Greedfall

Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT in Greedfall: this pairing sits at combo rank 1399 out of 3703 tested configurations, placing it in the top 38% of all recorded systems. The data shows a combination that is heavily CPU-bound at lower resolutions and GPU-bound at 4K, with the 24-core processor providing massive headroom that the 12 GB graphics card cannot fully exploit until ultra settings force the issue.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture at a 10 nm process node. Its base clock runs at 3.20 GHz, boosting up to 6.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The cache hierarchy is substantial: 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory across a dual-channel bus, and it carries an integrated UHD Graphics 770 unit, though the discrete GPU handles all rendering here.

Benchmark data places this processor in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097. Its nearest rivals in the database are tightly clustered: the Intel Core i9-14900KF scores 79371 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574 (0.6% higher), and the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041 (1.2% higher). The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 trails at 77740, 1.7% lower. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming terms, meaning the 14900K sits at the absolute top of desktop CPU performance.

In Greedfall specifically, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p, where frame rates reach 209 FPS on Low settings. That figure is so far beyond display refresh rates that the processor is clearly not the bottleneck. The 6.00 GHz boost clock and 32 threads handle the game's AI, physics, and scripting with immense headroom. Even at 1440p, the Low preset delivers 145 FPS, which still points to the CPU being able to feed the GPU faster than it can render. The 36 MB L3 cache is particularly relevant for an open-world Action RPG like this one, where asset streaming and world-state computations benefit from large on-die storage.

The single-core performance is equally strong: Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2262.5 and Geekbench single-core of 2655. Greedfall's game logic is not heavily multithreaded, so this single-thread strength matters more than the raw 24-core count. The processor's PassMark single-thread score of 4697 reinforces that this is one of the fastest consumer CPUs for lightly-threaded workloads. The data suggests that at no tested resolution does the 14900K become the limiting factor — the GPU always hits its ceiling first, except possibly at 1080p Low where the 209 FPS average still leaves theoretical headroom.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT uses the Navi 32 chip on RDNA 3.0 architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm TSMC process with 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die. It carries 12 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1435 MHz, with a game clock of 2171 MHz and a boost clock of 2544 MHz. Memory runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective transfer. The GPU has 3456 shading units, 216 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units, plus 54 ray tracing cores. Its FP32 throughput reaches 35.17 TFLOPS.

This GPU sits in the 67th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 22549. Its nearest rivals are revealing: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile scores 22435 (0.5% lower), the RTX 4060 Mobile scores 22729 (0.8% higher), and the RTX 2080 scores 22895 (1.5% higher). The AMD Radeon RX 5700 scores 22170, which is 1.7% lower. This places the RX 7700 XT in solid mid-range territory — it is not a flagship, but it is competitive with previous-generation high-end cards.

In Greedfall, the GPU's 12 GB VRAM and 432 GB/s bandwidth become the deciding factors at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra preset drops to 39 FPS, which is a 59% reduction from 4K High's 62 FPS. This steep penalty indicates the card is being pushed beyond its comfortable envelope. The medium preset at 4K yields 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. The 12 GB frame buffer is adequate for this 2019 title at 1440p, where High settings produce 103 FPS, but 4K Ultra's texture and shading demands overwhelm the card's compute throughput more than its memory capacity.

The ray tracing cores are present but not heavily utilized in this title, which launched before widespread RT adoption. The 54 RT cores are more of a forward-looking feature. The card's 244.2 GPixel/s pixel rate and 549.5 GTexel/s texture rate are the specs that matter for Greedfall's rasterized rendering, and they explain why the card scales predictably with resolution until it hits the 4K wall.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern across resolutions. At 1080p High, the average is 149 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 103 FPS, a 31% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 62 FPS, another 40% drop from 1440p. This scaling curve indicates GPU-bound behavior — the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at all resolutions, so the frame rate falls proportionally with pixel count.

On Low settings, the pattern is even more pronounced. At 1080p Low, the system hits 209 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 145 FPS (31% lower). At 4K Low, it falls to 86 FPS (41% lower than 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component at every resolution above 1080p. At 1080p Low, the 209 FPS figure is so high that the CPU's 6.00 GHz boost clock and 32 threads are likely approaching their own limit, but the fact that the GPU still scales down predictably from 1080p to 1440p implies the card is still doing the heavy lifting.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling. From 1080p Ultra at 95 FPS to 1440p Ultra at 66 FPS is a 31% reduction. From 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra at 39 FPS is a 41% reduction. The 4K Ultra result of 39 FPS is borderline unplayable for an Action RPG, which typically requires 60 FPS for smooth combat. This is the clearest evidence that the RX 7700 XT is a 1440p-class card — it can handle 1080p and 1440p at high quality, but 4K is only viable on Low (86 FPS) or Medium (68 FPS) settings.

