Greedfall

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D in Greedfall produces a top-tier result, ranking first out of 2,938 tested combinations. The benchmark data shows a configuration that delivers extremely high frame rates across all resolutions, with the primary performance bottleneck shifting from the graphics card at 1080p to the processor at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, the role of each component, and what the numbers indicate about system scaling in this 2019 Action RPG.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, which is typical for a title where the GPU becomes more stressed at higher pixel counts. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 273 FPS, but dropping the resolution to 4K (3840x2160) at the same High preset reduces the average to 113 FPS. This represents a 58.6% performance drop from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the RTX 5090 D is the limiting factor at the higher resolution. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary constraint, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames far faster than the processor can feed it.

The scaling from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 shows a steeper decline than from 1080p to 1440p. At Medium settings, the 1440p result is 209 FPS, while the 4K result is 125 FPS, a 40.2% reduction. This is a more significant drop than the 30.6% reduction seen when moving from 1080p (301 FPS) to 1440p (209 FPS) at the same Medium preset. The pattern indicates that the GPU workload grows superlinearly with pixel count, which is expected given the 512-bit memory bus and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth of the RTX 5090 D, though these specs are not directly visible in the frame times.

At the Ultra preset, the scaling is most dramatic. The 1080p Ultra result is 175 FPS, dropping to 121 FPS at 1440p (a 30.9% decrease) and further to 72 FPS at 4K (a 58.9% decrease from 1080p). This suggests that Ultra settings introduce additional shading and texture work that disproportionately affects higher resolutions. The fact that the 4K Ultra result (72 FPS) is below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider playable suggests that this combo, while powerful, still needs settings adjustments for smooth 4K gameplay at maximum quality.

The 4K Low result of 159 FPS versus the 1080p Low result of 383 FPS shows a 58.5% drop, which is nearly identical to the High preset scaling. This consistency across presets indicates that the resolution scaling is primarily driven by pixel count rather than specific settings, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of the title at 4K. However, the gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution widens as resolution increases, from 208 FPS at 1080p to 87 FPS at 4K, showing that Ultra settings add a heavier relative burden at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance of performance and visual quality. At High settings, the combo achieves 190 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors, while 4K Ultra drops to 72 FPS, which may be too low for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate displays.

*Q: Does the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB VRAM matter for Greedfall?*

A: The 32 GB GDDR7 memory with a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. In this game, the measured FPS data shows no signs of VRAM-related stuttering or frame drops, as the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium (178 FPS) and 4K Medium (106 FPS) are both high, indicating the memory subsystem is not a bottleneck.

Q: How does the i5-12400F perform relative to its rivals?

A: The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19,039, placing it at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with an average score of 19,047, showing a delta of 0%, meaning the two are effectively tied in synthetic benchmarks. The Intel Core i5-1335U is 0.3% faster, while the AMD EPYC 7773X is 0.3% slower.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D overkill for 1080p gaming?

A: The data suggests yes. At 1080p Low settings, the combo produces 383 FPS, which is far beyond what any current display can show. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 175 FPS result is significantly higher than typical 144Hz monitor refresh rates, indicating that the CPU is holding back the GPU at this resolution.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High settings?

A: At 1440p, Medium achieves 209 FPS while High achieves 190 FPS, a difference of 19 FPS (9.1%). At 4K, the gap is smaller: Medium produces 125 FPS while High produces 113 FPS, a difference of 12 FPS (9.6%). This suggests that High settings offer a meaningful visual upgrade for a modest performance cost.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks first out of 2,938 tested combinations in Greedfall, meaning no other CPU and GPU pairing in the database produces higher frame rates in this game. This top ranking is consistent across all resolutions and settings tested.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1 out of 2,938 tested combinations places this pairing at the absolute top of the database for Greedfall. This is a significant achievement given the wide variety of hardware configurations tested. The ranking indicates that no other combination of processor and graphics card achieves higher average frame rates in this title, which is notable because the RTX 5090 D's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, has a 1.6% higher average benchmark score, yet the i5-12400F pairing still comes out on top in this specific game.

The CPU's contribution to this ranking should not be underestimated. The i5-12400F's 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide sufficient single-thread performance for Greedfall's game logic, while the RTX 5090 D handles the graphics workload. The fact that this combo beats systems with higher raw benchmark scores suggests that the game is well-optimized for this specific combination of Alder Lake architecture and Blackwell 2.0 GPU.

The 73rd percentile ranking of the CPU among all processors indicates that the i5-12400F is above average but not top-tier, yet it still achieves a first-place combo ranking. This implies that Greedfall does not require an exceptionally powerful processor, and the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates. The 92nd percentile ranking of the GPU among all graphics cards reinforces this, as the RTX 5090 D is among the fastest cards available.

When comparing to other combos, the data shows that the gap between this configuration and the second-place combo is likely substantial, given the wide margin between the RTX 5090 D's benchmark score and its rivals. The nearest GPU rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, has a 1.1% lower average score, but in Greedfall, the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth likely provide an advantage in texture-heavy scenes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance: Low settings produce 383 FPS, Medium produces 301 FPS with a minimum of 256 FPS and maximum of 346 FPS, High produces 273 FPS, and Ultra produces 175 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at the highest quality preset, the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors without issue.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong. Low settings achieve 266 FPS, Medium achieves 209 FPS with a minimum of 178 FPS and maximum of 240 FPS, High achieves 190 FPS, and Ultra achieves 121 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 178 FPS is particularly notable, as it shows consistent frame delivery without significant drops, suggesting good frame pacing. The Ultra preset's 121 FPS is still above 120 FPS, making it viable for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly but remains playable. Low settings produce 159 FPS, Medium produces 125 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS and maximum of 143 FPS, High produces 113 FPS, and Ultra produces 72 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 106 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, but the Ultra preset's 72 FPS average suggests that users targeting 4K should consider High settings or below for a more consistent experience.

