Greedfall

Greedfall, the 2019 Action RPG from Spiders, presents a unique challenge for high-end hardware due to its engine and rendering style. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, using measured FPS data to determine how this combination handles the game across various resolutions and settings. The data shows a system with immense raw capability, yet one that still requires careful settings selection to achieve optimal frame rates at the highest resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combo in Greedfall?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 619th out of 2938 tested combos for this game. This places it in the top 21% of all tested configurations, indicating strong performance, though the ranking suggests that other combinations can deliver even higher frame rates in this specific title.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's memory configuration influence Greedfall performance?

A: The RTX 4090 features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are more than sufficient for Greedfall's textures and assets, ensuring that memory capacity is not a bottleneck at any resolution, from 1920x1080 up to 3840x2160.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 178 FPS. When the resolution is increased to 3840x2160 at the same High settings, the average FPS drops to 74. This represents a 104 FPS decrease, demonstrating that the game is significantly more demanding at 4K.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 9 275HX a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in this game?

A: The Core Ultra 9 275HX has 24 cores and 24 threads, boosting up to 5.40 GHz. While its benchmark scores are high, the data shows varying FPS at different resolutions, which suggests the CPU is not the primary limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 250, which is very high, but the GPU still has headroom, indicating a balanced pairing rather than a severe CPU bottleneck.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest average frame rate at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset provides the highest average frame rate at 173 FPS. The Medium preset follows at 136 FPS, High at 123 FPS, and Ultra at 79 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that breaks the 170 FPS mark, making it the fastest option.

Q: How does the CPU's single-core performance compare to its multi-core performance in relation to Greedfall?

A: The Core Ultra 9 275HX scores 2204 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 35589 in multi-core. For Greedfall, which is not heavily multi-threaded, the strong single-core performance is crucial for maintaining high minimum frame rates and ensuring consistent gameplay, as evidenced by the 1080p Medium minimum FPS of 167.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination holds a rank of 619 out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall. This percentile placement indicates that while this is a very powerful system, it is not at the absolute top of the performance ladder for this specific game. The rank implies that a significant number of other combinations, likely including higher-clocked desktop CPUs and possibly different GPU configurations, can achieve higher average frame rates.

When examining the CPU's synthetic performance, the Core Ultra 9 275HX has an average benchmark score of 67469, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Xeon w5-3525 and the AMD EPYC 4484PX, with the Ultra 9 trailing by only 0.3% and 0.5% respectively. This shows that in raw processing power, the CPU is competitive with top-tier workstation chips, but its mobile design might limit sustained performance in a way that affects real-world game scores. The GPU also has a high synthetic standing, with an average score of 60347, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, though its nearest rival list includes the Intel Arc Pro A60 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, which are not typically considered gaming-class competitors.

The discrepancy between the high synthetic rankings and the 619th position in-game suggests that Greedfall's performance is influenced by factors beyond raw compute power. The game's engine may favor specific CPU architectures or have optimizations that do not scale perfectly with the Core Ultra 9's core configuration. The data indicates that the combo is capable of high frame rates, but it is not the absolute fastest configuration for this title, leaving room for other setups to outperform it.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the primary driver of visual performance in this combo. Its architecture, Ada Lovelace, on a 5 nm process from TSMC, includes 16,384 shading units and 128 RT cores. The GPU is equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding a substantial 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. For Greedfall, this memory configuration is overkill, as the game's world and textures do not require such a large frame buffer, even at 4K resolution. The high bandwidth ensures that texture streaming is never a bottleneck, allowing the GPU to focus its compute power on rendering.

The GPU's clock speeds are specified with a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz. The boost clock is the more relevant figure for sustained gaming performance. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 250 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the GPU is not fully utilized, as the game becomes increasingly CPU-bound at lower resolutions. As the resolution increases to 3840x2160, the load shifts to the GPU, and the average FPS at Low settings drops to 103. This demonstrates that the RTX 4090 is capable of maintaining high frame rates even at 4K, but the performance scaling is not linear due to the increased pixel count.

The RTX 4090's FP32 performance is rated at 82.58 TFLOPS, which is a theoretical maximum. In Greedfall, this compute power translates to the ability to run the game at Ultra settings, but the measured FPS at 4K Ultra is only 47, indicating that the game's rendering pipeline is demanding and that even this GPU cannot maintain a smooth 60 FPS at the highest settings and resolution. The data shows that the GPU is a powerhouse, but Greedfall's engine presents a challenge that requires a balance between visual fidelity and frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the combo performs across different settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance, with the Low preset achieving an average of 250 FPS. The High preset at 1080p yields 178 FPS, while Medium and Ultra average 196 and 114 FPS respectively. The Medium preset at 1080p also provides a minimum FPS of 167 and a maximum of 226, indicating a stable frame time.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains high but shows a noticeable step down. The Low preset averages 173 FPS, High averages 123 FPS, and Medium averages 136 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 79 FPS, which is a significant decrease from the 114 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS, which is a tighter range than at 1080p, suggesting more consistent performance.

At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K resolution become apparent. The Low preset averages 103 FPS, which is still very playable. The Medium preset drops to 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 93. High settings average 74 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 47 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on many displays. The data shows a clear trend: the performance scales down as resolution increases, with the biggest drop occurring between 1440p and 4K, particularly at higher settings presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The CPU's cache configuration includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. For Greedfall, the high boost clock is critical, as the game's logic and AI routines are not heavily multi-threaded.

The CPU's synthetic benchmarks reflect its high-end positioning. It scores 35589 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2204 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 2458 in single-core and 20795 in multi-core. These scores are competitive with top-tier desktop processors, but the data from Greedfall suggests that the game does not fully utilize the 24-core configuration. The performance difference between 1080p Low (250 FPS) and 1440p Low (173 FPS) is 77 FPS, which is a larger gap than would be expected if the CPU were the main bottleneck. This indicates that the GPU is taking on more of the workload as resolution increases.

The CPU's memory support includes DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This is sufficient for feeding the 24 cores, but Greedfall's engine may not be optimized to take advantage of this bandwidth. The measured FPS at 1080p Medium shows a minimum of 167 FPS, which is a high floor, suggesting that the CPU can maintain frame pacing well. The combination of a high boost clock and a large cache helps ensure that the CPU does not stutter, even when the GPU is pushing high frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the High preset offers an excellent balance, delivering 178 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. The Medium preset at 1080p provides a higher average of 196 FPS, but the High preset is recommended for better visual quality with only a 18 FPS penalty.

At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves 123 FPS, which is smooth for most gamers. The Medium preset offers a higher 136 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often noticeable in an Action RPG like Greedfall. For a 1440p monitor with a 144 Hz refresh rate, the High preset is the better choice, as it stays within the VRR range and provides a more visually rich experience. The Ultra preset at 79 FPS is also viable for users prioritizing visuals over frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations change significantly. The High preset averages 74 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced combat. The Medium preset at 81 FPS is a better option, as it provides a higher frame rate with a minimal visual compromise. The Low preset at 103 FPS is the only 4K option that consistently stays above 100 FPS, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. For a 60 Hz 4K display, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS with better graphical details. The Ultra preset at 47 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel less responsive.