Archeage

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination produces a wide spread of frame rates in Archeage, ranging from 269 FPS at 1080p Low down to 43 FPS at 4K Ultra. This data reveals a configuration that is heavily influenced by both resolution and graphics settings, with the performance curve indicating a shift in bottleneck behavior as the workload scales. The measured results show a system capable of delivering high refresh rates at lower resolutions, but one that becomes increasingly constrained by the GPU at higher pixel counts and visual fidelity levels.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K provides a clear illustration of how this hardware handles increasing pixel throughput. At 1080p High, the system produces an average of 163 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 High drops that average to 110 FPS, a reduction of approximately 32.5%. The jump to 3840x2160 High yields an average of 63 FPS, which is a 42.7% decrease from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern shows that the frame rate penalty accelerates as resolution increases, which is typical of a scenario where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The data for Medium settings reinforces this trend. At 1080p Medium, the average is 240 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it falls to 161 FPS, a 32.9% drop. At 4K Medium, the average is 92 FPS, a 42.9% reduction from 1440p. The consistency of these percentage drops across presets suggests that the scaling behavior is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven.

When examining the Low preset, the pattern changes. The 1080p Low average is 269 FPS, which drops to 181 FPS at 1440p Low (a 32.7% decrease) and then to 104 FPS at 4K Low (a 42.5% decrease). The similar magnitude of these drops across all presets indicates that resolution scaling is the dominant factor here, not the complexity of the graphics settings.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 111 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 75 FPS, a 32.4% reduction. At 4K Ultra, the average plummets to 43 FPS, a 42.7% decrease from 1440p. The fact that the percentage drops are so uniform across all presets, hovering around 32-33% for the 1080p-to-1440p step and 42-43% for the 1440p-to-4K step, strongly suggests that the limiting component is the GPU's pixel throughput capability.

The frame time consistency, as measured by the min and max FPS values available for Medium settings, also degrades with resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range spans from 204 FPS minimum to 276 FPS maximum. At 1440p Medium, this range tightens to 137-186 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 79-106 FPS. The relative spread remains similar, but the absolute variation shrinks as the average frame rate decreases, indicating a more consistent frame pacing at lower performance levels.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock is 4.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor has an L3 cache of 64 MB, with 1 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance. It scores 32,172 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5,008 in Cinebench R15 multi-core. Single-thread performance is also robust, with scores of 2,253 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 353 in Cinebench R15 single-core. The Geekbench scores are 22,174 multi-core and 3,010 single-core. The 3DMark scores show scaling from 1,286 for single-thread to 13,929 for max threads, indicating good multi-core utilization.

The CPU's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 92, placing it in the top 8% of processors tested. Its average benchmark score is 57,498. When compared to its nearest rivals, the AMD EPYC 9015 scores 57,555, which is 0.1% higher (a delta of -0.1% for the 9900X). The AMD EPYC 7313 scores 57,399, which is 0.2% lower. The Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58,115, which is 1.1% higher, and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M scores 58,323, which is 1.4% higher.

In the context of Archeage, the CPU's role appears to be well-satisfied at all tested resolutions. The 1080p Low result of 269 FPS average suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls and game logic updates to hit very high frame rates. The fact that the 1080p Ultra average is 111 FPS, which is much lower than the Low settings, indicates that the GPU is already the limiting factor at 1080p when visual settings are increased.

The CPU's strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by the 3DMark single-thread score of 1,286 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,253, is likely beneficial for an MMORPG like Archeage, which often has CPU-bound scenarios in crowded areas or during complex combat effects. However, the data shows that even at 4K Low, the system achieves 104 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting the CPU is not holding back performance in these tested scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD103 chip, built on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU has 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. It also features 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores. The base clock is 2,205 MHz with a boost clock of 2,505 MHz.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 scores 34,457 in Passmark G3D and 20,671 in Passmark GPU Compute. Its Geekbench scores are 214,739 for OpenCL and 263,779 for Vulkan. The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs is 86, placing it in the top 14% of graphics cards tested. Its average benchmark score is 54,247.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209, which is 0.1% higher (a delta of -0.1% for the 4080). The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828, which is 1.1% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55,698, which is 2.6% higher, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55,757, which is 2.7% higher. This places the RTX 4080 at the lower end of its immediate performance tier in these aggregate benchmarks.

The GPU's role in Archeage is clearly dominant across all tested configurations. The scaling pattern observed in the Resolution Scaling section, where frame rates drop by consistent percentages regardless of settings preset, points to the GPU being the primary bottleneck. The 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS average is particularly revealing, as it shows the GPU struggling with the combination of high resolution and maximum visual effects.

