Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting benchmark scenario for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily influenced by graphical settings and resolution, showing clear performance scaling patterns that point to the GPU as the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across different resolutions and presets, examining the roles of the CPU and GPU, and how this specific combo ranks against a large pool of tested systems.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking observation in the data is the dramatic impact of resolution on performance. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves a very playable 114 FPS on High settings. Moving to 2560x1440 sees that figure drop to 79 FPS, a significant reduction of 35 FPS. The jump to 3840x2160 (4K) is even more punishing, with the average FPS falling to 47, which is less than half of the 1080p High result. This steep decline indicates that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. For instance, on Medium settings, the frame rate goes from 126 FPS at 1080p, to 87 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 52 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K represents a 4x increase in pixel count, yet the performance drop is not linear, suggesting that while the GPU is the main constraint, it's not the only factor. The data implies that to maintain a smooth experience at 4K, users must be willing to make significant compromises in visual quality.

The difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further underscores this point. At 1080p, the gap is 87 FPS (160 FPS on Low vs 73 FPS on Ultra). At 1440p, the gap is 61 FPS (111 vs 50). At 4K, the gap narrows to 36 FPS (66 vs 30). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is so saturated with pixel processing that the relative cost of different settings becomes less impactful on the final frame rate. The limiting component is clearly the GPU's ability to fill pixels, not its ability to execute the more complex shaders associated with higher presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, the data suggests that memory bandwidth and capacity are not the primary constraints at 1080p, where the card delivers strong triple-digit frame rates. However, the significant drop at 4K, where the Ultra preset yields only 30 FPS, points to the GPU's raw compute and fill rate being overwhelmed by the pixel count. The benchmark results show the RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, are not enough to overcome the sheer workload of 4K rendering. The data shows that the card's pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are insufficient for a smooth 4K experience in Greedfall at higher settings. In contrast, at 1080p, these same capabilities are more than adequate, resulting in excellent performance. The card's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT with a 1.6% higher average score, perform similarly, reinforcing the idea that this GPU is positioned for 1080p and 1440p gaming, not 4K.

The 8 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for the textures used at 1080p and 1440p in this game, given the frame rates achieved. The lack of minFPS data for most settings makes it hard to assess frame pacing, but the available data for Medium settings shows a minimum of 107 FPS at 1080p, which is quite stable. The RTX 5050's performance is best described as a capable 1080p and 1440p card that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with high visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a high-end desktop processor, and the benchmark results indicate it is not the bottleneck in this gaming scenario. With 20 cores and 20 threads, its multi-threaded capabilities are substantial, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35850. Its single-core performance is also strong, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2713, which is crucial for gaming. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures it can feed the GPU with data quickly.

The data suggests that Greedfall is not a CPU-intensive title, as the frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution changes. If the CPU were a limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller performance difference between 1080p and 4K, as the CPU would struggle to keep up even at lower resolutions. Instead, the 1080p results are very high, indicating the CPU is providing frames faster than the GPU can render them. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory also contribute to its ability to handle game logic and asset streaming without issue.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 94th among all CPUs further confirms its high performance level. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-14700KF with a 1% higher average benchmark score, are in a similar performance tier. For this specific game, the 265K provides a robust foundation, ensuring that the RTX 5050 is the sole factor determining the final frame rate. The CPU is effectively a silent partner, providing ample headroom for the GPU to operate at its limits.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1776th out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, which is a direct result of the GPU's performance ceiling. Despite having a very powerful CPU, the overall gaming performance is capped by the RTX 5050, pulling the combo's rank down.

This rank indicates that while the system is capable of playing the game, many other combinations of hardware will deliver higher frame rates. The high CPU percentile (94th) contrasted with the lower GPU percentile (66th) shows a significant imbalance. The data implies that for this game, the investment in the Core Ultra 7 265K does not translate into a high gaming rank because the GPU is the limiting factor. Users with a less powerful CPU but a more powerful GPU would likely achieve a higher rank and better in-game performance.

The combo's rank is a holistic measure of its gaming capability. It suggests that this pairing is not optimized for maximum performance in Greedfall. Instead, it represents a system where the CPU is over-provisioned relative to the GPU for this specific workload. The performance is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the rank reflects that it is far from the top tier of tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the High preset is an excellent choice, delivering an average of 114 FPS. This provides a smooth and visually appealing experience. The Ultra preset still offers a very playable 73 FPS, which is fine for those who prioritize visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 126 FPS is also a strong option, offering a high frame rate for competitive play or if a higher refresh rate monitor is in use.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the sweet spot, with an average of 79 FPS. This is a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 87 FPS is also viable and will feel slightly smoother. The Ultra preset drops to 50 FPS, which may be acceptable for some, but it is on the lower edge of playability for a fast-paced action RPG. The Low preset at 111 FPS is an option for maximum smoothness, but it sacrifices significant visual quality.

For 3840x2160, the data shows that this GPU is not well-suited for high settings. The High preset yields only 47 FPS, and Ultra drops to 30 FPS, which is not a desirable experience. The Medium preset provides a more playable 52 FPS, but even this is below the 60 FPS target that many players prefer. The Low preset at 66 FPS is the only setting at 4K that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, but it requires a substantial visual downgrade. The best experience at 4K would be to use the Low preset if performance is the priority, or Medium if visual quality is more important than frame rate. Overall, the data strongly suggests that 1080p and 1440p are the target resolutions for this combo.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 are the most suitable resolutions. At 1080p, the High preset achieves 114 FPS, and at 1440p, the High preset delivers 79 FPS. 4K performance is limited, with even the Low preset only reaching 66 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 50 FPS, while the High preset averages 79 FPS. This represents a 29 FPS difference, meaning the High preset offers a significantly smoother experience with a minor reduction in visual effects.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck for this game?

A: The data strongly suggests the GPU is the bottleneck. Performance scales significantly with resolution, a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU has high benchmark scores and is likely providing frames faster than the GPU can render.

Q: Can this system run the game at 4K 60 FPS?

A: No, the measured data shows that no settings preset at 3840x2160 achieves an average of 60 FPS. The highest average FPS at 4K is 66 on Low, but this requires a significant reduction in visual quality.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 60 FPS target at 1080p?

A: The High and Ultra presets both exceed 60 FPS at 1080p, with averages of 114 FPS and 73 FPS respectively. The Medium preset also achieves a high 126 FPS. All of these are suitable for a 60 FPS target.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1776th out of 2938 tested combinations in Greedfall. This places it in the lower-middle range, indicating that while it can play the game, many other hardware pairings deliver higher performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact average FPS measurements for each tested configuration. For the Medium preset, minimum and maximum FPS data is also available.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Minimum FPS | Maximum FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :---------- | :---------- | :---------- |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 30 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | High | 47 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 52 | 44 | 60 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 66 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 50 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | High | 79 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 87 | 74 | 100 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 111 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 73 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | High | 114 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 126 | 107 | 144 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 160 | N/A | N/A |

This data shows a clear and predictable performance hierarchy. The frame rate decreases as resolution and settings are increased. The Medium preset data shows that frame times are relatively stable, with the minimum FPS not dropping too far below the average. This suggests that the game runs smoothly without major stutters, even when the GPU is under a moderate load.