Archeage

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX combined with the AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics presents a stark picture in Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG. The data shows a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution, with the powerful 16-core processor unable to compensate for the integrated GPU's limitations. The measured FPS across all resolutions and settings paints a clear picture: this combo ranks near the bottom of the database, at position 2596 out of 2761 tested combinations, indicating a severe performance bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals a textbook case of GPU-bound performance. Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at High settings, the average FPS drops from 38 to 15, a decline of roughly 60%. This steep drop-off is the primary indicator that the Radeon 890M is the limiting component. When the pixel count quadruples, the integrated GPU's shading units and texture units are overwhelmed, as evidenced by the FP32 throughput of 5.939 TFLOPS being insufficient for the load.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern is even more pronounced. The 1080p Low preset achieves 63 FPS, which drops to 43 FPS at 1440p and further to 24 FPS at 4K. The absolute difference between 1080p and 4K is 39 FPS, which is a massive gap. This suggests that even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions. The data implies that the 890M's 1024 shading units and 32 ROPs are simply not enough to fill 8.3 million pixels at 4K with any consistency.

Medium settings show a similar trend, with average FPS falling from 57 at 1080p to 38 at 1440p, and finally to 22 at 4K. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 19, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience in an MMORPG where reaction time matters. The pattern is consistent: every resolution increase results in a disproportionate FPS loss, confirming that the CPU's role is secondary in this scenario. The Ryzen 9 8945HX, with its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713, is clearly not the bottleneck; if it were, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 8945HX is a mobile powerhouse with 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture. Its boost clock of 5.40 GHz and a substantial 64 MB of L3 cache should theoretically provide ample processing power for an MMORPG like Archeage, which often involves complex calculations for many players and entities. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a PassMark single-thread score of 3907 and a multi-thread score of 51405, place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance.

However, the measured FPS data shows that this CPU's potential is not being realized in this game with this GPU. At 1080p Low, the combo only hits 63 FPS, which is far from the CPU's capability. The CPU is effectively "waiting" for the GPU to finish rendering frames. The nearest rivals for the CPU, such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX with a delta of 0.1%, would likely show similar bottlenecked results in this exact configuration. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU, and in this case, it is doing so efficiently, but the GPU is not able to process the data quickly enough.

The data suggests that the game is not heavily multi-threaded, or that the CPU's high clock speeds are sufficient to handle the game's logic without breaking a sweat. The Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2532 and multi-core score of 17939 show that while the CPU scales well with additional cores, the game's performance is not dependent on it. The CPU's 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and DDR5 support are also not the limiting factors, as the GPU's memory bandwidth is "System Dependent," meaning it shares the same memory, but the bottleneck is elsewhere. The evidence points to the GPU being the sole constraint, with the CPU having significant headroom left unused.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame data is damning. With a rank of 2596 out of 2761 combos, this pairing sits in the bottom 6% of all tested configurations. This percentile ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance, not the CPU. The Radeon 890M's average benchmark score of 9210 places it in the 45th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 and the AMD Radeon Vega 8, both of which are older or lower-tier parts.

This rank is particularly disappointing when considering the CPU's high percentile ranking. The disconnect between the CPU's 95th percentile performance and the combo's sub-6th percentile ranking highlights a massive imbalance. In the database, a high-performing CPU with a low-performing GPU often results in a poor combo rank for gaming, and this case is no exception. The data implies that for Archeage, the GPU is the sole determinant of the experience, and the CPU's power is wasted in this specific pairing.

Comparing to other combos, the deltaPct values for the GPU's rivals are telling. The Radeon 890M is only 0.1% slower than the AMD Radeon Vega 8 in average benchmark score, but the Vega 8 is a much older integrated solution. This suggests that the 890M, despite being newer, is not offering a significant generational leap in raw compute for this game. The combo's low rank is not a surprise given these GPU scores, but it is a stark reminder that a high-end CPU cannot rescue a gaming experience when the graphics processor is severely underpowered.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in Archeage at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 63, which occurs at the 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This is the only configuration in the dataset that approaches a smooth 60 FPS experience.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX the reason for the low frame rates in this game?

