Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, is not typically the first title that comes to mind for high-end hardware stress testing. Yet, the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination reveals a complex interaction between an aging game engine and modern, powerful components. The data from the benchmark runs provides a fascinating look at how resolution and settings dictate which part of this combo becomes the bottleneck, and where the true performance ceiling lies.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS across the three tested resolutions shows a predictable but steep decline as pixel count increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 193 FPS. Stepping up to 1440p drops that figure to 130 FPS, a significant 33% reduction. Moving to 4K at the same Low settings yields 74 FPS, which is another 43% drop from the 1440p result. This scaling pattern indicates that even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the resolution is heavily taxing the system.

However, the story changes dramatically when examining the High and Ultra presets. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 117. At 1440p High, it falls to 79 FPS, and at 4K High, it plummets to 45 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is a 43% reduction, mirroring the Low preset's scaling. This consistent percentage drop across different settings strongly suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The RTX 4080's rendering workload is scaling almost linearly with the pixel count, a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

The Ultra preset tells the most severe version of this story. The 1080p Ultra average is 80 FPS, which is already lower than the 1080p High result. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 54 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it collapses to just 31 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is below the generally accepted 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, and even the 1440p Ultra figure is borderline. The data implies that the Ultra preset, likely with its demanding effects and draw distances, pushes the GPU to its absolute limit, making high refresh rate gaming at 4K impossible with this configuration. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is a 61% performance loss, which is more severe than at other settings, indicating that the Ultra preset includes features that disproportionately impact the GPU at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured rows, the choice of settings is a trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. For a 60 FPS target, the data shows that the "High" preset is the safest choice at 1440p, delivering an average of 79 FPS with clear headroom. At 4K, the High preset's 45 FPS average falls short of the 60 FPS target, while the Medium preset's 66 FPS average meets it. The Medium preset at 4K also has a recorded minimum FPS of 56 and a maximum of 76, showing some fluctuation but maintaining playability.

The Low preset is the only option that provides a high refresh rate experience at higher resolutions. It achieves 130 FPS at 1440p and 74 FPS at 4K. While this sacrifices visual quality, it is the only way to get closer to 144Hz at 1440p or 60Hz at 4K. The Ultra preset is difficult to recommend based on the data. Its 80 FPS average at 1080p is respectable, but the 54 FPS at 1440p and 31 FPS at 4K do not offer a smooth experience. The performance cost of the Ultra preset is substantial, and for a game like Archeage, the visual jump from High to Ultra may not justify the massive frame rate penalty.

For players with a 1440p monitor, the High preset appears to be the "best experience" per the measured rows. It provides a high average FPS well above 60, and the visual quality is a significant step up from Low or Medium. At 4K, the Medium preset is the optimal choice, as it is the only one that delivers a consistent 60+ FPS average. The 1080p results suggest that the High preset is the sweet spot there as well, offering 117 FPS, which is smooth on most monitors. The Ultra preset is a showcase mode that is only viable at 1080p, and even then, it may not be worth the performance hit.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a mobile powerhouse with 16 cores and 32 threads, based on the Zen 4 architecture. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030. This places the processor in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance. In the context of Archeage, an MMORPG known for CPU-intensive scenarios like large player battles, this processor's multi-threaded capability should theoretically be a major asset.

The measured FPS data, however, suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most tested configurations. At 1080p Low, the GPU is so underutilized that the CPU must be feeding frames as fast as possible, resulting in 193 FPS. The fact that this is the highest score in the entire dataset implies that the CPU is capable of driving the game to very high frame rates when the GPU is not limiting. The Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 17939 and the Passmark multi-thread score of 51405 reinforce the idea that this CPU has enormous processing power to handle game logic and draw calls.

The CPU's nearest rivals, including the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with delta percentages of 0.1% and 0.6% respectively. This indicates that the 8945HX is at the very top of the mobile CPU hierarchy. In a game like Archeage, this raw multi-threading strength likely prevents CPU-related stutters or frame drops when many characters are on screen. The data does not show a scenario where the CPU is clearly holding back the GPU, as the FPS scales down with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU's role here is to provide a solid foundation, ensuring that the RTX 4080 is never starved of data.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 8945HX and the RTX 4080 ranks 874th out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage. This places it in the 68th percentile of all combos, which is surprisingly low for such high-end hardware. The ranking suggests that while the individual components are powerful, there are many other combinations that produce higher frame rates in this specific title. This is likely due to the game's age and its engine, which may not scale perfectly with the latest hardware architectures.

