Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates the capabilities of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile. The measured data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but one where the processor still provides a substantial foundation for high frame rates. Benchmark results indicate that this combination is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, offering a compelling balance between visual fidelity and performance, with 4K gaming possible but requiring significant settings compromises to maintain smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on a 7 nm process. Its configuration includes a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, along with a 18 MB shared L3 cache. In the context of Greedfall, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage the game's simulation logic. The data across the measured resolutions shows that even at the lowest settings, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 244 FPS, indicating a massive amount of headroom in the processor's ability to process game data. The CPU's performance percentile of 81 versus all CPUs, alongside a strong PassMark multithread score of 22422, reinforces its capability as a high-end mobile part.

When comparing to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 135H's performance is tightly clustered. Its average benchmark score of 29093 is essentially identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which scores 29123, a negligible delta of -0.1%. Similarly, it is only 0.6% behind the Intel Core i5-13500HX, which scores 29270. This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, users should expect performance on par with these desktop-class and high-end mobile processors from previous generations. The single-core performance, a critical factor for many game engines, is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1700 and a PassMark single-thread score of 3521. These numbers indicate that the CPU can handle the primary game thread efficiently, ensuring that frame pacing remains consistent.

The relationship between the CPU and the game's results is most apparent when observing the frame rates at 1080p. At this resolution, the GPU's workload is lighter, allowing the CPU to push frame rates to very high levels. The jump from 174 FPS at High settings to 244 FPS at Low settings demonstrates that the CPU is capable of delivering frames well beyond the refresh rate of most displays. However, the game's engine does not appear to be heavily multi-threaded to the point of crippling performance with this CPU; the data shows the processor is more than adequate for this title. The 18 threads are likely enough to handle all background tasks and game logic without introducing stutters, as evidenced by the high average FPS and stable minimums at Medium settings (e.g., 163 min FPS at 1080p). The Core Ultra 5 135H is a powerful partner that does not hold back the RTX 5080 Mobile, even at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile is the dominant component in this configuration, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and a 5 nm process. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 896.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's clock speeds are listed with a base of 975 MHz and a boost of 1500 MHz. While the boost clock seems modest, the architecture's efficiency and the sheer number of shading units (7680) contribute to its significant rasterization power, as evidenced by its PassMark G3D score of 27711. The GPU's performance percentile of 81 versus all GPUs confirms its high-end placement in the market.

The GPU's role in Greedfall becomes increasingly critical as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU is still able to produce very high frame rates, but it is not yet the limiting factor. However, the transition to 1440p and 4K shows the GPU being pushed harder. The memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s is particularly important at 4K, where large textures and high-resolution buffers demand rapid data transfer. The data shows a clear scaling pattern that is typical of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. For example, at 1440p with High settings, the system achieves 121 FPS, which is still excellent. But when moving to 4K at the same settings, the frame rate drops to 72 FPS. This indicates the GPU is working much harder to fill the additional pixels.

The RTX 5080 Mobile's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are interesting, with its average score of 38349 being 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135). This suggests that the 5080 Mobile offers a marginal generational improvement over its predecessor. The data indicates that for this specific game, the GPU is the primary driver of performance at 1440p and 4K. The 16 GB VRAM capacity ensures that there is no memory limitation at any of the tested settings, allowing the GPU to focus purely on compute and rendering tasks. The performance at 4K Ultra, which dips to 46 FPS, demonstrates that the GPU, while powerful, is not overkill for this title; it requires careful settings management to maintain playable frame rates at the highest resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates provide a clear hierarchy for optimal settings in Greedfall. For players targeting the highest possible visual fidelity, the Ultra preset is demanding. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system only manages an average of 46 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on many displays. At 1440p Ultra, the frame rate improves to a very playable 77 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it jumps to 111 FPS. Based on this, the Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it provides a high level of detail without sacrificing fluidity.

The High preset appears to be the sweet spot for 4K gaming. At 4K High, the system achieves an average of 72 FPS, which is the minimum target for a smooth console-like experience and is acceptable for many PC gamers. This setting provides a substantial visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a playable frame rate. At 1440p High, the system delivers an average of 121 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The data suggests that High is the best balance of quality and performance across all resolutions.

