Archeage

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers a wide spread of frame rates in Archeage, with the measured data showing that resolution scaling has a pronounced effect on performance. At 1920x1080, the combo is clearly capable of high refresh rates, but the transition to 4K reveals the GPU’s limitations as the primary bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and follows a predictable pattern dictated by the rendering load. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the pair produces 235.9 FPS, which stands as the highest measured result in the dataset. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average falls to 157.8 FPS, a reduction of roughly 33%. At 3840x2160, the average drops further to 89.4 FPS, which represents about a 62% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling behavior indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is being pushed harder as pixel count rises, though the CPU remains capable of feeding it.

The High preset tells a similar story with a different baseline. At 1080p, the average is 144.3 FPS, which is solid for a modern MMORPG. At 1440p, it drops to 94.5 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 57.2 FPS. The jump from 1440p to 4K here is a 39.5% performance loss, which is steeper than the 33% loss experienced at Low settings. This suggests that the higher-fidelity effects at High settings amplify the GPU’s workload, making resolution the dominant factor in this configuration.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p, the average is 96.2 FPS, which is already below the High preset’s 144.3 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra produces 65.5 FPS, and at 4K, it collapses to 38.8 FPS. The 4K result is less than half of the 1080p figure, and it is the only measured resolution/settings combination that falls below 40 FPS. The data indicates that Ultra at 4K is not a viable target for this hardware, as the frame rate dips into territory that would feel sluggish for action-oriented gameplay.

The scaling pattern reveals that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance allows the GPU to stretch its legs, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading capacity become the constraining factors. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for 1440p but shows strain at 4K, particularly with Ultra settings that demand more from the memory subsystem.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is built on the Zen 5 architecture with a 4 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz, and it boosts to 5.50 GHz, which provides the kind of high-frequency performance that Archeage, an MMORPG from 2014, can leverage for game logic and scene management. The CPU’s benchmark results show a strong single-thread presence, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1280 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4654. These numbers are relevant because MMORPGs often rely on a single primary thread for physics and entity updates, and the 9700X’s high boost clock helps maintain frame pacing.

The multi-threaded performance is also robust, with a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 31588 and a passmark_multithread score of 37161. These scores place the CPU in the 89th percentile vs all CPUs, indicating it is a top-tier part for general processing. In the context of Archeage, the 16 threads are likely more than sufficient, as the game’s engine is not known for scaling perfectly across many cores. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 235.9 FPS, which is unlikely to be CPU-limited, as the GPU is still able to push high numbers.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the 9700X holds its ground. It scores 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-14500HX and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, while trailing the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H by 0.4% and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H by 0.8%. These deltas are small, meaning the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo; instead, it provides consistent headroom. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth) ensure that the CPU does not starve the GPU in most scenarios. The 4 nm process and 65 W TDP also make it an efficient partner, though the data does not show power draw in-game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the workhorse in this pairing, and its specifications directly influence the measured FPS. It is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process, featuring 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. The boost clock is 2475 MHz, which helps achieve a pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s. These raw compute figures translate into the frame rates seen in the benchmark data, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated.

The GPU’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a critical specification for Archeage, which can use significant memory at higher settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 38.8, which is a 59.5% decrease from the 1440p Ultra result of 65.5 FPS. This severe drop suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading capacity are overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and Ultra effects. In contrast, the drop from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings is less severe, from 142.6 FPS to 81.8 FPS, indicating that Medium settings are more balanced for this GPU’s capabilities.

The RTX 4070 SUPER scores in the 84th percentile vs all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576. Its nearest rivals show it is a mid-to-high-tier performer: it trails the NVIDIA RTX A6000 by 0.2% and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE by 0.3%, but leads the AMD Radeon Pro 580X by 1.4% and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 by 1.6%. These comparisons are based on synthetic benchmarks, but in-game, the GPU’s performance is more nuanced. The 220 W TDP and PCIe 4.0 x16 interface are standard for this class, and the dual-slot cooler with a 16-pin power connector is typical for the 40-series.

The GPU’s role becomes clearer when looking at preset scaling. At 1080p, the difference between Low (235.9 FPS) and Ultra (96.2 FPS) is 139.7 FPS, showing that the GPU can handle the lower settings with ease but is taxed by Ultra. At 4K, the gap narrows to 50.6 FPS (89.4 vs 38.8), indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint at that resolution, regardless of settings. This suggests that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4070 SUPER is better suited to Medium or High presets, where it can maintain playable frame rates without the extreme workload of Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 144 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the combo achieves 210.5 FPS, and at High settings, it achieves 144.3 FPS. For a consistent 144 FPS experience, 1080p with High or lower settings is recommended, as 1440p High only reaches 94.5 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 36029, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-14500HX and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845. It is 0.4% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and 0.8% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with the RTX 4070 SUPER?

A: It depends on settings. At 4K High, the average is 57.2 FPS, which is playable. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 38.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel less smooth for fast-paced content.

Q: What is the GPU’s VRAM capacity and bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This is sufficient for 1440p High settings but is a limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

Q: How does the combo rank among other hardware combinations in Archeage?

A: The combo ranks 260th out of 1727 tested combinations, placing it in the top 15% of all tested configurations for this game.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 157.8 FPS, while Ultra produces 65.5 FPS. This is a difference of 92.3 FPS, highlighting the significant impact of preset selection on performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering 144.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and close to the 144 Hz refresh rate that many monitors support. Pushing to Ultra at 1080p yields 96.2 FPS, which is still smooth but sacrifices 48.1 FPS compared to High, making the extra visual fidelity not worth the performance cost for most players. Medium at 1080p offers 210.5 FPS, which is excessive for most displays and suggests that Low or Medium is only necessary for competitive play on high-refresh panels.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it produces 94.5 FPS, which is comfortably in the playable range and offers a good balance of visual quality and performance. Medium at 1440p produces 142.6 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh gaming, but the jump to High only costs 48.1 FPS and likely provides noticeably better image quality. Ultra at 1440p is less appealing, as it drops to 65.5 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 44% reduction from High, suggesting that the Ultra preset’s effects are too demanding for the GPU at this resolution.

For 3840x2160, the data recommends the Medium preset, which delivers 81.8 FPS, making it the only 4K setting that exceeds the 60 FPS target. High at 4K produces 57.2 FPS, which is borderline playable but may feel less smooth. Low at 4K produces 89.4 FPS, but the visual sacrifice is substantial. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as the 38.8 FPS average is below the 40 FPS threshold for comfortable gameplay. The overall recommendation is to use High at 1080p or 1440p, and Medium at 4K, as these settings provide the best balance of visual quality and frame rate for this specific hardware combination.