Greedfall

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination delivers exceptional performance in Greedfall, positioning this pairing as the second-best tested configuration out of 3,703 total combos. The data shows a system capable of extreme frame rates, though the CPU and GPU exhibit very different workload characteristics that become apparent across resolutions and settings. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, component roles, and scaling behavior to explain exactly how this combo performs.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU and GPU combination in Greedfall?

A: The combo ranks 2nd out of 3,703 tested combinations, placing it in the top 0.05% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12400 compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 18,683, which is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7643 (18,697, delta of -0.1%). It sits 0.3% below the Intel Core i7-1355U (18,730) and 0.7% below the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18,811). The closest rival below is the Intel Core i3-14100F (18,519) at 0.9% lower.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 383 FPS average. The Medium preset delivers 301 FPS average, High reaches 273 FPS, and Ultra drops to 175 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 72. This is the most demanding configuration in the measured data, representing a substantial drop from the 113 FPS average seen at High settings on the same resolution.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5090 D have and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The GPU features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed.

Q: Does the CPU have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i5-12400 includes UHD Graphics 730, though this iGPU is irrelevant for gaming performance when paired with the discrete RTX 5090 D.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings 6 cores and 12 threads to the pairing, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosting up to 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture chip uses a 10 nm process from Intel and fits in the Socket 1700 platform. The cache hierarchy consists of 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel bus, and it provides 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU itself.

Benchmark data shows this processor performs well above the median for all CPUs, sitting at the 72nd percentile. Its 3DMark scores reveal scaling characteristics: single-thread performance is 910, while 2-thread and 4-thread scores jump to 1,692 and 3,012 respectively. The 8-thread score reaches 4,745, and max-thread performance hits 5,890. This scaling pattern indicates the CPU benefits from additional threads up to a point, with diminishing returns beyond 8 threads. Cinebench results reinforce this: R15 multicore scores 1,611 versus 227 single-core, while R20 shows 6,715 multicore against 947 single-core. The R23 numbers are 15,989 multicore and 2,257 single-core. Geekbench reports 8,564 multicore and 1,848 single-core.

PassMark tests show a mixed workload profile. Integer math scores 58,366, floating point math reaches 45,494, and extended instructions hit 15,399. Data compression scores 226,908 while encryption manages 11,418. Random string sorting achieves 22,366, and find prime numbers scores just 68. The multithread score is 18,747 with single-thread at 3,456. The average benchmark score stands at 18,683, placing it just 0.1% behind the AMD EPYC 7643 and 0.3% behind the Intel Core i7-1355U.

In the context of Greedfall, the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient to drive the frame rates seen in the measured data. At 1080p Low settings where the GPU is less stressed, the 383 FPS average suggests the CPU can feed frames at very high rates. The single-thread score of 910 in 3DMark and 2,257 in Cinebench R23 indicates strong per-core performance, which matters for a game's main simulation thread. The 18 MB L3 cache helps with repetitive data access patterns common in game logic. However, the CPU's 65W TDP and locked multiplier indicate it is not designed for extreme overclocking, relying instead on the 4.40 GHz boost clock to deliver performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing. Built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm TSMC process, this GPU uses the GB202 chip containing 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. The transistor density works out to 122.9 million per mm². Clock speeds are set at 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost. The memory subsystem is substantial: 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus delivers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective).

Compute resources are massive. The GPU has 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. There are 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. Pixel fill rate reaches 423.6 GPixel/s, texture rate hits 1,636.8 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 104.8 TFLOPS with FP16 at the same 1:1 ratio. The card draws up to 575W TDP and requires a 950W suggested PSU, using a single 16-pin power connector. It occupies a dual-slot form factor measuring 304mm in length, 137mm in height, and 48mm in width. Display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b, with PCIe 5.0 x16 interface.

GPU benchmark scores show strong compute performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test scores 14,326. Geekbench OpenCL scores 310,674 and Vulkan reaches 376,915. PassMark results show G3D at 44,065 and GPU compute at 28,396. DirectX 11 scores 371, DirectX 12 scores 219, and DirectX 10 scores 231, while DirectX 9 reaches 434. The G2D score is 1,487. The average benchmark score is 77,712, placing it at the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in average score are the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904, delta of +1.1%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, delta of -1.6%). The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396, delta -2.1%) and 16 GB (79,605, delta -2.4%) are also close.

In Greedfall, the GPU's 32 GB VRAM is far more than the game requires, eliminating any memory capacity concerns. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures texture streaming at 4K Ultra is not bottlenecked. The 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance explains why the GPU can push 273 FPS at 1080p High and still maintain 113 FPS at 4K High. The RT cores and tensor cores are present but Greedfall is not a ray tracing showcase, so these resources likely go underutilized. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution demonstrates the GPU's scaling with workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces extremely high frame rates across all settings. Low settings yield 383 FPS average. Medium settings produce 301 FPS average with a minimum of 256 and maximum of 346 FPS. High settings achieve 273 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 175 FPS average. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 54% reduction in frame rate, from 383 down to 175 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the same settings pattern continues but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings deliver 266 FPS average. Medium settings reach 209 FPS average with a range of 178 to 240 FPS. High settings produce 190 FPS average. Ultra settings fall to 121 FPS average. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 54.5%, nearly identical to the 1080p scaling.