The GPU's ranking against all GPUs is in the 86th percentile, and its average benchmark score of 54247 is only 0.1% off the RTX 4080 SUPER, a very close margin. This shows the GPU is a top-tier part. The CPU is in the 95th percentile. Yet, the combo's rank in the game is lower than either component's individual percentile. This disparity indicates that Archeage's performance is not solely dependent on raw component power. The game might be sensitive to other factors, such as memory latency or specific driver optimizations, which are not captured by the synthetic benchmarks.

Furthermore, the combo rank of 874 out of 2761 shows that a significant number of other CPU and GPU pairings achieve better results in Archeage. This could be because many top-ranking combos use desktop-class components with higher power limits and clock speeds, whereas this is a mobile CPU. The mobile nature of the Ryzen 9 8945HX, with its 55W TDP, might be a limiting factor in sustained gaming workloads compared to a desktop processor with a higher power budget. The data suggests that this combo is powerful, but its performance in this older MMORPG is not as dominant as its synthetic benchmark scores would imply.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Archeage at 4K with a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: The data shows that at 4K with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average of 66 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target. However, at High settings, the average drops to 45 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 31 FPS. Therefore, a smooth 60 FPS experience is only possible with Medium settings or lower.

Q: What is the best resolution and setting for high refresh rate gaming?

A: For a high refresh rate experience, the 1080p Low setting delivers the highest average FPS at 193. At 1440p, the Low setting achieves 130 FPS, which is suitable for a 120Hz or 144Hz monitor. The High preset at 1080p (117 FPS) is also a good option for high refresh rates with better visuals.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings. The FPS scales down consistently with resolution, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU's high multi-core scores suggest it is likely powerful enough to avoid being a limiting factor in most scenarios.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 8945HX compare to its direct rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, has a score of 76155, which is a 0.1% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D scores 75779, which is 0.6% lower. This shows the 8945HX is essentially tied with the top mobile and desktop processors in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded in the tests?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 31 FPS at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. The data also includes a minimum FPS of 56 for the 4K Medium preset and 98 for the 1440p Medium preset, but the 4K Ultra average is the lowest overall figure.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using in this game?

A: Based on the measured data, the Ultra preset has a significant performance cost. At 1440p, it only achieves 54 FPS, and at 4K, it drops to 31 FPS. The visual improvement over High may not justify this frame rate penalty, especially when the High preset offers much smoother gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured average FPS data for this combo:

• 3840x2160 (4K)
• Low: 74 FPS
• Medium: 66 FPS (min 56, max 76)
• High: 45 FPS
• Ultra: 31 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p)
• Low: 130 FPS
• Medium: 116 FPS (min 98, max 133)
• High: 79 FPS
• Ultra: 54 FPS

• 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Low: 193 FPS
• Medium: 172 FPS (min 146, max 198)
• High: 117 FPS
• Ultra: 80 FPS

The data reveals a clear hierarchy. The Low preset at 1080p is the absolute peak performance at 193 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p is close behind at 172 FPS. The High preset at 1440p, with 79 FPS, is a solid middle ground. The 4K Ultra result of 31 FPS is the worst-case scenario, showing the limits of this mobile combo under maximum stress. The 4K Medium preset at 66 FPS is the only 4K configuration that breaks the 60 FPS barrier.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end mobile GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2505 MHz, and it has a substantial 9728 shading units. The GPU's average benchmark score is 54247, placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209, a mere 0.1% difference.

In Archeage, the GPU's role is critical, as it is the primary determinant of performance at higher resolutions. The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck in every scenario except for the lowest resolution and settings. The significant FPS drops when moving from 1080p to 4K are directly attributable to the GPU's rendering workload. The 16 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for this game, but the raw compute power is what limits performance. The Passmark G3D score of 34457 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6567 confirm its high-end status.

Despite being an "end-of-life" product, the RTX 4080 is still a formidable part. Its performance in Archeage, however, shows that even top-tier hardware can struggle with an older game's engine at maximum settings. The 4K Ultra result of 31 FPS is a stark reminder that raw GPU power has limits, especially when a game's Ultra preset is not well-optimized for modern resolutions. The GPU's 320W TDP and triple-slot design indicate it is a high-power part, and its performance in this game is consistent with its position just below the RTX 4080 SUPER, as shown in the rival data.