Archeage

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 brings a 6-core, 12-thread configuration based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. This is a desktop part on the AM4 socket, built on a 7 nm process with 16 MB of L3 cache. For a 2014 MMORPG like Archeage, the CPU's single-thread performance often matters more than raw multi-core throughput, and the benchmark data supports that split.

Looking at the synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 5500 scores 836 in 3dmark_single_thread and 2319 in Cinebench R23 single-core. These are modest figures that place it in the 79th percentile against all CPUs, meaning it outperforms roughly four-fifths of tested processors. Its multi-threaded results are stronger: 5411 in 3dmark_max_threads and 16429 in Cinebench R23 multicore. The gap between single-thread and multi-thread scores reveals a CPU that scales well with additional threads, which is useful for MMO environments with many players, NPCs, and background simulation.

In Archeage specifically, the measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 129.8 avg, which suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower settings. However, at 1080p Ultra, FPS drops to 52.1 avg, a 60% reduction. This decline is steeper than what resolution scaling alone would explain, indicating that higher settings impose additional CPU overhead—likely from draw calls, AI updates, and game logic that scale with visual complexity. The Ryzen 5 5500's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12500 (deltaPct -0.1) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE (deltaPct -0.1), meaning it sits essentially at parity with those parts in overall CPU benchmarks. This places it in a competitive mid-range position, but not a top-tier one for demanding MMO scenarios.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 10 chip, featuring 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It carries 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU clocks run at 1605 MHz base, 1755 MHz game, and 1905 MHz boost, with memory at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). This configuration yields 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and a pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s.

For Archeage, the GPU's role becomes evident when comparing resolution scaling. At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves only 19.4 avg FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it reaches 52.1 avg FPS. That 62.8% drop from 1080p to 4K is far larger than what the CPU alone would cause, pointing to the RX 5700 XT as the limiting factor at high resolutions and settings. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for a 2014 title, but the raw rasterization throughput struggles with 4K workloads, especially at Ultra presets.

The GPU's percentile ranking is 68th against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 24731. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (deltaPct -0.1) and the Intel Arc A350M (deltaPct 0.3), showing the RX 5700 XT sits in a narrow performance band around those parts. The 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2134 and Passmark G3D score of 16277 reinforce a mid-range positioning. In Archeage, the GPU handles 1080p and 1440p well at Low/Medium settings, but high and Ultra presets at 4K push it beyond its comfort zone, as the measured FPS data confirms.

# FAQ

Q: At 1080p, how much faster is Low settings compared to Ultra?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 129.8 avg FPS while Ultra drops to 52.1 avg FPS. That represents a 77.6 FPS difference, meaning Low is roughly 2.5 times faster than Ultra.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable framerates at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings achieve 78.4 avg FPS and High reaches 54.4 avg FPS, both playable for most users. Ultra falls to 33.7 avg FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the 4K performance like across settings?

A: At 3840x2160, Low settings hit 49.8 avg FPS, Medium drops to 42.7 avg FPS, High falls to 28 avg FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 19.4 avg FPS. Only Low and Medium approach acceptable framerates.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo rank in Archeage is 1301 out of 1727 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 25% of all combos for this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the 1080p to 4K FPS drop?

A: The FPS drops from 129.8 at 1080p Low to 49.8 at 4K Low, a 61.6% reduction. Since the CPU workload is similar at both resolutions, this points to the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 provide 78.4 avg FPS, which is 24 FPS higher than High and 44.7 FPS higher than Ultra. This makes Medium the most balanced choice at this resolution.

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination ranks 1301st out of 1727 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the 24.7th percentile of all combinations. This is a below-average result, suggesting the pairing is not optimally suited for this specific game. The CPU's 79th percentile ranking and GPU's 68th percentile ranking individually are higher than the combo's overall rank, indicating that the combination underperforms relative to its component-level potential.

This discrepancy likely stems from Archeage's engine characteristics. The game, released in 2014, may not scale efficiently with modern hardware, and the measured FPS data shows significant drops at higher settings that are disproportionate to what component benchmarks would predict. For context, the CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, has nearly identical average benchmark scores (20897 vs 20875), and the GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile, is within 0.1% performance. Yet the combo rank suggests that in Archeage, this hardware pairing falls behind many others that might have similar synthetic scores but better game-specific optimization.

