Archeage

How This Combo Ranks

The pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F with the AMD Radeon RX 570 lands at rank 1626 out of 1727 tested combos for Archeage. This places the combination in the bottom 6% of all tested systems, a position that reflects the hardware's age relative to modern MMO demands. The data indicates this is fundamentally a low-to-mid-range pairing that will require careful settings management to deliver a playable experience.

The GPU sits at the 74th percentile among all tested graphics cards, which sounds respectable until you consider that Archeage's measured frame rates tell a different story. Meanwhile, the CPU holds a 72nd percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 13516. This places it nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which scores 13534 (a delta of -0.1%), and just ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U at 13462 (0.4% delta). The i3-12100F also edges out the Intel Core i3-10105 by 0.6% and the Intel Core i7-7700K by 1.8%. These tight margins show the i3-12100F is competitive with much older high-end parts in raw compute, but the overall combo ranking is dragged down by the GPU's limitations.

The 1626th rank out of 1727 is a decisive verdict: this system is not built for Archeage at high fidelity. However, the measured data shows it can still function as a playable machine at lower settings, particularly at 1080p. The ranking should be interpreted as a warning that expectations must be tempered, not as a blanket condemnation of the hardware.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 brings 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 1168 MHz with a boost clock of 1244 MHz, while memory operates at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The GPU is built on the Polaris 20 chip using a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries, with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. It features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units, producing a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s. Floating point performance is rated at 5.095 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16.

In the context of Archeage, the GPU's role is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The transition from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K shows dramatic frame rate collapses that align with the RX 570's 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth being insufficient for large texture loads. The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce this: it achieves 30158 on average, placing it within 0.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (30109) and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (30097), and 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla M60 (29969). These comparisons are striking because the RX 570 is an end-of-life product from 2017, yet its compute scores remain competitive with modern mid-range cards in synthetic tests. Archeage, however, does not reward this compute strength equally across resolutions.

The 4 GB VRAM capacity is a critical constraint. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo manages only 12.2 FPS, which indicates the GPU is running out of memory bandwidth and fill rate simultaneously. The 32 ROPs and 5.095 TFLOPS are simply not enough to push Archeage's draw calls at high pixel counts.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the only resolution where the system achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 61.7, and at Medium it drops to 53.0. Both 1440p and 4K fall below 45 FPS even at Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13516, placing it 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U, 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i3-10105, and 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K.

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

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 61.7 FPS average, while Ultra produces 27.3 FPS. This represents a drop of 34.4 FPS, or approximately 56% fewer frames when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter. From 1080p to 4K at High settings, the frame rate drops from 40.8 FPS to 14.8 FPS, a 26 FPS decline that points to GPU-bound performance. The CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient for the workload at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested graphics cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 sits at the 74th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 30158. This places it in the upper quartile of all tested cards, despite its end-of-life production status.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Archeage?

A: No. The measured data shows 4K frame rates ranging from 12.2 FPS at Ultra to 25.8 FPS at Low. None of these are playable, and even the best case at 4K Low is below 30 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo show a clear hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its best results: Low settings produce 61.7 FPS average, Medium delivers 53.0 FPS, High drops to 40.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 27.3 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is the only resolution where the combo can approach smooth gameplay, and only at Low or Medium settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly. Low settings yield 44.7 FPS average, Medium drops to 36.7 FPS, High falls to 23.6 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 14.4 FPS. The 1440p results show that even the lowest settings struggle to maintain 45 FPS, which is marginal for an MMORPG where consistent frame times matter for combat responsiveness.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overmatched. Low settings produce 25.8 FPS, Medium drops to 22.8 FPS, High falls to 14.8 FPS, and Ultra manages only 12.2 FPS. These numbers are all below playable thresholds and suggest that 4K is not a viable option for this hardware combination in Archeage.

