Greedfall

# Greedfall Performance Analysis: Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 produces a consistently high-performing setup in Greedfall, with measured average frame rates ranging from 66 FPS at 4K Ultra to 351 FPS at 1080p Low. The data indicates this pairing delivers smooth gameplay across nearly all tested configurations, though the most demanding preset at 4K dips below the 70 FPS threshold that many players consider ideal for action RPGs. This analysis draws exclusively from the measured FPS rows and component benchmark data provided, offering a precise breakdown of how this specific CPU-GPU combination behaves in this 2019 title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data reveals a clear hierarchy across presets, with the sweet spot depending on resolution. At 1920x1080, all four tested presets exceed 150 FPS average, making the Ultra preset at 160 FPS the most visually complete option without sacrificing fluidity. The gap between High (250 FPS) and Ultra (160 FPS) represents a 36% performance cost for the highest quality settings, yet both remain far above any display refresh rate concern. For 1080p users, Ultra is the recommended preset due to the substantial headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 111 FPS average, which remains comfortably playable on high-refresh monitors. The Medium preset at 191 FPS offers a compelling alternative for competitive play, but the data shows no need to drop below High (174 FPS) for a premium experience. The 1440p Ultra setting provides a 57% improvement over the 4K Ultra result while maintaining the full visual feature set, making it the best balance of fidelity and performance for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations shift notably. The Ultra preset drops to 66 FPS average, which may introduce visible stutter on 60Hz displays during busy scenes. The High preset at 104 FPS is the clear choice for 4K, offering a 58% performance uplift over Ultra while retaining most visual quality enhancements. The Medium preset at 114 FPS with a measured minimum of 97 FPS provides additional safety margin for those prioritizing frame time consistency. The Low preset at 145 FPS is unnecessary given the High preset's excellent results, but it demonstrates the GPU's headroom at this resolution.

GPU Role

The RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth provides substantial memory resources for Greedfall's environments. The GPU's 16,384 shading units operating at a boost clock of 2520 MHz deliver the raw compute throughput needed for the game's rendering demands, with the data showing strong scaling across resolution changes. The 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate explain the high frame rates observed even at 4K High.

The GPU's 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are present but not directly measured in this game's benchmark rows, suggesting Greedfall's engine primarily relies on traditional rasterization. The 450 W TDP and triple-slot cooler indicate this is a high-power design, yet the measured results show it handles the game's load without apparent thermal throttling. The memory clock of 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) combined with the wide bus enables the bandwidth necessary to feed the GPU at 4K resolutions without becoming a bottleneck.

The PassMark G3D score of 38,194 places the RTX 4090 at the 88th percentile among all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta) and AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (-2.5% delta). These comparisons highlight that the RTX 4090's synthetic benchmark position is strong but not dominant; however, in Greedfall specifically, the measured frame rates show exceptional real-world performance that outpaces what the percentile ranking might suggest.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 127 out of 2,938 tested combinations places this pairing in the top 4.3% of all CPU-GPU configurations measured for Greedfall. This ranking reflects the combined capability of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and RTX 4090, with the CPU's 20 cores and 20 threads providing ample processing power for the game's AI and simulation systems while the GPU handles the visual workload.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 64,640 places it at the 93rd percentile among all processors, with nearest rivals being the AMD EPYC 4464P (-0.3% delta) and Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (+0.3% delta). The GPU's average score of 60,347 at the 88th percentile shows both components performing near the top of their respective categories. The combination rank exceeding either component's individual percentile suggests the pairing is particularly well-suited for Greedfall's specific workload characteristics.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear progression across presets. Low settings produce 351 FPS average, Medium delivers 276 FPS with a measured range of 234-317 FPS, High achieves 250 FPS, and Ultra reaches 160 FPS. The 1080p results demonstrate the RTX 4090's ability to saturate even the fastest displays, with the Low preset exceeding 300 FPS by a significant margin.

The 2560x1440 results show a similar pattern with reduced absolute values. Low settings yield 243 FPS, Medium delivers 191 FPS with a 163-220 FPS range, High produces 174 FPS, and Ultra drops to 111 FPS. The step from Medium to Low at 1440p (191 to 243 FPS) represents a 27% improvement, while the step from High to Ultra (174 to 111 FPS) costs 36% performance.

