Archeage

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a 58 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. The processor supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes. This is a locked multiplier part, meaning it cannot be overclocked.

In the context of ArcheAge, an MMORPG that is heavily reliant on single-threaded performance for game logic and network handling, the i3-12100F's architecture is well-suited. The processor's single-thread benchmark results are notable: it scores 893 in 3DMark single-thread, 1,674 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 3,444 in PassMark single-thread. These scores place it in the 68th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that its single-core capability is above average, which is crucial for maintaining consistent frame rates in MMO environments where draw calls and scripting can bottleneck weaker processors.

Multi-threaded performance shows the 4-core/8-thread configuration is adequate but not exceptional. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the chip scores 11,860, and in PassMark multithread it achieves 14,015. The 3DMark results show a scaling pattern: 2-thread yields 1,659, 4-thread yields 2,859, 8-thread yields 4,026, and max-threads yields 4,023. The near-identical scores between 8-thread and max-threads confirm that the processor's 8 threads are fully utilized, but adding more threads would not help—the chip has no headroom beyond its physical cores and hyper-threading. The average benchmark score of 13,494 places it in a tie with the Intel Core 3 N355 (0% delta) and slightly ahead of the Intel Core i5-9500 (0.3% delta), while being marginally behind the Intel Core 5 120UL (-0.7% delta) and ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U (1.1% delta).

For ArcheAge specifically, the CPU's single-thread strength matters more than its multi-thread count. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the average FPS reaches 229, which is the highest result across all configurations. This suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at very high frame rates. However, the gap between 1080p Low (229 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (123 FPS) is substantial, indicating that as graphical load increases, the GPU becomes more involved. The processor's 68th percentile ranking means it sits comfortably above median performance, but in a game with many players on screen, the 4-core design could still show limitations in crowded scenarios, though the data does not specifically measure those instances.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the flagship GPU of the GeForce 40-series, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 128 RT cores, and 512 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with memory clocked at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). It is equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The card's compute capabilities include 82.58 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16, with a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s. The TDP is 450 W, requiring a suggested 850 W PSU and a single 16-pin power connector.

The RTX 4090's performance percentile is 88th among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60,347. Its nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (0.3% delta), AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (-2.5% delta), and AMD Radeon PRO V710 (2.9% delta). This indicates that while the RTX 4090 is a top-tier consumer card, its benchmark scores place it in the same performance tier as these professional/workstation GPUs, which is notable for an MMORPG like ArcheAge.

In ArcheAge, the GPU's role is primarily to handle rendering at high resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 47, while at 4K Low it reaches 115. This wide range demonstrates that the GPU is capable of producing very high frame rates at lower settings, but the Ultra preset at 4K imposes a heavy load that even the RTX 4090 cannot overcome. The 24 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for ArcheAge, as the game's textures and environments do not require anywhere near that capacity, but the memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s ensures that high-resolution textures are streamed efficiently.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 reflects the card's raw performance in modern APIs, while DirectX 11 and 12 tests in PassMark show scores of 326 and 150, respectively. These lower DirectX scores are typical for synthetic tests that do not scale with the card's full architecture. The RTX 4090's performance in ArcheAge is ultimately constrained by the game's engine, which is not designed to utilize the full power of such a high-end GPU, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU becomes the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achieved with this CPU/GPU combo in ArcheAge?

A: The highest average FPS is 229, recorded at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is followed by 220 FPS at 1080p Medium and 200 FPS at 2560x1440 Low.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance in relation to ArcheAge?

A: The CPU scores 1,674 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 11,860 in multi-core. In ArcheAge, the single-thread performance is more critical, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low (229 FPS) where the CPU is the primary driver. The multi-core score is moderate, placing the CPU in the 68th percentile, but the game's reliance on single-thread means the boost clock of 4.30 GHz is more relevant.

Q: Does the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM provide any advantage in ArcheAge?

A: The 24 GB VRAM is far more than ArcheAge requires, as the game's textures and assets do not approach this capacity. The advantage lies in the 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, which ensures smooth texture streaming at 4K resolutions, but the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (47 FPS) indicates the GPU's compute limits, not memory capacity, are the bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at the same settings?

A: At High settings, 1080p averages 180 FPS while 4K averages 69 FPS, a drop of 61.7%. At Medium settings, 1080p averages 220 FPS while 4K averages 102 FPS, a drop of 53.6%. At Ultra settings, 1080p averages 123 FPS while 4K averages 47 FPS, a drop of 61.8%.

