Greedfall

Greedfall on the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT presents a clear study in component scaling under varying graphical loads. The dataset reveals a configuration that is heavily GPU-bound at high resolutions but exposes CPU limitations as the resolution drops. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, examining the role of the processor and graphics card in shaping the final frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 demonstrates a classic performance curve, with the most dramatic shifts occurring when the resolution increases and the pixel count quadruples. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 132.9 FPS at 1080p to 92 FPS at 1440p, a decline of 40.9 FPS. Moving further to 4K yields 56.8 FPS, representing a substantial 76.1 FPS loss compared to the 1080p result. This steep drop-off indicates that the RX 6700 XT's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint at 4K, where the GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are saturated by the sheer fill-rate demand.

The scaling pattern under Low settings reinforces this GPU-bound narrative. At 1080p, the combo achieves 184.3 FPS, which falls to 125.3 FPS at 1440p and then to 77.2 FPS at 4K. The relative performance loss from 1080p to 4K is 58.1%, which is slightly less severe than the 57.2% loss observed at High settings, but the absolute frame rates remain high enough to suggest that the processor is not the limiting factor until the resolution drops. The data shows that at 4K, the difference between Low (77.2 FPS) and High (56.8 FPS) settings is only 20.4 FPS, whereas at 1080p, the same settings gap is 51.4 FPS. This compression of performance at 4K highlights that the GPU's pixel throughput is the bottleneck, not the CPU's ability to feed it draw calls.

Ultra settings provide the clearest evidence of GPU saturation. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate collapses to 34.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The scaling from 1080p Ultra (83.2 FPS) to 4K Ultra (34.6 FPS) represents a 58.4% reduction, and the gap between Medium and Ultra at 4K (57.7 FPS vs. 34.6 FPS) indicates that the most demanding settings impose a heavy cost on the RX 6700 XT's 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs. The 4K results suggest that for a stable experience, users should target High settings, as the jump to Ultra incurs a 22.2 FPS penalty that pushes the frame rate below playable levels.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake generation, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark profile shows a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125, placing it at the 50th percentile among all CPUs. This mid-range positioning means it has enough single-thread performance to keep up with the GPU in less demanding scenarios but lacks the multi-threaded headroom to sustain extremely high frame rates in CPU-limited situations.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the 1080p Low settings result of 184.3 FPS. This figure is the highest in the entire dataset, and the fact that it does not exceed 200 FPS suggests the processor is beginning to cap performance. The difference between 1080p Low (184.3 FPS) and 1080p Medium (145.8 FPS) is 38.5 FPS, but the more telling comparison is between 1080p High (132.9 FPS) and 1440p High (92 FPS). The 40.9 FPS drop here is larger than the 13.9 FPS difference between 1440p Low (125.3 FPS) and 4K Low (77.2 FPS), indicating that the CPU is less of a factor as resolution climbs. The processor's 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s are sufficient for the game's logic, but the 6 threads limit parallel task handling.

The nearest rivals for the i5-9400 include the Intel Core i3-10305, which has an average benchmark score of 2300 versus 2305 for the i5, a delta of 0.2%. Similarly, the Intel Core i3-1125G4 scores 2299, also a 0.2% delta, and the Intel Xeon E-2134 scores 2295, a 0.4% delta. The only rival that scores higher is the Intel Core i7-8809G with 2319, a -0.6% delta. These narrow margins confirm that the i5-9400 sits in a performance tier where its gaming results are comparable to other mid-range parts, and in Greedfall, this translates to a consistent ability to deliver high frame rates at 1440p and above without becoming a severe bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What average frame rate does this combo achieve at 1440p High settings?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT produce an average of 92 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings.

Q: Is the system capable of running Greedfall at 4K Ultra settings smoothly?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the measured average frame rate is 34.6 FPS, which is below the typically desired 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 6700 XT compare to the NVIDIA RTX A5000 in average benchmark scores?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 33721, while the RTX A5000 has a score of 33294. The RX 6700 XT is 1.3% ahead based on the deltaPct value.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 184.3 FPS at 1920x1080 Low to 77.2 FPS at 3840x2160 Low, a reduction of 107.1 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the CPU becomes a limiting factor at 1080p Low settings, where the 184.3 FPS result is the highest in the dataset and does not scale further, indicating a processor ceiling.

Q: How does the i5-9400's multi-core score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The i5-9400 has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969, and its closest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, has an average benchmark score of 2300, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-9400's 2305 average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration delivers its highest performance across all settings. Low settings produce 184.3 FPS, which is the peak for the entire dataset. Medium settings follow at 145.8 FPS, High at 132.9 FPS, and Ultra at 83.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 101.1 FPS, showing a wide range of performance depending on visual fidelity. The 1080p results indicate that for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, Low or Medium settings are viable, while Ultra still maintains a playable frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates remain strong but show a clear step down. Low settings yield 125.3 FPS, Medium 99.4 FPS, High 92 FPS, and Ultra 56.9 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most pronounced at Low settings (59 FPS difference) and least at Ultra (26.3 FPS difference), which aligns with the GPU becoming more stressed at higher resolutions. The 1440p Ultra result of 56.9 FPS is just below the 60 FPS target, making High settings the recommended choice for a smoother experience.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve flattens considerably. Low settings produce 77.2 FPS, Medium 57.7 FPS, High 56.8 FPS, and Ultra 34.6 FPS. Notably, the difference between Medium and High at 4K is only 0.9 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is saturated and the settings have diminishing returns. The 4K Low result remains above 60 FPS, but any increase in quality quickly pushes the frame rate down. The Ultra setting at 4K is the only configuration that falls below 40 FPS, making it impractical for regular gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database for Greedfall, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT holds a rank of 912 out of 1705 tested combos. This places it in the 53rd percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the tested systems. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where the GPU's 77th percentile standing among all GPUs is moderated by the CPU's 50th percentile position. The combo's mid-pack rank is consistent with the measured frame rates, which are respectable but not top-tier, particularly at 4K where the GPU's limitations are exposed.

The RX 6700 XT's nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark data include the AMD Radeon RX 6800 with an average score of 33493, which is 0.7% lower than the 6700 XT's 33721. The AMD Radeon HD 7950 and RX 480 both score around 34050, placing them 1% higher, while the NVIDIA RTX A5000 scores 33294, 1.3% lower. These close margins indicate that the 6700 XT is a solid performer in its class, and within Greedfall, it delivers frame rates that are competitive with other mid-to-high-end GPUs. The combo's rank of 912 suggests that while the GPU is capable, the CPU prevents it from achieving higher placement in the rankings, as systems with more powerful processors would likely push the RX 6700 XT to higher frame rates in less GPU-bound scenarios.