Greedfall

# Greedfall with Intel Core Ultra 5 125H + AMD Radeon 890M

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H paired with the AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics represents a mobile-first configuration targeting 1080p gameplay in Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019. The measured data spans three resolutions and four settings presets, revealing a system that is firmly GPU-limited across the board—the Radeon 890M, with its 1024 shading units and RDNA 3.5 architecture, becomes the decisive factor in every scenario. The combo ranks 2765th out of 2938 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 6% of all tested systems, yet the frame rate data tells a more nuanced story about what this hardware can actually deliver in a game of this era.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, pointing squarely at the integrated GPU as the limiting component. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 75 FPS at 1920x1080 to 52 FPS at 2560x1440—a 31% reduction—and then to 31 FPS at 3840x2160, another 40% drop. The scaling pattern is almost perfectly linear with pixel count, which is the hallmark of a system where the GPU's fill rate and shading throughput are the bottleneck, not the CPU or memory bandwidth.

At High settings, the same pattern emerges: 53 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p, and 22 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 30% and 41% respectively, nearly identical to the Low settings scaling. This consistency across presets is telling—it suggests that the Radeon 890M is not being constrained by any particular rendering feature (like shadows or textures) but rather by raw pixel throughput. The 4K Ultra preset collapses to 14 FPS, a figure that makes the resolution essentially unplayable, while even 1440p Ultra struggles at 24 FPS.

The implications are clear: this is a 1080p-oriented gaming solution. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 30% of performance at every settings level, and the jump to 4K costs another 40%. For a game like Greedfall, which features dense environments and character models, the data indicates that the 890M's 32 ROPs and 5.939 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are simply overwhelmed beyond 1080p. The frame rate floor at 4K—14 FPS at Ultra—is below what most users would consider interactive, and even the Low preset at 4K barely reaches 31 FPS. The scaling analysis reveals no hidden CPU limitation; the frame rate drops track pixel count too precisely for that.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's position at 2765 out of 2938 tested combinations places it in the bottom 5.9% of all systems tested in Greedfall. This rank is unsurprising given that the Radeon 890M is an integrated GPU competing against a field dominated by discrete graphics cards. The GPU itself sits at the 45th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 9210. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (score 9221, delta -0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (score 9273, delta -0.7%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (score 9294, delta -0.9%).

The delta values are remarkably small—within 1% of three different rivals—which suggests the 890M is right at the borderline between older entry-level discrete GPUs and modern integrated solutions. The GTX 960, a dedicated card from several generations ago, is only 0.7% faster in synthetic benchmarks, yet the 890M's integrated nature means it shares system memory and power with the CPU. In Greedfall specifically, this translates to the measured frame rates: playable at 1080p Low (75 FPS) and Medium (59 FPS), but dropping below 60 FPS at High (53 FPS) and falling to 34 FPS at Ultra.

The CPU, meanwhile, is a much stronger performer. The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H sits at the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27507. Its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (score 27535, delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-12600K (score 27578, delta -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X (score 27578, delta -0.3%). The CPU is essentially tied with these desktop-class parts, meaning the 125H's 14 cores and 18 threads are not the constraint in Greedfall. The ranking gap between CPU (79th percentile) and GPU (45th percentile) confirms that the integrated graphics are the bottleneck, and the combo's low overall rank reflects this imbalance rather than any CPU deficiency.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Greedfall at 1080p with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, at Low and Medium settings. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 is 75 FPS on Low and 59 FPS on Medium, both above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings drop to 53 FPS, which is still playable but below 60, while Ultra falls to 34 FPS.

Q: How does the Radeon 890M compare to its closest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The 890M has an average benchmark score of 9210. It is 0.1% slower than the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (9221), 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (9273), and 0.9% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (9294). All four GPUs are within 1% of each other.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H the limiting factor in this game?

A: No. The CPU benchmarks show it performing on par with desktop parts like the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (delta -0.1%) and Intel Core i5-12600K (delta -0.3%). The CPU's 79th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 45th percentile indicates the integrated graphics are the primary constraint.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Greedfall?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system maintains playable frame rates across multiple presets. At 2560x1440, only Low settings (52 FPS) and Medium settings (41 FPS) are viable, while 3840x2160 fails to reach 31 FPS even on Low.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 75 to 52, a 31% reduction. At High settings, it drops from 53 to 37, a 30% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 59 to 41, a 31% reduction. The consistent ~30% loss indicates pure GPU scaling.

Q: What does the combo's rank of 2765 out of 2938 signify?

A: It places this system in the bottom 5.9% of all tested combinations for Greedfall. This low rank is driven by the integrated GPU's performance ceiling, not the CPU, which ranks in the top 21% of all processors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 75 FPS, Medium settings 59 FPS with a range of 50 to 68 FPS, High settings 53 FPS, and Ultra settings 34 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 41 FPS, a 55% performance spread that reflects the GPU's sensitivity to the rendering features enabled at higher presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 52 FPS on Low, 41 FPS on Medium (range 35 to 47), 37 FPS on High, and 24 FPS on Ultra. The Ultra preset at 1440p is barely above the 20 FPS threshold, and the Medium preset's minimum of 35 FPS suggests occasional dips that could be noticeable during combat or exploration.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal at best. Low settings average 31 FPS, Medium settings average 24 FPS (range 21 to 28), High settings average 22 FPS, and Ultra settings average 14 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 21 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the Ultra preset's 14 FPS is effectively a slideshow.

