Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, remains a demanding title for modern hardware, particularly at higher resolutions. The pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F processor with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 graphics card presents a mixed picture, with the data indicating that performance is highly dependent on resolution and settings. The benchmark results reveal a system capable of smooth 1080p gameplay but one that struggles significantly when pushed to 4K, highlighting a clear performance bottleneck that shifts between the CPU and GPU depending on the workload.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combination for Archeage?

A: The combo ranks 2165 out of 2761 tested combinations. This places it in the lower percentile of tested systems, indicating that while it is functional, many other hardware pairings deliver better performance in this specific game.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F compare to its closest rivals in general benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F's average benchmark score is 69996. It is virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which scores 69875 (a 0.2% difference), and the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which scores 70163 (a -0.2% difference). It is also 0.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700K.

Q: What is the best performance we can expect from this combo in Archeage?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 118 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next best is 105 FPS at the same resolution with Medium settings, showing that the system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming.

Q: How does the RX 6600's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 19036. This puts it in a statistical tie with the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (0% deltaPct) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (-0.1% deltaPct). It is only 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation.

Q: At which resolution does the system fail to provide a playable experience?

A: At 3840x2160 (4K), the system consistently struggles. With Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 19 FPS, and even with High settings, it only manages 27 FPS. These figures are below the threshold for smooth, playable gameplay.

Q: Is the frame rate consistently smooth, or does it fluctuate?

A: The data for Medium settings shows noticeable fluctuation. At 1080p, the frame rate ranges from 89 to 121 FPS. At 1440p, it ranges from 60 to 81 FPS. At 4K, it spans from 34 to 46 FPS, indicating a less stable experience at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is a RDNA 2.0 architecture GPU built on a 7 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The card's boost clock is rated at 2491 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz. These specifications define its raw rendering capacity. In Archeage, the GPU's role is to handle the heavy lifting of scene rendering, including geometry, textures, and shaders, and its performance is a primary factor in determining frame rates, especially at higher resolutions.

The benchmark data shows a clear correlation between GPU load and resolution. At 1920x1080, the RX 6600 is often not the limiting factor, as evidenced by the high frame rates. For instance, at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 118 FPS. However, as the resolution increases to 2560x1440 and then 3840x2160, the demands on the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth escalate. The frame rate drops significantly at 1440p, with the average at High settings being 48 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed, as the average FPS at High settings plummets to 27, and at Ultra settings, it falls to a slideshow-like 19 FPS. This demonstrates that the RX 6600's 8 GB memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the high-resolution, high-detail demands of Archeage.

The GPU's performance percentile of 63 versus all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile and NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, confirming its position in the market. However, in the context of Archeage at 4K, these scores translate to a poor experience. The data suggests that the RX 6600 is a capable 1080p card that begins to falter at 1440p and is not suited for 4K gaming in this title.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a Zen 5 architecture processor from the 9000 series. It is built on a 4 nm process and features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. It has a 32 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory on the AMD Socket AM5 platform. These specifications are crucial for an MMORPG like Archeage, which often has significant CPU overhead for game logic, network processing, and managing numerous entities and players. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, indicated by a Passmark single-thread score of 4691, is beneficial for such tasks. Its multi-threaded capabilities, with a Passmark multithread score of 36470, also help in scenes with many simultaneous actions.

In this combo, the CPU's performance is generally sufficient to keep up with the GPU at lower resolutions. The evidence for this is seen in the 1080p results, where the frame rates are high and likely limited by the GPU. However, the CPU can become a factor at higher resolutions if it cannot feed the GPU fast enough, though the data here suggests otherwise. At 4K, the frame rates are so low that the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the CPU would be waiting for the GPU to finish rendering frames. The CPU's role becomes more apparent when considering the performance drop from Low to Ultra settings. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 118 at Low to 49 at Ultra, a 58% decrease. This drop is caused by the increased load on the GPU, but it also allows the CPU to remain the primary driver of frame pacing.

