Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, still presents a demanding workload at higher settings, and the combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is among the top-tier configurations for it. The measured data shows this pairing delivers extremely high frame rates across all tested resolutions, but the scaling between settings and resolutions reveals where the bottlenecks lie. This analysis breaks down the performance characteristics of this specific combo, focusing on how it handles resolution scaling, settings presets, and the distinct roles of the GPU and CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K shows a classic pattern of increasing GPU load, but the absolute numbers indicate that this combo has significant headroom. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 273 FPS on average. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset drops the average to 190 FPS, a reduction of about 30%. At 4K, the average further drops to 113 FPS. This scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings represents a total decrease of roughly 59% in average frame rate, which is substantial but leaves the game highly playable at all resolutions.

The data for the Medium preset tells a similar story, showing how the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor as pixel count increases. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 301, which is very high. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 209 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it falls to 125 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 31%, and the drop from 1440p to 4K is an additional 40%. This consistent scaling suggests that while the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, the RTX 5090 D's workload is scaling predictably with resolution.

The most telling data point for resolution scaling is the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves a massive 383 FPS average. At 1440p Low, it still manages 266 FPS, and at 4K Low, it produces 159 FPS. The fact that 4K Low (159 FPS) is still higher than 1080p Ultra (175 FPS) shows how much of a performance swing is available through settings. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low is a 58% drop, which is nearly identical to the scaling at High. This indicates that the performance curve is largely GPU-bound across these resolutions, even at lower settings where the CPU has more headroom.

The Ultra preset presents a different picture, as it imposes the heaviest load. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 175. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 121 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 72 FPS. The scaling here is steeper in percentage terms, with a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 40% drop from 1440p to 4K. This indicates that the Ultra preset is the most sensitive to resolution changes, and the 4K Ultra result of 72 FPS is the only point in the entire dataset where the frame rate dips below the 100 FPS mark. The data clearly shows that 4K Ultra is a demanding scenario for even this top-tier GPU, while lower presets provide a significant cushion.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance based on settings, and the choice of preset depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1080p, every preset is playable, but the differences are meaningful. The Low preset at 383 FPS is nearly double the Ultra preset at 175 FPS. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, Low is the clear choice. However, for a visually rich Action RPG like Greedfall, the High preset at 273 FPS offers a strong balance, providing a significant visual upgrade over Low while still delivering frame rates far beyond what most displays can show. Medium at 301 FPS also holds up well, but High is a better sweet spot.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. The High preset at 190 FPS is excellent and is arguably the best overall experience, as it provides high visual fidelity with a frame rate that is still well above 144Hz. The Medium preset at 209 FPS is also a great option, but the jump to High is worth the minor performance cost for the improved visuals. The Ultra preset at 121 FPS is still very smooth and is the choice for players who prioritize maximum image quality over raw frame rate. The Low preset at 266 FPS is excessive for most 1440p monitors and should only be used if the player is chasing extremely high refresh rates.

At 4K, the recommendations become more critical. The High preset at 113 FPS is the top pick, as it is the highest quality setting that maintains an average frame rate above 100 FPS. This is the optimal balance for 4K gaming. The Medium preset at 125 FPS is also viable and offers a small performance boost, but the visual difference between Medium and High in Greedfall is often noticeable. The Ultra preset at 72 FPS is playable but sits below the 100 FPS threshold, making it a less desirable choice for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate 4K panels. The Low preset at 159 FPS is an option for maximum fluidity, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that benefits from its art style.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this combo, and its specifications are directly reflected in the measured performance. It features a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This memory configuration is crucial for 4K gaming, as high-resolution textures and effects can quickly consume VRAM. While Greedfall is not a modern title that requires 32 GB, this capacity ensures that memory is never a bottleneck, even at 4K Ultra. The GPU's base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and it has 21760 shading units. The raw compute power, listed at 104.8 TFLOPS for FP32, is what allows the card to push such high frame rates at 4K.

The benchmark results for the GPU show its theoretical peak, but the in-game data reveals how it performs under a real workload. The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 92, indicating it is in the top tier of graphics cards. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which is 1.6% slower, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which is 2.4% slower. This places the RTX 5090 D at the top of the consumer heap, and the measured FPS data supports that. The GPU is clearly the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the 72 FPS result shows the card is working hard. At lower resolutions and settings, the GPU is often not the bottleneck, as the frame rates are so high that other components may be at play.

