Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting scalability challenge for the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions but hits a performance ceiling when pushed to the highest visual presets and 4K. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to determine the optimal settings and understand the balance between the CPU and GPU in this specific title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data indicates that the "High" preset offers the most balanced experience across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 165.7 FPS, which is a significant 59.4 FPS drop from the Low preset's 236.2 FPS, yet it remains exceptionally smooth for fast-paced action. The jump to "Ultra" at 1080p yields 106.3 FPS, a 59.4 FPS reduction from High, showing that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy cost for visual gains that may not be worth the performance sacrifice.

Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset maintains an excellent 114.9 FPS average, keeping the experience fluid on high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset achieves 130.7 FPS, but the incremental visual improvements offered by High are worth the 15.8 FPS difference. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the only playable option that maintains a comfortable frame rate, hitting 67.9 FPS. While the Ultra preset at 4K produces a cinematic 42.2 FPS, this is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for a responsive experience.

The data suggests that the "Ultra" preset is best avoided with this hardware configuration. The performance cost is steep at every resolution, and the visual fidelity increase does not justify the substantial frame rate loss. The "High" preset appears to be the sweet spot, providing a smooth experience at 1080p and 1440p, while remaining just above the playability threshold at 4K. For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, the "Medium" preset offers a solid middle ground, but the data clearly points to High as the recommended starting point for this game and hardware combo.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 ranks at position 577 out of 1705 total combos for Greedfall. This places the system in the top third of all tested configurations, indicating a strong performance level. The percentile ranking versus all tested GPUs is 79, which is notably high, and the CPU ranks in the 88th percentile against all tested processors. These figures suggest that this is a well-balanced setup where both components are performing admirably.

The ranking implies that while the system is powerful, there are many other combinations that deliver higher frame rates in Greedfall. The data shows that the CPU's average benchmark score of 32508 places it in close competition with several other processors, such as the Intel Core i7-12800H with a deltaPct of 0 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 with a deltaPct of 0.2. This indicates that the i5-14400F is a solid performer, but it is not the absolute top-tier option available. The GPU's performance, with an average benchmark score of 34780, is similarly competitive, with its nearest rivals being the NVIDIA A2 at a deltaPct of -0.2 and the NVIDIA Quadro GV100 at a deltaPct of 0.3.

The rank of 577 out of 1705 is a strong result, but it also suggests that players seeking the absolute highest frame rates in Greedfall might need to consider more powerful components. However, the data indicates that this combination provides a robust and competitive experience, placing it well within the upper echelon of tested hardware pairings for this game.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture and is a significant factor in this game's performance. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a substantial memory bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s, which is more than sufficient for Greedfall's textures and assets at any resolution. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU scales predictably with resolution, which is a clear sign that its memory and processing power are not bottlenecked in a way that would cause erratic performance.

The GPU's clock speeds are also relevant. The boost clock of 2520 MHz and game clock of 2070 MHz contribute to the raw compute power of 36.13 TFLOPS. This level of performance is reflected in the benchmark scores, such as the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290 and the Passmark G3D score of 25381. These numbers indicate that the RX 9070 is a high-end graphics card that can handle demanding titles.

In the context of Greedfall, the data shows that the GPU's role becomes more critical as resolution increases. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, suggesting the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data. However, at 4K with the Ultra preset, the average FPS drops to 42.2. This significant drop is likely due to the GPU reaching its limits with the increased pixel count and higher-quality shaders and effects. The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM is unlikely to be a limiting factor, as Greedfall is not known for requiring excessive memory, but the sheer computational load of 4K Ultra proves to be a substantial challenge.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how the system performs across different settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 236.2 FPS on Low, 183.1 FPS on Medium, 165.7 FPS on High, and 106.3 FPS on Ultra. This shows a clear progression where each step up in settings costs a significant number of frames, with the most substantial drop occurring between High and Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 161.4 FPS on Low, 130.7 FPS on Medium, 114.9 FPS on High, and 76.1 FPS on Ultra. The pattern is consistent, but the absolute numbers are lower due to the increased pixel count. The system still provides a very playable experience on the High preset, and even the Ultra preset remains above 60 FPS, which is a notable achievement.

