Greedfall

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 pairing delivers a mid-range 1080p and 1440p experience in Greedfall, with 4K Ultra proving too demanding for the GPU. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy where settings and resolution dramatically shift the balance between CPU and GPU load. This combination ranks 1672nd out of 2938 tested combos for this game, placing it in the 57th percentile of all configurations. The benchmark results indicate a system that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, but one that requires careful settings management at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 brings 14 cores and 14 threads to the table, operating at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This is a desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2 family, built on the Arrow Lake architecture using a 3 nm process node. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation for gaming workloads. The processor’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14,769 and single-core score of 2,085 indicate strong computational throughput for an Action RPG like Greedfall, which typically relies on a mix of physics, AI, and rendering tasks.

In the context of this game, the CPU’s single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,516 places it in a competitive position. The processor’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 with an average score of 46,030 (0.1% higher) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX at 46,098 (0.1% lower). This tight clustering suggests the Ultra 5 235 provides balanced performance that is unlikely to bottleneck the GPU at mainstream resolutions. The PassMark physics score of 2,570, alongside the integer math score of 87,948, reflects a processor that can handle the complex game logic and physics simulations present in Greedfall’s world without becoming a limiting factor at lower resolutions.

The 14-thread configuration, while lacking hyper-threading, provides enough parallelism for modern game engines. At 1080p with Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 167 FPS, which is 48 FPS higher than the High preset’s 119 FPS result. This indicates that at lower graphical loads, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with sufficient frame data. However, the performance scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop of 91 FPS (from 167 to 76), which is primarily driven by the GPU’s workload rather than CPU limitations. The processor’s 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs further underscores its capability to support this gaming scenario without introducing significant bottlenecks.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 with Medium settings provides a strong balance, achieving 91 FPS average with a minimum of 77 FPS. This offers higher visual fidelity than 1080p while maintaining smooth gameplay, and it is a significant improvement over the 4K results, which drop to 54 FPS at Medium settings.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46,062. This is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 at 46,030 (0.1% higher) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX at 46,098 (0.1% lower). The AMD EPYC 4364P scores 45,970, which is 0.2% lower, showing the Ultra 5 235 sits in a tightly contested performance band.

Q: Does the GPU outperform its closest competitors in synthetic tests?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16,014. It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti by 0.7% (16,129 vs 16,014) but leads the AMD Radeon R9 370X by 1% (15,862) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 by 1% (15,852). This places it in a competitive mid-range segment.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 76 FPS. This is perfectly playable, but it is a 91 FPS drop from the Low preset’s 167 FPS, indicating a substantial performance cost for maximum visual quality.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 4K?

A: The GPU is dominant at 3840x2160. The average frame rate at Ultra drops to 31 FPS, while the CPU’s strong 14-core performance remains underutilized. The scaling from Low (69 FPS) to Ultra (31 FPS) at 4K shows a 55% performance reduction, which is far more severe than the 1080p scaling, confirming the GPU as the limiting component.

Q: How does the combo’s ranking in Greedfall compare to other tested configurations?

A: This specific combo ranks 1672nd out of 2938 total tested combos for Greedfall. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all configurations, suggesting it is a capable but not top-tier performer for this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear resolution scaling pattern that highlights the GPU’s role as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Medium settings, the system achieves an average of 131 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 91 FPS, a reduction of 40 FPS (30.5%). At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 54 FPS, which is a 77 FPS drop from 1080p (58.8% reduction). This steep decline indicates that the RX 9060 is heavily taxed as pixel count increases.

The scaling behavior varies across settings presets. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p (167 FPS) to 1440p (116 FPS) is 51 FPS (30.5%), and then to 4K (69 FPS) is another 47 FPS (40.5%). This consistent reduction across resolutions suggests that even at the lowest graphical load, the GPU’s rendering capacity is the limiting factor. In contrast, at Ultra settings, the drop from 1080p (76 FPS) to 1440p (53 FPS) is 23 FPS (30.3%), and then to 4K (31 FPS) is another 22 FPS (41.5%). The percentage drops are remarkably similar across presets, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s and 8 GB VRAM are the constraining resources.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting component at higher resolutions. The processor’s strong single-thread score and 14-core configuration can handle the game’s logic at 4K, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate drop from 1440p to 4K is proportional to the pixel count increase. The GPU’s pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s are the metrics that determine performance at these higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely a factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 31, which is below the generally accepted playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows its strongest performance. The Low preset delivers an average of 167 FPS, providing an exceptionally smooth experience. Medium settings yield 131 FPS with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 151 FPS, offering a good balance of visual quality and speed. High settings produce 119 FPS, which remains highly playable. The Ultra preset drops to 76 FPS, still sufficient for most players but showing a 54.5% reduction from Low. These numbers indicate that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, with ample headroom for high refresh rate displays even at High settings.