A: No, the data indicates the CPU is not the bottleneck. The CPU's benchmark scores are in the 95th percentile, and the FPS drops significantly with increasing resolution, which is a hallmark of a GPU limitation. The CPU has ample headroom, but the Radeon 890M cannot keep up.

Q: How does the Radeon 890M's performance compare to its closest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Radeon 890M has an average benchmark score of 9210. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Vega 8, has a score of 9221, showing a delta of -0.1%. It is also 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 and 0.9% slower than the GTX 465.

Q: Can this combo run Archeage at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Technically it can, but the performance is poor. The data shows an average FPS of 10 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is not a playable frame rate for an MMORPG.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 57 at 1920x1080 to 38 at 2560x1440, and finally to 22 at 3840x2160. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 35 FPS, indicating a severe scaling penalty.

Q: Is the combo's rank in the database better or worse than average?

A: The combo ranks 2596 out of 2761 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 6%. This is significantly worse than average and indicates that this specific CPU-GPU pairing is not well-suited for Archeage.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. It features 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2900 MHz. The GPU's FP32 performance is listed at 5.939 TFLOPS, which is modest for modern gaming. Its memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's DDR5 memory, with bandwidth that is "System Dependent." This is a critical limitation, as the GPU is competing with the CPU for memory bandwidth.

The benchmark results for the GPU show a mixed picture. Its PassMark G3D score is 8076, and its PassMark DirectX 11 score is 73, while the DirectX 12 score is 37. These scores indicate that while the GPU can handle some tasks, its performance in modern APIs is weak. The GPU's percentile rank of 45 means it is exactly in the middle of all GPUs, but its nearest rivals are all older models, such as the GTX 960, which suggests it is not a high-performance part by current standards.

In the context of Archeage, the GPU's role is decisive. The game, released in 2014, is not graphically demanding by modern standards, yet the 890M still struggles. At 1080p Low, the GPU manages 63 FPS, but this is the only playable result. The data shows that the GPU's 32 ROPs are a major bottleneck, as the pixel fill rate of 92.80 GPixel/s is insufficient for higher resolutions. The GPU's texture rate of 185.6 GTexel/s is also limiting, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when settings are increased. The GPU is the clear limiting factor, and its performance dictates the entire gaming experience for this combo.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable settings for a playable experience are at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This configuration yields an average FPS of 63, which is the only result above 60 in the entire dataset. The Medium preset at 1080p is close, with an average of 57 FPS, but it dips to a minimum of 48 FPS, which could be noticeable in busy scenes. For a more consistent experience, Low is the safer choice.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset drops to 43 FPS, which is borderline playable but not smooth. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 38 FPS with a minimum of 32, which may be acceptable for some players but is not ideal for an MMORPG where responsiveness is key. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not recommended, as they produce average FPS of 26 and 18, respectively.

For 4K, no settings preset is recommended. The best result at 3840x2160 is 24 FPS on Low, which is unplayable for a game requiring quick reactions. The Ultra preset at 4K yields a dismal 10 FPS. The data concludes that the user must either play at 1080p with low settings or significantly lower their resolution expectations. The sweet spot for this combo is 1080p Low, as it is the only configuration that provides a frame rate that can be considered smooth, while anything above Medium at 1080p or any setting at higher resolutions will result in a sub-par experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of this combo's performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves the highest average FPS of 63. The Medium preset follows with an average of 57 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65. The High preset drops to 38 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 26 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the most playable, with an average of 43 FPS. The Medium preset averages 38 FPS, with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 44. Performance degrades significantly with the High preset, which averages 26 FPS, and the Ultra preset, which averages 18 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are consistently poor. The Low preset averages 24 FPS, the Medium preset averages 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 25, the High preset averages 15 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 10 FPS. The data shows a clear pattern: the Radeon 890M is only capable of providing a smooth experience at the lowest resolution and settings. The spread between the best and worst configurations is substantial, with a 53 FPS difference between 1080p Low and 4K Ultra, underscoring the GPU's inability to handle high pixel counts and graphical loads.