Greedfall

Greedfall, an Action RPG released in 2019, presents a specific workload that highlights the distinct capabilities of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher fidelity presets, but which scales into CPU-bound territory at lower resolutions and detail levels. This analysis examines the data to understand the performance envelope of this combination.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies for this hardware pairing. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 351 FPS, but this drops to 243 FPS at 1440p and further to 145 FPS at 4K. This represents a 59% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that even with a top-tier GPU, the resolution increase demands significantly more pixel throughput.

The scaling behavior changes notably when comparing Low versus Ultra settings. At 1080p, the drop from Low to Ultra is from 351 FPS to 160 FPS, a 54% performance hit. However, at 4K, the same settings transition results in a drop from 145 FPS to 66 FPS, a 54% reduction as well, but the absolute numbers are much lower. This consistency in relative scaling suggests that the game’s rendering pipeline responds predictably to both resolution and quality changes.

Looking at the Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, the scaling pattern becomes more nuanced. At 1080p Medium, the average is 276 FPS with a minimum of 234 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 191 FPS with a minimum of 163 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS. The 4K minimum of 97 FPS is notably close to the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that while the average is playable, there are moments of significant frame time spikes.

The data indicates that the RTX 4090 is the primary limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS of 66 represents a substantial drop from the 104 FPS at 4K High. This 36% reduction from High to Ultra at 4K suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive at higher resolutions. Conversely, at 1080p, the gap between High (250 FPS) and Ultra (160 FPS) is a 36% reduction as well, showing that the Ultra preset’s cost scales consistently regardless of resolution.

The 4K Low result of 145 FPS versus the 1080p Low result of 351 FPS shows that even with minimal graphical load, the RTX 4090 cannot fully overcome the pixel count of 4K. However, the fact that 4K Low still achieves 145 FPS indicates that the GPU has ample headroom for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming when settings are moderated.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 features 10 cores and 10 threads, a configuration that relies on a high boost clock of 4.90 GHz to drive performance. The CPU’s benchmark scores show a strong single-core capability, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655. This is critical for Greedfall, which, like many Action RPGs, often has a primary simulation thread that can limit frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

The multi-core performance is also substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891. This suggests that the CPU can handle the game’s background simulation and AI tasks without becoming a limiting factor in most scenarios. The Passmark multi-thread score of 30459 and the Passmark single-thread score of 4412 reinforce this profile of a balanced processor that excels in both lightly-threaded and fully-threaded workloads.

In the context of this game, the CPU’s role becomes apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the 351 FPS result is likely approaching the ceiling of what the game engine can produce with this CPU, as the GPU is far from saturated. The fact that the CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has an average benchmark score of 36945 with a deltaPct of 0, indicates that the Core Ultra 5 225 is positioned in a competitive mid-range segment. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% slower in average benchmark score, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is 0.4% slower, showing that the 225 is essentially on par with these alternatives in synthetic tests.

The CPU’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provide sufficient memory throughput for game data. The 3 nm process node and 65W TDP indicate an efficient design, though the power draw is not a factor in the measured FPS data.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 351, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 66, which is above 60. However, the minimum FPS is not provided for this preset, so frame time consistency cannot be fully assessed.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has a score of 36945 with a deltaPct of 0, indicating they are statistically identical. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% slower, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is 0.4% slower.

Q: Is the GPU the primary bottleneck at 1440p High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 174. Given that the 1080p High result is 250 FPS, the 30% reduction from 1080p to 1440p suggests that the GPU is indeed the limiting component at this resolution and preset.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 351 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 160 FPS. This is a 54% reduction in average FPS when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Does the game show a significant FPS drop between 1440p and 4K?

A: Yes. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 174 at 1440p to 104 at 4K, a 40% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 191 to 114, a 40% reduction as well.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of components ranks 127th out of 2938 tested combos for Greedfall. This places it in the top 4.3% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a high-performance configuration that outperforms the vast majority of alternatives. The rank is influenced by the RTX 4090’s exceptional rasterization performance and the Core Ultra 5 225’s solid single-threaded capabilities.