For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, the Medium preset offers significant performance gains. At 1080p Medium, the system hits 192 FPS with a minimum of 163 FPS, ensuring extremely smooth gameplay. The jump to 1440p Medium still yields a very high 133 FPS. The Low preset provides the highest frame rates but with a significant visual cost. The data shows that the difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is 52 FPS (244 vs. 192), while the difference between Medium and High is 18 FPS (192 vs. 174). This indicates that the Medium preset is a more efficient choice than Low, as it offers a substantial visual improvement for a smaller performance penalty. The clear recommendation is to use High for 4K and 1440p, and Medium or High for 1080p, depending on the user's refresh rate and preference for visual detail.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested hardware combinations for Greedfall, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile holds a rank of 1023 out of 3703 total combos. This places it in the top 27.6% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. This rank indicates that while this is a high-performance combination, there are many other systems that can outperform it, likely those with more powerful desktop-class CPUs or higher-tier GPUs. The rank reflects the GPU's strength, as the CPU, while powerful, is not at the absolute top of the hierarchy.

The ranking is particularly impressive when one considers the mobile nature of this hardware. The fact that this laptop combination outperforms 72.4% of all tested systems, which includes many desktop configurations, underscores the capability of the RTX 5080 Mobile. The data suggests that the bottleneck in this system is the CPU, which is ranked at the 81st percentile of all CPUs, slightly behind the GPU which is also at the 81st percentile of all GPUs. This near-parity in percentile rankings suggests a balanced system, but the game's engine appears to favor GPU scaling. The performance at 1080p, which is often CPU-limited, is still excellent, but the rank of 1023 shows that other combinations with more powerful CPUs (e.g., those with higher single-thread scores) can achieve even higher frame rates in this specific title. Overall, this combo is a very capable performer, offering a high-end experience that will satisfy most gamers.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling of frame rates across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. The data shows a consistent drop in average FPS as resolution increases, which is a clear indicator that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile is the limiting component at higher settings. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the frame rate drops from 174 FPS to 121 FPS, a reduction of 30.5%. When moving from 1440p to 4K at the same settings, the frame rate drops from 121 FPS to 72 FPS, a reduction of 40.5%. This increasingly steep drop-off is typical of a GPU that is being overwhelmed by the sheer number of pixels.

This pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 30.7% (244 to 169 FPS), and from 1440p to 4K it is 40.2% (169 to 101 FPS). The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical between Low and High settings is significant. It suggests that even at Low settings, where the GPU is doing less work per pixel, it is still the bottleneck at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller percentage drop when going from 1080p to 1440p, as the CPU's workload would remain constant while the GPU's increased.

The data clearly indicates that the CPU has ample headroom. At 1080p Low, the system is producing 244 FPS, which is an extremely high frame rate. The fact that this is the highest measured score suggests that the CPU can still push further if the GPU could keep up. However, the GPU's rendering capabilities are exhausted as resolution increases. The scaling behavior points to the GPU as the primary factor limiting performance at 1440p and 4K, making it the target for any future upgrades if higher frame rates are desired at those resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Greedfall with this hardware?

A: The data suggests 1440p is the sweet spot. At High settings, the system achieves 121 FPS, which is excellent for a high-refresh-rate monitor. 4K is also viable, but requires the High preset to maintain an average of 72 FPS. 1080p is overkill, as the system can exceed 170 FPS on High settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark results indicate the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K resolutions. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases, even at Low settings, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU provides enough performance to reach 244 FPS at 1080p Low, showing it has significant headroom.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Greedfall?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K with the High preset, the system averages 72 FPS, which is playable. However, the Ultra preset is too demanding, resulting in an average of only 46 FPS. For a smoother 4K experience, the High preset is the highest recommended setting.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 135H has an average benchmark score of 29093, which is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (29123, a -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i5-13500HX (29270, a -0.6% delta). This places its computational power in the same tier as those processors.

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

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p, the Low preset yields an average of 244 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 111 FPS. This represents a 54.5% decrease in frame rate when moving to the highest preset, but it still results in a highly playable experience.

Q: Is 16 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The factor pack does not contain any data indicating VRAM limitations or usage. However, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile has 16 GB of GDDR7 memory. The high frame rates achieved at 4K High (72 FPS) suggest that the available memory is not a bottleneck at the tested settings, as performance is more likely limited by the GPU's compute capabilities.