The rank also implies that users seeking better Archeage performance might need to look at combos higher in the list, though the measured FPS at 1080p Medium (112.1 avg) and 1440p Medium (78.4 avg) show the system can handle the game competently at moderate settings. The low rank is more a reflection of the game's demanding nature at high presets than a fundamental hardware flaw.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear progression: Low settings deliver 129.8 avg FPS, Medium reaches 112.1 avg FPS, High drops to 79.4 avg FPS, and Ultra falls to 52.1 avg FPS. The step from Medium to High is the largest single drop at 32.7 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs another 27.3 FPS. This pattern suggests that High settings introduce significant graphical effects that tax the GPU more than the CPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results scale down predictably: Low achieves 84.8 avg FPS, Medium hits 78.4 avg FPS, High manages 54.4 avg FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 33.7 avg FPS. The relative drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34.7% at Low, 30.1% at Medium, 31.4% at High, and 35.3% at Ultra. These consistent reductions indicate that resolution scaling is the primary factor here, with the GPU handling the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the performance collapses further: Low reaches 49.8 avg FPS, Medium drops to 42.7 avg FPS, High falls to 28 avg FPS, and Ultra manages only 19.4 avg FPS. The 4K results show that only Low settings remain above 45 FPS, while Ultra is nearly unplayable. The gap between Medium and High at 4K is 14.7 FPS, and the gap between High and Ultra is 8.6 FPS, showing diminishing returns as settings increase.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired framerate. At 1080p, Medium settings provide 112.1 avg FPS, which is smooth for an MMORPG and only 17.7 FPS below Low. High settings at 79.4 avg FPS are still playable but represent a significant drop from Medium. Ultra at 52.1 avg FPS is borderline, as MMO combat and large player gatherings can cause dips below 50 FPS.

For 1440p, Medium settings at 78.4 avg FPS offer the best balance, providing nearly 24 FPS more than High and over 44 FPS more than Ultra. Low settings at 84.8 avg FPS are only 6.4 FPS higher than Medium, making Medium the clear choice for visual quality without sacrificing much performance. High at 54.4 avg FPS is acceptable for casual play, but Ultra at 33.7 avg FPS is too choppy for competitive or raid scenarios.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. Low settings at 49.8 avg FPS are the only preset that maintains playable framerates, though Medium at 42.7 avg FPS might be tolerable for less action-heavy activities. High at 28 avg FPS and Ultra at 19.4 avg FPS are effectively unplayable for most users. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires accepting Low or Medium settings, and even then, framerates hover near the edge of smoothness.

# Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals critical information about the system's bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 129.8 at 1080p to 84.8 at 1440p and then to 49.8 at 4K. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is 34.7%, while the reduction from 1440p to 4K is 41.3%. This accelerating decline suggests that the GPU is increasingly stressed as pixel count grows, with the 4K workload exceeding what the RX 5700 XT can efficiently handle.

At Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 112.1 FPS at 1080p, 78.4 FPS at 1440p, and 42.7 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 30.1% and 45.5% respectively, showing an even steeper fall at 4K. This indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) and compute throughput become limiting factors at higher resolutions, particularly when more textures and effects are active.

The High settings curve shows 79.4 FPS at 1080p, 54.4 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K—a 31.4% drop followed by a 48.5% drop. This near-linear degradation at 1440p but exponential fall at 4K points to the GPU hitting a hard performance ceiling. The CPU, with its 12 threads and 16 MB L3 cache, appears capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU's 9.754 TFLOPS of compute is insufficient to maintain framerates above 50 FPS.

The data strongly implies that the RX 5700 XT is the limiting component at resolutions above 1440p, while the Ryzen 5 5500 provides adequate headroom for most settings at lower resolutions. Users targeting 4K would need a more powerful GPU, while those sticking to 1080p or 1440p can expect solid performance with this CPU-GPU pairing.