The data shows a consistent hierarchy: Low is always the fastest preset, followed by Medium, then High, then Ultra. The relative gaps between presets are similar at each resolution, with Medium typically 10-20% faster than High and Low 20-40% faster than Medium. The Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer, often 30-50% slower than High.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is the decisive component in this configuration. Its specifications—1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 16 RT cores—are paired with a boost clock of 2900 MHz and a base clock of 400 MHz. The GPU's memory is system shared, meaning its bandwidth is "System Dependent" and its bus width is also system shared. This reliance on shared memory is a critical factor in Greedfall's performance, as the game's texture streaming and asset loading compete with the CPU for memory access.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark results are modest: a Passmark G3D score of 8076, a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 590, and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 37254. The Passmark DirectX 11 score of 73 and DirectX 12 score of 37 indicate that the GPU handles modern APIs reasonably well for an integrated part, but its FP32 throughput of 5.939 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s are the hard limits that manifest in the measured frame rates.

The 890M's 45th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the lower half of the database, but its nearest rivals—the Vega 8, GTX 960, and GTX 465—are all older or lower-tier parts. The GTX 960, a discrete GPU from 2015, is only 0.7% faster in synthetic benchmarks, which contextualizes the 890M as a modern integrated solution that competes with older entry-level discrete cards. In Greedfall, the GPU's performance at 1080p Low (75 FPS) suggests it can handle less demanding titles well, but the rapid falloff at higher resolutions and presets reveals its limitations.

The 4nm process node and RDNA 3.5 architecture give the 890M efficiency advantages, but these do not translate into brute force. The 34,000 million transistors and 233 mm² die size are substantial for an integrated GPU, yet the 15W TDP constrains sustained performance. The texture rate of 185.6 GTexel/s and FP32 of 5.939 TFLOPS are the theoretical peaks, but the measured data shows the GPU rarely approaches these limits in real-world gaming scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

For this combo, the data suggests a clear hierarchy of playable configurations. At 1920x1080, Medium settings (59 FPS) offer the best balance between visual quality and performance, staying above the 60 FPS threshold while providing a frame rate range of 50 to 68 FPS. Low settings (75 FPS) are smoother but sacrifice visual fidelity, while High (53 FPS) and Ultra (34 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS mark.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation narrows to Low settings (52 FPS) as the only preset that maintains a comfortable frame rate. Medium (41 FPS) is playable but with a minimum of 35 FPS that could cause noticeable stutter during intense scenes. High (37 FPS) and Ultra (24 FPS) are not recommended for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, no preset delivers a truly playable experience. Low (31 FPS) is the only option that approaches playability, but even it falls short of 30 FPS thresholds on occasion. Medium (24 FPS), High (22 FPS), and Ultra (14 FPS) are all below acceptable levels.

The optimal configuration is 1080p Medium, which provides a 59 FPS average with a minimum of 50 FPS. This preset likely enables the game's core visual features—textures, shadows, and effects—without overwhelming the GPU. Users seeking higher frame rates can drop to Low for a 75 FPS average, while those prioritizing visuals over smoothness should stay at Medium rather than jumping to High, as the 6 FPS average gain from High to Medium is modest compared to the visual improvement.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is a 14-core, 18-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7nm process node. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.50 GHz, combined with 18 MB of shared L3 cache, make it a capable gaming CPU. The Passmark multithread score of 21100 and single-thread score of 3399 place it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong performance for a mobile processor.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling patterns. The CPU's synthetic benchmarks show it trading blows with desktop parts: it is 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (score 27535), 0.3% slower than the Intel Core i5-12600K (score 27578), and 0.3% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X (score 27578). These deltas are negligible, suggesting the 125H can feed the Radeon 890M without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU's Cinebench R23 scores—12804.5 multicore and 1647.5 singlecore—further confirm its capability. The Passmark physics score of 1439 and floating point math score of 51670 indicate strong computational throughput, which is relevant for Greedfall's physics and AI systems. The 18 MB L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput for the game's open-world environments.

However, the CPU's TDP of 28W (compared to the GPU's 15W) means the combined thermal envelope is modest, potentially limiting sustained boost clocks during extended gaming sessions. The CPU's 79th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 45th percentile creates a significant imbalance—the processor is capable of far more than the integrated graphics can deliver. This is not a criticism of the CPU but rather a recognition that in Greedfall, the 890M's 5.939 TFLOPS and 92.80 GPixel/s are the hard ceilings that determine the frame rates. The CPU's nearest rivals being desktop-class parts underscores that this is a well-matched processor for the GPU, even if the overall combo ranks low due to the integrated graphics' inherent limitations.