Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and AMD Radeon 8050S combination. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system that is consistently capable of playable performance at 1080p and 1440p, but which struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K, particularly on higher settings. This analysis breaks down the benchmark data to understand the scaling behavior, the role of each component, and the optimal settings for this specific hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K has a profound impact on the average frame rates, highlighting the increasing burden placed on the AMD Radeon 8050S as pixel count rises. At the "High" preset, the system delivers an average of 106 FPS at 1920x1080. Moving to 2560x1440, this figure drops to 74 FPS, a reduction of approximately 30%. The jump to 3840x2160 is even more severe, with the average falling to 44 FPS, which is just over 40% of the 1080p performance. This pattern strongly indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor, as the sheer number of pixels to process grows exponentially.

The scaling trend is even more pronounced at the "Ultra" settings tier. At 1080p, the system manages an average of 68 FPS, which is already a significant drop from the "High" preset. At 1440p, performance falls to 47 FPS, and at 4K, it collapses to just 28 FPS. This steep decline suggests that the "Ultra" preset introduces graphical features that are disproportionately expensive at higher resolutions, pushing the Radeon 8050S well beyond its comfort zone. The gap between "High" and "Ultra" at 4K is a 16 FPS difference, whereas at 1080p it is a 38 FPS difference, demonstrating that the performance cost of "Ultra" settings scales with resolution.

When examining the "Low" preset, the pattern holds, but with higher absolute numbers. The system posts 149 FPS at 1080p, 103 FPS at 1440p, and 62 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 31%, similar to the "High" preset. However, the drop from 1440p to 4K is less steep in percentage terms, with a 40 FPS reduction. This indicates that even when the GPU is less burdened by graphical effects, the 4K resolution itself presents a formidable challenge. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates, while 4K is only viable on the "Low" preset.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8050S, with its RDNA 3.5 architecture and 2048 shading units, is the driving force behind the frame rates in Greedfall. Its performance, as measured in the data, is heavily influenced by the resolution and settings, confirming its role as the primary bottleneck in this system. The GPU's boost clock of 2800 MHz and base clock of 1295 MHz provide the raw computational power, but the "System Shared" memory configuration means it relies on the system's RAM for both capacity and bandwidth. This shared memory setup is a critical factor, as the bandwidth is "System Dependent," which can limit performance in memory-intensive scenarios like high-resolution gaming.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 62108. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, is only 0.3% ahead, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 and AMD Radeon RX 7600M are 2.5% and 2.6% ahead, respectively. This suggests the 8050S is a solid performer in its class, but the Greedfall results show its limits. The 4K "Ultra" result of 28 FPS and the 4K "High" result of 44 FPS demonstrate that while the GPU is capable, it is not powerful enough for maxed-out 4K gaming in this title. The 1080p "Ultra" result of 68 FPS shows that it can handle the most demanding settings at lower resolutions, but the scaling data suggests that the fill-rate and memory bandwidth demands of 4K are simply too much for it to maintain a fluid experience.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 11.47 TFLOPS is a key indicator of its raw shader power, but the data shows that this power is not sufficient to overcome the resolution penalty. The pixel rate of 179.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 358.4 GTexel/s are the theoretical limits, but the actual frame rates are far lower, indicating that other bottlenecks, such as memory bandwidth or driver overhead, are at play. The consistent performance drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings is a clear sign of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits, with the "Low" preset at 4K being the only setting where it can maintain a playable 60 FPS average.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and AMD Radeon 8050S combination depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience at 1080p, the "High" preset is the clear choice, delivering an average of 106 FPS. The "Ultra" preset at 1080p, with its 68 FPS average, is also playable but represents a significant performance cost for the added visual fidelity. The "Medium" preset at 1080p offers a middle ground at 117 FPS, but the jump to "High" is a modest 11 FPS drop for a substantial visual upgrade.

At 1440p, the situation changes. The "High" preset, with an average of 74 FPS, is the sweet spot, providing a smooth experience that takes advantage of the higher resolution. The "Medium" preset at 81 FPS is also viable, but the "High" preset is recommended for the better image quality. The "Ultra" preset at 1440p, at 47 FPS, is not smooth enough for fast-paced action and should be avoided. The "Low" preset at 103 FPS is an option for competitive play, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a resolution that is already well-served by "High."

For 4K, the recommendation is straightforward: use the "Low" preset. The 62 FPS average is the only playable option at this resolution, and even then, it is barely above the 60 FPS threshold. The "Medium" preset at 48 FPS and "High" at 44 FPS are too close to the 30 FPS territory to be recommended for anything but the slowest of gameplay. The "Ultra" preset at 28 FPS is effectively unplayable. Therefore, the best experience per the measured rows is to prioritize resolution over settings, using "High" at 1440p or "Low" at 4K, depending on whether the user prefers higher fidelity or higher pixel count.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of the system's performance in Greedfall, with average frame rates recorded for each combination of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 149 FPS on "Low," 117 FPS on "Medium," 106 FPS on "High," and 68 FPS on "Ultra." The "Medium" preset also recorded a minimum FPS of 99 and a maximum of 135, indicating some frame time variance but overall stable performance. The 1080p results show a clear hierarchy, with the system capable of high refresh rate gaming on lower presets and solid 60+ FPS performance on "High."