At 3840x2160, the data reveals more pronounced differences. Low settings achieve 145 FPS, Medium delivers 114 FPS with a 97-131 FPS range, High produces 104 FPS, and Ultra drops to 66 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration below 100 FPS, and the 79 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution demonstrates the significant cost of the highest quality preset on the GPU's rendering pipeline.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p to 4K shows the expected pattern of diminishing frame rates, but the magnitude varies by preset. At High settings, the progression is 250 FPS at 1080p, 174 FPS at 1440p, and 104 FPS at 4K — representing a 30% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 40% drop from 1440p to 4K. The cumulative 58% reduction from 1080p to 4K indicates the RTX 4090 remains the primary limiting factor, as the CPU maintains sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is more aggressive: 160 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, and 66 FPS at 4K. This represents a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 41% drop from 1440p to 4K, with the 4K Ultra result showing the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth being heavily taxed. The fact that 1080p Ultra (160 FPS) exceeds 4K Medium (114 FPS) by 40% underscores how resolution scaling affects the GPU more than preset changes at this performance tier.

The CPU's role in resolution scaling becomes apparent when comparing Low preset results: 351 FPS at 1080p, 243 FPS at 1440p, and 145 FPS at 4K. The 1080p Low result of 351 FPS approaches the CPU's practical limit for frame generation, as the 20-core/20-thread configuration with a 5.30 GHz boost clock provides ample single-thread performance for game logic. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,689 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,960 confirm the CPU's strong per-core capability, which prevents it from bottlenecking the GPU even at extremely high frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best 4K preset for this combination?

A: The High preset at 104 FPS average is recommended for 4K, as it delivers 58% higher performance than Ultra (66 FPS) while maintaining most visual quality enhancements. Medium at 114 FPS with a 97 FPS minimum provides additional consistency for frame time-sensitive players.

Q: How does the Ultra 7 265 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ultra 7 265's average benchmark score of 64,640 is 0.3% below the AMD EPYC 4464P (64,823) and 0.3% above the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64,438). It also sits 0.7% above the AMD EPYC 7343 (64,202) and 0.7% below the AMD EPYC 9124 (65,104).

Q: Is the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM sufficient for Greedfall?

A: The 24 GB GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, which is more than adequate for this game. The measured results show no memory-related performance issues even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU's compute limits become apparent before memory capacity.

Q: What frame rate can players expect at 1440p Ultra?

A: The measured data shows 111 FPS average at 2560x1440 Ultra settings. This represents a 68% improvement over 4K Ultra (66 FPS) and is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay on standard displays.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 127th out of 2,938 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the top 4.3% of all configurations. This exceeds both the CPU's 93rd percentile and GPU's 88th percentile individually, indicating a particularly effective pairing for this game.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the combination achieves 351 FPS, which suggests the CPU's 5.30 GHz boost clock and strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,960) are sufficient to avoid bottlenecking. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,689 supports this conclusion.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265's 20 cores and 20 threads on the Arrow Lake architecture provide substantial multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,216. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache offer sufficient data locality for game engines, while the dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth feeds the CPU's processing demands.

The CPU's boost clock of 5.30 GHz is critical for Greedfall's frame rate ceiling, as the game's logic and draw call processing benefit from high single-thread performance. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,689 and Cinebench R15 single-core score of 600 confirm this strength. The measured results at 1080p Low (351 FPS) demonstrate the CPU's ability to generate frames at very high rates without becoming the primary constraint.

The 3 nm process node from TSMC with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die provides efficient power delivery, with the 65 W TDP being notably modest for a 20-core processor. The PassMark multi-thread score of 49,682 and data encryption score of 40,456 show the CPU's throughput capabilities extend beyond gaming, though in Greedfall specifically, the combination of high clock speeds and sufficient core count proves most relevant. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 64,640, positions it as a top-tier gaming processor that complements the RTX 4090's strengths without limiting its performance in this title.