Archeage

Archeage, the 2014 MMORPG, remains a demanding title for modern hardware, particularly in large-scale combat scenarios. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 paired with the Intel Arc B570 across a range of resolutions and settings, using only the provided benchmark data to interpret how this combination handles the game.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for playing Archeage with this hardware?

A: Based on the data, 2560x1440 on Low settings delivers a 74 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate at that resolution. While 1920x1080 offers higher frame rates, the 1440p result provides a better balance between visual clarity and playability, as the 1080p High setting only achieves 66 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of overall GPU score?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest competitor, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534, which is a 0.1% difference, making them effectively equal in general compute performance. The Intel Arc A750 is also near, with a score of 20582, a -0.1% delta.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 a high-performing CPU relative to other processors?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 7 7700 sits in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40081. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365, scores 40048, a mere 0.1% difference, indicating the 7700 is a very strong performer in its class.

Q: What is the impact of the GPU's VRAM on performance at 4K?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 160-bit bus and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 3840x2160, the data shows a significant performance drop, with the Ultra preset yielding only 17 FPS and High yielding 26 FPS. This suggests that the 10 GB capacity and memory bandwidth are insufficient for smooth 4K gameplay, making it a limiting factor.

Q: At which settings does the frame rate become unstable at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 shows an average of 66 FPS but with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS. This 20 FPS spread indicates frame time inconsistency. The Low preset, averaging 74 FPS, does not have min/max data, but the Medium preset's range suggests that for the most stable experience, Low is preferable.

Q: Does the CPU's single-thread performance matter for Archeage?

A: Yes, as is typical for MMORPGs, single-thread performance is crucial. The Ryzen 7 7700 scores 1930 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 1049 in 3DMark single-thread tests. These strong results, coupled with its multi-thread scores, indicate the CPU is well-equipped to handle the game's logic, though the data shows that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, a 5 nm design from TSMC with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. Its memory subsystem comprises 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The card's core operates at a fixed 2500 MHz for both base and boost clocks, which is a relatively high frequency. This configuration yields a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s, with a peak FP32 throughput of 11.52 TFLOPS.

In the context of Archeage, the GPU's role is to render geometry and effects, but its measured performance suggests it is a significant constraint. The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the frame rate drops dramatically. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 110. Moving to 2560x1440 on Low, the average drops to 74 FPS, a 36 FPS reduction. At 3840x2160 on Low, the average falls to 42 FPS. This scaling indicates that the Arc B570's compute and memory resources are being saturated as the pixel count grows.

The 10 GB VRAM capacity is likely a contributing factor at 4K. While the game's textures and buffers at High and Ultra settings may not fully exhaust 10 GB, the combination of memory bandwidth and capacity appears to limit performance. The 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is a moderate figure, and the 160-bit bus is narrower than many modern GPUs. In an MMORPG like Archeage, where large numbers of characters and environmental details are on screen, the memory interface can become a bottleneck. The benchmark results, which show a 26 FPS average at 4K High, underscore that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution. The card's performance percentile of 65 and its close rivalry with the RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% delta) and Arc A750 (-0.1% delta) in synthetic tests provide context for its overall capability, but in this specific game, the measured FPS data is the definitive guide.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals how the system's performance is bound. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are the highest, with the Low preset achieving 110 FPS and Medium reaching 98 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, the system has enough headroom to push high frame rates, but the scaling to higher resolutions is not linear.

When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, there is a substantial drop. For instance, the High preset falls from 66 FPS to 45 FPS, a 31.8% decrease. The Low preset drops from 110 FPS to 74 FPS, a 32.7% decrease. This consistent drop of roughly one-third indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limit. The pixel count increases from 2.07 million to 3.69 million, a 78% increase, yet the FPS does not drop proportionally. This is because at 1080p, the CPU may be limiting the frame rate in certain scenarios, masking the GPU's true potential. As resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, and it becomes the dominant bottleneck.

The jump from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 is even more punishing. The High preset drops from 45 FPS to 26 FPS, a 42.2% reduction. The Low preset falls from 74 FPS to 42 FPS, a 43.2% reduction. This near-halving of performance is indicative of a severe memory bandwidth or fill-rate limitation. The 4K resolution requires 8.29 million pixels, more than double the 1440p count. The Arc B570's 380.0 GB/s bandwidth and 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient to maintain playable frame rates.

