Archeage

The Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 570 pairing represents a classic mid-range desktop configuration from the late 2010s and early 2020s. In Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, this combination produces a wide performance envelope that is heavily dependent on graphics settings and resolution. The measured data shows a system that can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p with optimized settings, but one that is severely constrained at higher resolutions. The following analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU roles, scaling behavior, and provides actionable recommendations based strictly on the benchmark results.

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

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a 12 MB shared L3 cache. For a game like Archeage, which launched in 2014, the multi-threaded capability of this CPU is substantial. The 3DMark results show a scaling from 1350 in the 2-thread test to 3929 in the 8-thread test, indicating that the processor efficiently utilizes additional cores. This is relevant because MMORPGs often have background simulation threads that can benefit from multiple cores, even if the main game thread is single-threaded.

The single-thread performance, measured at 688 in 3DMark single-thread and 1453 in Cinebench R23 single-core, is the more critical metric for frame pacing in older game engines. The passmark single-thread score of 2541 places this CPU in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, suggesting it is comfortably above average for handling the primary game logic. The multi-threaded scores are also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 10297 and a passmark multithread score of 12115. This indicates that even if Archeage’s engine can spawn background tasks, the i5-10400F has ample headroom.

The nearest rivals based on average benchmark score are the AMD EPYC 7552 (0.4% ahead), AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.8% behind), Intel Core i5-8500 (1.1% behind), and AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (1.2% behind). This tight grouping shows that the i5-10400F’s computational power is squarely in a competitive band, with no extreme advantage or deficit against similar-class hardware. In the context of the measured FPS data, the CPU does not appear to be the limiting factor at 1080p, as the frame rates vary significantly with GPU settings (from 28.5 FPS on Ultra to 62.5 FPS on Low), which is a classic sign of GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU’s robust multi-threaded scores, such as the passmark physics score of 696, suggest it can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is built on the Polaris 20 chip, using the GCN 4.0 architecture on a 14 nm process. It features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz, with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus providing a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The 4 GB VRAM capacity is a critical constraint for Archeage at higher resolutions and settings, as the game’s texture and geometry demands can quickly exceed this limit.

The GPU’s compute performance is 5.095 TFLOPS for FP32, which is modest by modern standards. The pixel rate is 39.81 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 159.2 GTexel/s. These figures explain the observed frame rates: at 1080p High settings, the average FPS is 40.9, and at 1080p Low it rises to 62.5. The scaling from Low to High at 1080p is a 34.6% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the GPU’s shading and texture units are heavily taxed as settings increase. The 4 GB VRAM limit is likely the primary cause of the severe drop at 4K, where the Ultra preset achieves only 8.4 FPS.

The GPU’s percentile ranking is 74th among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 30158. The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (0.2% ahead), AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (0.2% ahead), NVIDIA Tesla M60 (0.6% behind), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.8% behind). This is a notable data point: the RX 570’s average score is statistically indistinguishable from much newer and more expensive GPUs in this specific benchmark suite, but the real-world game tests reveal its age. The 4 GB frame buffer is the decisive factor, as the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 880 shows limited modern API performance, while the Geekbench OpenCL score of 32084 indicates raw compute that is sufficient for older titles like Archeage.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions provides a clear picture of the system’s bottlenecks. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 62.5, which is the highest recorded. Moving to 1440p Low, the FPS drops to 43.7, a 30.1% decrease. At 4K Low, the FPS falls to 26.2, which is a 58.1% decrease from 1080p Low. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution directly impacts the fill rate and memory bandwidth demands.

For the High preset, the scaling is even more pronounced. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 40.9. At 1440p High, it drops to 27.2 (a 33.5% decrease), and at 4K High, it plummets to 15.5 (a 62.1% decrease from 1080p High). The Ultra preset shows the most severe degradation: 28.5 FPS at 1080p, 15.3 FPS at 1440p, and a nearly unplayable 8.4 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K for Ultra is 70.5%, which is the largest of any preset.

This behavior indicates that the RX 570’s 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 4 GB VRAM are the limiting components. The 7 Gbps effective memory clock is insufficient for the data throughput required at 4K, particularly with high-detail textures. The CPU, with its strong multi-threaded scores, is not the bottleneck here, as the FPS differences between presets at the same resolution are substantial. For instance, at 1440p, the difference between Low (43.7 FPS) and Ultra (15.3 FPS) is 185% better on Low, which is a GPU-side effect. The data shows that the i5-10400F can maintain high frame rates, but the GPU cannot keep pace as resolution increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this setup in Archeage?

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 62.5 FPS, achieved at 1080p resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The average frame rate at 4K Ultra is 8.4 FPS, and even at 4K Low it only reaches 26.2 FPS, indicating the RX 570’s 4 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are insufficient for this resolution.

Q: How does the i5-10400F compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14168, which is 0.8% higher than the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C’s score of 14277, making the two effectively equivalent in overall synthetic performance.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p on the High preset?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 40.9, while at 1440p High it drops to 27.2. This represents a 33.5% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 1440p.

Q: Does the RX 570’s benchmark score suggest it can handle modern games?

A: The RX 570’s average benchmark score is 30158, placing it in the 74th percentile. However, its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is only 880, indicating that modern DirectX 12 workloads are not its strength. For Archeage, the data shows playable frame rates only at 1080p.

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

A: At 1080p, the Low preset achieves an average of 62.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 28.5 FPS. This is a 54.4% reduction in frame rate when increasing from Low to Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this hardware in Archeage is achieved at 1080p resolution with the Low or Medium preset. The Low preset delivers an average of 62.5 FPS, which is the only configuration that approaches a smooth 60 FPS target. The Medium preset is also viable, with an average of 57.4 FPS, which provides a better visual quality while remaining mostly fluid. The High preset at 1080p drops to 40.9 FPS, which is acceptable for an MMORPG but may feel less responsive in crowded areas.

At 1440p, the data shows that only the Low preset is worth considering, with an average of 43.7 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 38.7 FPS, and the High preset drops to 27.2 FPS, which is likely too low for comfortable play. The Ultra preset at any resolution above 1080p is not recommended, as even at 1440p it only achieves 15.3 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 8.4 FPS, which is unplayable.

For players prioritizing frame rate stability, the 1080p Low preset is the clear choice. For those who want a balance of visual fidelity and performance, the 1080p Medium preset offers a 5.1 FPS advantage over High while maintaining a more consistent experience. The 4K resolution should be avoided entirely with this configuration, as the highest achievable average FPS at 4K is 26.2 on Low settings, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. The RX 570’s 4 GB VRAM is the limiting factor, and the data confirms that this hardware is best suited to 1080p gaming in Archeage.