The 16 GB VRAM capacity is likely sufficient for Archeage at all tested settings, as the game is from 2014 and does not typically require extreme memory capacities. However, the GPU's raw compute throughput, measured at 48.74 TFLOPS for FP32, determines how well it can handle the increasing shader complexity at higher settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the GPU cannot maintain a smooth 60 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset at 4K is beyond the card's comfortable performance envelope for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 203rd out of 3,708 tested combinations in Archeage. This places it in the top 5.5% of all combos tested for this game. The rank of 203 out of 3,708 indicates that while this is a high-end configuration, there are 202 other combinations that achieve higher performance in this specific title.

This ranking is likely influenced by the CPU's percentile placement at 92 and the GPU's percentile at 86. The combination of a top-8% CPU and a top-14% GPU would typically place a system in the upper echelon of performance. However, Archeage's engine may not scale perfectly with the high core counts of the 9900X, or the game may have specific optimizations that favor other hardware combinations.

The delta between this combo's rank and the theoretical maximum is notable. The fact that 202 other combos outperform it suggests that there are hardware pairings that are better suited to Archeage's specific workload. The CPU's nearest rivals, which include the Intel Core i9-14900 with a 1.1% higher average score, might offer better game-specific performance due to different architecture characteristics.

It is also notably the GPU's nearest rivals include the RTX 4080 SUPER, which is only 0.1% faster in aggregate benchmarks. This marginal difference could be amplified or diminished in game-specific scenarios, potentially affecting the overall combo ranking. The data indicates that this combo is solidly in the high-performance tier, but not at the absolute top for this particular game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) across three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160). All data is measured, not estimated.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates. The Low preset delivers an average of 269 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 240 FPS, with a minimum of 204 FPS and a maximum of 276 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 163 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 111 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decrease in performance: 269 -> 240 -> 163 -> 111.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly. The Low preset delivers an average of 181 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 161 FPS, with a minimum of 137 FPS and a maximum of 186 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 110 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 75 FPS. The progression is 181 -> 161 -> 110 -> 75.

At 3840x2160, the performance is considerably lower. The Low preset delivers an average of 104 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 92 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 63 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 43 FPS. The progression is 104 -> 92 -> 63 -> 43.

The Medium preset is the only one with min and max FPS data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the spread is 72 FPS (204-276). At 1440p, the spread is 49 FPS (137-186). At 4K, the spread is 27 FPS (79-106). This shows that frame time variance shrinks as resolution increases, likely because the GPU is more consistently saturated at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 163 FPS average, which is suitable for high refresh rate monitors (144Hz or 165Hz). The Medium preset delivers 240 FPS average, which is suitable for 240Hz monitors, but the jump from Medium to High costs 77 FPS for presumably better visual quality. The Ultra preset at 111 FPS is still playable but may not fully utilize a 144Hz display.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 110 FPS average, which is suitable for a 120Hz or 144Hz display. The Medium preset delivers 161 FPS, which is excellent for high refresh rates. The Ultra preset at 75 FPS is above 60 FPS but may be marginal for a 144Hz display. The Low preset at 181 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is prioritized.

At 3840x2160, the High preset delivers 63 FPS average, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset delivers 92 FPS, which is a better experience for 4K displays with 60Hz refresh rates. The Ultra preset at 43 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel stuttery. The Low preset at 104 FPS is the best option for 4K if visual fidelity can be sacrificed for higher frame rates.

The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, it provides 240 FPS. At 1440p, it provides 161 FPS. At 4K, it provides 92 FPS. The High preset is a reasonable step up at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K it falls to 63 FPS, which is borderline. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p and 1440p where it maintains playable frame rates.

For players with a 144Hz monitor at 1080p or 1440p, the High preset is recommended as it balances visual quality with frame rates above 110 FPS. For 4K users, the Medium preset is the best choice to maintain a frame rate well above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K due to the sub-60 FPS average.

FAQ

Q: Does this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K Ultra in Archeage?

A: No. The measured average FPS for 3840x2160 Ultra is 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p 144Hz monitor?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 110 FPS, which is below 144Hz. The Medium preset delivers 161 FPS, which exceeds 144Hz and is the best option for fully utilizing a 144Hz display at 1440p.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Low compared to 1080p Ultra?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 269 FPS average, while the Ultra preset delivers 111 FPS average. The Low preset is 158 FPS higher, representing a 142% increase in frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The frame rate drops from 104 FPS at Low to 43 FPS at Ultra, showing that the GPU's processing capability is the constraint as settings increase.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 203rd out of 3,708 tested combinations in Archeage, placing it in the top 5.5% of all tested systems.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54,247. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54,209, which is 0.1% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828, which is 1.1% higher.