The data suggests that the RTX 5090 D is overkill for 1080p gaming, as the CPU is likely capping performance in some scenarios. However, at 4K, the GPU's strengths are fully utilized. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at High settings (190 to 113 FPS) shows a 40% performance drop, which is a direct result of the GPU having to render four times as many pixels. The 32 GB VRAM buffer is a future-proofing feature, but in this specific game, the core clock speed and shading unit count are more important for the observed frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific combo at the top of the charts. The comboRankInGame field shows a rank of 1 out of 2938 tested combinations. This is a definitive statement that no other CPU and GPU pairing in the database performs better in Greedfall. This is a significant achievement, given the large number of potential combinations. The rank is likely driven by the combination of the high-performing RTX 5090 D and the capable Core i7-14700F, which ensures the GPU is fed with data at all times.

This rank of 1 out of 2938 is not just about the GPU. It indicates that the entire system, including the CPU, is well-balanced for this game. While the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates, a weaker CPU could bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions, preventing it from reaching its full potential. The fact that this combo achieves 383 FPS at 1080p Low suggests the CPU is doing its part to keep up with the GPU's demands. The rank confirms the synergy between these two components, making it the definitive combo for players who want the absolute best performance in Greedfall, regardless of cost.

The implication of being ranked 1st is that there is no headroom for improvement within the tested data set. Any other combo will yield lower performance. This makes it the reference point for all other configurations. The large gap from the 2nd place combo is not quantified in the data, but the rank itself is the key takeaway. For a game that can be demanding at 4K Ultra, having the number one combo ensures that players can max out the game's settings while maintaining a playable frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F plays a crucial supporting role in this combo. It has 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This high boost clock is essential for gaming, as it provides the single-threaded performance that many game engines rely on. The CPU's cache configuration, with 33 MB of shared L3 cache, helps to keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958, indicating it can handle both multi-threaded workloads and single-threaded game logic with ease.

In games like Greedfall, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and physics, while the GPU renders the frame. The data shows that the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at lower resolutions. The jump from 1080p High (273 FPS) to 1080p Low (383 FPS) is a 40% increase, which suggests that at Low settings, the GPU is so fast that the CPU is starting to become a limiting factor. However, the high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that this limit is very high, allowing the combo to achieve frame rates that are well above the refresh rates of most monitors. The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs is 91, placing it in the top tier of processors.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, which is 0.6% faster, and the AMD EPYC 7313P, which is 0.8% faster. This shows that the i7-14700F is competitive with the best CPUs for gaming. While the GPU is the star of the show, the CPU's performance is what allows the RTX 5090 D to stretch its legs at 1080p and 1440p. Without a CPU capable of feeding it, the frame rates at lower resolutions would be significantly lower. The 20 cores and 28 threads are more than sufficient for Greedfall, ensuring that there is no CPU-related stuttering or frame drops in the measured data.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware?

A: The data shows that 4K High is the best combination, as it delivers an average of 113 FPS while maintaining high visual quality. This is the highest settings preset that stays above 100 FPS at 4K. For 1440p, High at 190 FPS is the sweet spot, and at 1080p, the High preset at 273 FPS offers a great experience.

Q: Is this combo overkill for 1080p gaming?

A: Yes, the benchmark results indicate it is overkill for 1080p. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 383 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. The CPU is likely the limiting factor at this resolution, as the GPU is so fast that it has to wait for the CPU to process game data, leading to diminishing returns.

Q: How demanding is the Ultra preset on this system?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding setting. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 72 FPS, which is the lowest result in the entire dataset. At 1440p Ultra, it averages 121 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it averages 175 FPS. While 4K Ultra is playable, it is the only setting that drops below the 100 FPS threshold, suggesting it is a heavy load for even this top-tier GPU.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which is 1.6% slower, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which is 2.4% slower. This confirms it is one of the fastest GPUs available.

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

A: The data suggests the CPU may be a slight limiting factor at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is 383 FPS. However, at higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K, the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The i7-14700F's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures it can keep up with the GPU in most gaming scenarios.

Q: What is the CPU's single-threaded performance like for gaming?

A: The i7-14700F has a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958, which is strong. It also has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This indicates excellent single-threaded performance, which is critical for game engines that rely on a few high-speed cores for main game logic.