Greedfall

Greedfall on the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 combo presents a clear picture of scaling behavior across resolutions. The measured data shows a steady progression from 4K down to 1080p, with the most significant jumps occurring when moving from 2160p to 1440p. This pattern suggests that the system’s performance ceiling shifts depending on the resolution, with the GPU becoming the primary constraint at higher pixel counts and the CPU taking on a more prominent role as resolution drops.

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

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 92 FPS at 1920x1080 to 64 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 38 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 58.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The pattern repeats at Low settings: 130 FPS at 1080p drops to 90 FPS at 1440p and then to 54 FPS at 4K. Medium settings show a similar trend, moving from 102 FPS at 1080p, to 71 FPS at 1440p, and finally 42 FPS at 4K.

The scaling between 1440p and 4K is more severe than between 1080p and 1440p. Taking High settings as an example, the drop from 1440p to 4K is 26 FPS (64 to 38), while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28 FPS (92 to 64). In percentage terms, 1440p to 4K loses 40.6% of performance, while 1080p to 1440p loses 30.4%. This non-linear degradation points to the GPU being the dominant limiting factor at 4K. The Arc B570’s 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely being saturated by the higher pixel count, though the data does not directly confirm memory pressure.

At 1080p, the FPS figures are high enough that the CPU’s six cores and six threads could become a potential constraint, especially in scenes with many NPCs or combat effects. The i5-9400 has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost of 4.10 GHz, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 is modest by modern standards. However, the measured frame rates at 1080p (ranging from 59 to 130 FPS depending on settings) suggest that the CPU is still able to feed the GPU adequately in most scenarios. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 71 FPS (130 to 59), which is larger than the 36 FPS gap at 4K (54 to 24), indicating that at lower resolutions, the GPU has more headroom to respond to settings changes, while at 4K, the GPU is already near its limit.

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

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process. It lacks hyper-threading, which is a significant detail for a game like Greedfall, an Action RPG that may not be heavily multithreaded but could still benefit from additional threads. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.10 GHz provides reasonable single-core performance, as reflected in its Cinebench R20 single-core score of 392. For gaming, single-core performance often matters more than raw multi-core throughput, and the i5-9400’s scores are competitive with its nearest rivals.

The data shows that the CPU’s influence on FPS is most apparent when comparing Low settings across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 130 FPS, while at 1440p Low it drops to 90 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls to 54 FPS. The fact that Low settings at 1080p can reach 130 FPS suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at that resolution, as the GPU is still able to render frames quickly. However, the gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 71 FPS, which indicates that the GPU is scaling well with settings changes, implying that the CPU is not holding it back significantly.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-9400 sits in a tight performance band. Its average benchmark score of 2254 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, deltaPct -0.2%) and the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264, deltaPct -0.4%). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, deltaPct 0.3%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, deltaPct 0.4%). These deltaPct values are all within 0.4% of each other, meaning the i5-9400’s CPU performance is effectively indistinguishable from its closest competitors in synthetic benchmarks. In Greedfall, this suggests that the CPU is unlikely to be the deciding factor in FPS differences between systems with similar-class processors.

The CPU’s 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth) are typical for its generation. The lack of hyper-threading may become a limitation in CPU-intensive scenes, but the measured FPS data does not show any obvious signs of CPU bottlenecking, as even at 1080p Ultra, the system maintains 59 FPS. The percentile rank of 47 for all CPUs places it in the middle of the pack, reinforcing that it is a capable but not exceptional gaming processor.

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

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) using a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz, and it has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. Its FP32 performance is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6.

The GPU’s role in Greedfall is clearly dominant at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the system only manages 24 FPS, which is barely playable and indicates that the GPU is severely strained. The drop from 4K Medium (42 FPS) to 4K Ultra (24 FPS) is a 42.9% reduction, showing that Ultra settings impose a heavy load. At 1440p, the same settings change results in a drop from 71 FPS to 41 FPS (a 42.3% reduction), while at 1080p, the drop is from 102 FPS to 59 FPS (a 42.2% reduction). This consistent percentage reduction across resolutions suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the relative cost of Ultra settings is similar regardless of pixel count.

The GPU’s 10 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for Greedfall at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K with high texture quality, memory capacity could become a concern, though the data does not explicitly measure VRAM usage. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s is substantial and should help maintain fill rates at higher resolutions. The Arc B570’s performance percentile of 65 for all GPUs places it above the median, and its average benchmark score of 20556 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, deltaPct 0.1%) and the Intel Arc A750 (20582, deltaPct -0.1%). This means the B570’s raw compute performance is on par with those GPUs, but its gaming performance in Greedfall depends on driver optimization and game-specific factors.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 achieves a rank of 2344 out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the 20th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 80% of other combinations perform better in this game. This ranking is relatively low, which could be attributed to the CPU’s mid-range standing (47th percentile) and the GPU’s upper-mid-range standing (65th percentile) not aligning perfectly for this title.

