Greedfall

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 combination delivers a playable but demanding experience in Greedfall, with performance that scales predictably across resolutions. The data shows the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, while the CPU becomes more relevant at 1080p. This pairing ranks in the 34th percentile of tested combos, indicating a mid-tier result for this Action RPG.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic resolution scaling curve. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo produces 71.5 FPS on average. Moving to 1440p drops this to 50.1 FPS, a reduction of roughly 30%. At 4K Ultra, the average falls to 29.5 FPS, which is a 59% decline from the 1080p figure. This steep drop indicates that the Radeon RX 7600’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are overwhelmed by the pixel count at 4K.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings, but the magnitude varies. For Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 4K is from 155 FPS to 64 FPS—a 59% reduction—while High settings see a similar 58% decline from 109.3 FPS to 46 FPS. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical across presets suggests the limiting factor is raw GPU throughput rather than a specific setting. The 4K results, ranging from 29.5 FPS at Ultra to 64 FPS at Low, show that even the lowest preset struggles to maintain 60 FPS at this resolution.

The data indicates that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this hardware. At Medium settings, 1440p delivers 86.5 FPS, which is smooth, while High settings at 76.5 FPS remain playable. The 1080p results are uniformly strong, with even Ultra settings hitting 71.5 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less punishing than the jump to 4K, suggesting that the RX 7600’s compute resources (21.75 TFLOPS FP32) are sufficient for lower resolutions but hit a memory bandwidth wall at 2160p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake architecture with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its 9 MB L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 support position it as a solid mid-range CPU. In Greedfall, the CPU’s role is evident at 1080p Low, where the combo reaches 155 FPS. This figure is high enough that the CPU’s single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1125) becomes the limiting factor, not the GPU.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals shows tight competition. The Intel Core i3-10305 has an average benchmark score of 2300, just 0.2% behind the i5-9400’s 2305 average. Similarly, the Intel Core i3-1125G4 scores 2299, also 0.2% behind. The Intel Xeon E-2134 is 0.4% behind at 2295. The only rival ahead is the Intel Core i7-8809G at 2319, which is 0.6% faster. This clustering means that for CPU-bound scenarios, the i5-9400 performs at par with these alternatives.

In practical terms, the CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient for Greedfall’s demands. The 1080p Medium result of 120.7 FPS versus the 1080p High result of 109.3 FPS shows only a 9% difference, indicating that the game’s CPU load does not spike dramatically with settings changes. The 4K results, where the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, show almost no CPU influence—the difference between 4K Low (64 FPS) and 4K High (46 FPS) is purely GPU-driven. The CPU’s 50th percentile ranking across all CPUs suggests it is a median performer, which aligns with the combo’s overall mid-tier placement.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the dominant component in this pairing. With a boost clock of 2655 MHz, a game clock of 2250 MHz, and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivering 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, it is designed for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs provide ample pixel throughput, reflected in a pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s. The GPU’s 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs shows it is above average, but Greedfall’s 4K Ultra result of 29.5 FPS demonstrates its limits.

The GPU’s VRAM capacity is a critical factor. At 4K, the 8 GB frame buffer is likely saturated, causing the steep performance drop. The 4K Medium result of 51.3 FPS versus the 4K High result of 46 FPS shows a 10% difference, while the jump from Medium to Ultra at 4K drops to 29.5 FPS—a 43% reduction. This nonlinear scaling points to memory pressure. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which scores 0.6% higher on average, and the AMD Radeon RX 460, which scores 0.8% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 1.3% lower, and the Intel Arc B570 is 1.5% lower. These close margins indicate that the RX 7600 sits in a tightly contested performance band.

The GPU’s 165 W TDP and PCIe 4.0 x8 interface are adequate for this workload. The texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s and FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS explain why 1080p results are so strong—the GPU has raw compute headroom at that resolution. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting component at 1440p and above, with the 1440p Ultra result of 50.1 FPS being the lowest non-4K figure.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, the High preset offers the best balance, delivering 109.3 FPS. This is 10% below the Low preset’s 155 FPS but provides significantly better visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 120.7 FPS is also viable, but High’s 109.3 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold. For 1080p, choosing Ultra at 71.5 FPS is acceptable for those prioritizing visuals, but the 35% drop from High to Ultra suggests diminishing returns.

