Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents a unique challenge for the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B390 combination. The data reveals a system where the graphics processor is the overwhelming bottleneck, capping performance at levels far below what the 12-core CPU is capable of driving. The benchmark results show a clear narrative of GPU limitation across all tested resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a stark and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the rate of that decline tells the real story about this system's limitations. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 71 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 48 FPS, a 32.4% reduction. Pushing further to 4K Low yields just 28 FPS, another 41.7% drop from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern—where performance nearly halves with each step up in pixel count—is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

The same pattern persists across other settings. With High settings, the average FPS goes from 43 at 1080p, to 29 at 1440p, and finally to 17 at 4K. Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 64 FPS at 1080p, 43 at 1440p, and 25 at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most punishing, starting at just 29 FPS at 1080p and collapsing to 20 FPS at 1440p and 11 FPS at 4K.

The data indicates that the limiting component is unequivocally the Intel Arc B390. The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rivals being the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710—all legacy or entry-level parts. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is just 1.3% higher than the GT 520MX's 1463. A GPU with such a low performance ceiling will bottleneck any modern CPU, regardless of the CPU's capability. The Ryzen 9 7900X, with a 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs, is essentially idle while the GPU struggles to render frames. The FPS drops are not a reflection of the CPU's limits but rather the hard physical limits of the Arc B390's rendering capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the choice of settings is a trade-off between visual fidelity and playable frame rates. The most critical observation is that the Ultra preset is effectively unplayable at any resolution. The highest average FPS achieved on Ultra is 29 at 1080p, which dips to 20 at 1440p and a slideshow-like 11 at 4K. These numbers are below the threshold for a smooth experience in any genre, let alone an MMORPG where responsiveness is key.

The data suggests that the Low preset provides the only consistently playable experience, and even then, only at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system averages 71 FPS, which is a solid, playable frame rate. At 1440p Low, the 48 FPS average is acceptable for a slower-paced MMO, though it may feel less fluid in crowded areas. The 4K Low setting, at 28 FPS, falls into the "technically running but not enjoyable" category.

For players who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate, the Medium preset offers a middle ground. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 64 FPS, nearly matching the Low preset's performance while presumably offering better visuals. The minimum FPS recorded for 1080p Medium is 54, indicating that frame pacing remains stable. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 43 FPS with a minimum of 36, which is borderline for an MMO. The High preset provides no significant advantage over Medium in terms of playability at 1080p (43 FPS vs 64 FPS) and is worse at higher resolutions. Therefore, the data indicates that for this combination, the "best" experience is either 1080p Medium for a balance of quality and speed, or 1080p Low for the highest possible frame rate. Higher resolutions are not viable with this GPU.

FAQ

Q: Is this CPU and GPU combination suitable for playing Archeage at 4K?

A: No. The measured data shows that at 4K, even with the Low preset, the system only averages 28 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K averages just 11 FPS. These frame rates are far too low for a playable experience. The GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the best frame rate this combo can achieve in Archeage?

A: The highest average FPS recorded in the data is 71, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This is the only configuration that breaks the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460). It is 2.5% faster than the GT 625 OEM (1446) and 2.7% faster than the GT 710 (1443). These are all very low-performing GPUs, placing the Arc B390 in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 7900X the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The data points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck. The Ryzen 9 7900X has an average benchmark score of 53288, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700F, has a score of 53620, which is only 0.6% higher. The CPU's performance is in a completely different league than the GPU's.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 71 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 29 FPS. This represents a performance drop of 59.2% when moving from Low to Ultra settings. The Ultra preset's frame rate is not suitable for gameplay.

Q: What kind of performance can be expected at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 43, with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 49 FPS. This level of performance may be acceptable for casual play in less demanding areas of the game, but it could struggle in large-scale battles common to MMORPGs.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific hardware combination ranks 3297 out of 3708 tested combos for Archeage. This places it in the bottom 11.1% of all tested systems, a reflection of the severe GPU bottleneck. The ranking is a direct consequence of the Intel Arc B390's low performance ceiling. While the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a high-end processor, it cannot compensate for a GPU that performs at the level of a decade-old entry-level card.

The data suggests that the ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU. The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is its only benchmark, and it places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This means that 91% of GPUs tested are faster. When paired with a CPU that is in the 91st percentile, the system's overall performance is dragged down to the bottom tier. The combo's rank of 3297 indicates that in the vast majority of other system configurations, a better balance of components leads to higher frame rates in Archeage. This pairing is a prime example of a CPU-heavy system being rendered ineffective by an underpowered GPU.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (Raphael). It has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. These specifications make it a formidable processor for multi-threaded workloads. Its benchmark scores are consistently high, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29300 and a single-core score of 2016.5. Its Passmark multithread score is 51406, and its average benchmark score is 53288, placing it in the 91st percentile.

However, in Archeage, this CPU's power is largely untapped. The measured FPS data shows that the system's frame rates are exclusively limited by the GPU. For example, at 1080p, the difference between Low (71 FPS) and Ultra (29 FPS) settings is 42 FPS. This variation is due to the increased rendering load on the GPU, not the CPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be similar across different settings. The game's engine, being from 2014, is unlikely to fully utilize 12 cores effectively, but the data shows that even the single-thread performance of the 7900X (3DMark single-thread score of 1093, Passmark single-thread score of 4238) is more than sufficient. The CPU's role here is to feed the GPU with data, and it does so with ease, as evidenced by the fact that performance drops proportionally with resolution. The 83.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth and 64 MB of shared L3 cache ensure that the CPU is never starved for data, allowing it to consistently deliver frames to the GPU, which then fails to render them at an acceptable rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a complete breakdown of the measured average FPS for the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B390 in Archeage.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS of 71.
• Medium: Average FPS of 64, with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 73.
• High: Average FPS of 43.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 29.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS of 48.
• Medium: Average FPS of 43, with a minimum of 36 and a maximum of 49.
• High: Average FPS of 29.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 20.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS of 28.
• Medium: Average FPS of 25, with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 28.
• High: Average FPS of 17.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 11.

The data shows a clear and consistent pattern. Performance scales down as resolution increases, and scales down as settings are increased. The system is only capable of providing a smooth 60+ FPS experience at 1080p with Low settings. At 1440p, the best average FPS is 48 (Low). At 4K, no settings preset achieves an average FPS above 28. The minimum FPS values, where recorded, are close to the averages, indicating relatively stable frame pacing, but at such low frame rates, this stability does not translate to a good user experience. The overall picture is one of a severely GPU-limited system that is not suitable for playing Archeage at higher resolutions or graphical presets.