Greedfall

Greedfall, the 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales dramatically with resolution and graphical presets. When paired with the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, the data reveals a system that is capable of high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming but is firmly anchored by the GPU at 4K. The measured FPS across the three resolutions and four settings tiers provides a clear picture of where this combo excels and where its performance ceiling lies.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, indicating that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 163 FPS at 1920x1080 to 113 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 50 FPS or roughly 30%. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 67 FPS, which is a 59% decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep decline shows that the GPU's rendering workload, particularly pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth, becomes the bottleneck as the resolution increases.

The scaling pattern is consistent across other presets, though the percentage drops vary. At Low settings, the system produces 228 FPS at 1080p, 158 FPS at 1440p, and 94 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K at Low settings results in a 40% performance loss, which is slightly less severe than the 41% loss seen at High settings between those same resolutions. This suggests that even when the graphical load is light, the RTX 4080's 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth and 256-bit bus width are being saturated at 4K, preventing the CPU from pushing frame rates higher.

Ultra settings exhibit the most dramatic scaling, with 104 FPS at 1080p collapsing to 72 FPS at 1440p and finally 43 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is barely playable, representing a 59% drop from the 1080p Ultra score. This indicates that the combination of 4K resolution and Ultra presets demands more from the GPU than it can deliver for smooth gameplay. The data implies that for consistent 4K performance, users would need to dial back settings to High or Medium, as the gap between Medium (74 FPS) and High (67 FPS) at 4K is smaller than the gap between High and Ultra (43 FPS).

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end mobile GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2505 MHz and 9728 shading units provide immense compute throughput, evidenced by its 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 performance. In Greedfall, the GPU's role is most apparent at 4K, where its memory subsystem and raw pixel throughput become decisive factors. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor here, as the game's highest settings at 4K still achieve 43 FPS, indicating that memory size is sufficient; rather, the bus width and bandwidth determine the scaling.

The GPU's performance relative to other cards is near the top of the stack, with a percentile ranking of 86 among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 54247 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which scores 54209 with a deltaPct of 0.1%. This means that in synthetic benchmarks, the standard RTX 4080 is virtually indistinguishable from its SUPER variant, suggesting that Greedfall's performance deltas would likely be minimal between the two. However, the data shows the RTX 4080 falls behind the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S by 2.6% and 2.7% respectively in those same benchmarks, which is a small margin that could translate to a few frames per second in-game.

The GPU's clock behavior is another critical element. The base clock of 2205 MHz and boost clock of 2505 MHz are high for a mobile part, and the data shows that the GPU maintains strong performance even at 1440p High, achieving 113 FPS. This suggests that the Ada Lovelace architecture is well-suited to the game's engine, which likely relies on heavy shader work that the RTX 4080's 304 texture mapping units and 112 ROPs can handle efficiently. The fact that 4K Medium (74 FPS) outperforms 4K High (67 FPS) by 10% underscores that the GPU is the bottleneck at this resolution, as reducing shading complexity directly recovers frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor from the Meteor Lake architecture, with base and boost clocks of 3.90 GHz and 5.10 GHz respectively. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth provide ample headroom for feeding the RTX 4080. In Greedfall, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but it becomes more relevant at 1080p where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 228 FPS, which reflects the CPU's single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 1810.5 score in Cinebench R23 single-core.

The CPU's multi-core capability is robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5 and a Passmark multithread score of 29376. This is important because Greedfall, like many open-world RPGs, may spawn multiple background threads for AI and physics. The processor's percentile ranking of 85 among all CPUs indicates it sits in the upper echelon of mobile processors. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 and Intel Core 7 250H, which score 35719 and 35728 respectively, with deltaPct values of -0.1% and -0.2% relative to the Ultra 9 185H's average benchmark score of 35670. This suggests that the CPU is not a differentiator in this game, as any of these processors would likely yield similar frame rates when paired with the same GPU.

The CPU's integrated graphics, Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 128EU, are irrelevant to this discrete GPU setup but do indicate the processor's potential for lower-power tasks. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 43 FPS, which is likely a GPU-bound scenario. However, at 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 104 FPS, and the fact that this is only 36% lower than 1080p Low (228 FPS) suggests that the CPU is not holding back the GPU at lower resolutions. The CPU's 45 W TDP and 5.10 GHz boost clock are sufficient to keep up with the RTX 4080's demands, as no data points suggest CPU throttling or frame rate plateaus that would indicate a bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K, High settings provide the best balance, delivering an average of 67 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the data shows that Medium settings (74 FPS) offer only a 10% improvement, which may not be worth the visual downgrade. Ultra settings at 4K are not recommended, as the 43 FPS average falls below playable thresholds for most users, and the jump from High to Ultra does not justify the 36% performance penalty.

