Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents an interesting case study in hardware scaling due to its age and the modern components used in this test. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT produces a wide range of frame rates that shift dramatically based on resolution and quality settings. The data shows a clear pattern where the older game engine interacts with new hardware in ways that prioritize certain components depending on the workload.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a pronounced impact from resolution changes, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario but with some notable exceptions. At the highest quality setting (Ultra), the performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe. The average frame rate falls from 87 FPS at 1920x1080 to 58 FPS at 2560x1440, and then plummets to 33 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 62% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the game becomes heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions with Ultra settings.

The scaling pattern is different for lower settings. At Low settings, the frame rate at 1080p is 210 FPS, which drops to 142 FPS at 1440p and then to 81 FPS at 4K. While this is still a significant drop, the percentage decrease from 1080p to 4K is about 61%, which is similar to Ultra. However, the absolute numbers are much higher, suggesting that the GPU still has headroom to spare at lower resolutions.

Medium settings show a more moderate scaling curve. The average FPS at 1080p is 187, dropping to 126 at 1440p and 72 at 4K. This represents a 61% decrease from 1080p to 4K as well. The consistency of the percentage drop across settings suggests that resolution scaling is largely uniform for this game, but the limiting factor changes. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the frame rate falls to 33 FPS. In contrast, at 1080p Low, the 210 FPS figure is likely constrained by the CPU or game engine limits, as even a very powerful GPU would struggle to push far beyond that in an MMORPG with many draw calls.

The data indicates that the RX 9070 XT is capable of delivering high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra setting is too demanding for this combination to maintain smooth gameplay. The jump from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is particularly punishing, with a 43% drop in average FPS. This suggests that the 16 GB of VRAM and the GPU's compute power are not sufficient to handle the increased pixel count and texture loads at the highest settings without significant performance degradation.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT plays a pivotal role in these results, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. This memory configuration is likely sufficient for most games at 4K, but Archeage's engine may not be optimized to take full advantage of it. The card's boost clock is listed at 2970 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz, which are high figures that help sustain performance in less demanding scenarios.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context for its overall capability. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 7260, and in Geekbench Vulkan it scores 65879. However, its percentile ranking versus all GPUs is 55, which is surprisingly low for a modern high-end card. The average benchmark score is 13543, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, which are much older and less powerful cards. This suggests that the benchmark database may not fully capture the RX 9070 XT's performance in modern workloads, or that the scoring methodology favors different types of GPUs.

In the context of Archeage, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 210 FPS is likely not GPU-limited, as the card could theoretically push higher. At 4K Ultra, the 33 FPS average indicates that the GPU is fully saturated. The measured FPS data shows that the RX 9070 XT can handle Medium settings at 4K with an average of 72 FPS, which is a playable level, but Ultra settings are too much. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is not the issue here, as the game likely does not consume that much memory even at 4K Ultra. Instead, the raw shading power and fill rate are the limiting factors, with the card's pixel rate of 380.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 760.3 GTexel/s being insufficient for the highest settings at high resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS measured is 210 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo run Archeage at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, at Medium settings the average FPS is 72 at 3840x2160, which is playable. At High settings it drops to 49 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 33 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700 scores 20655 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2916 in single-core, indicating strong multi-threading capability with 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the data includes min and max FPS values. At 1080p, the range is 159 to 215 FPS, at 1440p it is 107 to 145 FPS, and at 4K it is 61 to 83 FPS.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the primary bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low with 210 FPS, the GPU is not the bottleneck. The CPU's single-thread performance, measured at 2916 in Cinebench R23, is likely the limiting factor for such high frame rates.

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

A: The combo ranks 893 out of 3708 tested combinations in Archeage, placing it in the top 24% of all tested systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the Low setting yields an average of 210 FPS, which is the highest recorded. Medium settings produce an average of 187 FPS, with a range of 159 to 215 FPS. High settings drop to 127 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 87 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each step up in quality costs a significant amount of performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates are lower but still respectable. Low settings average 142 FPS, Medium averages 126 FPS with a range of 107 to 145 FPS, High averages 86 FPS, and Ultra drops to 58 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly linear, with about a 32% reduction in frame rate for most settings.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops become more pronounced. Low settings average 81 FPS, Medium averages 72 FPS with a range of 61 to 83 FPS, High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra produces just 33 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at 4K is 23 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 16 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly demanding on the GPU.

The min and max FPS values at Medium settings are instructive. At 1080p, the range of 159 to 215 FPS indicates some frame time variance, but the average of 187 FPS is solid. At 4K, the range of 61 to 83 FPS shows a tighter spread, but the average of 72 FPS is lower. This data suggests that Medium settings provide a balance between visual quality and performance across all resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 127 FPS is an excellent choice, as it provides a smooth experience well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 87 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visual fidelity, but the jump from High to Ultra costs 40 FPS, which may not be worth the visual improvement.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 126 FPS is the best option for high-refresh-rate displays, as it maintains a high frame rate while offering better visuals than Low. The High preset at 86 FPS is also playable and provides a good balance. The Ultra preset at 58 FPS is borderline, as it falls below 60 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering on some displays.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 72 FPS is the recommended choice, as it is the only setting that consistently delivers frame rates above 60 FPS. The High preset at 49 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced gameplay, and the Ultra preset at 33 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 81 FPS is an alternative, but the visual quality reduction may be too severe for some users.

Overall, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality across all resolutions. It provides playable frame rates at 4K and high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. The min FPS data at Medium settings shows that the game maintains reasonably consistent frame times, which is important for an MMORPG where smooth gameplay is critical.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 is a significant contributor to the overall performance, particularly in scenarios where the GPU is not fully loaded. The CPU has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its architecture is Zen 3, which is known for strong single-threaded performance. In the Cinebench R23 single-core test, it scores 2916, and in the multi-core test, it scores 20655. This indicates that the CPU can handle both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads effectively.

In Archeage, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 210 FPS is likely limited by the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls. The CPU's single-thread score of 2916 in Cinebench R23 is a good indicator of its capability in this regard. At 4K Ultra, the CPU is less of a factor, as the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. However, the CPU still needs to keep up with the game's simulation, and the 8-core/16-thread configuration provides ample headroom.

The CPU's benchmark scores show that it performs well relative to its peers. Its average benchmark score is 25517, and it ranks in the 78th percentile against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon D-2752TER and the AMD Ryzen 5 7640U, which have similar average scores. This suggests that the Ryzen 7 5700 is a solid mid-range CPU that can support a high-end GPU like the RX 9070 XT without causing a significant bottleneck in most games.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks 893 out of 3708 tested combinations in Archeage. This places it in the top 24% of all tested systems, which is a respectable position. However, given the high-end nature of the GPU, one might expect a higher ranking. The GPU's percentile ranking of 55 against all GPUs is notably low, which drags down the combo's overall position. The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, which are significantly older and less capable cards. This suggests that the RX 9070 XT may not be performing to its full potential in this game, or that the benchmark database's scoring does not favor its architecture.

The combo's rank of 893 indicates that there are many other combinations that achieve higher frame rates in Archeage. This could be due to the game's age and its reliance on single-threaded CPU performance, which may not scale well with newer hardware. The CPU's single-thread score of 2916 in Cinebench R23 is good, but it may not be enough to push the frame rate higher in CPU-bound scenarios. The GPU's performance at 4K Ultra, where it averages 33 FPS, is a clear weakness that contributes to the combo's mid-tier ranking. Overall, this combination is capable of delivering a good experience at 1080p and 1440p, but it struggles at 4K with high settings, which prevents it from ranking higher among the thousands of tested combinations.