Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents a uniquely challenging workload for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B370 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is fundamentally constrained by its graphics processor, leading to a gaming experience that is playable only at lower resolutions and settings. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing, while featuring a top-tier CPU, is ultimately limited by the integrated-class GPU, resulting in a combo rank of 3423 out of 3708 tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and clearly identifies the Intel Arc B370 as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 65 FPS, which is the highest score across all measured configurations. Moving to 1440p at the same Low settings, the average FPS falls to 43, a substantial reduction that demonstrates the GPU's struggle as pixel count increases. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS drops further to 25, showing a 61.5% reduction from the 1080p result.

This pattern is consistent across all quality presets. At High settings, the frame rate falls from 39 FPS at 1080p to 26 FPS at 1440p and finally to 15 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K represents a 42.3% performance loss, while the jump from 1080p to 1440p costs 33.3% of the frame rate. These steep drops indicate that the GPU is not just the limiting factor, but that it is overwhelmed by the resolution increase, suggesting a severe lack of fill rate and memory bandwidth for this workload.

The data shows that the CPU is not the constraint in this scenario. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D, with its high core count and substantial cache, is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than it can render. The fact that the frame rate scales so dramatically with resolution is definitive proof that the Arc B370, with its 20 ROPs and System Shared memory, is unable to keep pace with the CPU's output. The gap between the 1080p Low score of 65 FPS and the 4K Low score of 25 FPS is a 40 FPS difference, a chasm that cannot be attributed to CPU limitations but rather to the GPU's rendering capabilities.

In practical terms, this means that to achieve a smoother experience, the resolution must be lowered to minimize the GPU's workload. The game becomes increasingly unplayable as resolution increases, with the 4K Ultra preset yielding only 10 FPS. The scaling pattern is linear and predictable, confirming that the GPU is the sole determinant of performance in this configuration.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive factor in this combo's performance, and the benchmark results show it is not suited for modern gaming at higher resolutions. Its architecture, Xe3-LPG, and its designation as an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a TDP of 25 W, immediately suggest its limitations. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which are only 0.2% and 0.5% different in score, respectively.

The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning the GPU uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a critical weakness for a game like Archeage, as the bandwidth and latency of shared memory are "System Dependent" and far inferior to dedicated graphics memory. This is reflected in the performance data, where the GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates even at 1080p. The GPU's boost clock is 2400 MHz, but this is insufficient to compensate for the lack of dedicated memory and the low pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s.

The data shows that the Arc B370 can only manage a 65 FPS average at 1080p Low, and any increase in graphical fidelity or resolution causes a precipitous drop. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS falls to 57, and at High, it drops to 39. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields only 27 FPS. These results are consistent with a GPU that has 1280 shading units and 40 TMUs, but is fundamentally hampered by its integrated nature and shared memory pool. The GPU's performance is the primary reason why the combo ranks so poorly, as it is unable to leverage the capabilities of the high-end CPU.

CPU Role

In contrast to the GPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is an exceptionally powerful processor that is not the limiting factor in this configuration. The data shows that despite being paired with a weak GPU, the CPU's performance characteristics are more than adequate to handle Archeage's demands. The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and a Geekbench multicore score of 26736. Its Passmark multithread score of 70255 and single-thread score of 4737 further demonstrate its strength.

The CPU's specifications include 16 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. It also features a large 128 MB L3 cache, which is beneficial for gaming. In this context, the CPU's role is to prepare frames for the GPU to render. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck because the frame rates are consistently low and scale directly with resolution and settings, which are GPU-bound variables.

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D, with a deltaPct of 0.1% (meaning the 9950X3D is 0.1% faster). It also edges out the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 by 0.4%. This indicates that the CPU is at the top of its class, but this power is wasted in this pairing because the GPU cannot deliver the frames to match. The data suggests that the CPU is ready to provide high frame rates, but the GPU's performance ceiling prevents it from ever being reached. For this game, the CPU's contribution is to ensure that it is never the cause of a frame rate drop; the bottleneck is entirely on the graphics side.

FAQ

Q: Why is the performance so poor with such a high-end processor?

A: The performance is limited by the Intel Arc B370. This GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its measured FPS is the primary constraint. The CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU cannot render frames quickly enough to utilize the CPU's power.

Q: Is it worth playing this game at 4K with this hardware?

A: No. The data shows that at 4K, even with Low settings, the average FPS is only 25. At Ultra settings, it drops to an unplayable 10 FPS. The GPU is too weak to handle the 3840x2160 resolution effectively.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system?

A: According to the measured data, the best experience is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 65 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches a standard 60 FPS target. Other 1080p settings result in lower FPS, such as 57 FPS for Medium and 39 FPS for High.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GPU's nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770. The Arc B370's score of 1184 is 0.2% lower than the HD 5570 and 0.5% lower than the HD 5770, showing it is in a similar, very low performance tier.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9950X3D's performance being fully utilized?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores are very high (e.g., Cinebench R23 multicore of 42018), but the frame rates in Archeage do not reflect this power. The GPU's performance ceiling prevents the CPU from being fully utilized, as the CPU is waiting for the GPU to finish rendering each frame.

Q: What does the combo's rank of 3423 out of 3708 mean?

A: It means that this specific combination of CPU and GPU is outperformed by 3422 other tested combos in this database for Archeage. This rank is a direct result of the GPU's low performance, which overshadows the CPU's high capability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the Intel Arc B370 ranks 3423 out of 3708 tested combos for Archeage. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, a poor result that is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The high percentile ranking of the CPU (95th percentile vs all CPUs) is completely negated by the GPU's 5th percentile ranking. This is a clear case of a massive bottleneck, where a top-tier processor is paired with a bottom-tier graphics solution.

The data shows that the combo's performance is dictated by the weakest link, and in this instance, the Intel Arc B370 is extraordinarily weak. The rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capabilities, but rather a measure of the system's overall gaming performance, which is severely limited. This rank suggests that for the vast majority of other hardware combinations, a better gaming experience can be achieved, even with a significantly less powerful CPU. The only way to improve this combo's rank would be to replace the GPU with a more capable model, as the CPU is more than sufficient for any modern game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable settings for a somewhat playable experience are at 1080p with Low settings, which achieves an average of 65 FPS. This is the only measured configuration that approaches a standard 60 FPS target. The performance data shows a clear hierarchy: at 1080p, Low (65 FPS) is the best, followed by Medium (57 FPS), then High (39 FPS), and finally Ultra (27 FPS), which is not smooth.

At 1440p, the performance is largely unplayable for most users. The Low preset yields 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and Medium drops to 39 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at this resolution are not recommended, as they produce 26 and 18 FPS respectively. At 4K, the situation is even worse, with all presets failing to reach a playable frame rate. The Low preset is the best at 4K with 25 FPS, but this is still a poor experience.

Therefore, the recommended configuration is to play at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only combination that provides a frame rate close to what is expected for a smooth gaming experience. If a higher visual quality is desired, the Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 57 FPS, is a compromise, but it still falls short of the ideal 60 FPS target. All other settings and resolutions are not recommended, as they will result in a sub-optimal and likely frustrating gaming experience due to low frame rates.