Greedfall

# Greedfall Performance Analysis: Intel Core i5-14400F + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 produces a combination that ranks 1622nd out of 1705 tested configurations in Greedfall, placing it in the bottom 5% of all tested combos. This is a pairing of a modern 14th-generation desktop processor with an end-of-life graphics card from the GeForce 16 series, and the benchmark data reflects a system that is heavily GPU-limited across all tested resolutions. The i5-14400F sits in the 88th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 32508, while the GTX 1650 languishes in the 43rd percentile among GPUs with an average score of 8713. The disparity between these two components defines the performance profile seen in the measured FPS data, where the CPU's substantial headroom never translates into playable frame rates at higher settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F brings 10 cores and 16 threads to this configuration, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This Raptor Lake-R architecture processor, built on Intel's 10 nm process, features 20 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory across a dual-channel bus. The CPU's benchmark results show exceptional multi-threaded capability: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 and a single-core score of 3093, with Geekbench scores of 11209 multi-core and 2333 single-core. In Passmark testing, the multithread score reaches 25783 with a single-thread score of 3723, and physics processing hits 1594.

For Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019, these CPU numbers are vastly more than the game demands at the tested settings. The nearest rival comparisons show the i5-14400F essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-12800H (deltaPct 0), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (deltaPct 0.2), and slightly behind both the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core i7-13705H (both at deltaPct -0.2). This cluster of CPUs all perform within 0.2% of each other in average benchmark scores, confirming that the i5-14400F is delivering class-leading throughput for its segment.

However, the measured FPS data tells a different story. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 71.5 FPS average, but dropping to Ultra settings reduces this to 35.2 FPS. The CPU is never the bottleneck here; even at the highest settings, the frame rate collapse correlates directly with GPU workload increases. The i5-14400F's 65 W TDP and active production status suggest a processor with ample reserve for gaming, yet the GTX 1650's 75 W TDP and end-of-life production status indicate the real constraint. The CPU's 88th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 43rd percentile ranking quantifies this imbalance precisely.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 utilizes the TU117 chip on a 12 nm TSMC process, with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1485 MHz with a boost clock of 1665 MHz, and memory runs at 2001 MHz (8 Gbps effective). With 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, the GTX 1650 delivers 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 53.28 GPixel/s. The card's DirectX 12 (12_1) support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility ensure it can run modern titles, but its Passmark G3D score of 7880 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 305 reveal its modest standing.

The GTX 1650's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (deltaPct -0.4), AMD Radeon 550X (deltaPct -0.4), NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (deltaPct 0.5), and AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (deltaPct -0.5). These deltas are all within 0.5%, placing the GTX 1650 in a tight performance band with these other GPUs. The 4 GB VRAM capacity becomes a critical factor in Greedfall at higher resolutions; the data shows a dramatic falloff at 3840x2160 where even Low settings only manage 32.2 FPS average.

The GPU's OpenCL score of 39112 and Vulkan score of 35966 in Geekbench testing indicate reasonable compute capability, but the Passmark DirectX scores tell a more nuanced story: DirectX 9 scores 124, DirectX 10 scores 39, DirectX 11 scores 58, and DirectX 12 scores 35. These figures suggest the GTX 1650 handles older API workloads better than modern ones, which aligns with Greedfall's performance characteristics where the game's engine demands more from the GPU than the 4 GB frame buffer can accommodate at high settings.

FAQ

Q: Why does the GTX 1650 perform so poorly relative to the CPU in this combo?

A: The CPU ranks in the 88th percentile among all processors with an average benchmark score of 32508, while the GPU ranks in the 43rd percentile with an average score of 8713. This 45-percentile gap means the i5-14400F has substantial unused capacity in Greedfall, where frame rates are dictated by the GPU's 4 GB VRAM and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth.

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

A: The only resolution where the system achieves consistently playable frame rates is 1920x1080. At this resolution, Low settings produce 71.5 FPS average, Medium produces 58.6 FPS, and High produces 49.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, even Low settings only reach 48.7 FPS, and at 3840x2160, no setting exceeds 32.2 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its closest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The GTX 1650 scores 8713 average, with the RTX 3050 A Mobile at 8746 (0.4% faster), the Radeon 550X at 8749 (0.4% faster), the Quadro P2200 at 8671 (0.5% slower), and the Radeon Pro WX 5100 at 8761 (0.5% faster). All four rivals are within 0.5% of the GTX 1650's performance.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 71.5 FPS while Ultra settings average 35.2 FPS, a difference of 36.3 FPS. Medium settings fall between at 58.6 FPS, and High settings at 49.9 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 50.7% reduction in average frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU's 20 MB of L3 cache sufficient for Greedfall?