Given that the RTX 4090 is in the 88th percentile of all GPUs and the Core Ultra 5 225 is in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, the combined rank of 127 is consistent with what one would expect from a pairing of two well-above-average components. The rank suggests that this system is not the absolute fastest for this game, as there are 126 other combinations that achieve higher frame rates, likely featuring more powerful CPUs or even more specialized configurations.

The rank also implies that while the RTX 4090 is a dominant GPU, the CPU can still be a limiting factor in certain scenarios. The 1080p Low result of 351 FPS is likely constrained by the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU with draw calls, as the RTX 4090 is capable of far higher frame rates in synthetic benchmarks. This is reflected in the combo’s rank, which, while excellent, is not at the very top.

Settings Recommendations

For a balanced experience that prioritizes high frame rates while maintaining visual fidelity, the High preset is the most effective choice across all resolutions. At 1080p, High delivers 250 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate display. At 1440p, High provides 174 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz monitors. At 4K, High achieves 104 FPS, which is smooth for 60Hz displays and provides headroom for higher refresh rates.

The Ultra preset, while offering the best image quality, incurs a significant performance cost that is hard to justify. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 66 is close to the 60 FPS minimum threshold, which risks noticeable stuttering during intense scenes. The 1440p Ultra result of 111 FPS is playable but represents a 36% reduction from High, which is a steep price for the additional visual effects.

The Medium preset offers a middle ground, with 276 FPS at 1080p, 191 FPS at 1440p, and 114 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS data for Medium shows that at 4K, the frame rate can drop to 97 FPS, which is still above 60 but indicates less stability than High settings. For those seeking the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p yields 351 FPS, but the visual compromise is substantial.

The data suggests that the High preset is the optimal balance of performance and quality. It avoids the steep performance penalty of Ultra while delivering a significant visual upgrade over Medium. For 4K gaming, High is the recommended choice to ensure a consistent frame rate that stays well above 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 351 FPS. The High preset averages 250 FPS. The Medium preset averages 276 FPS, with a minimum of 234 FPS and a maximum of 317 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 160 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a clear hierarchy, with Medium offering a 21% improvement over High, while Ultra is 42% slower than High.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 243 FPS. The High preset averages 174 FPS. The Medium preset averages 191 FPS, with a minimum of 163 FPS and a maximum of 220 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 111 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a 31% reduction for Low, a 30% reduction for High, a 31% reduction for Medium, and a 31% reduction for Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset averages 145 FPS. The High preset averages 104 FPS. The Medium preset averages 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 66 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is significant: 40% for Low, 40% for High, 40% for Medium, and 41% for Ultra.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 97, which is 85% of the average, indicating some frame time variance. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 163 is 85% of the average, and at 1080p Medium, the minimum of 234 is 85% of the average. This consistency suggests that frame pacing is stable relative to the average, but the absolute minimums at 4K are a concern for strict 60 FPS targets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this system, and its role is most evident at higher resolutions and settings. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, the GPU has a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, which is more than sufficient for Greedfall’s textures and assets at any resolution. The 16384 shading units and 512 TMUs provide immense fill-rate capabilities, as indicated by the texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reflect its top-tier status. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9223 and the Passmark G3D score of 38194 place it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a deltaPct of 0, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 with a deltaPct of 0.3% faster, and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M with a deltaPct of -2.5% slower. This suggests that in synthetic workloads, the RTX 4090 is closely matched by some professional-grade GPUs, though its gaming performance is likely superior.

In Greedfall, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s environments and characters. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as the average FPS of 66 is well below the 145 FPS at 4K Low. This indicates that the Ultra preset’s additional effects, such as advanced lighting and shadows, are extremely demanding on the GPU’s compute units. The RTX 4090’s boost clock of 2520 MHz and 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are necessary to achieve even 66 FPS at this extreme setting.

The 24 GB VRAM capacity is never a concern in this game, as Greedfall is a 2019 title with moderate memory requirements. The GPU’s PCIe 4.0 x16 interface provides ample bandwidth for data transfer from the CPU, ensuring that the CPU’s memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is not a bottleneck. The RTX 4090’s performance at 1080p Low, where it achieves 351 FPS, shows that the GPU is capable of far more than the game can utilize, confirming that the CPU becomes the limiting factor in this scenario.