Greedfall

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. In Greedfall, this CPU configuration demonstrates a clear relationship with performance at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 238 FPS, which is the highest average recorded across all tested configurations. This high frame rate at a resolution where the GPU is not typically the bottleneck indicates that the i5-9400 provides sufficient processing power to drive the game’s logic and physics without becoming a limiting factor at lower graphical loads. The processor’s 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s provide adequate bandwidth for the game’s open-world environments and NPC interactions, which are typical of the Action RPG genre.

The CPU’s benchmark scores further contextualize its standing. In Cinebench R23, the i5-9400 scores 6629 points in multi-core and 935 points in single-core tests. These scores place the processor at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms roughly half of the tested processors in general compute tasks. In the context of Greedfall, the single-core performance is particularly relevant, as the game’s primary simulation thread often relies on single-threaded efficiency. The 935-point single-core score in Cinebench R23 is modest compared to modern high-end chips, but the measured FPS data shows that it does not create a severe bottleneck, as the 1080p Low setting still produces a very playable 238 FPS. The data suggests that while the CPU is not a top-tier performer, its 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient for the game’s demands, especially when paired with a powerful GPU like the RTX 3080.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for Greedfall provides a clear hierarchy of performance across the four available presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. Across all three tested resolutions, the Low preset delivers the highest average frame rates, while the Ultra preset delivers the lowest. For players prioritizing smoothness and responsiveness, the Low preset is the definitive choice, as it yields a minimum of 98 FPS even at 4K resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset produces an exceptionally high average of 238 FPS, which is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset offers a substantial visual upgrade over Low while still maintaining high frame rates; at 1080p, it averages 187 FPS with a minimum of 159 FPS, ensuring consistent performance without significant dips.

The High preset represents the best balance between visual fidelity and performance for most users. At 1080p, the High preset averages 170 FPS, which is only 17 FPS lower than Medium but provides noticeably better textures and shading. At 1440p, the High preset maintains an average of 118 FPS, which is well within the range for smooth gameplay on standard 144Hz displays. The Ultra preset, while visually the most impressive, incurs a significant performance penalty. At 1080p, Ultra averages 108 FPS, which is a 62 FPS drop from High, and at 4K, Ultra drops to 45 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on many displays. Based on the measured data, the High preset at 1440p offers the best overall experience, delivering 118 FPS, which balances the visual enhancements of the game’s environments with a frame rate that remains fluid. For users with 4K displays, the Medium preset at 4K, averaging 77 FPS with a minimum of 66 FPS, is the recommended choice, as it provides a playable experience without the severe drop seen in Ultra.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of how performance scales with resolution, which indicates the primary limiting component in this combo. Moving from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at High settings drops from 170 to 118, a reduction of 52 FPS, or approximately 30%. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average FPS at High settings drops from 118 to 70, a reduction of 48 FPS, or approximately 41%. This progressive decline in performance as resolution increases is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 3080, with its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth, is being tasked with rendering an increasing number of pixels, which directly impacts its output.

The data also shows that the CPU’s influence diminishes as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 130 FPS (238 vs. 108), which suggests that the CPU can still keep up with the GPU’s demands at lower resolutions. However, at 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra narrows to 53 FPS (98 vs. 45), indicating that the GPU’s rendering capabilities are the dominant factor. The low-resolution results, particularly the 238 FPS at 1080p Low, demonstrate that the i5-9400 is not a bottleneck in this scenario, as the frame rate is high enough to saturate most displays. The scaling pattern strongly suggests that the RTX 3080 is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K, where the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth become the primary constraints. The 4K Ultra setting, at 45 FPS, is particularly telling, as it shows the GPU struggling to maintain a playable frame rate under maximum load, regardless of the CPU’s capabilities.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this CPU and GPU combo in Greedfall?

A: The maximum average FPS recorded is 238, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of performance at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 75 FPS, which is 43 FPS lower than the High preset’s average of 118 FPS. This represents a significant performance drop for the visual upgrade.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The average FPS at 4K High is 70, and at Ultra it drops to 45, showing a steep decline that aligns with the GPU’s rendering load, while the CPU’s influence is reduced at this resolution.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for any configuration?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 66, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Medium settings preset. This is the only configuration with a reported minimum below 100 FPS.