At 3840x2160, performance drops further. Low settings still maintain 159 FPS average. Medium settings reach 125 FPS average with a minimum of 106 and maximum of 143 FPS. High settings achieve 113 FPS average. Ultra settings produce 72 FPS average. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is 54.7%, consistent with the other resolutions.

The measured data shows that the gap between Medium and High settings is relatively small compared to the gap between High and Ultra. At 4K, Medium produces 125 FPS while High produces 113 FPS, a difference of only 12 FPS. However, High to Ultra drops from 113 to 72 FPS, a 41 FPS difference. This pattern repeats at 1440p and 1080p, suggesting Ultra settings impose a disproportionately heavy load.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals how the system scales with resolution. At Low settings, the combo goes from 383 FPS at 1080p to 159 FPS at 4K, a 58.5% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 301 to 125 FPS, a 58.5% reduction as well. High settings go from 273 to 113 FPS, a 58.6% reduction. Ultra settings drop from 175 to 72 FPS, a 58.9% reduction.

This consistent 58-59% reduction across all settings indicates that resolution scaling is uniform regardless of graphical preset. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical at each settings level suggests the bottleneck shifts smoothly with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, particularly at Low settings where the GPU is underutilized. The 383 FPS at 1080p Low is close to what the CPU can feed given its 6-core/12-thread configuration.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint. The 72 FPS at Ultra settings is a clear indicator that even the RTX 5090 D is taxed heavily by Greedfall's Ultra preset at 4K. The 32 GB VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but the raw compute requirements of 4K Ultra exceed what the GPU can deliver at higher frame rates.

The scaling behavior suggests that at 1080p, this combo is heavily CPU-limited. The CPU's benchmark scores, particularly the single-thread performance, cap the maximum achievable frame rate. Moving from 1080p Low (383 FPS) to 1080p Ultra (175 FPS) shows the GPU workload increasing, but the CPU still keeps up. At 4K, the GPU workload dominates, and the frame rate drops as the GPU approaches its limits.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and quality. At 4K, Medium delivers 125 FPS average with a minimum of 106 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. At 1440p, Medium reaches 209 FPS with a minimum of 178 FPS. At 1080p, Medium achieves 301 FPS with a minimum of 256 FPS. These numbers are all well above the threshold for smooth gameplay.

High settings are also viable, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p High, the combo produces 273 FPS average. At 1440p High, it reaches 190 FPS. At 4K High, it drops to 113 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably lower than Medium. The jump from Medium to High costs roughly 10-12% of frame rate at each resolution, which is a modest penalty for improved visuals.

Ultra settings are only recommended for users who prioritize image quality over frame rate. At 1080p Ultra, the combo still delivers 175 FPS, which is excellent. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 121 FPS, still smooth. At 4K Ultra, the 72 FPS average is borderline for high-refresh displays, though it may be acceptable for a slow-paced action RPG like Greedfall. The data shows that the step from High to Ultra costs significantly more performance than the step from Medium to High, suggesting diminishing returns.

Low settings are not recommended for this hardware combination. Even at 4K Low, the combo produces 159 FPS, which far exceeds what most displays can show. The visual quality loss from Low settings is substantial, and the performance headroom is unnecessary given the frame rates already achieved at Medium.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 2nd out of 3,703 tested combos for Greedfall. This places the pairing in the 99.95th percentile of all configurations, meaning only one other tested combination performs better. The ranking reflects the GPU's dominant role in this game, as the RTX 5090 D's 92nd percentile standing among all GPUs drives the combo's high position.

The CPU's contribution to this ranking is less significant. The i5-12400 sits at the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, which is above average but not exceptional. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score are within 1% either way, indicating that the CPU is not the differentiating factor. The AMD EPYC 7643 and Intel Core i7-1355U both score nearly identically, yet the combo ranking depends on the full system configuration.

The gap between this 2nd-place ranking and the top spot is not quantified in the data, but the measured FPS numbers suggest the margin is narrow. At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves 72 FPS, which is a demanding result for any system. The RTX 5090 D's 32 GB VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth provide ample headroom for Greedfall's asset streaming, while the CPU's 6 cores handle the game logic without becoming a bottleneck at typical gaming resolutions.

The ranking also highlights the efficiency of this pairing. A mid-range CPU from the 12th Gen Core series combined with a flagship GPU achieves near-top performance in this game. The data shows that Greedfall is primarily GPU-bound, especially at higher resolutions and settings, which allows the i5-12400 to keep pace despite its modest core count. The 2nd-place finish out of 3,703 combos indicates that this hardware combination is exceptionally well-suited for this title.