Archeage

# Archeage CPU/GPU Performance Analysis

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti produces a measured performance profile in Archeage that reflects the distinct strengths of each component. The CPU, built on the Zen 3 architecture using a 7 nm process, offers 12 cores and 24 threads with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The GPU, based on the Ampere architecture with an 8 nm process, provides 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus. The combination ranks 675th out of 1727 tested combos in this game, placing it in the upper-middle portion of the database. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings to identify where each component dominates and where the pairing hits its limits.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 5900X brings substantial multi-threaded capability to Archeage, a title that frequently relies on background simulation and world-state updates common in the MMORPG genre. The processor’s 12 cores and 24 threads provide headroom for both game logic and background tasks, while the 64 MB of L3 cache helps maintain data locality for frequently accessed game assets. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 33,150 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,680 in single-core, indicating strong performance in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. Its 3DMark results reinforce this: a single-thread score of 941 and a max-thread score of 10,075 show scaling efficiency across core counts.

For Archeage specifically, the game’s release in 2014 means it predates the Ryzen 9 5900X by several years, but the CPU’s high single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core score of 2,202 and Passmark single-thread score of 3,469) ensures that legacy game logic paths remain responsive. The CPU sits in the 90th percentile versus all CPUs, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4245P (0.2% ahead), the Intel Core i7-13700 (1% behind), and the Intel Core i7-13700F (0.9% ahead). This tight clustering around a 39,000 average benchmark score shows that the 5900X is competitive with modern mid-range and high-end server and desktop parts.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU’s influence becomes most apparent at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU is less burdened. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 184.6 FPS, and at 1440p Low it manages 124.9 FPS. These high frame rates suggest that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately even when graphical load is minimal. However, the gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this game; rather, the GPU’s rendering workload scales more dramatically with quality presets.

GPU Role

The RTX 3070 Ti houses the GA104 chip with 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. Its memory configuration of 8 GB GDDR6X runs at a memory clock of 1188 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed, delivering 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth across a 256-bit interface. The GPU’s boost clock of 1770 MHz and base clock of 1575 MHz position it as a high-midrange part from the GeForce 30-series. Its FP32 compute throughput of 21.75 TFLOPS provides ample raw processing power for modern game rendering.

In Archeage, the GPU’s role is clearly demonstrated by the scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 110.3 FPS, but at 4K High it drops to 39.3 FPS. This behavior indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as pixel count rises. The 8 GB VRAM capacity, while sufficient for this game’s demands, shows its limits at higher resolutions with Ultra settings, where the 4K Ultra result drops to 28.2 FPS. The GPU’s percentile rank of 74 versus all GPUs places it above the median, and its average benchmark score of 30,849 is closely matched by rivals such as the AMD Radeon RX 6700 (0.8% ahead) and the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (0.9% ahead).

The Passmark G3D score of 23,356 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,478 reflect the GPU’s DirectX 12 capabilities, which matter for Archeage’s rendering pipeline. The GPU’s texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s suggest it can handle high-resolution textures and effects, yet the measured FPS drops at 4K Ultra (28.2 FPS) indicate that the combination of resolution and quality settings exceeds what this GPU can comfortably sustain.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, with the scaling behavior pointing to the GPU as the limiting component in most configurations. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 184.6 FPS; at 1440p Low it drops to 124.9 FPS; and at 4K Low it falls to 68.9 FPS. This represents a 62.7% reduction from 1080p Low to 4K Low, a drop that is steeper than the 50% reduction seen from 1080p High (110.3 FPS) to 4K High (39.3 FPS).

The scaling across settings at each resolution further illuminates the GPU’s role. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces FPS from 184.6 to 76.8, a 58.4% decrease. At 1440p, the same settings progression drops from 124.9 to 51.5, a 58.8% decrease. At 4K, Low to Ultra goes from 68.9 to 28.2, a 59.1% decrease. This near-consistent percentage drop across resolutions suggests that the GPU’s workload scales proportionally with both pixel count and quality settings, and that the CPU does not introduce a significant bottleneck at any tested configuration.