The data clearly shows that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the system can deliver over 100 FPS on Low, suggesting that neither the CPU nor GPU is entirely maxed out, but the game's engine or other bottlenecks may cap performance. At 1440p, the GPU starts to struggle. At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor, as the frame rates fall below playable thresholds for all settings except Low, which still only manages 42 FPS. The 4K Medium result, with a 38 FPS average and a minimum of 32 FPS, highlights the instability at this resolution. The scaling pattern demonstrates that for a smooth experience, staying at 1080p or 1440p is necessary, while 4K is only viable for static screenshots, not active gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and tolerance for frame rate variations. The data provides a clear hierarchy of performance.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an excellent 110 FPS average, which is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset, at 98 FPS, offers a better visual experience with a minimal FPS penalty, and its minimum of 83 FPS ensures it stays above 60 FPS even in demanding scenes. The High preset drops to 66 FPS, which is still playable but a significant step down. Ultra, at 45 FPS, is not recommended for 1080p as it sacrifices too much smoothness for marginal visual gains. For the best experience, the Medium preset at 1080p provides a strong balance of performance and visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only setting that maintains a high frame rate, averaging 74 FPS. Medium averages 66 FPS but has a minimum of 56 FPS, which could cause noticeable stutters in busy areas. The High preset at 45 FPS is on the edge of playability, while Ultra at 31 FPS is not smooth enough for an MMORPG where responsiveness matters. For 1440p, the Low preset is the recommended choice for consistent performance. If visual fidelity is a priority, Medium is acceptable, but users should be prepared for frame rate dips.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings provide a truly smooth experience. Low averages 42 FPS, Medium averages 38 FPS with a minimum of 32 FPS, High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware combination in Archeage. For those who must play at 4K, the Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, but even it will struggle in large-scale battles. The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally at 1080p on Medium, which offers a 98 FPS average with a minimum of 83 FPS, providing both high performance and acceptable visual quality. This combination leverages the system's strengths without pushing the GPU into its most inefficient operating range.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed enumeration of the measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and Intel Arc B570 combination in Archeage.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average FPS of 110. No min/max data is provided, but this is the highest average FPS recorded across all configurations.
• Medium: Average FPS of 98, with a minimum of 83 and a maximum of 112. The 29 FPS spread between min and max indicates some variability, but the minimum is still well above 60 FPS.
• High: Average FPS of 66. No min/max data is provided. This is a substantial drop from Medium, suggesting a significant increase in GPU workload.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 45. No min/max data is provided. This is the lowest 1080p result, representing a 59% reduction from the Low preset.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average FPS of 74. No min/max data is provided. This is the best 1440p result, but it is 36 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result.
• Medium: Average FPS of 66, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 76. The minimum of 56 FPS indicates that the system will dip below 60 FPS in some scenarios, which could be noticeable.
• High: Average FPS of 45. No min/max data is provided. This is a 47% drop from the Low preset at the same resolution.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 31. No min/max data is provided. This is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average FPS of 42. No min/max data is provided. This is the only 4K setting that exceeds 40 FPS.
• Medium: Average FPS of 38, with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 43. The tight range suggests the GPU is consistently near its limit, with no headroom for complex scenes.
• High: Average FPS of 26. No min/max data is provided. This is a 38% drop from the Low preset at the same resolution.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 17. No min/max data is provided. This is the lowest recorded result, confirming that 4K Ultra is unplayable with this hardware.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each increase in resolution or settings tier results in a substantial FPS penalty. The most dramatic drops occur when moving from 1440p to 4K, where the average FPS across all settings roughly halves. The Medium preset at 1080p, with its 98 FPS average and 83 FPS minimum, stands out as the most balanced configuration, offering high performance without the risk of dropping below 60 FPS. In contrast, the 4K Ultra preset, at 17 FPS, is a clear indicator that the GPU is overwhelmed at that resolution and settings combination.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Raphael. It operates on the AMD Socket AM5 platform and is manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The CPU has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache. The processor supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

In Archeage, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and physics calculations, which are often intensive in MMORPGs due to the large number of players and entities. The Ryzen 7 7700's benchmark scores are strong. In Cinebench R23, it scores 18760 in multicore and 1930 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 15371 in multicore and 2525 in single-core. Its 3DMark scores show a scaling pattern: 2043 for 2 threads, 3931 for 4 threads, 6933 for 8 threads, and 8484 for 16 threads. This near-linear scaling from 8 to 16 threads indicates the CPU can effectively utilize all its cores.

The single-thread score of 1930 in Cinebench R23 is particularly relevant for Archeage, as the game's main thread often bottlenecks performance. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.30 GHz helps in this regard. The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 7700 is more than capable of feeding the Intel Arc B570 at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 110 FPS, which could be limited by the CPU or the game engine, not the GPU. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's workload becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's strong performance means it is not the bottleneck at 1440p or 4K.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 87 and its average benchmark score of 40081, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40048, 0.1% delta) and Intel Core 5 221E (40144, -0.2% delta), place it in the upper echelon of processors. In this specific game, the 8-core, 16-thread configuration ensures that even with background tasks or game servers running, there is ample processing headroom. The CPU's 32 MB L3 cache is also beneficial for keeping frequently accessed game data close to the cores, reducing latency. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p, the system can exceed 100 FPS, which confirms the CPU's ability to keep up with the GPU. The fact that the 4K performance is consistently low across all settings reinforces that the GPU, not the CPU, is the decisive component in this pairing for Archeage.