 77 at 1920x1080 to 53 at 2560x1440, a 31% reduction, and then falls further to 32 at 3840x2160, a 58% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, which is typical for a GPU with a modest memory bus and compute capacity.

The scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p, the i5-12400 is able to feed the RTX 3050 adequately, as the 77 FPS average is a respectable figure for High settings. However, the jump to 1440p places a significantly heavier load on the GPU, causing the frame rate to drop by nearly a quarter. The transition to 4K is even more punishing, with the average FPS falling below 40, which is generally considered the threshold for smooth gameplay in action-oriented titles. The data strongly indicates that the GeForce RTX 3050 is the limiting component at resolutions above 1080p, as the performance deltas between resolutions are far larger than what would be expected if the CPU were the primary constraint.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB plays a decisive role in this configuration's performance profile. Equipped with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, the GPU provides a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s. The memory capacity is a critical factor in Greedfall, as the Ultra preset at any resolution yields particularly low frame rates, suggesting that the game’s high-resolution textures and effects may be exceeding the available VRAM, causing performance to plummet.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 1545 MHz and a boost of 1740 MHz, are standard for the Ampere architecture. The card processes pixels at a rate of 55.68 GPixel/s and textures at 111.4 GTexel/s, figures that are modest by contemporary standards. The benchmark data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at 1440p with High settings, where it delivers 53 FPS. At 4K, even the Low preset only manages 44 FPS, which is below the ideal smoothness target. The substantial gap between the Low and Ultra presets—20 FPS at 4K—highlights that the GPU's shading units and ROPs are overwhelmed by the highest graphical fidelity options, making the 4 GB memory and the 128-bit interface the principal bottlenecks for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is positioned at rank 3254 out of 3703 tested combos for Greedfall. This places the configuration in the lower percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it is not a high-end pairing for this specific title. The rank is a composite measure that accounts for performance across all settings and resolutions, and the low standing is primarily attributable to the GPU’s struggles at 1440p and 4K.

This ranking is consistent with the GPU's hardware profile. The RTX 3050 4 GB sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, indicating it is an average performer in the broader market. However, its performance in Greedfall is dragged down by the high memory demands of the game’s Ultra settings. The i5-12400, on the other hand, is a strong performer in its own right, with a 72nd percentile ranking against all CPUs. The combination's low overall rank, therefore, reflects a significant imbalance where the CPU’s potential is left untapped due to the GPU’s inability to keep pace at higher graphical loads. The data demonstrates that this is a pairing best suited for 1080p gaming, where the CPU can help push frame rates to more competitive levels.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the i5-12400 and RTX 3050 deliver playable frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 107 FPS, providing a very smooth experience. Medium settings average 84 FPS, with a minimum of 72 and a maximum of 97 FPS, indicating consistent performance. The High preset drops to an average of 77 FPS, which is still very playable. The Ultra preset, however, sees a significant drop to 49 FPS, suggesting that the 4 GB VRAM buffer is being saturated.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to show its limitations. The Low preset averages 74 FPS, which is still smooth, but the Medium preset averages 58 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS. High settings average 53 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for a demanding action RPG. The Ultra preset is notably poor, averaging only 34 FPS, making it unsuitable for a responsive gaming experience.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across the board. The Low preset averages 44 FPS, which is borderline. The Medium preset averages 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 40 FPS, showing inconsistent frame pacing. High settings drop to 32 FPS, and the Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 20 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this configuration in Greedfall, regardless of the settings chosen.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. With a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, it provides solid single-threaded performance, which is crucial for game logic and draw calls. The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its capability; it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257, indicating strong processing power.

In this context, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with the Low preset, the system reaches 107 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU is capable of handling the game’s simulation and rendering commands efficiently. However, as resolution increases, the frame rate drops, which is a hallmark of GPU limitation. The data implies that the i5-12400 has ample headroom to support higher frame rates if paired with a more powerful GPU. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and support for modern instruction sets contribute to its ability to maintain consistent frame pacing in the measured 1080p Medium scenario, where the minimum FPS of 72 is close to the average of 84 FPS, indicating stable CPU performance without major hitches.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this configuration is at 1920x1080 with the High preset. This setting provides an average of 77 FPS, which is high enough for smooth and responsive gameplay in an Action RPG. The jump from Medium to High is only a 7 FPS difference, from 84 to 77, making High the better choice for visual fidelity without a significant performance penalty.

For players who prefer a higher frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p is an excellent choice, offering 84 FPS with a solid minimum of 72 FPS. The Low preset at 1080p, at 107 FPS, is reserved for competitive play or systems with high refresh rate monitors, but the visual downgrade is substantial. The Ultra preset at 1080p should be avoided due to the 49 FPS average, which is likely caused by the 4 GB VRAM limit.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the highest playable option, averaging 58 FPS. The High preset at 53 FPS is borderline, but for a game that requires precision, the Medium settings are the safer recommendation. The Low preset at 1440p, at 74 FPS, is also viable if visual quality is less of a concern. Playing at 4K is not recommended, as even the Low preset only achieves 44 FPS, which falls short of the smoothness expected from a modern title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for the Intel Core i5-12400 and RTX 3050 4 GB in Greedfall?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At this setting, the High preset achieves an average of 77 FPS, providing a smooth and visually appealing experience. Higher resolutions result in average frame rates that fall below 60 FPS on most presets.

Q: Why is the Ultra preset so much slower than High at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 49 FPS, while High averages 77 FPS. This significant drop is likely due to the 4 GB VRAM capacity of the GPU being exceeded, as Ultra settings typically require more memory for high-resolution textures and effects, which the RTX 3050 cannot accommodate without significant performance degradation.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark results show that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at resolutions above 1080p. The frame rate declines sharply with each resolution increase, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989, is powerful enough to drive higher frame rates if the GPU were not the constraint.

Q: Can this system run Greedfall at 4K?

A: The data suggests that 4K is not a viable option. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 44 on the Low preset, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is unplayable at 20 FPS.

Q: What is the most stable settings preset in terms of frame consistency?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 shows the most consistent performance in the data, with a minimum FPS of 72 and a maximum of 97, resulting in an average of 84. This narrow range indicates smooth frame pacing without significant stutters.

Q: How does the RTX 3050 4 GB's memory bandwidth affect performance?

A: The GPU has a memory bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s over a 128-bit bus. This bandwidth, combined with the 4 GB capacity, appears to be a limiting factor at higher settings and resolutions. The large performance gap between High and Ultra presets suggests that the memory subsystem is overwhelmed by the most demanding settings, leading to the low frame rates observed.