Archeage

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D presents a striking case study in how an older CPU generation interacts with a flagship current-generation GPU in Archeage. The dataset shows a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions but reveals the processor's ceiling at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, offering practical guidance for owners of this specific combo.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS deltas across resolutions clearly map the workload shift between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo produces 134 FPS. Moving up to 2560x1440 at the same Ultra preset, the average drops to 90 FPS, a 33% reduction. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average further declines to 52 FPS, which is 61% lower than the 1080p result. This steep scaling curve from 1440p to 4K indicates that the RTX 5090 D is the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts.

However, the scaling pattern changes dramatically at lower settings, where the CPU becomes more relevant. At Low settings, the 1080p average is 225 FPS, while 1440p yields 197 FPS (a 12% drop), and 2160p produces 125 FPS (a 44% drop from 1080p). The relatively smaller gap between 1080p and 1440p Low (225 vs 197) suggests that the Ryzen 7 5700X's 8-core, 16-thread configuration is approaching its limit in feeding the GPU at these high frame rates. The data implies that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the limiting factor, preventing the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates.

The Medium preset data provides the clearest evidence of this dynamic. At 1080p Medium, the average is 216 FPS with a minimum of 184 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 190 FPS with a minimum of 161 FPS. The 4K Medium result drops to 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS. The fact that 1440p Medium (190 FPS) is only 12% slower than 1080p Medium (216 FPS) indicates that the CPU is still keeping pace at 1440p, but the GPU is starting to feel the load. The 4K Medium figure, being 48% lower than 1080p Medium, shows the GPU's rendering workload dominating the equation.

For High settings, the scaling is more linear: 187 FPS at 1080p, 132 FPS at 1440p, and 76 FPS at 4K. This represents a 29% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 59% drop from 1080p to 4K. The High preset appears to strike a balance where neither component is fully saturated, but the GPU's performance ceiling is more apparent as resolution increases.

The takeaway is that for users targeting 240Hz displays at 1080p, the CPU will hold back the RTX 5090 D. The data shows a ceiling around 225 FPS at Low settings, which is well below what the GPU could theoretically output. Conversely, at 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, with even Low settings producing 125 FPS. The CPU has enough headroom to drive the GPU adequately at 1440p and 4K, but not at extreme refresh rates.

FAQ

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D being bottlenecked by the Ryzen 7 5700X in Archeage?

A: Only at 1080p with lower settings. The data shows 225 FPS at 1080p Low and 216 FPS at 1080p Medium, which are likely CPU-limited given the 8-core/16-thread processor's capabilities. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain high frame rates?

A: 2560x1440 offers the best balance. At Medium settings, the combo produces 190 FPS average with a 161 FPS minimum, which is smooth for competitive play. At High settings, 1440p yields 132 FPS. The 4K results (76 FPS High, 112 FPS Medium) are playable but do not leverage the GPU's full potential for high-refresh displays.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of performance cost?

A: Ultra is significantly more demanding. At 1080p, Ultra drops to 134 FPS from High's 187 FPS, a 28% reduction. At 1440p, Ultra produces 90 FPS versus 132 FPS on High, a 32% reduction. At 4K, Ultra drops to 52 FPS from 76 FPS on High, a 32% reduction. The visual upgrade from High to Ultra comes at a substantial frame rate cost.

Q: Will lowering settings from High to Medium provide a large FPS boost?

A: At 1440p, the jump is modest: 190 FPS on Medium versus 132 FPS on High, a 44% improvement. At 4K, Medium (112 FPS) offers a 47% improvement over High (76 FPS). At 1080p, the difference is smaller (216 FPS vs 187 FPS), indicating the CPU is limiting gains at that resolution.

Q: Is the 32 GB VRAM on the RTX 5090 D necessary for Archeage?

A: The measured FPS data does not show any VRAM-related stutters or minimum frame drops that would indicate capacity issues at any tested setting. The game is likely not VRAM-limited, but the 32 GB GDDR7 memory provides ample headroom for future content or higher-resolution textures.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Archeage?

A: This specific combo ranks 83rd out of 2761 tested combinations, placing it in the top 3% of all configurations. This high percentile is driven by the RTX 5090 D's performance, despite the Ryzen 7 5700X being a 2022 release.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings depend on the target refresh rate and resolution. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS. This is a playable frame rate for MMORPG gameplay and maintains fluidity during large-scale battles. High settings at 4K drop to 76 FPS, which is still acceptable for slower-paced content but may feel less responsive in combat. Ultra at 4K (52 FPS) should be avoided unless visual fidelity is the absolute priority.

For 1440p, the High preset (132 FPS average) provides an excellent experience for most displays. However, if the monitor supports 165Hz or higher, the Medium preset (190 FPS average) is the better choice. The minimum frame rate of 161 FPS ensures consistent smoothness, and the visual difference between Medium and High is often negligible in fast-paced scenarios. Ultra at 1440p (90 FPS) is viable but sacrifices the high-refresh advantage.

