Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG built on an aging engine, presents an interesting test for the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is heavily influenced by graphical load, but with a clear ceiling imposed by the game's engine and CPU architecture at lower settings. The data shows a component pairing that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and solid 60+ FPS at 1440p, but which struggles to maintain a smooth experience at 4K with higher detail levels.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and non-linear, indicating a shift in the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 233.8 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU and GPU are both capable, but it is also the point where the game's engine limits are most likely being approached. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average FPS falls to 157, a 32.8% reduction. This is a significant drop, but the system remains highly responsive. However, the scaling to 4K at Low settings shows a steep decline to 90.3 FPS, a 61.4% reduction from the 1080p result. This indicates that even at Low settings, the 4K resolution is placing a substantial load on the GPU, though the frame rate remains playable.

The trend is even more pronounced at higher settings. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 142.8 at 1080p to 96.8 at 1440p (a 32.2% drop) and then to 53.2 at 4K (a 62.7% drop from 1080p). This consistent pattern of roughly a one-third drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further one-third drop from 1440p to 4K points to the GPU becoming the dominant limiting factor as pixel count increases. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are sufficient for these resolutions, but the raw processing power required to fill 4K pixels is the primary constraint.

The scaling from Medium to Ultra settings at each resolution is also telling. At 1080p, the difference between Low (233.8 FPS) and Ultra (97.2 FPS) is a 58.4% performance penalty. At 4K, the penalty for moving from Low to Ultra is even more severe, with the frame rate dropping from 90.3 FPS to a mere 37.9 FPS, a 58.0% reduction. This shows that the Ultra preset, likely with its demanding shadow and draw distance effects, is particularly punishing on the GPU at high resolutions. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, the Ultra preset is not a viable option for a smooth experience, while the High preset is borderline.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, with its AD104 chip and Ada Lovelace architecture, is the central driver of performance at higher resolutions. Its specifications—12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus with a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s—provide the necessary data throughput for the game's large textures and environments. The 7168 shading units are tasked with the bulk of the rendering, and their performance is directly reflected in the measured FPS. The base clock of 1980 MHz and boost clock of 2475 MHz show that the card is designed for high sustained frequencies, which is crucial for maintaining frame rates in a game that can have sudden complex scenes.

The GPU's role becomes more critical as the resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU can often keep up, but the data shows that even here, the GPU's performance is the deciding factor between settings. The difference between 233.8 FPS at Low and 207.9 FPS at Medium is relatively small, but the jump to High (142.8 FPS) and Ultra (97.2 FPS) shows a clear performance cost for each increase in graphical fidelity. This is a classic sign of the GPU becoming more heavily utilized with each preset. At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting component. The 53.2 FPS at High and 37.9 FPS at Ultra are well below the refresh rates of most modern monitors, making these settings unsuitable for competitive or smooth gameplay. The data confirms that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a strong 1080p and 1440p card for this title, but it is not a 4K powerhouse for Archeage.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 272nd out of 1727 combos tested for Archeage. This places it in the top 15.8% of all configurations, indicating it is a high-performing pairing overall. The CPU itself sits in the 83rd percentile when compared against all tested CPUs, and the GPU is in the 84th percentile against all tested GPUs, confirming that both components are individually strong performers in their respective fields.

When examining the CPU's nearest rivals, the performance is tightly clustered. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U has an average score that is a 0% delta, making it a statistical tie. The AMD Ryzen 7 7735U is a mere 0.1% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is 0.2% faster. This indicates that the Ryzen 5 7600X's 6-core, 12-thread configuration is perfectly adequate for Archeage, as the game does not appear to be heavily dependent on multi-threaded CPU performance. For the GPU, the NVIDIA RTX A6000 is a 0.2% delta away, while the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE is 0.3% slower. These tiny margins show that the RTX 4070 SUPER's performance is well-established in its class. The combination's high rank confirms the balance between the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's substantial rendering capabilities, though the game's overall performance ceiling at 4K limits it from reaching the top tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the performance across all settings and resolutions. The results are as follows:

• 1920x1080 (1080p): The system performs best here. With Low settings, the average FPS is 233.8. This is the only setting that pushes past the 200 FPS mark. Medium settings still offer a very high 207.9 FPS average. High settings provide a smooth 142.8 FPS. Ultra settings, while playable, drop to 97.2 FPS, indicating the most demanding preset is a significant load even at 1080p.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): This is the resolution where the combination hits its sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming. Low settings achieve an impressive 157 FPS average. Medium settings maintain a high 140.1 FPS. High settings are still very smooth at 96.8 FPS. Ultra settings see a considerable drop to 66.7 FPS, which is still playable but begins to show the strain on the GPU.
• 3840x2160 (4K): This resolution is where performance becomes challenging. Low settings are the only option that provides a comfortable experience, with an average of 90.3 FPS. Medium settings drop to 83 FPS, which is acceptable. High settings fall to 53.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for many users. Ultra settings are not viable for smooth gameplay, with an average of just 37.9 FPS.

The data shows a clear hierarchy. For competitive play or very high refresh rate monitors, 1080p is the resolution of choice. For a balanced experience with high visual quality, 1440p at High settings is the most practical option, offering a near-100 FPS average. At 4K, users will need to compromise on settings, with Low being the only preset that guarantees a consistently smooth frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for a 60 FPS experience?

A: According to the measured data, 2560x1440 at Ultra settings provides an average of 66.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. For a more comfortable margin, 1440p at High settings yields 96.8 FPS. At 4K, only Low (90.3 FPS) and Medium (83 FPS) settings reliably exceed 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER handle 4K in this game?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. It can provide playable frame rates at Low (90.3 FPS) and Medium (83 FPS), but performance drops significantly at High (53.2 FPS) and Ultra (37.9 FPS). The 12 GB VRAM is not overtly a problem, but the sheer rendering load is.

Q: Is this combo more limited by the CPU or the GPU?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is less of a constraint, allowing the GPU to flex its performance. However, at 4K, the data strongly suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as performance scales directly with resolution and graphical settings. The CPU's high rank and tight rival deltas show it is not holding the system back.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination can achieve?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 233.8 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This shows the system's ceiling for raw frame generation in this title.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7600X compare to its nearest rivals in this context?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600X's average benchmark score is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U (0% delta), and it is only 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 7735U and 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X. This shows that its 6-core, 12-thread design is well-suited for Archeage's requirements.

Q: Is the Ultra setting ever worth using with this hardware?

A: Only if the user prioritizes visual fidelity over frame rate. At 1080p, it averages 97.2 FPS, which is acceptable. At 1440p, it averages 66.7 FPS, which is borderline. At 4K, the 37.9 FPS average is likely too choppy for most users, making High or Medium settings a better choice for a smoother experience.