Greedfall

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D in Greedfall is a study in extremes. The data shows a combination that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while at 1080p it reveals the CPU's impressive headroom. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across three resolutions and four settings levels, interpreting what the numbers mean for your actual gameplay experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a classic resolution scaling curve, but with an unusual twist at the top end. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 383 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 266 FPS, a reduction of roughly 30%. The jump to 4K further reduces the average to 159 FPS, another 40% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 5090 D's raw compute is being heavily taxed as pixel count increases.

However, the scaling pattern changes dramatically when you look at Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 175 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 121 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it bottoms out at 72 FPS. The percentage drops here are more moderate between 1080p and 1440p (about 31%), but the 4K Ultra figure represents a 41% drop from 1440p Ultra. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that scale non-linearly with resolution, likely related to shading complexity and post-processing loads.

The most revealing comparison comes from the Medium preset, which is the only one with complete min/max FPS data. At 4K Medium, the average is 125 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS. At 1440p Medium, those numbers jump to 209 average, 178 minimum, and 240 maximum. The 1080p Medium figures are 301 average, 256 minimum, and 346 maximum. The spread between minimum and maximum FPS grows proportionally with resolution, from about 90 FPS at 1080p to 37 FPS at 4K, indicating that frame time consistency improves as the GPU becomes more uniformly loaded.

The limiting component shifts clearly between resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is the primary driver, evidenced by the massive FPS ceiling of 383 at Low settings. By 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, as shown by the relatively compressed range between Low (159 FPS) and High (113 FPS) settings. The data indicates that 1440p is the sweet spot where both components contribute meaningfully, with the High preset delivering 190 FPS, a figure that balances visual fidelity with the GPU's capability.

GPU Role

The RTX 5090 D's specifications explain much of its behavior in Greedfall. The GPU features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This memory configuration is far beyond what Greedfall requires, even at 4K Ultra, which is why the game never appears to hit a memory capacity wall in the measured data. The texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s are the specifications that directly influence the resolution scaling observed.

Clock speeds are notable: the base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost of 2407 MHz. The boost behavior is what allows the card to sustain high FPS across all settings. At 4K Medium, the card produces 125 FPS average, and the fact that it can push to 143 FPS maximum suggests the boost clock is stable under sustained load. The 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance is the raw compute figure that drives the Ultra preset's demands.

The GPU's percentile rank of 92 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712, places it in the top tier. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (deltaPct -1.6) and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (deltaPct -2.4), both of which are slightly behind. This context matters because it shows the 5090 D is not just fast in synthetic tests but also translates that performance into real-world Greedfall results. The 4K Ultra average of 72 FPS is strong for a demanding preset, and the 1080p Low figure of 383 FPS demonstrates that the GPU is rarely the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF brings 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 24 MB of shared L3 cache, which is directly relevant for gaming workloads that benefit from fast data reuse. The CPU's percentile rank is 90 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 with a deltaPct of 0.3, meaning the two are effectively tied in synthetic benchmarks.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role is most visible at 1080p. The jump from Low (383 FPS) to Medium (301 FPS) to High (273 FPS) shows that the CPU can feed the GPU at extremely high frame rates. The fact that 1080p Ultra still achieves 175 FPS indicates that the CPU is not bottlenecking even with the most demanding settings. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz is clearly sustaining high single-thread performance, which Greedfall relies on for game logic and draw call processing.

The multi-core benchmarks provide context for why the 14600KF performs well here. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and single-core score of 4594 show strong balanced performance. The PassMark multi-thread score of 38697 and single-thread score of 4273 reinforce this. The data suggests that the CPU's 14 cores are sufficient for Greedfall's threading model, and the high boost clock ensures that the primary thread never becomes a limiting factor. At 4K, where the GPU is the clear bottleneck, the CPU still has headroom, as evidenced by the 4K Low average of 159 FPS not being constrained by CPU limits.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset delivers 175 FPS average, which is far above the threshold for smooth gameplay. However, the Medium preset offers 301 FPS average with a minimum of 256 FPS, which is a massive margin for high-refresh-rate displays. If you have a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor at 1080p, the Ultra preset is the better choice because it still exceeds the refresh rate while providing maximum visual quality.

