Archeage

Archeage is a 2014 MMORPG that remains sensitive to both CPU and GPU performance, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-10400F with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT produces a specific set of trade-offs across resolutions and settings. The benchmark data for this combo is measured, not estimated, and it reveals a system that can handle the game at high frame rates in most scenarios, but requires careful settings management at higher resolutions to maintain smoothness. The Core i5-10400F provides six cores and twelve threads with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, while the RX 9070 XT brings 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 256-bit bus, but the game's engine appears to scale in ways that make the GPU the primary bottleneck at 4K and the CPU more relevant at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the best overall settings preset for this combo in Archeage?

A: The Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, it delivers an average of 162 FPS, at 2560x1440 it averages 126 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it averages 72 FPS. These numbers are significantly higher than the Ultra preset at every resolution, making Medium the most practical choice for consistent gameplay.

Q: How does the combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 1094 out of 3708 tested combos in Archeage. This places it in the upper third of all tested systems, indicating it is a capable pairing for this game, though not at the very top tier where the highest-end CPUs and GPUs would sit.

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

A: Yes, but only with settings adjustments. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 49, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Dropping to Medium raises the average to 72 FPS, while Low settings push it to 81 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as it averages only 33 FPS.

Q: Is the RX 9070 XT's 16 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The data shows that VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor in this game. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on the RX 9070 XT is more than adequate for all tested settings and resolutions, as the FPS drops at higher settings are more attributable to the GPU's compute load rather than memory constraints. The measured FPS numbers do not show any signs of VRAM-related stuttering or crashes.

Q: How important is the CPU in this game?

A: The CPU plays a significant role, particularly at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and High settings is only 42 FPS (169 vs 127), suggesting the CPU is able to keep up with the GPU's output. However, the Core i5-10400F's six cores and 12 threads with a 4.30 GHz boost clock are sufficient for the game's demands, as the single-thread performance is a key factor for MMORPGs.

Q: What is the expected performance at 1440p with this combo?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo performs very well. With Medium settings, it averages 126 FPS, which is excellent for a high-refresh-rate monitor. High settings produce 86 FPS, and Low settings reach 142 FPS. The Ultra preset at 58 FPS is the only one that dips below the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT achieves a rank of 1094 out of 3708 tested combinations for Archeage. This percentile placement is notable because it demonstrates that the pairing is well-balanced for this specific title, despite the CPU being an older 10th Gen model. The fact that it ranks in the top 30% of all combos suggests that the game does not heavily punish the CPU, and the GPU's raw power is able to carry the system to solid performance in most scenarios.

The data indicates that the CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Xeon 6756E, which scores 0.2% higher, and the Intel Core 7 160UL, which scores 0.3% lower. These are marginal differences, meaning the i5-10400F is in a very tight performance band for general compute tasks. In Archeage, this translates to a system that is not bottlenecked by the processor in most situations, but the game's reliance on single-thread performance is a factor. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1451 is a more relevant metric for this MMORPG.

The GPU, on the other hand, has synthetic benchmark rivals that are significantly older and less powerful, such as the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, which score within 0.2% of the RX 9070 XT's average. This is an anomaly in the data, likely due to the benchmark database's scoring methodology, but it does not reflect the actual in-game performance. The RX 9070 XT's Passmark G3D score of 26795 is a clear indicator of its high-end capabilities, which are borne out in the measured FPS for Archeage.

The rank of 1094 is a good sign for users who want to play Archeage at high refresh rates on 1080p or 1440p monitors. The system is clearly capable of exceeding 100 FPS at those resolutions with the right settings, which places it well above the median combo. However, the rank also highlights that for 4K Ultra settings, this system is not adequate, as the 33 FPS average is a poor experience. The overall rank is a composite, but the resolution-specific data shows a clear story of a system that is best suited for 1440p and below.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy of settings for this combo. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and it is not recommended for any resolution in Archeage. At 1920x1080, Ultra yields 87 FPS, which is playable, but the step down to High provides a 40 FPS boost to 127 FPS with likely minimal visual difference in a game of this age. At 2560x1440, Ultra drops to 58 FPS, which is below the smoothness threshold for many players, and at 3840x2160, it falls to a disappointing 33 FPS.

The Medium preset is the sweet spot for this system. It offers the best combination of frame rate and visual fidelity across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 162 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. At 1440p, it maintains a strong 126 FPS, and even at 4K, it produces a playable 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS. This preset is the most versatile and should be the default choice for most users.