The Ryzen 7 9700F ranks in the 94th percentile versus all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performance processor. It is virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and Intel Core i7-14700KF in average benchmark scores. This suggests that its processing power is not the primary weakness of this system in Archeage. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, especially at resolutions above 1080p, where the GPU's 8 GB VRAM capacity and bandwidth become limiting factors.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 2165 out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage. This rank, placing it in the bottom 22% of all systems, is a strong indicator of its overall performance ceiling in this game. While the CPU is a top-tier component, the GPU is a mid-range part, and their pairing results in a system that is less capable than many others.

The rank suggests that while the system can play the game, it does so with significant compromises. Many other combinations, likely those pairing the same or similar CPUs with more powerful GPUs, or even pairing more modest CPUs with this GPU, achieve better results. The data shows that the RX 6600's performance is the main limiter, as it is in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 94th percentile. This mismatch means the system's overall rank is dragged down by the GPU's performance. The measured FPS data supports this, showing that the system is only really comfortable at 1080p. At 1440p, the performance dips noticeably, and at 4K, it becomes unplayable. This suggests that users with this combo should stick to 1080p for a smooth experience or be prepared to lower settings significantly at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Archeage shows a clear and expected trend: performance degrades significantly as resolution increases. This pattern is typical and reveals the shifting balance between CPU and GPU load.

• At 1920x1080, the system performs well. With Low settings, the average FPS is 118, and with Medium settings, it is 105. Even at High settings, it maintains a playable 71 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the system has enough performance to keep frame rates high, and the GPU is often the limiting factor.
• Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop substantially. The average FPS at High settings falls to 48, a 32% decrease from the 71 FPS at 1080p. At Medium settings, it drops from 105 to 71 FPS. This significant drop indicates that the GPU is now under much more stress, and its limitations are becoming apparent.
• At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The average FPS at High settings is only 27, and at Ultra settings, it drops to 19. Even at Low settings, the average FPS is just 45. This shows that the GPU is completely overwhelmed at 4K, and the CPU's performance becomes less relevant as the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck.

This scaling behavior points to the GPU as the limiting component at higher resolutions. The CPU, while powerful, is not the primary constraint when the rendering load is massive. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a frame rate drop that is disproportionate to the increase in pixel count, highlighting the RX 6600's bandwidth and processing limitations. The drop from 1440p to 4K is even more severe, confirming that this GPU is not designed for 4K gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination in Archeage.

1920x1080

• Low Settings: The average FPS is 118, the highest score in the entire dataset. This indicates the system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming.
• Medium Settings: The average FPS is 105, with a minimum of 89 and a maximum of 121 FPS. This shows a slightly less stable but still very smooth experience.
• High Settings: The average FPS is 71. This is a significant drop from Medium, showing the increased load on the GPU.
• Ultra Settings: The average FPS is 49. This is the lowest score at 1080p, demonstrating a 58% performance decrease from Low settings.

2560x1440

• Low Settings: The average FPS is 79, which is a 33% drop from the 1080p Low setting score. This is still a playable frame rate.
• Medium Settings: The average FPS is 71, with a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 81 FPS. This shows a much narrower performance window than at 1080p.
• High Settings: The average FPS is 48, a 32% drop from the 1080p High setting score. The experience is becoming less fluid.
• Ultra Settings: The average FPS is 33. The system is now struggling to maintain a smooth frame rate, indicating the GPU is a significant bottleneck.

3840x2160

• Low Settings: The average FPS is 45. This is the only 4K setting that approaches playability, but it still represents a 62% drop from the 1080p Low score.
• Medium Settings: The average FPS is 40, with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46 FPS. The frame rate is inconsistent and often dips below 40 FPS.
• High Settings: The average FPS is 27. This is below the threshold for smooth gameplay and is not a good experience.
• Ultra Settings: The average FPS is 19. This is a slideshow and is effectively unplayable, confirming the GPU is not capable of 4K Ultra gaming in this title.