Greedfall

Greedfall, a 2019 Action RPG, presents an interesting profile for the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination. The data indicates that this pairing is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but the CPU's capabilities become a more significant factor when settings are lowered. The overall performance is substantial, yet the game's engine and the specific hardware configuration create a distinct scaling pattern that favors high-refresh-rate 1440p play.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable decline in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 186 FPS at 1080p to 129 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 77 FPS at 4K. This represents a 31% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 40% decrease from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is consistent with a system where the GPU's rendering load becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a significant frame rate cost, indicating that the GPU is working progressively harder. However, the most dramatic drop occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K, where the average frame rate falls by more than half of the 1080p value. This steep decline at 4K suggests that the RTX 5090, despite its immense power, is being fully utilized by the game's visual demands at this resolution, and the frame rate is almost entirely dictated by the GPU's rendering throughput.

The scaling pattern for the Low settings preset is even more revealing. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 261 FPS, which drops to 181 FPS at 1440p and 108 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is a substantial 59%, which is steeper than the 59% drop seen at High settings (from 186 to 77 FPS). This suggests that at lower settings, the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU, but the GPU still becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, though the absolute frame rates remain exceptionally high.

The data points to a system that is exquisitely balanced for 1440p gaming. At this resolution, the frame rates are high enough to fully utilize high-refresh-rate monitors, while the GPU is not so overburdened that it becomes the sole determinant of performance. At 4K, the system is clearly GPU-limited, and the frame rates, while playable, do not fully exploit the RTX 5090's potential relative to its 1080p performance. The limiting component at 4K is definitively the GPU, as the CPU's role diminishes with the increased pixel count.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread mobile processor based on the Panther Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.10 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In the context of Greedfall, the CPU's role appears to be providing a solid foundation that prevents bottlenecking at lower resolutions, but it does not become the primary performance driver at higher settings.

At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 261 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is capable of processing the game's logic and draw calls quickly enough to keep the GPU well-fed. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, and the CPU's contribution to the overall frame rate becomes less critical. The fact that the 1080p Low result is significantly higher than the 4K Low result (261 vs 108 FPS) confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, even with reduced graphical fidelity.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44466. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, has a nearly identical average score of 44573, representing a negligible 0.2% difference. This suggests that the Ultra X9 388H's computing power is more than sufficient for Greedfall, as the game is not known for being particularly CPU-intensive. The data shows that the CPU's 16 cores and high boost clock are likely more than adequate to handle the game's AI, physics, and game logic without creating a significant bottleneck.

The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and the dual-channel LPDDR5X memory support with 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth provide the processor with ample data for the game's assets. While specific in-game CPU usage is not measured, the performance scaling indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K. The system's performance is more reflective of the GPU's capabilities at those resolutions. The CPU's role is to enable the high frame rates seen at 1080p, and it performs this role effectively, allowing the system to reach the 261 FPS ceiling at Low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 813 out of 3703 tested combos in Greedfall. This places it in the top 22% of all tested system configurations. This is a strong ranking, but it is not at the absolute top, which suggests that other combinations of hardware can achieve higher frame rates in this specific title.

The ranking indicates that while this is a high-performance setup, the game's engine may not be fully optimized for this specific pairing. The RTX 5090 is a flagship GPU, but its combination with this particular mobile CPU may not yield the absolute maximum performance possible in Greedfall. The fact that it is not ranked in the top 10% suggests that there are other CPU-GPU pairings that are better suited for this game, likely ones with even stronger single-threaded performance or a different balance of resources.

Despite its rank, the combo's performance is undeniably high. The measured frame rates are excellent, and the system is capable of delivering a smooth experience at all tested settings. The ranking should be interpreted as a relative measure within a diverse field of hardware combinations. The data shows that this specific combo is a very capable performer, but it is not the absolute best for this game. The rank of 813 out of 3703 suggests that there are roughly 800 other combinations that achieve higher average frame rates in Greedfall, which confirms the game's scalability and the variety of high-end hardware available.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset delivers an average of 261 FPS, which is exceptionally high. The Medium preset averages 205 FPS, with a minimum of 174 FPS and a maximum of 236 FPS, showing a tight frame time distribution. The High preset averages 186 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 119 FPS. The performance at 1080p is so high that the Ultra preset's average is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong. The Low preset averages 181 FPS, the Medium preset averages 142 FPS with a minimum of 121 FPS and a maximum of 163 FPS, and the High preset averages 129 FPS. The Ultra preset sees a significant drop, averaging 82 FPS. This shows a clear step-down in performance as settings increase, but even the Ultra preset provides a highly playable experience at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the system's performance is more constrained. The Low preset averages 108 FPS, which is still very good for 4K. The Medium preset averages 85 FPS, with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. The High preset averages 77 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to an average of 49 FPS. The 4K data shows that the system can handle the game at high frame rates with lower settings, but the most demanding Ultra preset will challenge the hardware, resulting in a frame rate that is just below the 60 FPS target for optimal smoothness.

The data reveals that the Medium preset offers the most consistent frame times, as it is the only preset with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions. This indicates that the Medium preset provides a stable and predictable performance envelope, which is often more important for a smooth gaming experience than a higher average frame rate with more variance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a flagship graphics card based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. With 21760 shading units and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, the GPU is exceptionally powerful, as reflected in its 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 79842.

In Greedfall, the GPU's role is clearly the dominant factor in determining frame rates at all resolutions. The data shows a strong correlation between the GPU's workload and the measured FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 49 FPS, which is a clear indication that the GPU is being pushed to its limits. The 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, even at 4K with Ultra settings, so the performance bottleneck is not related to memory capacity but rather to the GPU's raw compute and rasterization capabilities.

The GPU's performance relative to its rivals is interesting. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, has a similar average score of 79605, a 0.3% difference. However, the RTX 5090 is a gaming-focused card, and its architecture is designed for different workloads. In Greedfall, the RTX 5090's high pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are key to its strong performance. The card's raw power allows it to maintain high frame rates at 1440p and deliver playable, albeit lower, frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

The data suggests that the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of performance in this game. The CPU, while capable, is not the limiting factor except possibly at very low resolutions and settings. The GPU's massive memory bandwidth and compute throughput are the reasons why the system can achieve over 100 FPS at 4K with Low settings. The GPU's role is to render the game's visuals, and the benchmark results show that it performs this role with exceptional efficiency, though the game's engine at 4K Ultra presents a significant challenge that even this powerful card cannot fully overcome.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's resolution and performance priorities. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation, as it provides an average of 119 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and allows for the highest visual fidelity without sacrificing performance. Users with high-refresh-rate monitors could also consider the High preset, which averages 186 FPS, for an even smoother experience, but the visual upgrade to Ultra is likely worth the frame rate cost for most users.

For 2560x1440, the High preset offers an excellent balance, averaging 129 FPS. This provides a highly responsive and visually impressive experience. The Ultra preset, at 82 FPS, is also viable for users who prioritize visual quality, as it remains above 60 FPS. However, the Medium preset, which averages 142 FPS and shows the most consistent frame times, might be the best choice for competitive or fast-paced play where frame pacing is critical. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for 1440p, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a high average frame rate.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It averages 85 FPS, which is a very good frame rate for 4K gaming, and it has a minimum of 72 FPS, ensuring that the experience remains smooth. The High preset, at 77 FPS, is also playable, but the Medium preset provides a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset, at 49 FPS, is not recommended for a consistent experience, as it falls below the 60 FPS target. The Low preset, while achieving 108 FPS, would significantly degrade the visual experience. Therefore, the Medium preset is the best overall choice for 4K, as it delivers a high frame rate while still providing a good level of graphical detail.