At 1440p, the High preset at 76.5 FPS is the recommended choice. It maintains a smooth frame rate while offering better quality than Medium’s 86.5 FPS or Low’s 108.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 50.1 FPS is playable but dips below the 60 FPS ideal, so High is the sweeter spot. For 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS—the best is Low at 64 FPS, which is barely playable. The Medium preset at 51.3 FPS is a compromise, but the data suggests that 4K is not a viable target for this combo beyond Low settings.

The data indicates that the Medium preset is the most consistent across resolutions. It delivers 120.7 FPS at 1080p, 86.5 FPS at 1440p, and 51.3 FPS at 4K. This consistency makes Medium a safe default, but for the best experience, High at 1080p or 1440p provides the optimal balance of quality and performance. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, forces the GPU into territory where frame rates drop precipitously.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Greedfall at 60 FPS on 4K?

A: No. The best 4K result is 64 FPS at Low settings, but Medium drops to 51.3 FPS and High to 46 FPS. Only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS at 2160p.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RX 7600?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo hits 155 FPS, suggesting CPU limits. However, at higher settings and resolutions, the GPU dominates. The CPU’s benchmark scores are within 0.6% of its nearest rivals, indicating balanced mid-range performance.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware?

A: 1440p High at 76.5 FPS is the best balance. 1080p offers higher frame rates, but 1440p provides more detail without sacrificing playability. 4K is not recommended except for Low settings.

Q: How does the RX 7600 compare to the RX 7600 XT?

A: The RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score 0.6% higher than the RX 7600. In practical terms, this margin is negligible, so performance in Greedfall would be nearly identical.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM matter at 1440p?

A: The 1440p Ultra result of 50.1 FPS versus the High result of 76.5 FPS shows a 35% drop, which suggests VRAM capacity or bandwidth limits at higher settings. The 128-bit bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely strained at 1440p Ultra.

Q: What settings are best for a consistent 60 FPS?

A: At 1080p, any preset except Ultra achieves this. At 1440p, Low and Medium both exceed 60 FPS, while High does as well. At 4K, only Low reaches 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data covers four resolutions and four settings, providing a complete picture. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 155 FPS, Medium achieves 120.7 FPS, High hits 109.3 FPS, and Ultra settles at 71.5 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each settings tier costs about 10-15% performance, except the jump from High to Ultra, which costs 35%.

At 2560x1440, the results are 108.2 FPS (Low), 86.5 FPS (Medium), 76.5 FPS (High), and 50.1 FPS (Ultra). The Low-to-Medium drop is 20%, Medium-to-High is 12%, and High-to-Ultra is 35%. The Ultra penalty is consistent with the 1080p pattern, indicating a specific setting in the Ultra preset that heavily impacts performance.

At 3840x2160, the results are 64 FPS (Low), 51.3 FPS (Medium), 46 FPS (High), and 29.5 FPS (Ultra). The Low-to-Medium drop is 20%, Medium-to-High is 10%, and High-to-Ultra is 36%. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest in the entire dataset, showing that the combo is not suited for maximum settings at this resolution. Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset consistently costs roughly 35% performance compared to High, making it the least efficient setting tier.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1130 out of 1705 tested combinations in Greedfall, placing it in the 34th percentile. This means it outperforms about one-third of tested setups but falls behind the majority. The ranking reflects the mid-tier nature of both components: the CPU sits at the 50th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 63rd percentile.

The ranking is influenced by the GPU’s 4K weakness. Many combos with higher-ranked GPUs will achieve better 4K results, while the CPU’s average standing prevents it from climbing higher in CPU-bound scenarios. The data shows that at 1080p, this combo is competitive, with results like 109.3 FPS at High settings. However, the 1440p and 4K results drag the overall rank down.

The nearest GPU rivals, such as the RX 7600 XT and RX 460, have nearly identical benchmark scores, meaning the combo’s rank is largely determined by the CPU pairing. The i5-9400’s 6-core, 6-thread configuration is adequate but not exceptional, and its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 7969 places it in the middle of the pack. This combination of an average CPU and an above-average GPU results in a rank that is neither impressive nor disappointing—it is simply a functional mid-range gaming system.