Archeage

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a wide performance envelope in Archeage, scaling from highly playable framerates at 1080p to a playable, though less consistent, experience at 4K. The measured data shows a system where the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution increases, while the 12-core processor provides ample headroom at lower settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and presets, examines the roles of the CPU and GPU, and provides placement context within the broader database of tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Archeage reveals a classic resolution scaling pattern, with the most significant performance drop occurring between 1440p and 4K. At the High preset, moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 reduces the average framerate from 127 FPS to 86 FPS, a decrease of 41 FPS. The jump to 3840x2160 is more severe, with the average falling to 49 FPS, representing a 37 FPS drop from the 1440p result. This steep decline at 4K strongly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the limiting component at this resolution, as the pixel count increase places a proportionally larger load on the GPU's rendering pipeline.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all tested presets. At Low settings, the average framerate goes from 211 FPS at 1080p, to 142 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 81 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory, with averages of 187 FPS, 126 FPS, and 72 FPS for the three respective resolutions. Even at the most demanding Ultra preset, the same trend holds: 87 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. The consistent proportional drops across all settings suggest that the scaling behavior is driven by the resolution itself rather than a specific graphics feature.

The 4K results at the higher presets are particularly telling. With an average of 49 FPS at High and 33 FPS at Ultra, the system falls below the 60 FPS threshold that is often considered the target for smooth gameplay. In contrast, the 1440p results at the Medium preset (126 FPS average) and High preset (86 FPS average) show that the combination is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution. The data indicates that for 4K gaming, users would need to select the Low or Medium presets (81 FPS and 72 FPS averages, respectively) to maintain a fluid experience, whereas at 1440p, even the High preset provides a solid average.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows the GPU still has headroom, but the transition to 4K exposes its limitations. For example, the High preset loses 32% of its average performance when moving from 1440p to 4K, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is only 32%. This non-linear relationship is a clear indicator that at 4K, the RTX 4070's rendering throughput becomes the bottleneck, whereas at lower resolutions, the processor and memory subsystem can better feed the GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the decisive factor in this game's performance, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a total bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. In Archeage, an MMORPG with large open-world environments and numerous character models, this memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the strong average framerates at those resolutions. However, the 4K data suggests that the memory bandwidth and capacity may be strained, as the average FPS drops significantly across all presets.

The GPU's clock speeds play a role in its performance characteristics. With a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, the RTX 4070 can dynamically adjust its frequency based on thermal and power headroom. The measured FPS data reflects this capability, showing that the card can sustain high framerates at 1080p when it is likely boosting to its maximum clock. At 4K, the GPU is likely operating under sustained load, and the boost clock may not be maintainable, contributing to the performance drop.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context for its overall capability. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3854 and a Passmark G3D score of 26927 indicate a mid-to-high-range graphics card. Its percentile ranking of 81 among all GPUs further confirms this positioning. In Archeage, the GPU's raw compute power, measured at 29.15 TFLOPS for FP32, is what drives the high framerates at 1080p and 1440p. The game's visual effects, such as particle systems and lighting, are likely to be well-handled by the 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, though the data does not isolate these effects.

The comparison with nearest rivals shows that the RTX 4070 is closely matched with other GPUs in its class. It is only 0.1% faster than the NVIDIA Tesla P4 in average benchmark score, and 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile. This indicates that in synthetic benchmarks, the card is in a tight performance cluster. In Archeage, the measured FPS data suggests that this level of performance translates into a playable experience at 1440p with High settings, but the 4K Ultra preset at 33 FPS average is clearly beyond the card's comfortable operating range.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 provides the best balance of visual quality and performance. At the High preset, the average FPS is 86, which is well above the playable threshold. At 4K, only the Low and Medium presets (81 FPS and 72 FPS) achieve similar playability, but at a significant loss of visual fidelity.

Q: How does the 4K performance compare to 1080p performance?

A: The data shows a substantial drop when moving to 4K. At the High preset, the average FPS falls from 127 at 1080p to 49 at 4K, a reduction of 61%. The Medium preset sees a similar decline, from 187 FPS to 72 FPS, which is a 62% reduction. This clearly indicates that 4K is a demanding workload for the RTX 4070.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at any resolution?

A: The Ultra preset is only playable at 1080p, where it achieves an average of 87 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 58 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 33 FPS. The 1440p and 4K results are below the typical 60 FPS target, making the Ultra preset a less desirable choice at those resolutions.

Q: What is the impact of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D's 3D V-Cache on this game?

A: The FACT PACK does not list a vCache3d field for this CPU, so its specific impact on Archeage cannot be quantified. However, the CPU's large 128 MB L3 cache is present, and the strong 1080p Low preset result of 211 FPS suggests that the processor is capable of delivering high framerates when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

Q: How does the RTX 4070's memory bandwidth affect 4K performance?

A: The 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is a likely contributor to the 4K performance drop. The 192-bit bus and 12 GB memory size are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the increased data requirements at 4K can exceed the memory subsystem's ability to feed the GPU cores, leading to the measured lower framerates.

Q: What is the expected performance at the Medium preset in terms of consistency?