At 2560x1440, performance remains solid. The Low preset reaches 116 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. Medium settings average 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 105 FPS, providing a smooth experience with better visuals. High settings deliver 83 FPS, which is comfortable for most gaming scenarios. The Ultra preset drops to 53 FPS, which is playable but may feel less fluid during intense combat sequences. The 1440p results show a 30.5% performance hit compared to 1080p at Medium settings, reflecting the increased pixel workload on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings produce an average of 69 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. Medium settings drop to 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced exploration but could struggle during action scenes. High settings yield 49 FPS, and Ultra drops to 31 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4K results demonstrate that the RX 9060’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are insufficient for high-fidelity gaming at this resolution, with the Ultra preset showing a 55.1% reduction from Low.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1672nd out of 2938 tested combinations in Greedfall. This places it in the 57th percentile of all tested systems, indicating a solidly mid-range performance profile. The ranking reflects the system’s capability at 1080p and 1440p, where it excels, but is dragged down by its poor 4K Ultra performance. The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking among all processors suggests it is a high-performing component, while the GPU’s 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it is more of a mainstream part.

The delta between the CPU and GPU rankings is notable. The processor is well above average, while the graphics card is just above the midpoint. This disparity means the system’s overall rank in Greedfall is likely constrained by the GPU’s performance ceiling. The nearest GPU rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (0.7% higher score) and the AMD Radeon R9 370X (1% lower), showing the RX 9060 is closely matched with previous-generation mid-range cards. In a game like Greedfall, which is not heavily optimized for multi-core CPUs, the single-thread performance of the Ultra 5 235 helps maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s limitations become apparent as resolution increases.

The 1672nd rank out of 2938 combos means this setup outperforms 1266 tested configurations. This places it ahead of many older systems but behind newer high-end builds. For a user targeting 1080p or 1440p gaming, this rank is appropriate and reflects the system’s strengths. However, the ranking would likely be significantly lower if 4K performance were weighted more heavily, as the 31 FPS Ultra result is among the lower scores in the database for this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the gaming experience. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 131 FPS and a minimum of 112 FPS that ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. This is 12 FPS higher than the High preset’s 119 FPS average, and the visual difference between Medium and High is often minimal in this game. The Ultra preset’s 76 FPS average is playable, but the 55 FPS drop from Medium may not justify the visual improvements.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is again the recommended choice, delivering 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS. This provides a consistently fluid experience that takes advantage of the higher resolution while maintaining performance. The High preset at 83 FPS is also viable, offering slightly better visuals with a modest 8 FPS reduction. The Ultra preset at 53 FPS is borderline, and players sensitive to frame rate fluctuations may find it lacking during combat.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only option that provides acceptable performance, with an average of 69 FPS. The Medium preset at 54 FPS may work for less action-oriented gameplay, but the minimum of 46 FPS could cause noticeable stuttering. The High and Ultra presets at 49 FPS and 31 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience. Given the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM capacity, users should prioritize Low or Medium settings at 4K to avoid potential texture streaming issues.

Overall, the data suggests that 1440p Medium is the optimal configuration for this combo, offering a 35% higher frame rate than 4K Medium while still providing a significant resolution upgrade over 1080p. The 77 FPS minimum at 1440p Medium ensures consistent playback, making it the best choice for a balanced experience across different gameplay scenarios.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, fabricated on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1700 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, which is a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings.

In Greedfall, the GPU’s role is dominant, particularly as resolution increases. The FP32 performance of 21.43 TFLOPS and the texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s determine how quickly the GPU can process the game’s rendering tasks. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,322 and the PassMark G3D score of 17,631 place it in a competitive position against the RTX 3060 Ti. However, the 8 GB VRAM capacity is a concern at 4K, where the Ultra preset drops to 31 FPS, likely due to memory bandwidth and capacity limitations.

The GPU’s 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs reflects its mid-range positioning. The nearest rivals in performance are the RTX 3060 Ti (0.7% higher average score) and the Radeon RX 7700 (1% higher), showing the RX 9060 is competitive with these cards. The 4K results in Greedfall indicate that the GPU is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can leverage its high boost clock of 2990 MHz to maintain high frame rates. At 1440p Medium, the 91 FPS average demonstrates the GPU’s capability when not constrained by memory bandwidth, but the 4K Ultra result of 31 FPS highlights the architectural limits of the 128-bit memory interface.