Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019, exhibits a performance profile that is heavily dependent on both resolution and graphics settings when paired with the Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 7700. The measured FPS data reveals a system that delivers high refresh rate capability at 1080p and 1440p, but encounters significant strain at 4K, particularly with higher quality presets. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes it within the broader benchmark database, and provides specific recommendations based on the observed data.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 produces a substantial and predictable decline in frame rates, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly depending on the graphics preset. At the Low settings preset, the average frame rate falls from 191 FPS at 1080p to 79 FPS at 4K, representing a 58.6% reduction. This steep decline indicates that even at lower graphical loads, the rendering demands of 4K resolution place a considerable burden on the AMD Radeon RX 7700. The scaling is more linear when moving from 1080p to 1440p, where the Low preset drops from 191 FPS to 132 FPS, a 30.9% decrease, before falling another 40.2% to 79 FPS at 4K.

The High settings preset shows a similar pattern but with a more pronounced drop at the highest resolution. The average frame rate decreases from 136 FPS at 1080p to 94 FPS at 1440p, a 30.9% reduction, and then to 56 FPS at 4K, a further 40.4% decline. This consistent scaling pattern suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting component as resolution increases. The data indicates that the gap between 1080p and 1440p performance is relatively consistent across Low and High presets, but the 4K resolution presents a significant challenge, pushing the system below the 60 FPS threshold for the High preset.

The Ultra preset exhibits the most dramatic scaling issues. Starting at 87 FPS at 1080p, performance drops to 60 FPS at 1440p, a 31.0% reduction, and then plummets to 36 FPS at 4K, a 40.0% decline from the 1440p figure. This results in a total performance loss of 58.6% from 1080p to 4K, which is nearly identical to the percentage loss seen in the Low preset. This indicates that regardless of the visual fidelity, the 4K resolution imposes a fixed performance penalty that the RX 7700 cannot overcome, likely due to pixel throughput limitations. The data clearly shows that while the Core i9-14900K can easily feed the GPU at lower resolutions, the Radeon RX 7700 becomes the definitive bottleneck at 3840x2160, particularly when aiming for higher visual quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system consistently exceeds 100 FPS across all settings except Ultra. At the High preset, the average is 136 FPS, and at Low it reaches 191 FPS, making it the optimal choice for high refresh rate displays.

Q: How does the system perform at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average of 104 FPS, with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS. This indicates a very playable experience with good frame pacing for most action RPG scenarios.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming smoothly?

A: The data suggests 4K gaming is only viable at Low settings, where the average is 79 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 62 FPS, which is playable but not ideal, while High and Ultra presets fall to 56 FPS and 36 FPS respectively, indicating significant stutter and lag potential.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 191 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 87 FPS. This represents a 54.5% reduction in frame rate when switching from Low to Ultra, showing that the Ultra preset is particularly demanding on the GPU.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K a limiting factor in this game?

A: Based on the benchmark data, the CPU does not appear to be a limiting factor. The system maintains high frame rates at 1080p, and the performance scaling with resolution changes suggests the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU's scores in synthetic benchmarks are in the 95th percentile, indicating ample processing headroom.

Q: How does the RX 7700's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Radeon RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, placing it at the 58th percentile. It is nearly identical in performance to the AMD Radeon R9 370X, which has a score of 15862 and a delta of -0.1%, and is 1.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 is ranked 1307 out of 2938 tested combos for Greedfall. This places the system in the upper-middle tier of all possible configurations, indicating that it performs better than approximately 55.5% of the tested combinations. The ranking is influenced by both the CPU's high percentile ranking and the GPU's more modest position. The Core i9-14900K sits at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, showcasing its top-tier processing power, while the RX 7700 is at the 58th percentile among GPUs, reflecting its mid-range standing.

