Archeage

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2453rd out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage. That places this configuration in the bottom 11% of all tested combinations, a sobering position for a system aiming to run an MMORPG from 2014. The percentile data reinforces this: the CPU sits at the 71st percentile against all processors, while the GPU languishes at just the 9th percentile against all graphics cards. This massive disparity between component percentiles is the first clue that the graphics solution is the dominant bottleneck in this pairing.

When examining the nearest rivals for each component, the picture sharpens. The Ryzen 5 3600 trades blows with the Intel Core i7-1260P (0.2% ahead), Intel Core i5-11400 (0.2% behind), AMD EPYC 7573X (0.2% behind), and AMD EPYC 7742 (0.2% ahead) — all within a razor-thin margin that suggests the CPU is competitive with a broad swath of mainstream and server parts. The GPU, however, sits in far more precarious company. The Intel Arc B390's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% ahead), GeForce 800M (1.5% ahead), GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% ahead), and GeForce GT 710 (2.7% ahead). These are entry-level parts from a decade ago, and the Arc B390 only barely outpaces them in the single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test that defines its benchmark presence.

The combination rank of 2453 out of 2761 means that roughly 308 other combos perform worse in Archeage specifically. That is a small consolation. The data suggests that while the CPU is a reasonable mid-range part, the GPU drags this entire system into the bottom tier of gaming performance. For an MMORPG that emphasizes large-scale player interactions and open-world exploration, this rank signals that the experience will be constrained at virtually every resolution and settings level.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 brings six cores and twelve threads to the table, a configuration that has historically been sufficient for modern gaming workloads. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.20 GHz provide respectable single-threaded headroom, which matters for Archeage's game logic and UI rendering. The CPU's 3DMark scores tell a story of scalability: 1361 in the 2-thread test, 2579 in 4-thread, 3844 in 8-thread, and 4605 in 16-thread (essentially identical to the max-thread score of 4603). This near-flat scaling beyond eight threads suggests that Archeage, like most MMORPGs, does not heavily utilize more than a handful of cores.

The Cinebench results reinforce this interpretation. R15 multicore scores 1516 versus single-core at 214; R20 multicore reaches 6318 versus 892 single-core; R23 multicore hits 15045 versus 2124 single-core. The multicore-to-singlecore ratios hover around 7:1, which is typical for a six-core part. PassMark multithread scoring of 17700 with a single-thread score of 2562 indicates the CPU is balanced but not exceptional in either direction.

For Archeage specifically, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 71 FPS average, which is the highest measured result across all configurations. This suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower settings when the graphics workload is light. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 11 FPS, a figure that points squarely at GPU limitations rather than CPU throughput. The Ryzen 5 3600's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide adequate data flow for most game scenarios, but the GPU's system-shared memory architecture may introduce latency that the CPU cannot compensate for.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and 7 nm process node (TSMC foundry, 3,800 million transistors on a 74 mm² die) place it as an efficient mid-range option. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score — the i7-1260P, i5-11400, EPYC 7573X, and EPYC 7742 — all fall within 0.2% of its 17035 average benchmark score, confirming that the 3600 is a known quantity that performs predictably. In Archeage, the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor at any resolution, given that the GPU's percentile rank (9th) is so dramatically lower than the CPU's (71st).

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 presents an unusual profile. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Panther Lake chip with Xe3-LPG architecture on Intel's 3 nm process. Its clock speeds range from a 300 MHz base to a 2500 MHz boost, with system-shared memory meaning there is no dedicated VRAM — bandwidth is system dependent. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 24 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio).

The 80 W TDP for an integrated part is notable, but the performance data is grim. The single benchmark available — 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 — yields a score of 1482, placing the Arc B390 at the 9th percentile against all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, all of which the Arc B390 barely edges out by 1.3% to 2.7%. These are not modern gaming GPUs by any stretch; they are legacy entry-level parts that would struggle with contemporary titles.

In Archeage, the GPU's limitations manifest clearly across the measured FPS data. At 1080p Low, the average is 71 FPS, which is playable. But at 1080p High, that drops to 43 FPS, and at Ultra, it collapses to 29 FPS. The pattern repeats at 1440p: Low yields 48 FPS, High yields 29 FPS, and Ultra yields 20 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is overwhelmed: Low produces 28 FPS, Medium produces 25 FPS, High produces 17 FPS, and Ultra produces 11 FPS. These numbers indicate that the Arc B390 cannot maintain fluid frame rates at higher resolutions or quality settings.

The system-shared memory architecture means the GPU draws from the same DDR4 pool as the CPU, with bandwidth "system dependent" — a variable that could impact performance in memory-heavy scenes. The 12 ray tracing cores are present but likely underutilized in Archeage, which is not a ray tracing title. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility suggest it can run modern APIs, but raw throughput is the binding constraint here. The data shows a GPU that is adequate for 1080p Low/Medium in an older MMORPG, but nothing more.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Archeage at 1080p smoothly?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 71, which is smooth. Medium yields 64 FPS average (ranging from 54 to 73), and High yields 43 FPS. Ultra drops to 29 FPS, which may feel choppy in busy areas.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The measured data shows 1080p as the only resolution where the system achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1440p, even Low settings only reach 48 FPS average, and at 4K, every settings level falls below 30 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places it 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Archeage?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting component. The CPU ranks at the 71st percentile, while the GPU ranks at the 9th percentile. The FPS drops from 71 at 1080p Low to 28 at 4K Low indicate that resolution scaling is heavily GPU-bound.

