Greedfall

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 lands at rank 2332 out of 2938 tested combos in Greedfall. That places this configuration in the lower third of all tested systems, indicating that while it can run the game, it is far from a top-tier performer. The data shows a combination that is fundamentally mid-pack, with the GPU percentile at 66 and the CPU percentile at 88, but the game's demands and the specific balance of this pairing pull the overall rank down significantly.

Benchmark results indicate that this combo's ranking is dragged by the GPU's relative standing more than the CPU. The RTX 5050 sits at the 66th percentile against all GPUs, which is respectable but not exceptional. The CPU, by contrast, is at the 88th percentile, meaning it is a stronger component in this pairing. However, Greedfall's performance is heavily dependent on the graphics card, so the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The rank of 2332 out of 2938 suggests that roughly 80% of tested combos outperform this one, making it a configuration better suited for 1080p gaming than for high-resolution or max-settings play.

The gap between the combo's overall rank and the individual component percentiles highlights an important point: a strong CPU cannot compensate for a mid-range GPU in this title. The measured frames per second across all settings and resolutions confirm this, showing that the system struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, even on lower presets. For users considering this combo, the data suggests it is a viable entry-level to mid-range option for Greedfall, but expectations for ultra settings or 4K should be tempered.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 2317 MHz with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, and memory runs at 2500 MHz with 20 Gbps effective speed. These specs position the card as a capable 1080p performer, but its 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are modest by modern standards, which becomes evident in Greedfall's higher resolutions.

In Greedfall, the GPU's limitations surface clearly at 4K. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 25 FPS, which is below playable thresholds for most users. Lowering to High settings at 4K improves the average to 39 FPS, still not ideal. The 8 GB VRAM likely becomes a bottleneck at this resolution, as texture-heavy scenes in an Action RPG can exceed the available memory. The card's 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 205.8 GTexel/s texture rate are not enough to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K, especially on higher presets.

At 2560x1440, the RTX 5050 shows more promise. The average frame rate at High settings is 65 FPS, and at Medium it reaches 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. This indicates that 1440p is a viable resolution for this GPU, provided settings are kept to High or below. At 1920x1080, the card performs admirably, with Low settings hitting 132 FPS average and High settings at 94 FPS. The GPU's percentile rank of 66 against all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 17326, places it in the same performance tier as the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which is 1.6% slower, and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, which is 0.6% faster. This context shows that the RTX 5050 is a solid mid-range option, but not a high-end card.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a mobile processor from the Core Ultra Series 3, based on the Panther Lake architecture on a 3 nm process. It has 16 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The CPU features 18 MB of shared L3 cache, with 192 KB of L1 cache per core and 3 MB of L2 cache per core. It supports LPDDR5X memory on a dual-channel bus with 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a high-end mobile CPU, as evidenced by its 88th percentile rank against all CPUs.

In Greedfall, the CPU's role is less demanding than the GPU, but it still contributes to overall performance. The processor's strong single-thread performance, indicated by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2200.5, helps maintain frame rates in scenes with complex game logic. The multi-core score of 18911 in Cinebench R23 suggests that the CPU can handle background tasks and game physics without becoming a bottleneck. The Passmark multithread score of 36811 and single-thread score of 4280 further confirm its capability.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, which is 0.2% faster, and the Intel Core i9-13950HX, which is 0.3% slower. This places the Ultra X9 388H in a competitive position, but in Greedfall, the CPU's power is largely underutilized because the game is more GPU-bound at most settings. The combo rank of 2332 out of 2938 suggests that while the CPU is strong, it cannot boost the overall system performance when paired with the RTX 5050. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the CPU can push the GPU to 132 FPS average, indicating minimal CPU bottleneck, but at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo in Greedfall provide a clear picture of its capabilities across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system performs best. Low settings yield an average of 132 FPS, Medium achieves 104 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS, High reaches 94 FPS, and Ultra drops to 60 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for the RTX 5050, with even Ultra settings hitting the 60 FPS mark, though just barely.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades but remains playable on lower presets. Low settings deliver 92 FPS average, Medium produces 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS, High drops to 65 FPS, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p is playable at Medium or High settings, but Ultra is not recommended due to the sub-60 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles significantly. Low settings provide 55 FPS average, Medium delivers 43 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 49 FPS, High drops to 39 FPS, and Ultra falls to 25 FPS. None of these results are ideal for smooth gameplay, and even Low settings at 4K barely reach 60 FPS on average. The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus become bottlenecks, and the frame rates drop sharply.

Comparing the settings at each resolution, the jump from Ultra to High provides significant improvements: at 1080p, from 60 to 94 FPS; at 1440p, from 42 to 65 FPS; and at 4K, from 25 to 39 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset is too demanding for this GPU, and users should avoid it unless they are willing to accept low frame rates. The measured data includes minimum and maximum FPS only for Medium settings, which show consistent frame times at 1080p (88-120 FPS) and 1440p (61-83 FPS), but at 4K, the range of 37-49 FPS indicates some instability.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the best resolution, with Low settings achieving 132 FPS average and High settings at 94 FPS. Even Ultra at 1080p hits 60 FPS, making it the only resolution where all settings are playable.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 55 FPS on Low, 43 FPS on Medium, 39 FPS on High, and 25 FPS on Ultra. None of these are ideal, and the minimum FPS of 37 on Medium suggests inconsistent performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more of a bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck. The RTX 5050 has a percentile rank of 66, while the CPU is at 88. At higher resolutions, the GPU's limitations are more apparent, whereas the CPU's strong single-thread score of 2200.5 in Cinebench R23 ensures it is not the limiting factor.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5050 is 1.6% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT and 0.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL. It is also 1% faster than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M and 1.6% slower than the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p on High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 on High settings, the average frame rate is 65 FPS. This is playable but not as smooth as the 94 FPS average seen at 1080p on the same settings.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset for this game?

A: The data suggests avoiding Ultra. At 1080p, Ultra averages 60 FPS, but at 1440p it drops to 42 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 25 FPS. Lowering to High provides substantial gains, such as a 34 FPS increase at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo in Greedfall is at 1920x1080 with High settings, which yields an average of 94 FPS. This provides a smooth and visually appealing experience without the performance cost of Ultra. For users who prefer maximum visual fidelity, Ultra at 1080p is playable at 60 FPS average, but the margin is thin, and any demanding scene could cause drops.

At 2560x1440, the recommended setting is Medium, which delivers 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS. This maintains a playable frame rate while offering better visual quality than Low. High at 1440p is also viable at 65 FPS, but Medium provides a more consistent experience based on the measured minimum and maximum values. Avoid Ultra at 1440p, as the 42 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that this resolution is not ideal for this combo. The best option is Low, which achieves 55 FPS average, but this is still below 60 FPS. Medium at 4K provides 43 FPS, and High or Ultra are not recommended due to frame rates below 40 FPS. Users prioritizing 4K should consider lowering the resolution or upgrading the GPU, as the current setup does not deliver a satisfying experience at this resolution. Overall, the sweet spot is 1080p with High settings, offering the best balance of performance and visual quality based on the measured data.