The High preset is a good alternative for those who prioritize visual quality over maximum frame rate. At 1080p, it provides 127 FPS, which is still very smooth, and at 1440p, it offers 86 FPS. At 4K, High averages 49 FPS, which is on the borderline of playability. The Low preset is only necessary for the most extreme performance needs, such as pushing for the highest possible frame rates on a 240Hz monitor. At 1080p, Low reaches 169 FPS, and at 1440p, it hits 142 FPS.

For a balanced experience, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It provides a minimum of 61 FPS even at 4K, ensuring no major stutters, while at 1080p and 1440p, it delivers frame rates that are high enough for any modern display. The data shows that the performance headroom between Medium and High is substantial, making the extra visual fidelity of High not worth the FPS cost in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS data shows a system that is capable of very high performance. The Low preset produces an average of 169 FPS, which is the highest of any setting at this resolution. The Medium preset follows closely with 162 FPS, and the minimum FPS for Medium is 138, with a maximum of 187. This indicates that the system can handle fast-moving scenes without significant frame drops. The High preset drops to 127 FPS, which is still very smooth, but the Ultra preset falls to 87 FPS, showing a significant performance penalty for the highest visual settings.

The 2560x1440 resolution shows a similar pattern, but with lower overall numbers. The Low preset averages 142 FPS, which is excellent for 1440p gaming. The Medium preset averages 126 FPS, with a minimum of 107 and a maximum of 145, providing a very consistent experience. The High preset averages 86 FPS, which is still good, but the Ultra preset drops to 58 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS threshold for many users. The step from High to Ultra at this resolution costs 28 FPS, which is a substantial loss.

At 3840x2160, the system's limits become apparent. The Low preset averages 81 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset drops to 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, which is the minimum recommended for a playable experience. The High preset falls to 49 FPS, which is noticeable stutter, and the Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 33 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is only viable with the Medium or Low presets for this combo. The difference between 1440p and 4K at Medium settings is 54 FPS, which is a significant drop, highlighting the GPU's workload at higher pixel counts.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the primary driver of frame rates in Archeage, especially at higher resolutions. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. This is more than sufficient for the game's texture and asset loading, as evidenced by the consistent performance without any VRAM-related issues in the data. The GPU's base clock is 1660 MHz, with a boost clock of 2970 MHz, and a game clock of 2400 MHz, which is the typical operating frequency during gaming loads.

The GPU's architecture, RDNA 4.0 on a 4 nm process, is a modern design that excels at compute-heavy tasks. In Archeage, the data suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, as the FPS drops significantly from 1440p regardless of the CPU's capabilities. The 3840x2160 results show a clear scaling pattern where the GPU's raw compute power determines the frame rate. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K is 48 FPS, which is a massive gap that shows the GPU is heavily taxed by the higher settings.

The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 26795 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 7260 are indicative of a high-end card, but the game's engine seems to favor certain workloads. The GPU's FP32 performance of 48.66 TFLOPS is a theoretical maximum, and the measured FPS in Archeage shows that this power is not fully utilized at lower settings due to CPU limitations. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Medium is only 7 FPS, suggesting the GPU is not the limiting factor there. However, at 4K, the GPU is clearly the constraining component, as the CPU has more headroom.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F plays a crucial, but secondary, role in this combo. With six cores and 12 threads, it provides enough parallel processing power for the game's background tasks, but Archeage is an older MMORPG that is heavily dependent on single-thread performance. The CPU's boost clock of 4.30 GHz is the key metric here, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1451 is a solid result. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is able to feed the GPU sufficiently, as the FPS at Low and Medium settings is very high.

At 1920x1080, the difference between the Low and High presets is 42 FPS, which is a significant gap. This indicates that the GPU's workload is increasing, but the CPU is still able to keep up. However, the fact that the Medium preset at 1080p (162 FPS) is very close to the Low preset (169 FPS) suggests that the CPU is approaching its limit. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 2541 is a good indicator of its capability in this game.

The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache is another important factor. MMORPGs often have large amounts of game logic and entity data that need to be accessed quickly, and the CPU's cache helps reduce latency. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s is moderate, but it is not a bottleneck in the measured data. The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, such as the Intel Xeon 6756E and AMD EPYC 7552, have very similar average scores, but these are server-class processors with different strengths. In Archeage, the i5-10400F's high boost clock is more valuable than the higher core counts of those rivals. The data shows that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, as the GPU's performance drops are much more pronounced.