Archeage

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Archeage with this AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + Intel Arc B390 combination reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution climbs. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system delivers 71 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops that to 48 FPS, a 32.4% reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 28 FPS, which is 60.6% below the 1080p Low figure. This scaling pattern is unusually aggressive — most modern GPUs show a smaller percentage drop between 1080p and 1440p, typically in the 20-25% range for well-balanced systems, but this data shows a much larger hit.

The Medium settings row tells a similar story with more detail available. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 and maximum of 73. At 2560x1440 Medium, that average drops to 43 FPS (min 36, max 49), a 32.8% decline. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 25 FPS (min 21, max 28), which represents a 60.9% drop from the 1080p Medium result. The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Medium presets suggests the scaling behavior is resolution-bound rather than settings-bound — the limiting factor is tied to pixel throughput, not to specific graphical features toggled by the preset.

High settings show a similar pattern: 43 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p (32.6% drop), and 17 FPS at 4K (60.5% drop from 1080p). Ultra settings are the most punishing, with 29 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p (31% drop), and 11 FPS at 4K (62.1% drop). The near-identical percentage declines across all four settings presets point directly to the GPU as the bottleneck. The Intel Arc B390, with its System Shared memory and 80 W TDP, appears to be overwhelmed by the pixel count at higher resolutions. The data indicates that this iGPU-class part is operating far outside its comfortable envelope once resolution exceeds 1080p.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D brings substantial processing capability to this pairing. With 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge codename), this is a high-end desktop processor. Its base clock is 4.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, and it carries 128 MB of L3 cache — a configuration designed for demanding workloads. The benchmark data for this CPU is impressive: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 47737, single-core 6739, and Geekbench multicore reaches 22884 with single-core at 3041. PassMark multithread is 56154 and single-thread is 4646.

However, none of that CPU horsepower appears to translate into Archeage frame rates at higher resolutions. The identical percentage drops across settings presets regardless of resolution indicate the CPU is not the constraining factor in this game. At 1080p Low, the system hits 71 FPS — a playable number but far from what this CPU could theoretically feed if paired with a stronger GPU. The CPU's percentile ranking is 91 among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 54762 places it nearly level with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55093, deltaPct -0.6) and slightly ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54053, deltaPct 1.3). The 9900X3D also leads the Intel Xeon 6505P (53701, deltaPct 2) and Intel Core i7-14700F (53620, deltaPct 2.1).

Archeage is an MMORPG from 2014, and its engine may not be designed to exploit 12-core processors effectively. The data shows that even at 1080p, where CPU load is typically highest relative to GPU load, the system only reaches 71 FPS on Low settings. A CPU of this caliber should be capable of far higher frame rates in an older MMO if the GPU could keep up. The fact that it does not suggests either the game engine is single-thread limited (the CPU's single-core scores are strong but not extraordinary for a flagship part) or the GPU is bottlenecking even at 1080p. Given the GPU's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs, the latter explanation is more consistent with the data.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the clear limiting component in this combination. This is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture (Panther Lake chip), built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its specifications are modest: 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores. The base clock is 300 MHz with a boost of 2500 MHz, and it uses System Shared memory — meaning it draws from main system RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. Its FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, and the TDP is just 80 W.

The GPU benchmark data is sparse but revealing. The only recorded benchmark is 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 with a score of 1482, and its percentile ranking among all GPUs is just 9. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all NVIDIA entry-level parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (1463, deltaPct 1.3), GeForce 800M (1460, deltaPct 1.5), GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, deltaPct 2.5), and GeForce GT 710 (1443, deltaPct 2.7). This places the Arc B390 in the lowest performance tier of the database, despite its modern architecture.

In Archeage, the GPU's limitations are stark. At 4K Ultra, the system manages only 11 FPS average. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average is 29 FPS — barely playable. The System Shared memory configuration is particularly problematic for a game like Archeage, which may require substantial texture bandwidth. The "System Dependent" memory bandwidth means performance could vary significantly based on the host system's RAM configuration, but the measured data shows consistently low results across all resolution/settings combinations. The GPU's 80 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm this is not designed for gaming at high resolutions, and the data reflects that reality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full settings spectrum was measured. Low settings produce the highest average at 71 FPS, followed by Medium at 64 FPS (min 54, max 73), High at 43 FPS, and Ultra at 29 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is modest (7 FPS), suggesting those presets are close in GPU demand. The jump from Medium to High is a substantial 21 FPS drop (32.8%), and High to Ultra drops another 14 FPS (32.6%). This suggests the High and Ultra presets enable features that are disproportionately expensive on this GPU.

