Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with resolution. When paired with an Intel Core i9-14900K and an AMD Radeon RX 6600, the benchmark data reveals a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strength ensures high performance at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to show how this specific combination behaves across the spectrum of settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. This pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 99 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average falls to 69 FPS, a reduction of 30 FPS. At 4K High, the average drops further to 41 FPS. This steep decline—from 99 to 41 FPS—shows that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, a task squarely on the GPU.

The data suggests that the Core i9-14900K is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at High settings results in a 30% drop in FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is another 40% decrease. These are substantial reductions that align with the increased pixel throughput demand on the Radeon RX 6600. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further reinforces this. At 1080p, the difference between Low (139 FPS) and Ultra (63 FPS) is 76 FPS, showing that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are being taxed as settings increase.

At 4K, the picture becomes more extreme. The Ultra preset yields only 26 FPS, while Low reaches 57 FPS. This indicates that at 4K, even with the powerful i9-14900K, the GPU is overwhelmed. The CPU's high boost clock and core count cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to fill the 8.3 million pixels of a 4K frame at high detail levels. The limiting component at 1440p and 4K is unequivocally the GPU, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the frames.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. In Greedfall, this CPU provides a robust foundation. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 139 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU is capable of driving the game engine to high limits when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The processor's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2262.5, are relevant for game logic and draw calls.

However, the data indicates that the CPU's role is largely to enable the GPU to perform. As resolution increases, the CPU's influence on average FPS diminishes. The consistent FPS drop from 139 (1080p Low) to 96 (1440p Low) to 57 (4K Low) is not due to the CPU slowing down, but rather the GPU's pixel processing rate declining. The i9-14900K's performance percentile is 95, meaning it outperforms 95% of all CPUs in the database, which positions it as a high-end part that will not constrain the RX 6600 in this title.

The CPU's multi-core strength, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5, is more than sufficient for Greedfall's requirements. The game is not likely to utilize all 24 cores fully, but the high boost clock of 6.00 GHz ensures that the primary game thread runs with minimal latency. The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this configuration; the bottleneck shifts decisively to the GPU as the resolution and settings increase.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip, is the component that defines the performance ceiling in this pairing. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is 2491 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz. In the context of Greedfall, these specifications are the deciding factor for frame rates at higher resolutions.

The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is a critical factor. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 26, which is unplayable. At 4K High, it is 41 FPS, which is borderline. The data shows that the GPU's compute throughput, rated at 8.928 TFLOPS, is insufficient for the demands of 4K high-detail rendering. The 128-bit memory bus also limits the data transfer rate, which can be a bottleneck when textures and geometry data are large.

Interestingly, the GPU's performance percentile is 63, which is mid-range. This aligns with the observed results in Greedfall, where the card is capable at 1080p but struggles at 4K. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p (139 vs 63 FPS) highlights the GPU's scaling with settings. The RX 6600's nearest rivals in the database, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile, have an average score that is 0.1% lower, indicating that this GPU is in a competitive tier for its class. However, for this specific game, the GPU's role is to provide playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but not at 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Core i9-14900K and Radeon RX 6600 ranks 2897 out of 3703 combos for Greedfall. This places it in the lower 22% of all tested configurations. This ranking is reflective of the GPU's mid-range positioning, despite the CPU's top-tier status. The ranking suggests that while the CPU is a high performer, the overall gaming experience in Greedfall is heavily weighted by the GPU's capabilities.

The combo rank is not a measure of the CPU's performance, but rather the combined system's FPS output. Since the RX 6600 is a bottleneck at higher resolutions, the combo does not achieve the high frame rates that a more powerful GPU would with the same CPU. For context, the CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900KF, have a similar average benchmark score, but the GPU's nearest rivals, like the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, have a similar average score as well. The ranking indicates that in Greedfall, this combo is suitable for 1080p gaming but falls short of the performance needed for high-refresh-rate 1440p or smooth 4K gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 139 FPS average.
• Medium: 109 FPS average, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS.
• High: 99 FPS average.
• Ultra: 63 FPS average.

This resolution is where the combo performs best. The CPU and GPU work well together to provide high frame rates. The jump from Low to Ultra is significant, but even Ultra is playable at 63 FPS.

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 96 FPS average.
• Medium: 76 FPS average, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS.
• High: 69 FPS average.
• Ultra: 44 FPS average.

The performance drops here, but the system remains usable. High settings at 69 FPS are smooth for most players, while Ultra at 44 FPS is a compromise that some might find acceptable.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 57 FPS average.
• Medium: 45 FPS average, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS.
• High: 41 FPS average.
• Ultra: 26 FPS average.

This resolution is the most demanding. Only Low settings provide a playable frame rate. High and Ultra are not suitable for a smooth experience, as the GPU is clearly the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming in Greedfall?

A: The data shows that the combo performs best at 1080p, where it achieves over 60 FPS on Ultra settings. At 1440p, High settings yield 69 FPS, which is playable, but Ultra drops to 44 FPS, indicating that 1080p is the more comfortable resolution for high settings.

Q: Can this system run Greedfall at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which produce an average of 57 FPS. Medium settings drop to 45 FPS, and High and Ultra are below 41 FPS, making them not recommended for a smooth experience.

Q: What is the main bottleneck for this pairing in Greedfall?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the primary bottleneck, particularly at higher resolutions. The Intel Core i9-14900K has ample performance headroom, as shown by the FPS dropping significantly as resolution increases, which is a sign of GPU limitation.

Q: How does the CPU's performance affect the game at 1080p?

A: The CPU's high boost clock of 6.00 GHz and 24 cores help achieve high frame rates at 1080p. For example, at Low settings, the system reaches 139 FPS, which shows that the CPU is not limiting the system at this resolution.

Q: What is the difference in performance between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings average 69 FPS, while Ultra settings average 44 FPS. This is a 25 FPS difference, which is a substantial visual versus performance trade-off.

Q: Is the 8 GB of VRAM on the GPU sufficient for Greedfall?

A: The data indicates that 8 GB is workable at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the system's performance degrades significantly. The low frame rates at 4K suggest that the GPU's memory bandwidth and capacity are stressed with the higher resolution assets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo is to prioritize 1080p or 1440p with medium-to-high settings. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience at 1920x1080, the High preset is the best choice, yielding 99 FPS. Ultra is also viable at 63 FPS, but High provides a better margin for frame time consistency.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the optimal balance, offering 69 FPS. This is a playable frame rate for an action RPG. The Medium preset at 76 FPS is also an option if a higher frame rate is preferred, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the 7 FPS gain. Ultra at 44 FPS is not recommended due to the drop below the 60 FPS threshold, which can lead to a less responsive feel.

For 4K, the data suggests that only Low settings are acceptable, with 57 FPS. Medium settings at 45 FPS are a compromise, but the system is not well-suited for 4K gaming in this title. Users with a 4K display should either lower the resolution or accept lower visual fidelity. The most consistent experience is achieved at 1080p High, which provides a high frame rate without sacrificing significant visual quality.