Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study in system scaling when paired with the Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily capable at high resolutions, yet the performance curve across settings offers specific insights into where the bottlenecks lie. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to interpret the behavior of this specific CPU and GPU combination.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the pattern is not uniform across all quality presets. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 290 FPS at 1920x1080 to 120 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of approximately 58.6%. This steep decline indicates that even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the resolution increase places a massive load on the rendering pipeline, which is expected for a high-end GPU like the RX 7900 XTX.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K tells a more nuanced story. At Medium settings, the drop is from 158 FPS to 94 FPS, a 40.5% decrease. At High settings, the decline is from 143 FPS to 85 FPS, a 40.6% reduction. This consistent percentage drop across these two settings suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor in this range, as the workload scales predictably with pixel count. The data shows that the RX 7900 XTX is being pushed harder as resolution increases, and the frame rate responds accordingly.

However, the Ultra preset reveals a different dynamic. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 132 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it plummets to 55 FPS, a 58.3% reduction. This is a much steeper drop than what is seen at High or Medium settings. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces additional computational complexity that disproportionately affects higher resolutions, likely taxing the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth more severely. The 55 FPS average at 4K Ultra indicates that this setting pushes the combination to its limits, making it less viable for smooth gameplay at that resolution.

The overall trend shows that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at 4K, while the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 290 FPS figure is exceptionally high, suggesting that the Core i7-14700F is capable of feeding the GPU frames at a very rapid rate. As resolution drops, the GPU has less work per frame, and the CPU’s ability to prepare draw calls becomes more critical, but the data indicates the CPU handles this well.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the centerpiece of this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the measured results. With 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, the GPU has a massive memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This is a critical factor for Greedfall at 4K, as high-resolution textures and complex scenes require rapid data transfer. The fact that the GPU maintains a 94 FPS average at 4K Medium suggests that the memory subsystem is not being saturated, allowing for smooth performance.

The GPU’s clock speeds are also relevant. The base clock is 1929 MHz, with a game clock of 2365 MHz and a boost clock of 2498 MHz. These relatively high clocks, combined with the 6144 shading units, contribute to the raw compute throughput of 61.39 TFLOPS. This raw power is what allows the system to hit 207 FPS at 1080p High, a figure that is far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. The data shows that the GPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p, as the frame rates are exceptionally high.

However, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions and settings. The 55 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a clear sign of the GPU being fully utilized, if not overburdened. The 80 FPS minimum at 4K Medium, compared to the 108 FPS maximum, shows a variance that is typical of a GPU working hard to maintain frame pacing. The GPU's 64th percentile ranking among all GPUs, while seemingly low for a flagship, is based on a broad synthetic benchmark suite and does not reflect its specific gaming performance in this title, where it excels.

The VRAM capacity is also a key factor. With 24 GB, the RX 7900 XTX is unlikely to run out of memory, even at 4K Ultra. This is a significant advantage, as memory limitations can cause stuttering and frame drops. The data shows no such issues, with the minimum FPS at 4K Medium (80) being reasonably close to the average (94), indicating stable memory performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 143 FPS, indicating a very smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Is the Core i7-14700F a bottleneck for the RX 7900 XTX in Greedfall?

A: The data suggests it is not a significant bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 290 FPS, showing the CPU can deliver frames at a very high rate. The CPU’s 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample processing power for game logic and draw calls.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of FPS at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 85 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 55 FPS. This is a 35.3% reduction in performance, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a significantly higher load on the GPU.

Q: What is the performance range at 1080p Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 Medium is 228 FPS, with a minimum of 193 FPS and a maximum of 262 FPS. This shows a stable frame rate with minimal variance.

Q: Does the GPU’s 24 GB of VRAM provide an advantage in this game?

A: Yes. The large VRAM pool ensures that the GPU does not run out of memory at any resolution or setting, which helps maintain consistent frame times, as evidenced by the relatively tight minimum and maximum FPS values at 4K Medium.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average FPS is 55, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the most demanding configuration tested and represents the limiting case for this hardware.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance is achieved with the High preset. At 1440p High, the system produces 143 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high refresh rate displays. At 4K High, the average drops to 85 FPS, which is still very playable and provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings.

The Medium preset offers a more conservative approach. At 4K Medium, the system averages 94 FPS, which is a 10.6% increase over High. This is a viable option for players who prioritize frame rate over graphical detail. The 80 FPS minimum at 4K Medium ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate remains above 60 FPS.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for 4K gameplay, as the 55 FPS average is below the ideal smoothness threshold. However, at 1440p Ultra, the system averages 91 FPS, which is a good option for players with 1440p monitors who want the highest visual quality. At 1080p, all presets are playable, with even Ultra hitting 132 FPS.

For the best overall experience, the High preset at 1440p is the sweet spot. It delivers a high frame rate with excellent visual quality. For 4K users, High is the preferred choice, as it maintains an average above 60 FPS. The Low preset, while achieving 120 FPS at 4K, sacrifices too much visual detail to be a practical recommendation for a system with this level of hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset yields an average of 290 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the dataset. Medium settings produce 228 FPS, with a minimum of 193 FPS and a maximum of 262 FPS, indicating a very stable performance. High settings average 207 FPS, while Ultra drops to 132 FPS. These figures show that at 1080p, the GPU is rarely stressed, and the CPU’s performance is more than sufficient to maintain high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings average 201 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. Medium settings produce 158 FPS, with a minimum of 134 FPS and a maximum of 181 FPS. High settings average 143 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 91 FPS. The consistency between the Medium and High presets at 1440p suggests that the GPU is handling the increased resolution well, with a predictable performance hit.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings average 120 FPS, which is still a very playable frame rate. Medium settings produce 94 FPS, with a minimum of 80 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS. High settings average 85 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 55 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at 4K is smaller than at lower resolutions, indicating that the GPU is becoming saturated. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the least viable for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, provides a robust foundation for gaming. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958, indicates strong processing capabilities. In Greedfall, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, which are tasks that benefit from high single-thread performance and multiple cores.

The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution tested. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 290 FPS, which confirms the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU with data quickly. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily loaded, the CPU still has enough headroom to maintain a 55 FPS average. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.40 GHz is particularly effective for this game, as Greedfall likely benefits from high clock speeds in single-threaded operations.

The CPU’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache is also a benefit, as it allows for quick access to frequently used data. The processor’s 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs, and its proximity to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (which it outperforms by 0.6% in average benchmark score), confirms that it is a high-end part that will not hold back the RX 7900 XTX. The measured FPS data supports this, showing that the combination is well-balanced, with the GPU being the primary determinant of performance at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX combination ranks 562nd out of 3703 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the top 15.2% of all configurations tested, which is a strong result given the large pool of hardware combinations. While the rank might seem modest for a high-end setup, it reflects the fact that many other combinations may include more specialized or higher-end components that perform better in this specific title.

The ranking is influenced by the performance at higher resolutions, where the GPU is the limiting factor. The 55 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a weak point for the combo, as many other configurations may achieve higher frame rates in this scenario. However, the excellent performance at 1080p and 1440p, where the combo excels, likely offsets this. The rank of 562 suggests that there are 561 other hardware combinations that deliver better overall performance in Greedfall, but this does not diminish the fact that this particular setup is highly capable and provides a premium gaming experience at most settings and resolutions.

The GPU’s 64th percentile ranking in the general benchmark database is not indicative of its performance in this game. The RX 7900 XTX is a powerful card, and its measured FPS in Greedfall is very high. The combo’s overall rank is a function of the specific game’s demands, and in this case, the combination proves to be a strong contender, particularly for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p.