At 1440p, High settings achieve 113 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate displays. The data shows that Medium settings (124 FPS) provide a 10% boost over High, but the visual quality difference in Greedfall is often subtle. For users with 144 Hz monitors, High is the clear choice, as it balances fidelity and performance. Low settings at 1440p produce 158 FPS, but this sacrifices too much graphical quality for a marginal gain over High. Ultra settings at 1440p (72 FPS) are playable but not ideal, as they place the system in a similar performance bracket to 4K High, with the added benefit of higher resolution being more impactful than Ultra effects.

At 1080p, High settings (163 FPS) are the sweet spot for most users, providing a high frame rate that exceeds the refresh rate of most standard monitors. Medium settings (179 FPS) and Low settings (228 FPS) offer diminishing returns, as the visual differences are less noticeable at this resolution. Ultra settings at 1080p (104 FPS) are viable but not necessary, as the performance is significantly lower than High while the visual uplift is marginal. The data suggests that for this combo, High settings across all resolutions is the most balanced choice, with Medium as a fallback for 4K if users prioritize frame rate over sharpness.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 1219 out of 3703 tested combos in Greedfall, placing it in the top 33% of all configurations. This ranking is notable given that the RTX 4080 is an end-of-life product and the CPU is a mobile part, yet the combo still outperforms the majority of systems tested. The ranking suggests that the GPU's high percentile (86) and the CPU's solid percentile (85) combine to deliver strong overall performance, despite the game's age and its apparent scaling challenges at 4K.

The rank of 1219 indicates that there are many combos that achieve higher frame rates, likely those with more powerful desktop GPUs like the RTX 4090 or newer architectures. However, within the context of this pairing, the data shows that it is a high-performing combination. The fact that it ranks in the upper third implies that most tested systems fall below this combo's performance level, which is significant for a mobile CPU and last-generation GPU. The combo's performance is likely limited by the GPU at 4K, but it excels at 1080p and 1440p, where the rank would probably be higher if the game's rankings were resolution-specific.

The deltaPct values of the CPU's nearest rivals, all within -0.7%, confirm that the processor choice has minimal impact on the combo's overall ranking. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, is only 0.1% faster in synthetic benchmarks, suggesting that swapping to that card would not meaningfully change the combo's rank in Greedfall. This indicates that the combo's rank is primarily determined by the GPU's 4K performance, where it falls short of the highest-tier cards, but it remains a formidable setup for lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60+ FPS?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 and 1920x1080 both exceed 60 FPS on all settings, with the lowest score being 72 FPS at 1440p Ultra. At 3840x2160, High settings average 67 FPS, while Medium averages 74 FPS, both above 60 FPS, but Ultra drops to 43 FPS.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate at 1920x1080 is 163 FPS, which is 143% higher than the 67 FPS at 3840x2160. This indicates a significant performance penalty for 4K rendering with this GPU.

Q: Is the RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM sufficient for Greedfall?

A: The measured data shows no indication of VRAM limitations. At 4K Ultra, the system still achieves 43 FPS, and the performance scaling is consistent with GPU compute limits rather than memory capacity issues, suggesting 16 GB is sufficient for this game.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data does not show a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 228 FPS, and the frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions tested, with the CPU providing ample headroom.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1219 out of 3703 total combos in Greedfall, placing it in the top 33% of all configurations. This is a strong result, given that the CPU is a mobile processor and the GPU is from a previous generation.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Medium and High at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium settings average 179 FPS, while High settings average 163 FPS. This is a 16 FPS difference, or approximately 10%, which may be worth the visual upgrade to High for most users.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The table below details the exact average FPS values recorded for each resolution and settings combination. The data is measured, not estimated, and provides a complete picture of the combo's performance in Greedfall.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

|------------|----------|-------------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 67 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 94 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 74 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 43 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 113 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 158 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 124 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 72 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 163 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 228 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 179 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 104 |

At 4K, the spread from Low (94 FPS) to Ultra (43 FPS) is 51 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy penalty. The Medium preset at 4K (74 FPS) is the only other setting besides High that stays above 60 FPS, making it a viable alternative for users who prefer smoother motion over maximum fidelity. The 1440p results show a tighter grouping, with Low (158 FPS) and High (113 FPS) differing by 45 FPS, but all settings remain comfortably above 60 FPS. At 1080p, the performance is exceptional, with even Ultra (104 FPS) exceeding the refresh rate of standard 60 Hz monitors, and Low (228 FPS) approaching the limits of high-end 240 Hz displays. The measured data confirms that this combo is best utilized at 1440p or below for the most consistent and high-quality experience.