The scaling between presets at each resolution is consistent: Low is always the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the slowest. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 208 FPS, at 1440p it is 145 FPS, and at 4K it is 87 FPS. This diminishing gap indicates that the GPU becomes more of a bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the relative cost of Ultra settings increases with pixel count.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing for Greedfall. With 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, the GPU has ample resources to handle the game's textures and effects. The base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz ensure high compute throughput, which is reflected in the measured frame rates. The 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms that this is a high-end card, with an average benchmark score of 77,712.

The GPU's role is most evident at 4K resolution, where the frame rate drops from 383 FPS at 1080p Low to 159 FPS at 4K Low, a 58.5% reduction. This drop is consistent with the GPU being the limiting factor, as the render resolution increases fourfold, requiring significantly more pixel shading and texture fetch operations. The 32 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for even the most demanding texture packs in Greedfall, as the minimum FPS values do not show signs of memory swapping or stuttering.

The RTX 5090 D's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, has a 1.1% higher average benchmark score, yet in Greedfall, the RTX 5090 D's raw performance is what drives the top combo ranking. The GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate provide the computational power needed for the game's effects, while the 176 ROPs ensure efficient pixel output. The 5 nm process node from TSMC allows for high clock speeds despite the 575 W TDP, which is managed by a dual-slot cooler.

In the context of Greedfall, the GPU's performance is best described as overkill for 1080p, where the CPU becomes the bottleneck. At 1440p, the GPU is more fully utilized, delivering 190 FPS at High settings. At 4K, the GPU is fully stressed, and the frame rates reflect the expected scaling from pixel count increases. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,915 indicate that the GPU is well-suited for modern APIs, which Greedfall likely uses.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080, all settings presets are viable, with even Ultra delivering 175 FPS. However, the difference between Medium (301 FPS) and High (273 FPS) is only 28 FPS, so users with 144Hz monitors can comfortably choose High for better visuals without sacrificing smoothness. For 240Hz monitors, Medium at 301 FPS is the safer choice, as it provides a buffer above the refresh rate.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests High settings are the sweet spot. The 190 FPS average is well above 144Hz, and the visual upgrade over Medium (209 FPS) is worth the 19 FPS reduction. Ultra at 121 FPS is also viable for 120Hz monitors, but the 69 FPS gap between Ultra and High indicates that High provides a more consistent experience, especially in scenes with heavy effects. Low at 266 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where frame rate is prioritized over visuals.

For 3840x2160, the recommendations are more nuanced. Ultra at 72 FPS is playable on 60Hz displays but may feel inconsistent on 120Hz panels. High at 113 FPS is the best choice for 4K gaming, offering a balance of visual quality and performance that exceeds 100 FPS. Medium at 125 FPS is also excellent, with a minimum FPS of 106 FPS ensuring no drops below 100 FPS. Low at 159 FPS is overkill for most 4K monitors and sacrifices too much visual quality.

The data shows that the Medium preset consistently provides the highest minimum FPS values across all resolutions: 256 FPS at 1080p, 178 FPS at 1440p, and 106 FPS at 4K. This suggests that Medium is the most stable preset in terms of frame delivery, making it a safe choice for users who prioritize consistent performance over maximum visual fidelity. For users with 144Hz monitors, High at 4K (113 FPS) or 1440p (190 FPS) is recommended, as the frame rates are high enough to take advantage of the refresh rate without the stability risk of Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F plays a supporting role in this pairing, providing the processing power needed to feed the RTX 5090 D. With 6 cores and 12 threads, a base clock of 2.50 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, the CPU has sufficient performance for Greedfall's game logic and physics. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, while the dual-channel memory support allows for adequate bandwidth. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all processors indicates it is above average, with an average benchmark score of 19,039.

The CPU's impact on frame rates is most visible at 1080p, where the GPU is not fully utilized. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 383 FPS, but this is likely limited by the CPU's single-thread performance. The 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and Geekbench single-core score of 1,964 indicate that the CPU's single-thread performance is moderate, which can bottleneck high-FPS scenarios. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12,380 shows that the CPU is capable in multi-threaded workloads, but Greedfall is likely not heavily threaded.

The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, has a nearly identical average benchmark score (19,047 vs. 19,039), showing a 0% delta. This means that in synthetic tests, the two CPUs are indistinguishable. However, in Greedfall, the i5-12400F's higher boost clock of 4.40 GHz compared to what is likely a lower boost on the mobile chip may provide an advantage in single-threaded scenes. The Intel Core i5-1335U is 0.3% faster in average score, but this is likely due to its newer architecture rather than a significant difference in gaming performance.

At 4K resolution, the CPU's role diminishes, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The frame rate difference between 1080p Low (383 FPS) and 4K Low (159 FPS) is 224 FPS, which is almost entirely due to the GPU's workload increase. This indicates that at 4K, the i5-12400F has enough headroom to keep up with the RTX 5090 D, and the CPU is not limiting performance. The 65 W TDP of the CPU suggests that it is efficient, but the 575 W TDP of the GPU dominates the system's power draw, which is not a factor in the measured FPS data.

The CPU's memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 allows for flexibility in system building, though the measured data does not differentiate between memory types. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 lanes ensures that the RTX 5090 D can communicate at full bandwidth, which is important for loading textures and geometry. The CPU's 10 nm process node from Intel is older than the GPU's 5 nm process, but this does not appear to cause any issues in Greedfall, as the combo achieves top-tier performance.