Q: What settings should I use at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings produce 48 FPS average, which is the only configuration above 30 FPS. Medium yields 43 FPS (ranging from 36 to 49), High drops to 29 FPS, and Ultra to 20 FPS. Low or Medium are the only viable choices.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to similar processors?

A: The Ryzen 5 3600's average benchmark score of 17035 is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i7-1260P and AMD EPYC 7742, and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i5-11400 and AMD EPYC 7573X.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a stark resolution scaling curve that underscores the GPU-bound nature of this system. Starting at 1080p Low with 71 FPS average, moving to 1440p Low drops performance to 48 FPS — a 32% reduction. Scaling further to 4K Low yields 28 FPS, another 42% drop from 1440p. This pattern holds across all settings levels, though the absolute numbers become increasingly unplayable.

At Medium settings, the progression is 64 FPS at 1080p, 43 FPS at 1440p (33% drop), and 25 FPS at 4K (42% drop). High settings show 43 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p (33% drop), and 17 FPS at 4K (41% drop). Ultra settings follow the same trajectory: 29 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p (31% drop), and 11 FPS at 4K (45% drop). The consistency of these percentage drops — roughly one-third from 1080p to 1440p and another 40-45% from 1440p to 4K — indicates a system where pixel throughput is the primary constraint.

The fact that the FPS penalty from 1080p to 1440p is nearly identical across all settings (31-33%) suggests that resolution is the dominant factor, not the quality preset. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect smaller percentage drops at higher resolutions (since the CPU workload stays constant while GPU load increases). Instead, the consistent scaling points to the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth as the limiting factors — the system-shared memory architecture likely exacerbates this at higher resolutions where memory pressure increases.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and acceptable frame rate. At 1080p, Medium settings provide the best balance: 64 FPS average with a range of 54 to 73 FPS. This is the only settings level at 1080p that maintains frame rates comfortably above 60 FPS while offering improved visual quality over Low. High settings at 1080p drop to 43 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced MMORPG gameplay but will struggle in crowded zones or large-scale PvP.

At 1440p, the situation is more constrained. Low settings produce 48 FPS average, which is the highest measured at this resolution. Medium yields 43 FPS with a range of 36 to 49 FPS, and while the average is lower, the minimum of 36 FPS is still playable. High and Ultra at 1440p (29 and 20 FPS respectively) are not recommended for anything beyond static screenshots.

At 4K, no settings level achieves a playable frame rate. Low produces 28 FPS, Medium produces 25 FPS, High produces 17 FPS, and Ultra produces 11 FPS. Even the lowest settings at 4K fail to reach 30 FPS, making this resolution impractical for Archeage with this hardware combination.

The data suggests that 1080p Medium is the sweet spot — it delivers a 64 FPS average with a minimum of 54 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay in most scenarios. If visual fidelity is paramount and the user can tolerate lower frame rates, 1080p High at 43 FPS is an option, but the 33% FPS penalty from Medium to High may not justify the visual gains in a game like Archeage where UI elements and character models are the primary visual focus.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combination is as follows:

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 71 FPS average
• Medium: 64 FPS average (54 min, 73 max)
• High: 43 FPS average
• Ultra: 29 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 48 FPS average
• Medium: 43 FPS average (36 min, 49 max)
• High: 29 FPS average
• Ultra: 20 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 28 FPS average
• Medium: 25 FPS average (21 min, 28 max)
• High: 17 FPS average
• Ultra: 11 FPS average

The only configurations with recorded minimum and maximum FPS are the Medium settings across all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range is 54 to 73 FPS, a 19 FPS spread that indicates moderate frame time variance. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 36 to 49 FPS, a 13 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 21 to 28 FPS, a 7 FPS spread. This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes more consistently saturated as pixel count increases, reducing the variability that comes from scene complexity changes.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution is revealing. At 1080p, Low (71 FPS) to Ultra (29 FPS) represents a 59% performance loss. At 1440p, the drop is 58% (48 to 20 FPS). At 4K, the drop is 61% (28 to 11 FPS). The consistency of this percentage across resolutions indicates that the settings presets impose a roughly uniform multiplier on GPU workload, regardless of the base resolution.

For users with variable refresh rate monitors, the 4K Medium range of 21 to 28 FPS and the 1440p Medium range of 36 to 49 FPS provide useful bounds for expected performance. The absence of min/max data for other settings means only average FPS can be relied upon for planning, but the Medium presets offer the most complete picture of real-world frame pacing. Overall, this data confirms that the Intel Arc B390 is the decisive constraint, with the Ryzen 5 3600 providing ample headroom that goes largely unused in this title.