The data also reveals a consistent pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 34.4 FPS; at 1440p, it is 30.3 FPS; at 4K, it narrows to 13.6 FPS. This narrowing at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes so saturated that settings changes have less impact on absolute frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior in Archeage for this combo shows a steep performance cliff as pixel count increases. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the frame rate drops from 40.8 FPS to 23.6 FPS, a reduction of 17.2 FPS or approximately 42%. From 1080p to 4K at High settings, the drop is even more severe: 40.8 FPS down to 14.8 FPS, a 26 FPS decline that represents a 64% reduction in performance.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern is similar but less punishing. The 1080p Low result of 61.7 FPS falls to 44.7 FPS at 1440p (a 27.5% drop) and then to 25.8 FPS at 4K (a 58.2% drop from 1080p). This suggests that even when the GPU is not heavily taxed by graphical effects, the raw pixel count overwhelms the RX 570's 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth.

The scaling data points to the GPU as the limiting component. The CPU's performance profile, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, remains constant regardless of resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect frame rates to remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, the dramatic declines from 1080p to 4K indicate that the RX 570's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the constraining factors. The 5.095 TFLOPS compute capability is insufficient for the pixel throughput required at higher resolutions.

The practical implication is that users should prioritize lowering resolution over lowering settings. The data shows that 1080p High (40.8 FPS) outperforms 1440p Low (44.7 FPS) by only 3.9 FPS, but 1080p Ultra (27.3 FPS) is nearly double 4K Low (25.8 FPS) in terms of playability. The sweet spot is clearly 1080p with medium-to-low settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F provides 4 cores and 8 threads, running at a base clock of 3.30 GHz with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It is built on Intel's 10 nm Alder Lake-S architecture with a 163 mm² die size, featuring 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a PCIe Gen 5 interface providing 16 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i3-12100F shows strong single-thread performance with a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681. Multi-threaded results are equally respectable: Cinebench R23 multicore reaches 11912, Geekbench multicore hits 7413, and Passmark multithread scores 14015. These numbers place the CPU at the 72nd percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 13516.

For Archeage, an MMORPG that relies heavily on single-threaded game logic and draw call processing, the i3-12100F's strong single-core performance is an asset. The 4.30 GHz boost clock and modern Alder Lake architecture provide the responsiveness needed for MMO combat. However, the 4-core/8-thread configuration may become a limiting factor in crowded areas with many player characters, though the measured data does not isolate this scenario.

The CPU's role in this combo is to feed the GPU efficiently at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 61.7 FPS result suggests the CPU is keeping up with the GPU's output. The fact that frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution confirms that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this pairing. The i3-12100F's 12 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel memory support provide adequate bandwidth for the RX 570's needs.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings for this combo in Archeage depend on the user's priority between visual quality and smoothness. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, 1080p Low is the only configuration that achieves this, with an average of 61.7 FPS. This is the recommended baseline for competitive play or large-scale PvP where frame consistency matters more than aesthetics.

For users willing to accept slightly lower frame rates for better visuals, 1080p Medium at 53.0 FPS offers a reasonable compromise. The 8.7 FPS difference between Low and Medium is noticeable but not dramatic, and the visual improvements are likely worth the trade-off for most players. This configuration provides a playable experience without requiring significant compromises in texture quality or draw distance.

The 1080p High setting at 40.8 FPS is borderline playable for casual content but may feel sluggish in fast-paced combat. It is not recommended for competitive scenarios. The 1080p Ultra setting at 27.3 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay and should be avoided.

At 1440p, only Low settings (44.7 FPS) approach playability, and even this is marginal. The data suggests that 1440p is not a viable resolution for this combo in Archeage, as even Medium settings drop to 36.7 FPS. Users with 1440p monitors should consider running the game at 1080p with a higher preset rather than native resolution with lower settings.

The 4K results are uniformly unplayable, with the best case being 25.8 FPS at Low settings. No settings combination at 4K is recommended. The optimal configuration is 1080p Medium, which balances visual fidelity with acceptable performance, with 1080p Low as the fallback for users who prioritize frame rate above all else.