At the demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the system manages 95.8 FPS on Low, 74.2 FPS on Medium, 67.9 FPS on High, and 42.2 FPS on Ultra. The drop from High to Ultra at this resolution is a substantial 25.7 FPS, pushing the frame rate below the 60 FPS target. The data shows that the system is capable of running the game at 4K, but only on lower presets to maintain a smooth experience. The High preset at 4K is playable, but the Ultra preset is not recommended based on this data.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern of performance scaling as resolution increases, which is a strong indicator of a GPU-bound workload at higher settings. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on the High preset, the average FPS drops from 165.7 to 114.9, a decrease of 50.8 FPS. This is a substantial reduction, but the frame rate remains high. The scaling from 1080p to 4K on the High preset is more dramatic, with the average FPS falling to 67.9, a drop of 97.8 FPS.

This behavior suggests that as resolution increases, the demand on the GPU's pixel processing and memory bandwidth grows, and the RX 9070's capabilities become the primary limiting factor. The CPU's role is less critical at higher resolutions, as the increased GPU load gives it more time to process game logic and draw calls. The data shows that the frame rate drops are not linear, indicating that the GPU is hitting its performance limits more aggressively at higher resolutions.

The most telling data point is the difference between the Low and Ultra presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference is 129.9 FPS (236.2 vs 106.3), while at 4K, the difference is 53.6 FPS (95.8 vs 42.2). This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is able to push frame rates high enough that the GPU's handling of more complex visual settings is the main source of the performance difference. At 4K, the GPU is already saturated by the pixel count, so the additional load from the Ultra preset has a relatively smaller but still significant impact. The data clearly indicates that the system is heavily GPU-limited, especially at 1440p and 4K resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth 1440p experience?

A: The High preset is recommended for 2560x1440, as it provides an average of 114.9 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: Can this system run Greedfall at 4K?

A: Yes, the system can run the game at 3840x2160. The Low preset achieves 95.8 FPS, and the High preset achieves 67.9 FPS, both of which are playable. However, the Ultra preset at 4K only manages 42.2 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when switching from the High preset to the Ultra preset?

A: The performance cost is significant. At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 165.7 to 106.3, a difference of 59.4 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 67.9 to 42.2.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU-bound workload, and the CPU's benchmark percentile (88) is higher than the GPU's (79).

Q: How does this hardware combo rank among all tested systems for Greedfall?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 ranks 577th out of 1705 tested combos for this game, placing it in the upper third of all configurations.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the Low and Medium presets at 1080p?

A: The Low preset yields an average of 236.2 FPS, while the Medium preset yields 183.1 FPS. This is a difference of 53.1 FPS, indicating that the Medium preset offers a more balanced trade-off for higher visual quality.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F plays a crucial role in ensuring the GPU is adequately fed with data. This processor features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks is strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21914 and a single-core score of 3093. These scores suggest that the CPU has ample processing power for gaming workloads.

In the context of Greedfall, the CPU's role appears to be supportive, ensuring the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 236.2 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is capable of processing the game's logic and draw calls quickly enough to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as the Passmark single-thread score of 3723, support this, showing strong per-core performance.

However, the data also shows that the CPU is not the primary limiter at higher resolutions. As the GPU becomes more saturated at 1440p and 4K, the frame rates drop, and the CPU's faster processing speed is less impactful. The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the Intel Core i7-12800H and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, with deltaPct values of 0 and 0.2, respectively. This indicates that the i5-14400F is a capable mid-to-high-range processor that pairs well with the RX 9070. The data implies that while a more powerful CPU might yield slightly higher maximum frame rates at 1080p, the GPU is the component that determines the overall experience in Greedfall, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.