Q: How does the combo’s performance at 1080p Low compare to 4K Ultra?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 238, while at 4K Ultra, it is 45. This represents a 193 FPS difference, or roughly 81% lower performance at the higher resolution and settings.

Q: Does the game run smoothly at 4K with High settings?

A: Yes, the average FPS at 4K High is 70, which is above the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth for most displays. This suggests a playable experience, though not as fluid as lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the dominant component in this combo, and its specifications directly correlate with the measured FPS results in Greedfall. The GPU features 8704 shading units and 272 texture mapping units, operating at a boost clock of 1710 MHz. This configuration provides a texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s, which are critical for rendering the game’s detailed environments and character models. The 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus provides 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is essential for handling high-resolution textures without stuttering. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 29.77 TFLOPS indicates a high compute capacity, which is leveraged for the game’s lighting and shadow calculations.

The benchmark results for the RTX 3080 place it at the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and AMD Radeon R9 M290X, have average scores of 23273 and 23276, respectively, with deltaPct values of -0.4%, indicating the RTX 3080 is slightly behind these competitors in synthetic benchmarks. However, in Greedfall, the GPU’s real-world performance is more telling. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is capable of delivering high frame rates at 1440p and 4K, but it struggles at the Ultra preset, particularly at 4K where it averages 45 FPS. This suggests that the game’s Ultra preset imposes a heavy load that pushes the GPU to its limits, likely due to demanding effects like ambient occlusion and volumetric lighting. The GPU’s 320W TDP and 700W suggested PSU requirement indicate it is a high-power component, and its 285 mm length and dual-slot design are factors for case compatibility.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 238 FPS. The Medium preset averages 187 FPS, with a minimum of 159 FPS and a maximum of 215 FPS. The High preset averages 170 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 108 FPS. This shows a clear downward trend as settings increase, with a 130 FPS difference between Low and Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 165 FPS. The Medium preset averages 130 FPS, with a minimum of 110 FPS and a maximum of 149 FPS. The High preset averages 118 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 75 FPS. The performance drop from Low to Ultra is 90 FPS, which is less severe than at 1080p but still significant.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 98 FPS. The Medium preset averages 77 FPS, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 89 FPS. The High preset averages 70 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 45 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 53 FPS, which is the smallest gap across all resolutions. The data also shows that the Medium preset has the only reported minimum and maximum values for each resolution, indicating that this setting may experience more variance in frame times. Overall, the performance scales predictably, with 1080p providing the highest frame rates and 4K providing the lowest, and with higher settings consistently reducing performance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, the combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 achieves a combo rank of 1064 out of 3703 tested combos in Greedfall. This places the combo in the top 29% of all tested configurations, indicating that it performs above average for this game. The rank is a composite measure that takes into account the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, weighted by the overall performance. Given the strengths and weaknesses of the components, this ranking is expected. The RTX 3080 provides strong GPU performance, as evidenced by its ability to maintain high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, while the i5-9400, despite its modest CPU benchmarks, does not significantly bottleneck the system until lower resolutions.

The ranking of 1064 out of 3703 suggests that there are many combos that outperform this pairing in Greedfall, likely including those with newer, higher-core-count CPUs. However, the combo still beats a majority of the field, which includes systems with less capable GPUs. The data indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of this ranking, as its performance at higher resolutions is strong, while the CPU’s contribution is more limited. The combo’s rank relative to its component percentiles (47th for CPU, 68th for GPU) suggests that the GPU’s higher percentile is the main reason for the above-average combo rank. For users with this exact setup, the measured data shows that it is well-suited for 1440p gaming at High settings, and it can handle 4K at Medium settings, which aligns with its mid-to-high ranking. The 1064 rank out of 3703 is a solid position, indicating that this combo is a capable system for Greedfall, though not at the top tier.