At 1080p, the data suggests that the CPU limits performance. The Low preset (225 FPS) and Medium preset (216 FPS) are nearly identical in average frame rate, indicating the CPU is the bottleneck. Choosing Medium over Low is recommended because it provides better visuals at essentially the same performance level. High (187 FPS) offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium but drops below 200 FPS. For competitive play at 1080p, Medium is the recommended choice, as it balances the CPU-induced frame rate ceiling with improved image quality.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution due to the steep performance cost. The data shows a consistent 28-32% FPS reduction from High to Ultra across all resolutions. Unless the user has a high-refresh monitor and cannot tolerate any visual compromises, Medium or High will provide a better experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 83 out of 2761 tested configurations places it in the top 3% of all CPU-GPU pairings tested for Archeage. This is a strong result, primarily driven by the GPU's massive compute resources. The RTX 5090 D's average benchmark score of 77712 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark list—the Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904), Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940), and Tesla P100 variants—show that it sits among high-end parts with only 1-2% performance deltas.

The CPU's contribution to this ranking is less dominant. The Ryzen 7 5700X has an average benchmark score of 27578, which places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-12600K (27578, 0% delta), AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (27636, -0.2% delta), and AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27535, 0.2% delta). This indicates the 5700X is competitive with mid-range modern CPUs but is not a top-tier performer. The fact that this combo ranks 83rd overall suggests that the GPU's high percentile (92nd) more than compensates for the CPU's slightly lower percentile (79th).

Compared to other potential combos, the data implies that pairing the RTX 5090 D with a faster CPU could yield higher rankings, particularly at 1080p where the CPU bottleneck is evident. However, the current ranking of 83rd out of 2761 is impressive for a CPU released in 2022, as it outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations. The ranking also indicates that Archeage's workload benefits from the GPU's raw throughput more than from CPU single-thread performance.

GPU Role

The RTX 5090 D's specifications play a crucial role in the measured results. With 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, the GPU offers 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is more than sufficient for Archeage's engine, which likely does not require massive VRAM allocations at 1080p or 1440p. The 4K results show that the GPU's compute capabilities, not memory capacity, are the limiting factor.

The GPU's boost clock of 2407 MHz and base clock of 2017 MHz are notable, but the architecture's 21760 shading units and 680 tensor cores are what drive the high frame rates. The GPU's passmark G3D score of 44065 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 14326 reflect its strong performance in synthetic benchmarks, which translates to the measured FPS in Archeage. The GPU's percentile of 92 indicates it outperforms 92% of all GPUs, which is consistent with its top-tier positioning.

In Archeage specifically, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. The 4K Medium result (112 FPS) versus the 1080p Medium result (216 FPS) shows a 48% reduction, which is a typical scaling curve for a GPU-bound scenario. The GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance allows it to handle the game's draw calls and shader complexity efficiently. However, the data suggests that the GPU is not fully utilized at 1080p due to the CPU's limitation, as evidenced by the small FPS gains when lowering settings from Medium to Low.

The GPU's 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs contribute to its fill rate capabilities, which are important for MMORPG environments with many on-screen characters. The measured minimum FPS values (e.g., 95 FPS at 4K Medium) indicate that the GPU maintains consistent performance without significant drops, likely due to its large memory pool and fast bandwidth.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 225 FPS. Medium settings average 216 FPS with a minimum of 184 FPS and a maximum of 249 FPS. High settings average 187 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 134 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium (9 FPS) is small, while the gap between Medium and High (29 FPS) is more substantial.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong. Low settings average 197 FPS. Medium settings average 190 FPS with a minimum of 161 FPS and a maximum of 218 FPS. High settings average 132 FPS. Ultra settings average 90 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings shows only a 12% reduction (216 to 190 FPS), indicating efficient scaling.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limits are clear. Low settings average 125 FPS. Medium settings average 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS. High settings average 76 FPS. Ultra settings average 52 FPS. The 4K Medium result is particularly notable for its consistency, with a 95 FPS minimum ensuring stable gameplay.

The data across all resolutions shows that the Medium preset offers the best combination of average and minimum FPS. The minimum FPS values at Medium (184 FPS at 1080p, 161 FPS at 1440p, 95 FPS at 4K) are all within 15% of the averages, indicating excellent frame pacing. In contrast, the Ultra preset's averages are significantly lower, and the lack of minimum FPS data for Ultra suggests potential instability. The High preset provides a middle ground, with 187 FPS at 1080p, 132 FPS at 1440p, and 76 FPS at 4K, but its minimum FPS is not recorded, making the Medium preset the safer recommendation for consistent performance.