Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019, presents an interesting test for the pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT. The data shows this combination ranks 1094 out of 1705 tested combos in this specific title, placing it in the lower-mid tier of performance. This suggests that while the hardware is competent for modern workloads, Greedfall’s specific engine characteristics may limit its potential, and the measured frame rates reveal a complex relationship between the CPU, GPU, and the game’s settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which is supported by a substantial 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. The data shows solid synthetic performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and a single-core score of 2332, while its PassMark single-thread score sits at 3481. These numbers indicate a capable processor for gaming, but the question remains how much it matters in Greedfall.

The benchmark results show a significant sensitivity to the game’s graphical settings, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU’s role becomes more pronounced. At 1080p, the average FPS swings dramatically from 159.6 on Low settings down to 69.5 on Ultra, a difference of over 90 frames. This is a strong indicator that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at high settings; instead, the GPU is struggling with the increased load. However, even at 1080p Low, the CPU must be capable of feeding the GPU, and the 12400F’s 12 threads and high boost clock seem up to the task. The processor's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 77, and its average benchmark score is 19221, placing it in a close rivalry with the Intel Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210 (a delta of just 0.1%). This suggests the 12400F has enough raw compute to avoid being the limiting factor in most scenarios, but the game’s engine may not be able to fully utilize its capabilities.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. Its game clock is 2410 MHz with a boost clock of 2635 MHz, and it has 2048 shading units. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score is 17166, and it has a percentile ranking of 72 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29024. This places it in a surprisingly tight race with the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, which scores 29011 (a delta of 0%), and the older AMD Radeon RX 470, which scores 28996 (a delta of 0.1%). This suggests the RX 6650 XT is a strong performer for its class, but its 8 GB VRAM might be a concern at higher resolutions.

The measured FPS data confirms that the GPU is the main driver of performance scaling. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 28.1, which is nearly unplayable, while at 4K Low it reaches 65.7. This is a clear sign that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute power are overwhelmed by the higher resolution and detail settings. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at 4K with high textures, as the game may be swapping assets to system memory. The data shows that the GPU is the primary constraint in this pairing, as the CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates when the graphical load is low.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT in Greedfall?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 159.6 FPS, which is far beyond typical display refresh rates. The CPU’s performance is close to the Intel Core i7-8700K, with a delta of only 0.1%, indicating it has ample headroom for this game.

Q: How does the RX 6650 XT compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 29024 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, which scores 29011 (a delta of 0%), and the AMD Radeon RX 470, which scores 28996 (a delta of 0.1%). This shows the RX 6650 XT is performing exactly as expected for its class.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Greedfall with this combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1440p is the sweet spot. At 1440p High, the system averages 80.5 FPS, which is smooth and playable. While 1080p High is faster at 113.9 FPS, the visual fidelity is lower, and the 1440p results show the GPU is still capable of delivering high frame rates.

Q: Why is 4K Ultra performance so poor?

A: The 4K Ultra settings result in an average of 28.1 FPS, which is a severe drop from the 4K Low average of 65.7 FPS. This indicates the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and compute resources are insufficient for the extreme load, making it the definitive limiting component at this resolution and preset.

Q: How does the combo rank overall in Greedfall?

A: The combo ranks 1094 out of 1705 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects that while the hardware is competent, there are many other combinations that achieve higher frame rates in this specific title.

Q: Does the CPU’s multi-threading help in this game?

A: The CPU has 12 threads and achieves a 3DMark max thread score of 5912. However, the frame rate variation across settings suggests that Greedfall is not heavily reliant on multi-threading, as the performance scaling is dictated more by the GPU’s workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo scales across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 159.6 on Low, 127.3 on Medium, 113.9 on High, and 69.5 on Ultra. This shows a steady decline as settings increase, with the largest single drop occurring from High to Ultra, a decrease of 44.4 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 110.6 on Low, 83.5 on Medium, 80.5 on High, and 50 on Ultra. The pattern is consistent, but the gap between Low and Ultra narrows slightly, indicating the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor. At 3840x2160, the averages fall to 65.7 on Low, 48.7 on Medium, 48.9 on High, and 28.1 on Ultra. The most striking observation is that at 4K, the difference between Medium and High is negligible (48.7 vs 48.9), while Ultra causes a massive drop. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces a specific effect or texture load that the GPU cannot handle at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1094 out of 1705 tested combinations places it in the 64th percentile of tested systems, meaning roughly 36% of tested combos perform worse. This is a modest position, and the data indicates that the CPU and GPU are well-matched for most scenarios. The CPU’s near-identical performance to the Intel Core i7-8700K (delta of 0.1%) suggests it is not holding the GPU back, while the GPU’s performance is in line with the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (delta of 0%). The fact that this combo ranks lower than the sum of its parts might suggest that Greedfall’s engine is not fully utilizing the hardware, or that other combos in the database include higher-end GPUs that push the average up. The rank is a relative measure, and the absolute FPS numbers show that this is a capable 1080p and 1440p machine, but it struggles at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the High preset provides an average of 113.9 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors and offers a significant visual improvement over Medium’s 127.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 69.5 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for competitive play. At 1440p, the High preset delivers a smooth 80.5 FPS, making it the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 83.5 FPS is nearly identical, so High is the clear choice. For 4K, the data shows that the High preset at 48.9 FPS is borderline playable, but the Low preset at 65.7 FPS is the only way to achieve a consistently smooth experience. The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely, as the 28.1 FPS average is too low for a playable experience. Based on the measured rows, the High preset at 1440p offers the best overall experience, delivering a high frame rate without sacrificing the visual quality that the game’s art style deserves.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are substantial and reveal the limiting component. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 113.9 at 1080p to 80.5 at 1440p (a 29.3% drop) and then to 48.9 at 4K (a 39.3% drop from 1440p). This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution directly impacts the workload. The CPU’s role is evident at 1080p Low, where the system reaches 159.6 FPS, but the GPU’s limitations become apparent as the resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the FPS plummets to 28.1, which is a 82.4% drop from the 1080p Ultra average of 69.5. This indicates that the RX 6650 XT’s 8 GB VRAM and 280.3 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the extreme demands of 4K Ultra, and the GPU is clearly the bottleneck at this resolution. The data implies that the CPU has enough headroom to support higher frame rates, but the GPU’s compute and memory resources are the limiting factor as resolution and settings increase.