Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with resolution and graphical presets. When paired with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, the measured data reveals a configuration that is clearly bound by the GPU at higher settings, while the CPU provides ample headroom to push frame rates at lower resolutions. The benchmark results indicate a system capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p, solid performance at 1440p, and a playable, though compromised, experience at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a steep decline as resolution increases, which is a classic indicator of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 136 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset drops the average to 94 FPS, a reduction of 42 FPS. The jump to 4K (3840x2160) at High settings further reduces the average to 56 FPS, marking a total loss of 80 FPS from the 1080p baseline. This pattern highlights that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, placing increasing strain on the Radeon RX 6750 XT.

The scaling is even more pronounced at the Ultra preset. At 1080p, the Ultra setting yields an average of 87 FPS. At 1440p, this falls to 60 FPS, and at 4K, it bottoms out at just 36 FPS. This represents a 58.6% performance drop from 1080p to 4K at the highest visual quality. The data suggests that while the 1080p and 1440p results are respectable, the 4K Ultra target is far beyond what this GPU can handle, as the average frame rate drops below the 40 FPS threshold generally considered minimum for smooth gameplay.

The performance delta between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further confirms the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p, the gap between Low (191 FPS) and Ultra (87 FPS) is 104 FPS. At 1440p, the same comparison shows a difference of 72 FPS (132 FPS vs 60 FPS). At 4K, the Low preset still manages 79 FPS, but the Ultra preset drops to 36 FPS, a difference of 43 FPS. This indicates that the visual complexity of the Ultra preset has a massive impact on the rendering hardware, and the RX 6750 XT simply does not have the raw throughput to maintain high frame rates when both resolution and settings are maximized.

The data implies that the limiting component in this configuration is the GPU. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its high multi-threaded capabilities, is not the bottleneck at any resolution. The evidence lies in the fact that frame rates scale inversely with resolution, which is a pure GPU workload. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU's work would be the ceiling. Instead, the consistent drop in FPS with higher resolutions shows that the GPU is working at its maximum capacity and cannot keep up with the increasing pixel count.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is a RDNA 2.0 architecture GPU with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its role in Greedfall is critical, as the game's rendering demands are substantial. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings place this GPU in the 71st percentile among all tested GPUs, indicating it is a mid-to-high tier performer, but not a flagship. The benchmark results show that it is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with high settings.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a boost clock of 2600 MHz and a game clock of 2495 MHz, are essential for its performance. The data shows that at 1440p High, the combo produces 94 FPS, which is a strong result for a demanding title. However, the 12 GB VRAM buffer, while sufficient for most current titles, appears to be a limiting factor at 4K. The drastic drop from 62 FPS at Medium 4K to 56 FPS at High 4K, and then to 36 FPS at Ultra 4K, suggests that the memory bandwidth and capacity are being saturated by the higher resolution textures and effects.

The GPU's 2560 shading units and 160 TMUs handle the geometry and texturing, but the 64 ROPs are responsible for final pixel output, which becomes the bottleneck at high resolutions. The 13.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is on par with what is needed for 1440p gaming, but the 4K results show that this compute capability is insufficient for Ultra settings. The data indicates that the RX 6750 XT is a very capable 1440p card, but users should temper expectations for 4K, where the High preset is the maximum viable option, and even then, only at an average of 56 FPS.

The memory configuration is a key differentiator. With 12 GB of VRAM, it has more capacity than the 8 GB found in some competitors, which helps with higher resolution textures. However, the 192-bit bus width limits the memory bandwidth to 432.0 GB/s, which is lower than cards with a 256-bit interface. In Greedfall, this bandwidth constraint is likely a contributing factor to the performance drop at 4K, as the GPU cannot feed the render pipeline fast enough to maintain high frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 1080p display, the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering an average of 136 FPS. This provides a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience without the substantial performance cost of the Ultra preset, which only yields 87 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 150 FPS, but the visual fidelity gain from High is likely worth the 14 FPS sacrifice for most users.

