Greedfall

# Greedfall Performance Analysis: Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

This combination delivers strong 1440p and 4K performance in Greedfall, with the RTX 4080 clearly dominating the workload at higher resolutions while the i5-12400 keeps pace at 1080p. The measured data shows a system that excels at High settings across all resolutions, though Ultra settings impose a significant frame rate penalty that suggests the GPU is being pushed to its limits. The combo ranks 254th out of 3703 tested combinations, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations evaluated for this game, and the benchmark results indicate a well-balanced pairing for an Action RPG that favors graphical fidelity over CPU-intensive simulation.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that transitions from CPU-bound to GPU-bound as resolution increases. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 226 at 1920x1080 to 157 at 2560x1440, a 31% reduction, then further to 94 at 3840x2160, representing a cumulative 58% decrease from 1080p to 4K. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario at higher resolutions, where the RTX 4080's rendering workload becomes the primary constraint.

The Low settings data reinforces this interpretation. At 1920x1080 Low, the system achieves 318 FPS, which drops to 220 at 2560x1440 and 131 at 3840x2160. The 1080p Low figure of 318 FPS is remarkably high, suggesting that the i5-12400's six cores and twelve threads are sufficient to feed the RTX 4080 at lower resolutions, but the GPU still has headroom to spare. However, the 4K Low result of 131 FPS indicates that even with minimal graphical demands, the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

Medium settings show a similar pattern with average FPS of 249 at 1080p, 173 at 1440p, and 103 at 4K. The minimum FPS values recorded for Medium settings—212 at 1080p, 147 at 1440p, and 88 at 4K—demonstrate consistent frame delivery without severe drops, suggesting stable performance across the resolution spectrum. The gap between 1080p and 1440p Medium (76 FPS difference) is larger than the gap between 1440p and 4K (70 FPS difference), which is interesting because it implies the scaling is not purely linear with pixel count.

Ultra settings present the most dramatic scaling. The average FPS drops from 145 at 1080p to 100 at 1440p, then plummets to 60 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of exactly 60 FPS is notable—it suggests the RTX 4080 is hitting a performance ceiling that aligns with common display refresh rates, but the 45 FPS drop from 1440p to 4K Ultra (from 100 to 60) is proportionally larger than the 45 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p Ultra (from 145 to 100). This indicates that Ultra settings at 4K impose an exponentially higher rendering cost, likely due to the combination of high-resolution textures and advanced post-processing effects.

The data clearly shows that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the i5-12400's single-thread performance—evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257—is adequate to keep the RTX 4080 well-fed, as indicated by the 318 FPS Low result. By 4K, the GPU's raw compute capabilities, including its 9728 shading units and 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, become the dominant factor, with the CPU's role diminishing as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 254 out of 3703 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all configurations. This is a strong result that reflects the high-end nature of the RTX 4080, which itself sits in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, combined with a CPU that ranks in the 72nd percentile among all processors.

The CPU's position relative to its nearest rivals provides context for its contribution to this combo's ranking. The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7643 at 18697 (a delta of -0.1%), and it trails the Intel Core i7-1355U by only 0.3% (18730 vs 18683). The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811, which is 0.7% higher, while the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, 0.9% lower. This clustering within a 1.6% band suggests that the i5-12400's performance is well within the expected range for its class, and its 3DMark multi-threaded score of 5890 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 demonstrate solid all-core capability.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54247 places it just ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER at 54209 (a 0.1% delta), while trailing the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1% (54828) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6% (55698). The fact that the RTX 4080 scores slightly higher than its SUPER variant in this benchmark suite is noteworthy, though the difference is negligible in real-world terms.

Given that this combo ranks in the top 7% of all tested configurations, the data indicates that the i5-12400 does not bottleneck the RTX 4080 to any significant degree in Greedfall. The 4K High result of 94 FPS and 1440p High result of 157 FPS are both well above playable thresholds, and even the demanding 4K Ultra setting maintains a playable 60 FPS average. This suggests that users seeking higher frame rates at 4K would benefit more from GPU upgrades than CPU changes, as the RTX 4080 is the primary performance driver at that resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 18 MB L3 cache, providing a total of 18 MB of L3 cache across all cores.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates. The benchmark results show that the i5-12400's single-thread performance is adequate for this task, as evidenced by the 3DMark single-thread score of 910, which is the highest single-thread score across the CPU's benchmark suite. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257 and Geekbench single-core score of 1848 further confirm that the processor's per-core performance is competitive.

The multi-threaded capabilities of the i5-12400 are also relevant, as Greedfall can utilize multiple cores for AI, physics, and world streaming. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989, 3DMark max-thread score of 5890, and PassMark multi-thread score of 18747 all indicate that the CPU can handle substantial parallel workloads. The PassMark physics score of 1105 is particularly relevant for game physics simulation, which can be a CPU-intensive task in Action RPGs.

The data suggests that the i5-12400 is not the limiting factor in this combo at higher resolutions. The 1080p Low result of 318 FPS demonstrates that the CPU can sustain very high frame rates when the GPU is not heavily loaded, and the consistent frame delivery at 1440p Medium (minimum 147 FPS) indicates that the CPU maintains stable performance even under moderate GPU load. However, the 1080p Ultra result of 145 FPS versus the 1440p Ultra result of 100 FPS shows that the GPU becomes the bottleneck as settings increase, with the CPU's role diminishing accordingly.

