Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting performance profile when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050. The benchmark data shows that this combination is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the powerful CPU ensures consistent frame pacing at lower settings. The combo holds a rank of 1776 out of 2938 tested combinations, indicating a mid-pack standing for this specific title with these components.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 114 FPS at 1920x1080 to 79 FPS at 2560x1440, a 30.7% reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields just 47 FPS, which is a 58.8% decrease from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 5050's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint as pixel count increases.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the spread between Low (160 FPS) and Ultra (73 FPS) is 87 FPS. At 1440p, that spread narrows to 61 FPS (111 FPS Low versus 50 FPS Ultra). At 4K, the difference compresses further to 36 FPS (66 FPS Low versus 30 FPS Ultra). This compression suggests that at 4K, even the lowest settings cannot fully relieve the GPU pressure, while at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to push frame rates much higher when the graphical load is light.

The medium preset shows the most consistent scaling pattern across resolutions. From 1080p Medium (126 FPS) to 1440p Medium (87 FPS) is a 31% drop, and from 1440p Medium to 4K Medium (52 FPS) is a 40.2% drop. The minimum frame rates recorded for Medium settings also scale predictably: 107 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. This consistency indicates that the Medium preset provides a balanced load that scales linearly with resolution.

The data suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo if aiming for 60+ FPS on higher presets. Only the High preset at 1440p (79 FPS) and Low preset at 1440p (111 FPS) exceed 60 FPS. At 4K, all presets fall below 66 FPS, with Ultra dropping to just 30 FPS, which is borderline unplayable for an action RPG requiring responsive combat.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB207 chip, is the limiting factor in this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for Greedfall's demands at 1080p and 1440p but becomes strained at 4K. The GPU's 2560 shading units and 80 texture mapping units deliver a texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s, which explains the steep drop in performance when pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The GPU's boost clock of 2572 MHz and base clock of 2317 MHz are relatively modest, and the 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power places this card in the 66th percentile among all GPUs. The benchmark results show a Passmark G3D score of 17326, which aligns with its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, scoring 20713 (the RTX 5050 trails by 1.6%). The RTX 5050 also sits close to the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, which scores 21153 (a 0.6% difference), and the AMD Radeon HD 8970M at 21237 (1% difference).

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is sufficient for Greedfall, as the game's texture requirements do not appear to exceed this at the tested settings. However, the memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s becomes a bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where the GPU must move significantly more data per frame. The 30 FPS average at 4K Ultra likely reflects both compute and memory bandwidth limitations, as the pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s cannot keep up with the demand of 8.3 million pixels per frame at that quality level.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) ensures full feature compatibility with Greedfall, though the game's 2019 release date means it does not heavily utilize ray tracing or DLSS. The Passmark DirectX 12 score of 66 is notably low, suggesting that the card's DX12 performance is not its strength, but the game's engine appears to handle it adequately based on the measured frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is massively overprovisioned for this game, and the data confirms it is not the limiting factor in any tested configuration. With 24 cores and 24 threads, a base clock of 3.70 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, this processor provides ample headroom for Greedfall's single-threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 cache per core help maintain smooth frame delivery even when the GPU is saturated.

The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce its capability. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303, placing it in the 96th percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 84003 is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807) and 1.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090). The Passmark multithread score of 60860 and single-thread score of 4823 indicate that even the most CPU-intensive scenes in Greedfall would be handled without breaking a sweat.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s via dual-channel DDR5 support is more than sufficient for feeding the GPU, and the PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 lanes ensures no data transfer bottlenecks. The fact that frame rates scale almost exactly with GPU load across resolutions confirms that the CPU is not introducing any frame pacing issues.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 160 FPS, which is likely near the engine's practical limit or the GPU's maximum output at that setting. The CPU's 5.80 GHz boost clock helps ensure that even in crowded city areas or during combat with multiple enemies, the frame rate does not dip below what the GPU can deliver. The CPU's 24 threads are vastly more than Greedfall needs, as the game was designed for systems with far fewer cores, but this overprovisioning means zero CPU-related stutter in the measured results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5050 delivers playable frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 160 FPS, Medium produces 126 FPS with a minimum of 107 FPS and maximum of 144 FPS, High produces 114 FPS, and Ultra produces 73 FPS. The 1080p Medium result shows a tight frame time distribution, with the minimum only 15% below the average, indicating consistent performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains solid but drops noticeably. Low settings average 111 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS, High averages 79 FPS, and Ultra falls to 50 FPS. The 1440p Medium preset maintains a 60+ FPS experience, but the Ultra preset at 50 FPS starts to feel less fluid for an action RPG.

At 3840x2160, the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings produce 66 FPS, Medium produces 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS, High produces 47 FPS, and Ultra drops to 30 FPS. The 4K Medium preset has a minimum below 45 FPS, which would result in noticeable hitches during combat. The 4K High and Ultra presets are not recommended for a smooth experience, as they fall below the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin.

The complete dataset shows a clear pattern: the RTX 5050 can handle 1080p at any preset, 1440p at Low through High presets, but only 4K at Low settings for a reliably smooth experience. The Ultra preset at any resolution is the most demanding, with 1080p Ultra (73 FPS) being the only Ultra configuration that remains playable.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Greedfall at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: No. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average frame rate is 73 FPS, which exceeds 60 FPS. However, at 2560x1440 Ultra, it drops to 50 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Ultra, it falls to 30 FPS. Only the 1080p Ultra preset achieves 60+ FPS.

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

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, it averages 79 FPS, and at Medium settings, it averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, providing a fluid experience without the pixel density issues of 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rival in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, which is 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713). It trails the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL by 0.6% (21153) and the AMD Radeon HD 8970M by 1% (21237).

Q: Is the CPU holding back performance in this game?

A: No. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is not the limiting factor. Frame rates scale with resolution and settings in a pattern consistent with GPU limitation. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking and 51731 Cinebench R23 multicore score indicate it has far more capability than Greedfall requires.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with the Medium preset?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average frame rate is 52 FPS, with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 60 FPS. This is borderline playable but may experience noticeable dips during intense scenes.

Q: How much performance is lost going from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 114 FPS at 1920x1080 to 47 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 58.8% reduction. This indicates the GPU's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this hardware, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the optimal choice. It delivers an average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay during combat and exploration. The 1080p Medium preset offers even higher performance at 126 FPS average with a minimum of 107 FPS, making it ideal for players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. The 1080p High preset at 114 FPS average is also an excellent option, providing better visuals while maintaining well above 60 FPS.

At 4K, only the Low preset (66 FPS average) provides a consistently playable experience, though the Medium preset at 52 FPS average may be acceptable for players who prefer visual quality over frame rate stability. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution above 1080p, as it drops to 50 FPS at 1440p and 30 FPS at 4K, which is too low for an action RPG requiring responsive controls. The data indicates that for most players, the 1440p Medium or High presets will provide the best balance of visual quality and performance, while 1080p Low or Medium will maximize frame rates for competitive or high-refresh-rate displays.