Greedfall

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

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread desktop processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and it carries 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor's 93rd percentile ranking versus all CPUs indicates it sits comfortably near the top of the performance spectrum, though its average benchmark score of 49166 places it within a tight cluster of rivals. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, scores 49062, a delta of just 0.2% — effectively a statistical tie. Similarly, the Intel Core i5-14600KF scores 49367, a -0.4% delta, while the AMD EPYC 4345P and Intel Xeon Gold 5318H sit at -0.9% and 1% deltas respectively. This grouping shows the i5-14600K is not head-and-shoulders above its peers; rather, it is part of a dense pack where single-digit percentage differences separate contenders.

In Greedfall, an Action RPG from 2019, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions where frame rates climb well past 200 FPS. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 270.1 FPS average, and at 1080p High it reaches 193.2 FPS. These figures suggest the processor has ample headroom to feed the GPU even in less demanding scenes. The 14-core configuration with 20 threads ensures background tasks and game logic don't starve the rendering pipeline. The 5.30 GHz boost clock is particularly relevant for a game like Greedfall, which relies on single-thread performance for AI, quest scripting, and physics calculations. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642 and Geekbench single-core score of 2803 corroborate strong per-core capability, which translates directly to consistent frame pacing in CPU-bound scenarios.

However, the data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 48.8, indicating the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. At this setting, even a strong CPU cannot compensate for the graphics workload. The i5-14600K's multi-threaded scores — 32881 in Cinebench R23 and 38682 in Passmark multithread — confirm it is not the bottleneck in this title. The processor's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier suggest headroom for enthusiasts, but the measured results demonstrate that stock operation is more than sufficient for Greedfall's demands.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is built on the Navi 31 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. It packs 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, yielding 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1387 MHz with a boost of 2394 MHz and a game clock of 2025 MHz. Its 82nd percentile ranking versus all GPUs places it solidly in the upper tier, though its average benchmark score of 38358 sits remarkably close to its nearest rivals. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile scores 38349 (0% delta), while the NVIDIA CMP 70HX and RTX 4080 Mobile are within 0.3% and 0.6% respectively. The NVIDIA GeForce MX570, despite its low-end positioning, shows a -0.4% delta, underscoring how benchmark averages can obscure real-world gaming differences.

In Greedfall, the RX 7900 XT's 20 GB VRAM is more than sufficient even at 4K Ultra, where memory pressure could theoretically become an issue in other titles. The measured data shows the GPU delivering 82.1 FPS at 4K High and 112.5 FPS at 4K Low, demonstrating that the card's 5376 shading units and 192 ROPs handle high resolutions with authority. The 800.0 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures texture streaming and asset loading do not create stutter, a critical factor in an Action RPG where exploration and combat scenes switch rapidly.

The GPU's 51.48 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 459.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are reflected in the 4K numbers. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate collapses to 48.8 FPS, a 40% drop from 4K High — a clear sign that the Ultra preset introduces rendering features that stress the GPU heavily. The RX 7900 XT's 84 ray accelerators are present, but Greedfall's Ultra settings likely enable effects that the RDNA 3.0 architecture handles less efficiently. The GPU's end-of-life production status and 300 W TDP are worth noting, but the performance data stands on its own: this card is capable of high-refresh 1440p and playable 4K in this title, with the caveat that Ultra settings at 4K fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

FAQ

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-14600K bottleneck the RX 7900 XT in Greedfall?

A: Benchmark results indicate the CPU is not a limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 270.1 FPS, and at 1440p Low it reaches 184.6 FPS. The processor's 93rd percentile ranking and single-core strength suggest it can feed the GPU effectively across all tested settings.

Q: How does the RX 7900 XT compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 38358 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile at 38349 (0% delta). The NVIDIA CMP 70HX and RTX 4080 Mobile are within 0.3% and 0.6% respectively, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 shows a -0.4% delta.

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

A: At 1440p High, the combo produces 133.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K High, it delivers 82.1 FPS, which is also playable. The 1080p High result of 193.2 FPS is excellent for high-refresh monitors, but the sweet spot appears to be 1440p High for a balance of visual quality and frame rate.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from Low to Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, the drop from Low (270.1 FPS) to Ultra (124.8 FPS) represents a 54% reduction. At 1440p, the drop is from 184.6 FPS to 85.3 FPS, a 54% reduction as well. At 4K, the drop is from 112.5 FPS to 48.8 FPS, a 57% reduction.

Q: Is the 20 GB VRAM on the RX 7900 XT necessary for Greedfall?