At 2560x1440, the pattern repeats with lower absolute numbers. Low averages 48 FPS, Medium 43 FPS (min 36, max 49), High 29 FPS, and Ultra 20 FPS. The Medium-to-High drop is again significant at 14 FPS (32.6%). The Low-to-Medium gap narrows to just 5 FPS at this resolution, compared to 7 FPS at 1080p, indicating the GPU is becoming more uniformly bottlenecked as pixel count rises.

At 3840x2160, all presets fall below playable thresholds. Low averages 28 FPS, Medium 25 FPS (min 21, max 28), High 17 FPS, and Ultra 11 FPS. The Low-to-Medium gap is just 3 FPS, and the Medium-to-High drop is 8 FPS (32%). Ultra is 6 FPS below High (35.3% drop). The compression of frame rates at 4K — from 28 FPS on Low to 11 FPS on Ultra — shows that even the lowest settings cannot save this combination at this resolution. The data suggests the GPU is saturated at 4K regardless of preset, with settings adjustments providing only marginal improvements.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Archeage at 4K?

A: The data shows 4K performance is below playable levels across all settings. The best 4K result is 28 FPS on Low, with Medium at 25 FPS, High at 17 FPS, and Ultra at 11 FPS. None of these averages reach the 30 FPS threshold typically considered minimally playable.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Archeage?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system achieves consistently playable frame rates. Low settings average 71 FPS, Medium 64 FPS, and High 43 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low (48 FPS) and Medium (43 FPS) stay above 40 FPS.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. It is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710 (1443). This places it in the bottom 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D holding back performance in Archeage?

A: The data does not indicate CPU limitation. The CPU ranks in the 91st percentile and scores 47737 in Cinebench R23 multicore. The consistent percentage drops across resolutions point to the GPU as the bottleneck, not the 12-core processor.

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

A: At 1920x1080, Low averages 71 FPS while Ultra averages 29 FPS — a difference of 42 FPS (59.2% reduction). The Medium preset sits at 64 FPS and High at 43 FPS, showing a steep decline as settings increase.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Archeage?

A: This combination ranks 2453 out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the bottom portion of the database. This low ranking is consistent with the GPU's 9th percentile standing among all GPUs.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings with this combination. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance: 64 FPS average with a minimum of 54 FPS and maximum of 73 FPS. This is 7 FPS below Low (71 FPS) but delivers improved visual quality while maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The High preset at 43 FPS is a significant step down and may introduce noticeable stutter in crowded MMO areas, though the data does not measure min FPS for High to confirm. Ultra at 29 FPS should be avoided entirely.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the highest playable option at 43 FPS average (min 36, max 49). Low at 48 FPS is smoother, but the 5 FPS difference between Low and Medium is small enough that Medium's visual improvements are likely worth the minor frame rate cost. High at 29 FPS and Ultra at 20 FPS are both below the 30 FPS threshold for comfortable play and should be avoided.

At 3840x2160, no preset delivers acceptable performance. The best option is Low at 28 FPS, which is marginally below playable. Medium at 25 FPS (min 21, max 28) shows the minimum FPS can dip to 21, which would be noticeable. Users who must run at 4K should accept that this GPU cannot handle Archeage at this resolution and either reduce resolution or upgrade the GPU. The data is unambiguous: 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium are the only reasonable choices, with 1080p Medium providing the most consistent experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 2453 out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the bottom 11.2% of all combinations tested. This ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU's limitations. The CPU, by contrast, is a top-tier part: its 91st percentile among all CPUs and average benchmark score of 54762 place it above the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55093, deltaPct -0.6), Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54053, deltaPct 1.3), Intel Xeon 6505P (53701, deltaPct 2), and Intel Core i7-14700F (53620, deltaPct 2.1).

The mismatch between CPU and GPU performance is stark. This is a processor that scores 47737 in Cinebench R23 multicore paired with a GPU that scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad and sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The GPU's nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts from a decade ago — the GT 520MX, the 800M, the GT 625 OEM, and the GT 710. This is a pairing that makes sense only for systems where the integrated GPU is a fallback rather than a primary gaming solution.

In Archeage specifically, the combo's ranking reflects the game's demands. The data shows the system cannot exceed 71 FPS even at 1080p Low, and drops to 28 FPS at 4K Low. For a 12-core, 24-thread processor with 128 MB of L3 cache and a 5.50 GHz boost clock, these frame rates are entirely GPU-bound. Users considering this combination for Archeage should expect 1080p Medium as the practical ceiling, with 1440p Medium as a playable but less consistent alternative. The 2453rd rank among 2761 combos accurately reflects this system's position: functional for light gaming at lower resolutions, but far from competitive for a game like Archeage at higher quality settings.