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 103 FPS on "Low," 81 FPS on "Medium," 74 FPS on "High," and 47 FPS on "Ultra." The "Medium" preset again shows a min/max range of 69 to 93 FPS, suggesting consistent performance. The 1440p results demonstrate that the system remains highly capable, with "High" being the recommended preset for a balance of quality and speed. The 4K results at 3840x2160 show averages of 62 FPS on "Low," 48 FPS on "Medium," 44 FPS on "High," and 28 FPS on "Ultra." The "Medium" preset at 4K recorded a min of 41 FPS and a max of 56 FPS, which shows that performance can dip below 45 FPS, making it a less stable experience than the "Low" preset.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the gap between "Low" and "Ultra" narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 81 FPS, at 1440p it is 56 FPS, and at 4K it is 34 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, and the CPU has more headroom to push higher frame rates when the GPU is less stressed. The 1080p "Low" result of 149 FPS suggests the CPU and GPU combination can reach very high frame rates when the graphical load is low, but the 4K "Ultra" result of 28 FPS shows the absolute limit of this hardware in Greedfall.

FAQ

Q: Is this CPU and GPU combination capable of running Greedfall at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at the "Low" preset, which produces an average of 62 FPS. The "Medium" preset averages 48 FPS, "High" averages 44 FPS, and "Ultra" averages 28 FPS, all of which are below the ideal 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming with this hardware?

A: The "High" preset is the best choice, providing an average of 74 FPS. The "Medium" preset at 81 FPS is also viable, but "High" offers a better visual experience with only a 7 FPS penalty.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon 8050S compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon 8050S has an average benchmark score of 62108. It is 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, and 2.5% and 2.6% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 and AMD Radeon RX 7600M, respectively.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H a bottleneck for this game at 1080p?

A: The 1080p "Low" preset result of 149 FPS suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower graphical loads, as the GPU is able to render frames quickly. The CPU's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1759, supports high frame rates.

Q: What is the performance difference between the "Medium" and "High" presets at 1080p?

A: The "Medium" preset averages 117 FPS, while the "High" preset averages 106 FPS. This is an 11 FPS difference, making "High" a worthwhile upgrade for the visual quality gains.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this hardware in Greedfall?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 28 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the "Ultra" settings preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H plays a supporting role in Greedfall, ensuring that the GPU is fed with enough data to maintain high frame rates. With 16 cores and 22 threads, the CPU has substantial multi-threaded capability, but Greedfall's engine often relies more on single-core performance. The CPU's boost clock of 5.00 GHz and base clock of 3.80 GHz, combined with its Meteor Lake architecture, provide strong single-thread throughput. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1759 and multi-core score of 14551 indicate a balanced processor that can handle both the game's logic and background tasks.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average score of 34083. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H, is only 0.3% ahead, while the AMD EPYC 4244P and AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 are 0.4% behind, and the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is 0.5% behind. This shows the 165H is a very competitive mobile processor. In Greedfall, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p with the "Low" preset, where the system achieves 149 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is capable of handling the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming a limiting factor, as the GPU is not yet saturated.

However, as the resolution increases, the CPU's impact diminishes. The frame rate drops from 149 FPS at 1080p "Low" to 103 FPS at 1440p "Low," a 31% reduction, which is primarily due to the GPU's increased workload. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient for the game's data requirements, preventing any stuttering or hitches that could arise from data bottlenecks. The data suggests that the Core Ultra 7 165H is more than adequate for this game, and its performance is unlikely to be the cause of any frame rate limitations, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU is the clear limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Greedfall, the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and AMD Radeon 8050S combo ranks 2155 out of 2938 tested configurations. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is a significant finding given the individual components' strong benchmark scores. The GPU's 89th percentile ranking and the CPU's 84th percentile ranking suggest that both parts are individually capable, yet their combined performance in Greedfall is less impressive relative to the entire field.

This disparity can be attributed to the specific demands of Greedfall. The game's rendering engine appears to be particularly sensitive to GPU memory bandwidth and raw fill rate, which are areas where the Radeon 8050S's "System Shared" memory configuration may be a disadvantage compared to dedicated VRAM solutions. The combo's rank of 2155 indicates that there are 783 other tested combinations that deliver higher average frame rates in this title. This is not a poor result, but it shows that the hardware is not at the top of its class for this specific game, despite strong synthetic benchmark scores.

The rank also suggests that other combinations, potentially with different GPU architectures or dedicated memory, are better suited for Greedfall's specific workload. While the 8050S is a capable GPU, its performance in this title is constrained by the system's shared memory architecture, which limits its ability to handle the game's high-resolution textures and effects. The data shows that while this combo can provide a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, it is not a top-tier performer in Greedfall, and users seeking higher frame rates at 4K would need to consider more powerful hardware configurations.