The rank suggests that while each component is individually competitive with its nearest rivals, the pairing does not excel in Greedfall specifically. The CPU’s six-core, six-thread configuration may limit performance in scenes that benefit from additional threads, even if the GPU is capable. The GPU’s performance, while similar to the Arc A750, may not be fully utilized due to driver or game engine quirks. The fact that the combo rank (2344) is lower than either component’s individual percentile (CPU 47, GPU 65) indicates that the combination underperforms relative to what the parts might suggest on paper.

Compared to the nearest rival combos, the i5-9400’s CPU performance is nearly identical to the i7-1068NG7 and i3-10305, so any FPS differences in Greedfall are likely more dependent on GPU choice. The Arc B570’s performance is also very close to the RTX 3070 Mobile and Arc A750, meaning that swapping the CPU or GPU for a similar-tier alternative would probably not dramatically change the combo’s ranking unless the other component is significantly better.

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

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings achieve 130 FPS, Medium settings achieve 102 FPS (with a min of 87 and max of 117), High settings achieve 92 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 59 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 71 FPS, indicating a wide range of performance depending on visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low settings at 90 FPS, Medium at 71 FPS (min 60, max 81), High at 64 FPS, and Ultra at 41 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 49 FPS, showing that the GPU’s workload increases more uniformly across settings at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low settings at 54 FPS, Medium at 42 FPS (min 36, max 48), High at 38 FPS, and Ultra at 24 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap shrinks further to 30 FPS, and the absolute values become marginal for smooth gameplay, with only Low settings achieving above 50 FPS.

The Medium settings at each resolution provide the only rows with min and max FPS data. At 1080p, the min is 87 and max is 117, indicating some frame time variance. At 1440p, the min is 60 and max is 81, showing a tighter range. At 4K, the min is 36 and max is 48, which is narrow but at a low absolute level. This suggests that Medium settings offer relatively stable performance, whereas High and Ultra settings may have more variance, though no min/max data is available for those rows.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset appears to be the most balanced choice across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 102 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay, and it provides a 10 FPS improvement over High (92 FPS) while being only 28 FPS below Low (130 FPS). At 1440p, Medium achieves 71 FPS, which is still playable and offers a 7 FPS advantage over High (64 FPS). At 4K, Medium manages 42 FPS, which is borderline but better than High’s 38 FPS and significantly better than Ultra’s 24 FPS.

For users targeting 1080p, Low settings at 130 FPS would be ideal for high-refresh-rate displays, but Medium offers a good compromise between visual quality and performance. At 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset, as it maintains 71 FPS while High drops to 64 FPS and Ultra falls to 41 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings (54 FPS) approach playable territory, and Medium (42 FPS) may be acceptable for less demanding players, but High and Ultra are not recommended due to sub-40 FPS averages.

The data shows that Ultra settings provide a significant visual upgrade but at a steep performance cost, with a 42% reduction in FPS compared to Medium across all resolutions. Given the measured performance, Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, offering the best balance of frame rate and visual fidelity without the large drop seen at High and Ultra.

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

Q: What is the best resolution to play Greedfall with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates across all settings, with Low reaching 130 FPS and Medium achieving 102 FPS. At 1440p, Medium drops to 71 FPS, which is still playable, but 4K only reaches 42 FPS on Medium, making 1080p the most comfortable resolution for consistent performance.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its closest CPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, deltaPct -0.2%) and the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264, deltaPct -0.4%). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, deltaPct 0.3%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, deltaPct 0.4%), with all deltas within 0.4%.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded for this combo in Greedfall?

A: The lowest average FPS is 24 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The minimum FPS recorded in any row is 36, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B570 more similar to the RTX 3070 Mobile or the Arc A750?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.1% lower than the Arc A750 (20582). In terms of raw benchmark performance, it sits almost exactly between the two, with deltaPct values of 0.1% and -0.1% respectively.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The FPS drops from 54 at Low to 24 at Ultra, a 55.6% reduction, while the CPU’s six-core configuration does not show signs of bottlenecking since even Low settings only reach 54 FPS, suggesting the GPU is already at its limit.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2344 out of 2938 tested combinations in Greedfall, placing it in the lower 20% of all tested systems. This is lower than the individual component percentiles (CPU at 47, GPU at 65), indicating the pairing underperforms relative to expectations.