A: The Medium preset has the most complete data, with min and max FPS recorded. At 1080p, the range is 159 to 215 FPS with an average of 187 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 107 to 145 FPS with an average of 126 FPS. At 4K, the range is 61 to 83 FPS with an average of 72 FPS. This shows a consistent experience with no major frame time spikes.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is ranked 633 out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage. This places it in the top 23% of all tested combinations, indicating a strong overall performer. The rank of 633 suggests that while this system is capable, there are many other combinations that achieve higher framerates in this specific game.

The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a high-end processor, with a percentile ranking of 91 among all CPUs. Its 3DMark max threads score of 13795 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 demonstrate substantial processing power. However, the RTX 4070, while respectable at the 81st percentile among GPUs, is not a flagship card. In a game like Archeage, which is likely GPU-bound at higher resolutions, the GPU's mid-range positioning pulls the combo's overall rank down from what the CPU alone might suggest.

The gap between the combo's rank and the individual component ranks is telling. The CPU is in the 91st percentile, but the combo is in the 77th percentile (633/2761). This suggests that in this game, the GPU is the limiting factor, and the CPU's potential is not fully utilized at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the low preset results of 211 FPS show the CPU's capability, but the combo's overall rank is likely dragged down by the 4K results, where the GPU struggles.

The nearest rivals for the CPU provide context for its performance tier. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is only 0.6% slower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF and 1.3% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K in average benchmark score. This places it in a competitive mid-to-high-end segment. The combo's rank of 633 reflects that even with this capable CPU, the GPU choice is the more significant factor in determining Archeage performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution and desired framerate. The data provides clear guidance for each resolution tier.

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice for maximum visual quality, as it achieves an average of 87 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset at 127 FPS is also excellent, offering a significant framerate boost for those with high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 187 FPS and Low at 211 FPS are overkill for most displays, but they show the system's headroom.

At 2560x1440, the High preset with an average of 86 FPS offers the best balance between visual fidelity and performance. This is a smooth experience for most users. The Medium preset at 126 FPS is also highly playable and provides a large framerate margin, making it a good option for competitive play or for ensuring stability. The Ultra preset at 58 FPS is borderline, and while it is close to 60 FPS, it may not provide a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset at 142 FPS is the best for high-refresh-rate monitors.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 72 FPS is the recommended choice. It provides a playable average framerate with a reasonable visual quality. The Low preset at 81 FPS is even smoother, but the visual compromise may be significant. The High preset at 49 FPS is below the 60 FPS target and should be avoided for a consistent experience. The Ultra preset at 33 FPS is not recommended for playable gameplay.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the "sweet spot" for this combo, offering the most consistent performance across all three resolutions. The recorded minimum and maximum FPS for the Medium preset show a stable frame time distribution, with a 56 FPS range at 1080p (159-215), a 38 FPS range at 1440p (107-145), and a 22 FPS range at 4K (61-83). This consistency makes it the safest choice for a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is presented in the FACT PACK and is reproduced here for clarity.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average FPS 211.
• Medium: Average FPS 187, with min FPS 159 and max FPS 215.
• High: Average FPS 127.
• Ultra: Average FPS 87.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average FPS 142.
• Medium: Average FPS 126, with min FPS 107 and max FPS 145.
• High: Average FPS 86.
• Ultra: Average FPS 58.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average FPS 81.
• Medium: Average FPS 72, with min FPS 61 and max FPS 83.
• High: Average FPS 49.
• Ultra: Average FPS 33.

The data shows a clear hierarchy of performance. At 1080p, the system is capable of very high framerates, with the Low preset exceeding 200 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 159 is higher than the High preset's average at 1440p, indicating that the resolution is the primary factor in performance scaling. The 4K results show the most significant drop, with the Ultra preset falling below 40 FPS.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p, the range between min and max is 56 FPS, which is a wide spread, but the average is high. At 1440p, the range narrows to 38 FPS, and at 4K, it narrows further to 22 FPS. This suggests that at higher resolutions, the frame pacing becomes more consistent, likely due to the GPU being consistently saturated.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D provides the processing foundation for this combination. With 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, it is a powerful processor for gaming. Its base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz are high, enabling fast single-threaded performance, which is often critical for MMO games like Archeage.

The CPU's cache hierarchy is substantial. It features 128 MB of L3 cache, which is a large pool that can hold frequently accessed game data. The L1 cache is 80 KB per core, and the L2 cache is 1 MB per core. This large cache setup is likely beneficial in Archeage, where the game world and player data can be extensive. The high 1080p Low preset result of 211 FPS suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, as the GPU is able to render frames at a rapid pace.

Benchmark scores confirm the CPU's high-end positioning. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 and single-core score of 6739 are strong. The Passmark multithread score of 56154 and single-thread score of 4646 also indicate excellent performance. The CPU's percentile ranking of 91 among all CPUs places it in the top tier. In the context of Archeage, this processing power ensures that the game's logic, AI, and network handling do not become a limiting factor, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU can produce high framerates.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database are all Intel parts, including the Core Ultra 5 245KF and Core i7-14700F. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is 0.6% slower than the 245KF and 2.1% faster than the i7-14700F in average benchmark score. This shows that while it is a top-tier CPU, there are close competitors. However, in this combo, the CPU's role is to feed the RTX 4070. At 4K, the CPU is likely underutilized, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in Archeage, as evidenced by the significant FPS drop when increasing resolution, which is a GPU-bound behavior.