The most telling comparison is between 1080p Ultra (76.8 FPS) and 4K Low (68.9 FPS). These two configurations produce similar frame rates despite vastly different rendering loads, indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint in both cases. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the less demanding 4K Low scenario would likely yield higher FPS relative to 1080p Ultra. The data instead shows that the GPU is consistently the limiting factor across all tested settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 675th out of 1,727 tested combinations in Archeage, placing it in the 61st percentile of all combos. This ranking reflects a pairing where both components are strong individually but not top-tier, resulting in a mid-pack position for this specific game. The CPU’s 90th percentile ranking versus all CPUs is notably higher than the GPU’s 74th percentile ranking, suggesting that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing for Archeage’s workload.

The rank of 675 out of 1,727 means there are 674 combos that perform better in this game, which includes systems with both faster CPUs and GPUs. However, the ranking also indicates that the 5900X + RTX 3070 Ti outperforms 1,052 other tested combos, placing it comfortably above the median. The combination of a high-end 2020 CPU with a 2021 GPU creates a balanced system for this 2014 MMORPG, where the CPU’s strong single-thread performance and the GPU’s competent rasterization capabilities work together to produce playable frame rates at most settings.

The gap between the CPU and GPU percentile ranks (90 vs. 74) suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield greater performance improvements in Archeage than upgrading the CPU. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as the Passmark multithread score of 39,002 and Geekbench multicore score of 11,877, indicate it has ample headroom for game logic, while the GPU’s average benchmark score of 30,849 and its rivals’ tight clustering suggest it sits in a competitive but not dominant position.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 184.6 FPS, Medium reaches 160.8 FPS, High drops to 110.3 FPS, and Ultra falls to 76.8 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 107.8 FPS, representing a 58.4% performance reduction. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system can easily handle high-refresh-rate monitors at lower settings, while Ultra settings still maintain playable frame rates above 75 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings achieve 124.9 FPS, Medium hits 110.4 FPS, High reaches 73.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 51.5 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is roughly 30-35%, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. The Ultra setting at 1440p, at 51.5 FPS, remains playable but begins to approach the threshold where smoothness may suffer.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become apparent. Low settings produce 68.9 FPS, Medium reaches 61.6 FPS, High drops to 39.3 FPS, and Ultra falls to 28.2 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest measured in the entire dataset, and the 4K High result of 39.3 FPS suggests that this resolution is only viable at Low or Medium settings for smooth gameplay. The drop from 1440p to 4K at each setting is approximately 45-50%, which is slightly steeper than the 1080p to 1440p drop, indicating that memory bandwidth and GPU compute become more strained at higher pixel counts.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the system is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming across all settings, with 4K gaming only feasible at reduced quality presets. The Ultra settings at every resolution produce the lowest frame rates, and the gap between Ultra and High is substantial — 33.5 FPS at 1080p, 21.9 FPS at 1440p, and 11.1 FPS at 4K. This suggests that Ultra presets impose a significant rendering cost that the RTX 3070 Ti cannot fully absorb at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for smooth gameplay?

A: At 1080p, all settings produce playable frame rates, with Ultra at 76.8 FPS being the lowest. At 1440p, Low through High settings (124.9 to 73.4 FPS) remain smooth, while Ultra at 51.5 FPS is borderline. At 4K, only Low (68.9 FPS) and Medium (61.6 FPS) are comfortably playable, with High at 39.3 FPS and Ultra at 28.2 FPS being less suitable.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 675th out of 1,727 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle range. The CPU sits in the 90th percentile versus all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 74th percentile versus all GPUs, indicating the GPU is the more limiting component.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the frame rates in Archeage?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck. This is evident from the consistent FPS drops across resolutions and the fact that 1080p Ultra (76.8 FPS) produces a similar frame rate to 4K Low (68.9 FPS), despite the latter having a much lower rendering load.

Q: What are the CPU’s strongest benchmark results?

A: The CPU achieves 33,150 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 4,680 in single-core, and 39,002 in Passmark multithread. Its 3DMark max-thread score is 10,075, and its Geekbench multicore score is 11,877.

Q: What are the GPU’s key benchmark results?

A: The GPU scores 23,356 in Passmark G3D and 3,478 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 137,518, and its Vulkan score is 130,778. The average benchmark score is 30,849.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K Ultra specifically?

A: At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves 28.2 FPS, which is the lowest measured result in the dataset. This is below the threshold for smooth gameplay and indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti’s 8 GB VRAM and compute capabilities are insufficient for this demanding configuration.