The CPU's 12 threads and 18 MB of L3 cache are sufficient for Greedfall's demands, as the game was released in 2019 and does not require the latest multi-core processors. The i5-12400's position in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683, is more than adequate for this title, and the combination's 254th rank out of 3703 combos reflects the CPU's ability to keep up with the RTX 4080 without creating a significant bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers average FPS of 318 on Low, 249 on Medium, 226 on High, and 145 on Ultra. The Medium preset recorded minimum and maximum FPS of 212 and 287 respectively, showing a 75 FPS range that indicates some frame variability but no severe stuttering.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 220 on Low, 173 on Medium, 157 on High, and 100 on Ultra. The Medium preset shows minimum FPS of 147 and maximum of 199, with a 52 FPS range that is tighter than the 1080p Medium range, suggesting more consistent frame delivery at this resolution. The 1440p High result of 157 FPS is particularly strong, offering a smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 131 on Low, 103 on Medium, 94 on High, and 60 on Ultra. The Medium preset records minimum FPS of 88 and maximum of 119, with a 31 FPS range that indicates even tighter frame consistency than at lower resolutions. The 4K High result of 94 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered the minimum for smooth gameplay, while the 4K Ultra result of exactly 60 FPS is playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes.

The scaling between settings presets at each resolution is revealing. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 173 FPS (318 to 145), representing a 54% reduction. At 1440p, the difference is 120 FPS (220 to 100), a 55% reduction. At 4K, the difference is 71 FPS (131 to 60), a 54% reduction. This consistent proportional reduction across resolutions indicates that the performance impact of increasing settings is uniform, regardless of resolution.

The minimum FPS data for Medium settings shows that frame delivery remains stable even under load. At 1080p, the minimum of 212 FPS is 85% of the average, while at 1440p, the minimum of 147 FPS is 85% of the average, and at 4K, the minimum of 88 FPS is 85% of the average. This consistency suggests that the system does not experience severe frame drops or hitches, even when the GPU is heavily loaded at 4K.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 High provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering 157 FPS average. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a 67% improvement over 4K High (94 FPS) while maintaining high graphical fidelity.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings in Greedfall?

A: Yes, but with exactly 60 FPS average, it is playable yet leaves no headroom for demanding scenes. The 4K Ultra result of 60 FPS is the lowest measured average across all configurations, and users seeking higher frame rates should consider High settings at 4K instead.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 bottlenecking the RTX 4080?

A: The data suggests minimal bottlenecking. The 1080p Low result of 318 FPS indicates the CPU can sustain very high frame rates, and the combo's 254th rank out of 3703 suggests good balance. The GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as expected.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in this game's context?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 54247 on average, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1% and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6%, but these differences are minor in practical terms.

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

A: The measured data shows 157 FPS average at 2560x1440 High. This is a strong result that takes full advantage of high-refresh-rate displays, offering a smooth and responsive experience in Greedfall.

Q: How does the i5-12400 perform relative to its closest competitors?

A: The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, -0.1% delta) and Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, -0.3% delta). It trails the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 by 0.7% and leads the Intel Core i3-14100F by 0.9%, indicating competitive performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High settings preset offers the best overall experience for this combo in Greedfall. At 4K, High delivers 94 FPS average, which is 34 FPS higher than Ultra (60 FPS) and only 9 FPS lower than Medium (103 FPS). The visual quality improvement from Medium to High is substantial, while the performance cost is minimal, making High the sweet spot for 4K gaming.

At 1440p, High provides 157 FPS average, which is 57 FPS higher than Ultra (100 FPS) and only 16 FPS lower than Medium (173 FPS). This result is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays, as 157 FPS exceeds the refresh rate of most 144Hz monitors, and the visual fidelity of High settings is noticeably superior to Medium.

At 1080p, High delivers 226 FPS average, which is 81 FPS higher than Ultra (145 FPS) and only 23 FPS lower than Medium (249 FPS). While 1080p users might be tempted to use Ultra for maximum visual quality, the 145 FPS Ultra result still provides a smooth experience, and the trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate is less critical at this resolution.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution in Greedfall with this combo. The 4K Ultra result of 60 FPS is playable but leaves no margin for performance dips, and the 1440p Ultra result of 100 FPS is below the 144Hz refresh rate of many gaming monitors. The performance cost of Ultra over High is substantial—a 36% reduction at 4K (94 to 60 FPS), 36% at 1440p (157 to 100 FPS), and 36% at 1080p (226 to 145 FPS)—while the visual improvements are typically incremental.

For users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, the Medium preset offers excellent performance with minimum FPS of 212 at 1080p, 147 at 1440p, and 88 at 4K. The Medium preset appears to be the most consistently performing option, with the tightest frame delivery ranges at all resolutions. However, the High preset's combination of strong average FPS and superior visual quality makes it the recommended choice for most users, particularly those with high-refresh-rate displays or 4K monitors.