A: The CPU's cache configuration appears more than adequate, as the processor's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 and Passmark multithread score of 25783 indicate no performance deficiency. The bottleneck in Greedfall is clearly the GPU, evidenced by the 16.3 FPS average at 3840x2160 Ultra settings despite the CPU's capabilities.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combination ranks 1622nd out of 1705 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the bottom 5% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's 43rd percentile standing among all GPUs, which dominates the system's gaming performance despite the CPU's 88th percentile ranking.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the Greedfall experience with this hardware. At 1920x1080, the most balanced experience comes from Medium settings, which deliver 58.6 FPS average—a 17.7% improvement over High settings' 49.9 FPS while maintaining substantially better visual quality than Low settings' 71.5 FPS. The jump from Medium to High costs 8.7 FPS (14.8% reduction), while High to Ultra costs another 14.7 FPS (29.5% reduction) for diminishing returns.

For players prioritizing smooth gameplay over visual fidelity, Low settings at 1080p provide the only configuration exceeding 70 FPS in the entire dataset, with 71.5 FPS average. At 2560x1440, no setting achieves even 50 FPS, with Low at 48.7 FPS being the only playable option. The 3840x2160 resolution is effectively unplayable across all settings, with the best result being Low at 32.2 FPS and the worst being Ultra at 16.3 FPS.

The data suggests that 1080p Medium or High settings represent the optimal trade-off for this combination. Medium at 58.6 FPS provides a comfortable margin above the 50 FPS threshold, while High at 49.9 FPS offers better visuals at near-50 FPS performance. Ultra settings should be avoided entirely, as the 4 GB VRAM limitation becomes apparent with only 35.2 FPS at 1080p and 21.9 FPS at 1440p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1622 out of 1705 tested configurations places this system in the bottom 4.9% of all tested combinations for Greedfall. This ranking is heavily skewed by the GPU's performance ceiling rather than any CPU limitation. The i5-14400F's 88th percentile CPU ranking and average benchmark score of 32508 demonstrate a processor capable of far more demanding workloads, while the GTX 1650's 43rd percentile GPU ranking and 8713 average score establish the true performance ceiling.

The GPU's nearest rival comparisons show a tightly clustered group of graphics cards, all within 0.5% of the GTX 1650's performance. This clustering suggests that swapping to any of these rivals would yield negligible improvement in Greedfall. The CPU's rival cluster, including the i7-12800H, Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, Ryzen 7 250, and i7-13705H, all perform within 0.2% of the i5-14400F, further confirming that CPU choice is not a meaningful variable in this system's Greedfall performance.

In the context of the full combo ranking, this system sits in the company of other GPU-limited configurations where a modern, high-performing CPU is paired with an entry-level graphics card. The 1705 total tested combos span the full spectrum of hardware, and this particular pairing's low rank reflects the GTX 1650's position as an end-of-life product with 4 GB of VRAM that struggles with the demands of Greedfall's higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its best performance across all settings. Low settings achieve an average of 71.5 FPS, Medium achieves 58.6 FPS, High achieves 49.9 FPS, and Ultra achieves 35.2 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent degradation: Low to Medium costs 12.9 FPS (18.0% reduction), Medium to High costs 8.7 FPS (14.8% reduction), and High to Ultra costs 14.7 FPS (29.5% reduction). The steepest drop occurs between High and Ultra, suggesting the 4 GB VRAM buffer is overwhelmed at the highest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, all frame rates decline substantially. Low settings average 48.7 FPS, Medium averages 42.6 FPS, High averages 35.2 FPS, and Ultra averages 21.9 FPS. The 1440p results show a 31.9% reduction from 1080p at Low settings (71.5 to 48.7 FPS), while the Ultra setting drops 37.8% (35.2 to 21.9 FPS). The Medium setting at 1440p (42.6 FPS) falls below the 1080p High setting (49.9 FPS), illustrating the resolution penalty.

At 3840x2160, the system is effectively unplayable. Low settings produce 32.2 FPS average, Medium produces 24.3 FPS, High produces 23.6 FPS, and Ultra produces 16.3 FPS. The 4K results show a 55.0% reduction from 1440p at Low settings (48.7 to 32.2 FPS) and a 25.6% reduction from 1440p at Ultra settings (21.9 to 16.3 FPS). Notably, the difference between High (23.6 FPS) and Medium (24.3 FPS) at 4K is minimal at 0.7 FPS, while the gap between Low and Medium is 7.9 FPS, suggesting that Low settings are the only viable option at this resolution.

Across all resolutions, the data reveals a consistent pattern: the GTX 1650's 4 GB VRAM and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth create a hard ceiling that cannot be overcome by the i5-14400F's substantial processing power. The best-case scenario of 71.5 FPS at 1080p Low demonstrates the GPU's capability in undemanding situations, while the 16.3 FPS at 4K Ultra shows its limitations under maximum load.