The minimum FPS data reinforces this. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 140 FPS with a maximum of 189 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 97 FPS with a maximum of 131 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 58 FPS with a maximum of 78 FPS. The spread between minimum and maximum stays around 20-25% at each resolution, indicating consistent frame pacing without stuttering — the 12 GB GDDR6 memory and 432 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to avoid frame time spikes.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 1399 out of 3703 tested combos in Greedfall. That places it in the 62nd percentile of all configurations, meaning 62% of tested systems perform better in this game. The rank is somewhat surprising given the CPU's top-tier status, but it reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning — the 14900K is paired with a card that scores in the 67th GPU percentile, and the combo rank lands between those two percentiles.

The gap between CPU and GPU performance tiers is the story here. The 14900K sits in the 95th CPU percentile, while the RX 7700 XT sits in the 67th GPU percentile. In a game like Greedfall that is not CPU-intensive, the GPU's lower percentile dominates the outcome. A system with a weaker CPU but a stronger GPU would likely rank higher in this game, because the GPU is nearly always the bottleneck. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 209 FPS, but a 14900K paired with a higher-tier GPU like an RTX 4080 would push that number higher — the CPU's 24 cores and 6.00 GHz boost clock would not be the limiting factor.

Within the database, this combo's rank of 1399 means it beats 2304 other tested combinations. That is a solid result, but it is not exceptional. The combo's performance is constrained by the GPU's 35.17 TFLOPS of compute and 432 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU's 79097 average benchmark score is effectively wasted headroom in this title, as Greedfall's engine does not scale with thread counts beyond what the GPU can render. Players with this combo should expect to play at 1440p Medium to High for the best experience, rather than pushing toward 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1080p, the system delivers strong results across all presets. Low settings produce 209 FPS average. Medium settings yield 164 FPS average, with a minimum of 140 FPS and a maximum of 189 FPS. High settings drop to 149 FPS average. Ultra settings fall to 95 FPS average. The jump from High to Ultra costs 54 FPS (36% reduction), which is substantial for the visual gain — Ultra typically adds shadow quality, ambient occlusion, and draw distance that are less noticeable in combat than the frame rate loss.

At 1440p, the numbers scale down predictably. Low settings give 145 FPS average. Medium settings give 114 FPS average, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. High settings give 103 FPS average. Ultra settings give 66 FPS average. The drop from High to Ultra at 1440p is 37 FPS (36% reduction), matching the 1080p pattern. The Medium preset's 97 FPS minimum is still comfortably above 60 FPS, making this the sweet spot for competitive play or high-refresh monitors.

At 4K, the GPU's limitations become clear. Low settings give 86 FPS average. Medium settings give 68 FPS average, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. High settings give 62 FPS average. Ultra settings give 39 FPS average. The 4K High result of 62 FPS is technically playable but sits right at the edge of smoothness — any demanding scene could push it below 60 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 68 FPS with a 58 FPS minimum is the safest bet for 4K gaming, while 4K Low at 86 FPS is the only preset that provides comfortable headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

The data shows a consistent 30-35% frame rate penalty from 1080p to 1440p, and another 40% penalty from 1440p to 4K, regardless of settings. This linear scaling confirms the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all configurations. At 1080p, the 209 FPS Low result suggests the CPU is still capable of more, but the GPU's pixel throughput limits the final output.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For 1080p displays, the High preset at 149 FPS is the best balance. It delivers over 140 FPS with no minimum recorded below that threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay on 144Hz monitors. Ultra at 95 FPS is not worth the 36% frame rate loss unless the player prioritizes visual fidelity over refresh rate. Medium at 164 FPS is a viable alternative for competitive players, but High's visual improvements come at a modest 15 FPS cost.

For 1440p displays, the High preset at 103 FPS is the clear winner. It exceeds 100 FPS average and maintains playability on 120Hz monitors. Medium at 114 FPS with a 97 FPS minimum is the safer choice for players who cannot tolerate frame dips below 100 FPS — the 11 FPS difference between Medium and High is minor compared to the visual uplift. Ultra at 66 FPS is acceptable for 60Hz displays but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes. The data suggests Medium is the most reliable preset at 1440p, as its 97 FPS minimum stays well above the 60 FPS threshold.

For 4K displays, the situation requires compromise. Low at 86 FPS is the only preset that provides comfortable headroom above 60 FPS, but it sacrifices most visual quality. Medium at 68 FPS with a 58 FPS minimum is the best visual experience that remains mostly playable — the occasional dip to 58 FPS is noticeable but tolerable in an Action RPG. High at 62 FPS is borderline, with no minimum recorded, but the average is so close to 60 FPS that any complex scene could cause a noticeable stutter. Ultra at 39 FPS is unplayable and should be avoided entirely.

The overall recommendation is to target 1440p Medium or High for the best experience. At 114 FPS and 103 FPS respectively, these presets offer smooth gameplay with good visual quality. For 4K users, Medium at 68 FPS is the only sensible choice. The 12 GB VRAM and 432 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for Medium settings at 4K, but the GPU's 35.17 TFLOPS compute cannot sustain Ultra quality at that resolution. This combo is best suited for high-refresh 1440p gaming, where the 14900K's CPU power and the RX 7700 XT's GPU performance align to deliver frame rates well above the competitive threshold.