This disparity in component performance tiers is reflected in the measured FPS. The CPU's strength ensures that it is never a bottleneck at any resolution tested, allowing the GPU to work to its full potential. The combo's rank of 1307 suggests that while the CPU is capable of supporting much faster graphics cards, the RX 7700's performance limits the overall system capability in this title. The data implies that pairing this high-end CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield a significantly better rank, as the CPU's headroom is substantial. However, for the current configuration, the ranking accurately reflects a balanced system where the GPU is the primary determinant of gaming performance, particularly at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates excellent performance, with all presets achieving high frame rates. The Low preset leads with an average of 191 FPS, followed by Medium at 150 FPS, High at 136 FPS, and Ultra at 87 FPS. The Medium preset also provides minimum and maximum figures of 127 FPS and 172 FPS, indicating solid frame consistency. This resolution is clearly where the system excels, offering smooth gameplay even with the most demanding Ultra preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's limitations. The Low preset averages 132 FPS, while Medium, High, and Ultra achieve 104 FPS, 94 FPS, and 60 FPS, respectively. The Medium preset's minimum of 88 FPS and maximum of 120 FPS show a wider frame time variance compared to 1080p, but the experience is still fluid. The Ultra preset at 60 FPS is at the edge of playability for many users, and the data suggests that this is the maximum resolution for a consistent 60 FPS experience with the highest settings.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. The Low preset averages 79 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset drops to 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, indicating potential stuttering in demanding scenes. The High preset averages 56 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS target, and the Ultra preset averages only 36 FPS, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay. This resolution clearly overwhelms the Radeon RX 7700, and the data suggests that users should avoid 4K with High or Ultra settings. The measured figures indicate a steep performance cliff between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K, with a 54.4% difference in average frame rate.

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. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5. In Geekbench, it scores 21697 in multicore and 2655 in single-core, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. This processing power is far beyond what Greedfall requires, as the game was released in 2019 and is not known for being CPU-intensive.

The data confirms that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p with the Low preset, the system achieves 191 FPS, which is a frame rate that would typically stress CPU capabilities in many titles. The fact that the system can maintain such high frame rates indicates that the Core i9-14900K provides more than enough processing headroom. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent and directly tied to the GPU's rendering load, further proving that the CPU's role is to feed the GPU without introducing bottlenecks. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900KF, has an average score of 79371 with a delta of -0.3%, showing that the 14900K is essentially at the top of its class. The boost clock of 6.00 GHz is particularly beneficial for single-threaded workloads, which is a common characteristic of game physics and logic, ensuring that frame rate drops are not caused by CPU stalls.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset is viable, with an average of 87 FPS, providing the highest visual fidelity while maintaining a smooth experience. However, for a high refresh rate monitor, the Medium preset at 150 FPS or the High preset at 136 FPS would be more appropriate, as they offer a significant frame rate boost with only a modest reduction in visual quality. The Low preset at 191 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is the sole priority.

At 1440p, the High preset offers the best balance, with an average of 94 FPS. This provides excellent visual quality while staying well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 104 FPS is also a strong choice for users who prefer a higher frame rate buffer. The Ultra preset at 60 FPS is playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes, making it a risky choice for consistent performance. The data suggests that the Low preset is unnecessary at this resolution, as the High preset already delivers a superior experience.

For 4K, the settings recommendations are stark. The Low preset, with an average of 79 FPS, is the only setting that provides a comfortable gaming experience. The Medium preset at 62 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 53 FPS that could lead to noticeable stutters. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended, as they produce averages of 56 FPS and 36 FPS, respectively, which are not smooth enough for an action RPG. The data clearly indicates that users should either stick to 1440p for high-quality visuals or accept the Low preset at 4K for a playable frame rate.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is a mid-range graphics card from the Radeon RX 7000 series, featuring the Navi 32 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture. It comes with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz, with 2560 shading units and 96 ROPs. Its synthetic benchmark scores include a Passmark G3D score of 20974 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 106028, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs.

In Greedfall, the GPU is unquestionably the limiting component at higher resolutions. The data shows that as resolution increases, frame rates drop significantly, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. The GPU's memory capacity of 16 GB is more than sufficient for this game, even at 4K, so the performance constraints are due to raw computational throughput rather than memory limitations. The boost clock of 2459 MHz is respectable, but the card's 2560 shading units are not enough to handle 4K at high settings, as evidenced by the 36 FPS average at Ultra settings. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 370X, has a nearly identical average benchmark score, indicating that the RX 7700 is a very specific performance tier. Its performance relative to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which is 1.7% faster, shows that it is competitive with the previous generation's mid-range offerings. The data suggests that the RX 7700 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card, but its limitations at 4K are clearly exposed by the demanding Ultra preset.