At 1440p, the High preset achieves 190 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 121 FPS. For a 144Hz display, the High preset gives you a comfortable buffer above the refresh rate, and the visual difference between High and Ultra in Greedfall is typically less pronounced than the FPS gap suggests. The Medium preset at 209 FPS is unnecessary unless you have a 240Hz display, in which case the 209 average and 178 minimum would still occasionally drop below that threshold.

At 4K, the decision becomes more nuanced. The High preset delivers 113 FPS average, which is excellent for 4K gaming on a 120Hz display. The Ultra preset drops to 72 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset at 125 FPS is the best balance if you have a 120Hz or 144Hz 4K display, as it stays above 106 FPS minimum. For maximum visual fidelity, the Ultra preset at 72 FPS is acceptable for a single-player Action RPG, but the data suggests that High at 4K is the sweet spot for most players, offering 113 FPS with a significant portion of the Ultra visual benefits.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Greedfall at 4K with the Ultra preset?*

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average of 72 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is playable, though it does not provide as much headroom as the High preset, which averages 113 FPS at the same resolution.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p 144Hz monitor?

A: The High preset is the recommended choice, delivering 190 FPS average at 2560x1440. This exceeds the 144Hz refresh rate with a comfortable margin. The Ultra preset at 121 FPS would also work but leaves less headroom.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the CPU is the primary driver at 1080p, as shown by the 383 FPS average at Low settings. The GPU has ample headroom at this resolution, and the CPU's boost clock of 5.30 GHz is what enables such high frame rates.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712, which is 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and 2.4% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB. Its percentile rank is 92 among all GPUs.

*Q: Does the 32 GB of VRAM make a difference in Greedfall?*

A: The 32 GB GDDR7 memory is far more than Greedfall requires. The measured FPS data shows no signs of memory capacity limitations at any resolution or settings preset, indicating that the GPU's compute performance, not VRAM capacity, is the determining factor.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K with the Medium preset?

A: The 4K Medium preset averages 125 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS. This makes it the best choice for 4K displays with a 120Hz refresh rate, as the minimum FPS stays above 100.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 383 FPS average
• Medium: 301 FPS average, 256 FPS minimum, 346 FPS maximum
• High: 273 FPS average
• Ultra: 175 FPS average

At 1080p, all settings produce frame rates well above display refresh rates, making the Ultra preset the clear choice for visual quality. The jump from Low to Medium costs 82 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs 98 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset has the most significant performance penalty.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 266 FPS average
• Medium: 209 FPS average, 178 FPS minimum, 240 FPS maximum
• High: 190 FPS average
• Ultra: 121 FPS average

The 1440p results show a more balanced distribution. The High preset at 190 FPS is ideal for 144Hz displays, while the Ultra preset at 121 FPS is suitable for 120Hz displays. The Medium preset's minimum of 178 FPS ensures no drops below 144Hz.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 159 FPS average
• Medium: 125 FPS average, 106 FPS minimum, 143 FPS maximum
• High: 113 FPS average
• Ultra: 72 FPS average

At 4K, the data shows the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck. The High preset at 113 FPS is the recommended balance, while the Ultra preset at 72 FPS offers the maximum visual quality at the cost of frame rate. The Low preset at 159 FPS is surprisingly playable, indicating that the GPU still has substantial headroom at 4K when settings are reduced.

The overall combo rank in Greedfall is 2 out of 3703 tested combinations, placing this CPU/GPU pairing near the very top of the database. This ranking, combined with the measured FPS data, confirms that the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is an exceptional pairing for this title across all resolutions.