A: The data does not indicate VRAM capacity is a constraint. The GPU maintains high frame rates across all resolutions, and the 800.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures smooth asset streaming. The 20 GB capacity provides future-proofing, but Greedfall's measured results do not stress this limit.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X?

A: The i5-14600K scores 49166 on average, vs 49062 for the Ryzen 9 5950X, a delta of just 0.2%. The two processors are effectively tied in synthetic benchmarks, though the i5-14600K has a higher boost clock at 5.30 GHz versus the Ryzen's lower clock.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, yielding a comprehensive picture of the combo's performance in Greedfall. At 1080p, the results are exceptional across the board. Low settings produce 270.1 FPS average, Medium reaches 212.4 FPS, High delivers 193.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to 124.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 145.3 FPS, a substantial margin that reflects the GPU's headroom at this resolution.

At 1440p, the frame rates remain strong but show a predictable decline. Low settings achieve 184.6 FPS, Medium runs at 146.5 FPS, High produces 133.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 85.3 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is particularly notable — it is 39.5 FPS lower than 1080p Ultra, indicating that the resolution increase places meaningful stress on the GPU. The 1440p High figure of 133.8 FPS is 59.4 FPS below the 1080p High result, again showing resolution scaling impact.

At 4K, the performance picture changes dramatically. Low settings still deliver 112.5 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 86.1 FPS, High to 82.1 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 48.8 FPS. The 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only measured configuration that is not comfortably playable. The spread from 4K Low to 4K Ultra is 63.7 FPS, the largest absolute range across all resolutions. Interestingly, the 4K Medium (86.1 FPS) and 4K High (82.1 FPS) results are close, differing by only 4 FPS, whereas at 1080p the Medium-to-High gap is 19.2 FPS and at 1440p it is 12.7 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals which component is the limiting factor at each resolution. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 270.1 FPS, dropping to 184.6 FPS at 1440p Low (a 32% reduction), and further to 112.5 FPS at 4K Low (a 58% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern is consistent with GPU-bound behavior — the CPU has ample headroom, and the GPU's workload increases quadratically with resolution.

The data shows that the RX 7900 XT is the primary constraint at 4K Ultra, where the 48.8 FPS result is the lowest of all configurations. At 1080p Ultra, the 124.8 FPS result indicates the GPU can still handle demanding settings at lower resolutions, but 4K Ultra pushes the card past its comfortable operating range. The fact that 4K High (82.1 FPS) and 4K Medium (86.1 FPS) are so close suggests that the High preset is already taxing the GPU heavily, and the Ultra preset adds effects that disproportionately impact performance.

The resolution scaling also indicates that the i5-14600K is not a bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see frame rates plateau or fluctuate less across resolutions. Instead, the FPS scales smoothly with pixel count, confirming the GPU is the binding constraint from 1440p upward. At 1080p, the very high frame rates (above 200 FPS) hint that the CPU could become a factor at even lower resolutions or with future games, but within this dataset, the processor maintains its end of the bargain.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired experience. For 4K gaming, the High preset at 82.1 FPS is the recommended choice — it delivers a smooth, playable experience above 60 FPS while sacrificing only 4 FPS compared to Medium. The Ultra preset at 48.8 FPS is not advisable for 4K, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider the minimum for action RPGs. The 4K Low preset (112.5 FPS) is viable for players prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, but the High preset offers a better balance.

At 1440p, the High preset at 133.8 FPS is the standout recommendation. It provides a high frame rate that exceeds the refresh rate of most standard monitors and maintains visual quality. The Medium preset at 146.5 FPS offers only a marginal improvement (12.7 FPS) over High, making High the better value. The Ultra preset at 85.3 FPS is still playable, but the 48.5 FPS drop from High suggests the visual improvements are not worth the performance cost. The Low preset at 184.6 FPS is excessive for most displays, as it far exceeds typical refresh rates.

At 1080p, all presets are playable, with even Ultra achieving 124.8 FPS. The High preset at 193.2 FPS is recommended for players with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, as it provides a smooth experience without sacrificing visual quality. The Medium preset at 212.4 FPS is suitable for 240Hz displays, while the Low preset at 270.1 FPS is only necessary for the most extreme high-refresh setups. The Ultra preset at 124.8 FPS is the best choice for players who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rate, as it remains comfortably above 60 FPS. Overall, the data suggests that High settings offer the best experience across all resolutions, with the exception of 4K, where High is still the recommended choice but with the caveat that 4K Ultra should be avoided.