Archeage

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1631 out of 3708 tested combos for Archeage. This places the combination in the 56th percentile of all recorded system pairings, meaning it outperforms more than half of the tested configurations while remaining short of the top tier. The position reflects a system that is capable but not dominant for this MMORPG, with the ranking driven primarily by the GPU's strong benchmark presence rather than the CPU's modest standing.

The CPU sits at the 47th percentile among all processors, while the GPU reaches the 61st percentile among all graphics cards. The gap between these two percentiles hints at a system where the graphics card carries more of the performance load. For a 2014 MMORPG title, this combination lands in a workable zone, but the data shows that the CPU's six threads can become a limiting factor in crowded scenes, a common trait in this genre.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results across resolutions and presets reveal a clear division of labor. At 1920x1080, the frame rates scale dramatically with settings, moving from 162.5 FPS on Low to 69.5 FPS on Ultra. This wide spread indicates that the GPU is the primary driver at this resolution, as the CPU has enough headroom to feed the graphics card at lower settings, but the GPU's workload increases sharply as visual fidelity rises.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with a narrower range. Low settings produce 118.3 FPS, while Ultra drops to 46.4 FPS. The medium preset at 104.1 FPS and High at 73.7 FPS show that the GPU still governs performance, though the CPU begins to matter more as the resolution increases and the per-frame cost rises.

The 3840x2160 results tell a different story. Here, the CPU's influence becomes more pronounced. Low settings yield 69.1 FPS, Medium 62 FPS, High 43.1 FPS, and Ultra 24.5 FPS. The massive drop from Medium to High to Ultra at 4K suggests that the GPU is being pushed to its limits, but the CPU's six threads also struggle to maintain frame pacing in a game that relies on single-threaded game logic. The scaling between resolutions is not linear: dropping from 1440p to 1080p at High settings improves from 73.7 to 104.6 FPS, a 42% gain, while moving from 4K to 1440p at High improves from 43.1 to 73.7 FPS, a 71% gain. This indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, while the CPU becomes comparatively more relevant at lower resolutions where the GPU has spare capacity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers strong results across all presets. Low settings average 162.5 FPS, Medium 155.4 FPS, High 104.6 FPS, and Ultra 69.5 FPS. Every preset clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, with Ultra holding a 9.5 FPS margin above it. The step from Medium to High costs 50.8 FPS, a 33% reduction, while High to Ultra costs 35.1 FPS, a 34% reduction. The data shows consistent scaling where each higher preset demands significantly more GPU work.

At 2560x1440, the results remain playable for most settings. Low averages 118.3 FPS, Medium 104.1 FPS, and High 73.7 FPS. Ultra drops to 46.4 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The gap between Medium and High is 30.4 FPS, while High to Ultra costs 27.3 FPS. The system handles 1440p comfortably up to High, but Ultra requires a more powerful GPU for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the picture shifts. Low averages 69.1 FPS, Medium 62 FPS, High 43.1 FPS, and Ultra 24.5 FPS. The Medium preset just clears 60 FPS with a 2 FPS margin, making it the highest playable setting at this resolution. High and Ultra both fall short, with Ultra delivering less than half the playable threshold. The drop from Medium to High is 18.9 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 18.6 FPS, showing that the GPU struggles to maintain playable rates as settings rise at 4K.

The data reveals that the system's performance envelope is widest at 1080p, where all presets are viable, and narrows progressively at higher resolutions. The 1440p Ultra result of 46.4 FPS and the 4K High result of 43.1 FPS both indicate that the GPU's 8 GB memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game, but the compute throughput of 20.31 TFLOPS reaches its ceiling when rasterization demands spike.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database show that the i5-9400 sits in a tight cluster. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, which is 0.2% higher than the i5-9400's average of 2254. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% lower, and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% higher. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Archeage when paired with the RTX 3070. The i3-10305, despite having fewer cores, edges out the i5-9400 by 0.4% in average benchmark score, which could translate to a marginal advantage in single-threaded game logic.

The GPU's nearest rivals present a wider spread. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083, 0.7% lower than the RTX 3070's average of 17208. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, 1% lower, and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, 1.1% lower. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468, 1.5% higher. These results indicate that the RX 7600 XT would produce nearly identical FPS in Archeage, while the GTX 690 and HD 7970M would be slightly slower but still within a negligible margin. The Tesla K40c, despite being a compute-oriented card, would perform approximately 1.5% better in the game's rendering workloads.

For a user considering alternatives, the data suggests that swapping the i5-9400 for an i7-10710U or Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 would change performance by less than half a percent, which is imperceptible in real gameplay. Similarly, moving from the RTX 3070 to an RX 7600 XT would result in a 0.7% difference, well below the threshold of noticeable variation. The nearest rivals all fall within a performance band that would preserve the same playable settings and frame rates as the tested combo.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Archeage at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 69.5 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by 9.5 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 2560x1440?

A: High settings with an average FPS of 73.7. Ultra at 1440p drops to 46.4 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is Medium settings playable at 3840x2160?

A: Yes, with an average FPS of 62, which is 2 FPS above the playable threshold. Low also works at 69.1 FPS, but High and Ultra fall short.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 104.6, while at 1440p High it is 73.7. This is a 42% improvement when dropping to 1080p.

Q: Does the CPU limit the GPU in this game?

A: At lower resolutions and settings, the CPU's six threads can limit performance, but the data shows the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K and at higher presets. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 61st percentile suggests the GPU has more headroom.

Q: What GPU rival would perform most similarly to the RTX 3070?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, with a benchmark score 0.7% lower, would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Archeage.

The Verdict

This system can run Archeage, but the playable envelope depends heavily on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears 60 FPS, with Ultra delivering 69.5 FPS. This is the resolution where the combo performs best, offering full flexibility for players who want maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the system remains capable for High (73.7 FPS), Medium (104.1 FPS), and Low (118.3 FPS), but Ultra falls to 46.4 FPS, below the playable threshold. Players at this resolution should stick to High or lower for consistent performance.

At 3840x2160, only Low (69.1 FPS) and Medium (62 FPS) clear 60 FPS. High (43.1 FPS) and Ultra (24.5 FPS) are not playable at this threshold. The best settings at 4K are Medium, offering 62 FPS average, which is a usable experience but not a high-refresh one.

The verdict from the database is clear: this is a 1080p and 1440p system for Archeage, with 1080p Ultra being the recommended configuration for the best balance of visuals and frame rate. The RTX 3070's strong benchmark results and the i5-9400's modest but adequate performance combine to deliver a playable experience across most of the resolution and settings matrix, with 4K being the only area where compromises are required.