At 1440p, the High preset is again the sweet spot, achieving an average of 94 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS target for most monitors and provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset delivers 104 FPS, but the High settings will provide a noticeably better image. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 60 FPS, which is borderline for fast-paced action, but the High preset offers a more comfortable margin.

For 4K resolution, the data shows that the Ultra preset is not viable, with an average of only 36 FPS. The High preset is the maximum recommended setting, yielding 56 FPS. This is playable, but not ideal for a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 4K provides 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, which is the most consistent option for 4K. The Low preset at 4K achieves 79 FPS but significantly compromises the visual presentation, which is not recommended for a game like Greedfall that relies on atmosphere and detail.

The data suggests that the High preset is the best overall balance for most users, as it provides over 90 FPS at 1440p and over 130 FPS at 1080p. For 4K, the Medium preset is the most reliable, offering a playable frame rate with a reasonable minimum. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions unless the user prioritizes visual quality over frame rate, as the performance cost is severe.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Greedfall?

A: The data shows 1440p is the sweet spot. At High settings, it averages 94 FPS, which is a strong balance between visual fidelity and performance. 1080p is faster (136 FPS at High), but 1440p offers a significant upgrade in image clarity without sacrificing playability.

Q: Can this system run Greedfall at 4K?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K with Medium settings, it averages 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, which is playable. The High preset drops to 56 FPS, and Ultra is not recommended as it falls to 36 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from 1080p to 4K?

A: At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 136 FPS at 1080p to 56 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 80 FPS (58.8%). This indicates a significant GPU workload increase at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The frame rate scales directly with resolution, which is a characteristic of GPU-bound workloads. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has more than enough processing power to feed the GPU at all tested settings.

Q: What are the differences between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The Low preset at 1440p averages 132 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 60 FPS. This is a 72 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset is more than twice as demanding on the GPU.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate at 1080p Medium?

A: The measured data shows a minimum of 128 FPS at 1080p Medium, with an average of 150 FPS and a maximum of 173 FPS. This indicates a very consistent and smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT ranks 1307 out of 2938 total combos for Greedfall. This places it in the 44.5th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms more than half of the configurations but is outclassed by the top tier. This rank is a reflection of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU is a top-tier component.

The ranking suggests that while the CPU is a high-end part, the GPU is the limiting factor in this specific game. The Radeon RX 6750 XT is a solid mid-range performer, as evidenced by its 71st percentile ranking among all GPUs, but it cannot compete with the high-end cards that dominate the top of the combo list. The data indicates that this combo is well-positioned for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it will not be competitive with systems featuring more powerful GPUs in 4K benchmarks.

The combo's rank also reflects the game's specific requirements. Greedfall is a demanding title, and the measured frame rates show that it requires substantial GPU resources to run at high settings. The 1307th ranking out of 2938 means that a significant number of tested combos, likely those with higher-end GPUs, achieve better performance. However, for a user with a 1440p monitor, this combo provides a very good experience, and the rank should be interpreted in the context of the target resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. Its role in Greedfall is to handle the game's simulation, AI, and physics logic, which are not heavily multi-threaded. The CPU's performance is more than sufficient for this title, as the data shows that it is never the bottleneck. The measured frame rates are consistently limited by the GPU, which is the expected behavior for a high-end CPU paired with a mid-range GPU.

The CPU's high boost clock of 5.80 GHz is critical for single-threaded performance, which is what Greedfall primarily relies on. The benchmark data shows strong single-core results, such as a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303, which is in the 96th percentile among all CPUs. This ensures that the CPU can process the game's main thread quickly, preventing any frame rate stutter or stalls that could occur with a weaker processor. The multi-core score of 51731 in Cinebench R23 indicates that the CPU has ample headroom for any background tasks or other applications running concurrently.

The 36 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s also help to feed the GPU with data efficiently. The data suggests that the CPU's role is to provide a stable and fast platform that does not interfere with the GPU's work. In this configuration, the CPU is essentially a spectator, waiting for the GPU to finish its rendering tasks. The result is that the frame rate is entirely dependent on the GPU's capabilities, and the CPU's high performance does not translate into higher frame rates at 4K, as the GPU is the limiting factor.