Greedfall

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers an exceptionally strong performance in Greedfall, ranking 35th out of 1705 tested combos. The data reveals a system where the GPU is the dominant force at higher resolutions, while the CPU's robust single-thread capabilities ensure high frame rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured results to show exactly where each component matters most.

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

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boosts up to 5.30 GHz, which is critical for a game like Greedfall that relies heavily on single-thread performance for its game logic and AI. The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB L2 cache per core help keep frequently accessed data close at hand, reducing latency in combat-heavy scenes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-14600KF scores 4643 points in Cinebench R23 single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs. Its multi-core score of 32889 in the same test shows that while the game may not use all 20 threads, the headroom exists for background tasks. The processor's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, scores only 0.4% higher on average, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X trails by 0.6%. This tells a clear story: the 14600KF is not the bottleneck in this configuration.

Looking at Greedfall's measured FPS, the 1080p Low preset hits 354.3 FPS. That figure is so high that it suggests the CPU is managing the game's simulation efficiently, even at those extreme frame rates. The PassMark single-thread score of 4273 reinforces this — Greedfall's core logic runs on one or two threads, and the 14600KF's 5.30 GHz boost clock provides the raw speed needed to feed the RTX 4090 without stalling.

The data also shows that the processor's performance scales well with resolution changes. At 4K High, the average FPS is 106.7, which is a 57% drop from 1080p High's 249.6 FPS. This drop is almost entirely GPU-driven, as the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions. The 14600KF's 14 cores, while not fully utilized by Greedfall, ensure that the system doesn't suffer from frame-time spikes or stutters in crowded environments.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does the i5-14600KF compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF averages a benchmark score of 49367, which is 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-14600K's 49166. It also sits 0.5% above the AMD EPYC 4345P and 0.6% above the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, making it essentially neck-and-neck with the best in its class.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable in Greedfall with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 354.3, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is more than double the 160 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra, showing how much headroom the settings menu provides.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 bottleneck the CPU at any resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K Ultra the average FPS drops to 63.6, which is less than half of the 160 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU's performance remains constant while the GPU workload increases dramatically.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 176.9. Dropping to 3840x2160 High reduces that to 106.7 FPS, a 40% decrease. This is a substantial but playable drop, confirming the GPU is doing the heavy lifting.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in Greedfall?

A: This specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 35th out of 1705 tested combos, placing it in the top 2% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: Is the i5-14600KF's multi-core performance relevant for Greedfall?

A: The processor scores 13813 in Cinebench R20 multi-core and 38697 in PassMark multithread, but Greedfall's frame rates at 1080p Low (354.3 FPS) suggest the game is more dependent on single-core speed (4273 PassMark single-thread). The multi-core headroom helps maintain stability but isn't the primary driver of FPS.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured data shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. Starting from 1080p, the average FPS across settings ranges from 160 (Ultra) to 354.3 (Low). Moving to 1440p, those numbers drop to 111.3 (Ultra) and 244.2 (Low). Finally, at 4K, the range is 63.6 (Ultra) to 147.7 (Low).

The most telling metric is the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at the same settings. At Low settings, FPS falls from 354.3 to 147.7, a 58% reduction. At High settings, it drops from 249.6 to 106.7, a 57% reduction. This consistency across settings indicates that the scaling is purely resolution-driven, not settings-driven. The RTX 4090's rendering load increases roughly with pixel count, and the CPU is not the constraint.

This pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior. The i5-14600KF can push well over 350 FPS at 1080p Low, but the GPU's fill rate and shading capabilities are what determine performance at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 63.6 FPS is the lowest measured, showing that Greedfall's Ultra preset includes effects that are exceptionally demanding on the GPU's 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate. The data suggests that if you're targeting 4K, the CPU choice matters far less than the GPU, and this combo is still capable of hitting playable frame rates at the highest settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional headroom. Low settings produce 354.3 FPS average, Medium drops to 277.6 FPS, High settles at 249.6 FPS, and Ultra still manages 160 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is rarely stressed, and even the heaviest preset leaves significant GPU headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows more differentiation. Low settings yield 244.2 FPS, Medium provides 192.8 FPS, High reaches 176.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 111.3 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is still well above 60 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming with this hardware.

At 3840x2160, the GPU starts to show its limits. Low settings deliver 147.7 FPS, Medium drops to 115.2 FPS, High produces 106.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 63.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 84.1 FPS, which is the largest absolute spread across all resolutions. This suggests that Greedfall's Ultra preset includes features like high-quality shadows and ambient occlusion that disproportionately impact the GPU at higher pixel counts.

Across all resolutions, the scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent: roughly a 55-58% reduction in FPS from the lowest to highest settings. This indicates that the game's settings hierarchy is well-balanced, with each tier adding a similar relative load to the GPU.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, it packs 76,300 million transistors into a 609 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz with a boost clock of 2520 MHz, and its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory runs at 1313 MHz with a 384-bit bus, yielding 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth.

In Greedfall, the RTX 4090's massive memory pool is more than sufficient — the game's textures and geometry at 4K Ultra don't come close to exhausting 24 GB. The GPU's 16384 shading units and 512 TMUs handle the game's rendering efficiently, as evidenced by the 4K High result of 106.7 FPS. The 176 ROPs ensure that pixel fill rates don't become a bottleneck, even at 3840x2160.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its position. It scores 38194 in PassMark G3D and 9223 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are professional-grade cards like the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (0.4% lower) and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (0.9% higher), which are not gaming-focused products. The RTX 4090's 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance is what allows it to brute-force Greedfall's Ultra settings at 4K, though the 63.6 FPS at 4K Ultra shows that even this card has limits with the game's heaviest effects.

The GPU's PCIe 4.0 x16 interface pairs well with the CPU's PCIe Gen 5 support, ensuring no bandwidth bottleneck. The 450 W TDP and 850 W suggested PSU are high but justified by the performance on offer. For Greedfall specifically, the data shows that the RTX 4090 is the primary determinant of FPS at 1440p and above, with the CPU only becoming relevant at 1080p where frame rates exceed 250 FPS.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1080p, all presets are playable, but the High preset at 249.6 FPS offers the best balance. Ultra at 160 FPS is still excellent, but the 36% FPS drop from High to Ultra may not be worth the visual gains for competitive play. For most users, High at 1080p is the recommended starting point.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 176.9 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz or 165Hz). Medium at 192.8 FPS is the better choice for 240Hz displays, while Ultra at 111.3 FPS remains smooth for 120Hz panels. The data suggests that 1440p High is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a 58% FPS advantage over Ultra while still looking excellent.

At 4K, the choices become more critical. Ultra at 63.6 FPS is playable but leaves no headroom for frame-time spikes. High at 106.7 FPS is the clear recommendation for a 60Hz or 120Hz 4K display, providing a 68% FPS boost over Ultra. Medium at 115.2 FPS offers a smaller gain over High but may reduce visual quality noticeably. For the best experience at 4K, High settings are recommended, as they deliver smooth performance while maintaining the game's visual fidelity.

Across all resolutions, the data shows that the step from High to Ultra is consistently the most expensive in terms of performance, with an average drop of roughly 35-40%. Since Greedfall is an Action RPG where frame pacing matters for combat responsiveness, prioritizing High settings over Ultra is the practical choice for most players. The Low settings are only recommended for competitive play at 1080p, where the 354.3 FPS result provides maximum responsiveness.