Q: How does the combo rank in ArcheAge compared to all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 175th out of 3,708 tested combinations, placing it in the top 4.7% of all CPU/GPU pairings in the database for this game. This indicates that while the RTX 4090 is powerful, the i3-12100F holds back the overall performance relative to top-tier combos.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the limiting factor (229 FPS), but as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The drop from 1080p Low (229 FPS) to 4K Low (115 FPS) is 49.8%, while the drop from 1080p Ultra (123 FPS) to 4K Ultra (47 FPS) is 61.8%. This suggests that at higher settings, the GPU's rendering load is the primary constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (3840x2160, 2560x1440, 1920x1080) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). The results are as follows:

At 3840x2160 (4K), the average FPS ranges from 47 at Ultra to 115 at Low. The Medium preset averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117. The High preset averages 69 FPS. The Ultra preset has no recorded minimum or maximum, but its average of 47 is the lowest across all configurations. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 68 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a significant graphical load.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the average FPS ranges from 83 at Ultra to 200 at Low. The Medium preset averages 178 FPS with a minimum of 152 and maximum of 205. The High preset averages 121 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 117 FPS, showing that the GPU can handle 1440p more comfortably, though the Ultra preset still cuts performance nearly in half compared to Low.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the average FPS ranges from 123 at Ultra to 229 at Low. The Medium preset averages 220 FPS with a minimum of 187 and maximum of 253. The High preset averages 180 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 106 FPS, with Low exceeding 200 FPS and Ultra still maintaining a playable 123 FPS. The Medium preset's maximum of 253 FPS is the highest recorded value in the entire dataset.

The data reveals that the Low preset consistently delivers the highest frame rates at every resolution, while Ultra delivers the lowest. The Medium preset offers a balanced middle ground, with its minimum FPS never dropping below 87 at any resolution. The High preset sits between Medium and Ultra but is closer to Ultra in performance impact, especially at 4K where it only averages 69 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K varies by settings preset, providing insight into which component is the limiting factor at each configuration.

At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 229 at 1080p to 200 at 1440p (a 12.7% decrease) and further to 115 at 4K (a 49.8% decrease from 1080p). This pattern indicates that at Low settings, the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p and 1440p, as the GPU has enough headroom to render at very high speeds. The steep drop to 4K suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 220 at 1080p to 178 at 1440p (a 19.1% decrease) and then to 102 at 4K (a 53.6% decrease from 1080p). The relatively smaller drop from 1080p to 1440p compared to the drop from 1440p to 4K indicates that the GPU is still not fully saturated at 1440p, but the 4K resolution begins to stress the rendering pipeline.

At High settings, the FPS drops from 180 at 1080p to 121 at 1440p (a 32.8% decrease) and then to 69 at 4K (a 61.7% decrease from 1080p). The larger percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p compared to Low and Medium suggests that the GPU is becoming more involved at High settings, and the 4K result of 69 FPS shows that the card is working hard but cannot maintain high frame rates.

At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 123 at 1080p to 83 at 1440p (a 32.5% decrease) and then to 47 at 4K (a 61.8% decrease from 1080p). The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with the 4K result falling below 50 FPS. This indicates that Ultra settings at 4K push the RTX 4090 to its limits in ArcheAge, and the game engine's optimization becomes the limiting factor rather than the GPU's raw compute power.

Overall, the resolution scaling analysis shows that the CPU is the primary bottleneck at 1080p and 1440p with lower settings, while the GPU becomes the bottleneck at 4K and at higher settings presets. The RTX 4090's performance in this game is limited by the engine's ability to utilize its capabilities, particularly at 4K Ultra where the average FPS of 47 is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the resolution and the desired frame rate target.

For 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance, averaging 220 FPS with a minimum of 187 FPS and a maximum of 253 FPS. This is only 9 FPS lower than Low (229 FPS) but provides significantly better visual fidelity. The High preset at 180 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset's higher minimum FPS (187 vs. no recorded minimum for High) suggests greater consistency. The Ultra preset at 123 FPS is playable but represents a substantial drop from Medium, making it less ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors.

For 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers the highest average FPS at 200, but the Medium preset at 178 FPS is the recommended choice because it offers better visuals while still maintaining a high frame rate. The minimum FPS for Medium at 1440p is 152, which is above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors. The High preset at 121 FPS is acceptable for 120 Hz displays, but the Ultra preset at 83 FPS is best avoided unless visual quality is prioritized over frame rate.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 115 FPS is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for smooth 4K gameplay. The Medium preset at 102 FPS is also viable and offers better visuals, with a minimum FPS of 87 ensuring no significant drops. The High preset at 69 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth, while the Ultra preset at 47 FPS is not recommended for action-heavy gameplay. Given that the game is an MMORPG with potentially large player gatherings, maintaining a frame rate above 60 FPS is important, so Medium at 4K is the best compromise between quality and performance.

In summary, the data suggests that the Medium preset provides the best overall experience at 1080p and 1440p, while at 4K, either Low or Medium is recommended depending on the user's preference for visual quality versus frame rate stability. The Ultra preset is only suitable for users who prioritize maximum graphical fidelity and are willing to accept lower frame rates, particularly at 4K where it falls below 50 FPS.