Archeage

# Archeage with Intel Core i5-10400F + Intel Arc B390

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a narrowly constrained experience in Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG that remains sensitive to both CPU thread scheduling and GPU rasterization limits. Measured data places this combo at rank 2453 out of 2761 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11% of all system pairings. The 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake processor with a 2.90 GHz base and 4.30 GHz boost clock provides adequate compute headroom for the game's MMO logic, but the Arc B390's integrated graphics solution—with system-shared memory and a 300 MHz base clock—becomes the decisive bottleneck at every resolution above 1080p. The result is a configuration that can approach playable frame rates only at the lowest settings and resolution, while higher presets quickly degrade into single-digit and low-20s territory.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F contributes 6 physical cores and 12 threads, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boosting up to 4.30 GHz. This Comet Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process, offers a 12 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. In synthetic benchmarks, the processor achieves a single-thread score of 688 in 3dmark, 1451 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 1420 in Geekbench single-core, indicating competent per-core performance for a 2020 desktop part. Multi-threaded results are proportionally stronger: 10283 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 6257 in Geekbench multi-core, and 12115 in Passmark multithread.

For Archeage, an MMORPG that relies on client-side simulation for many game mechanics, the CPU's single-thread performance is the more critical factor. The 3dmark 2-thread score of 1350 and 4-thread score of 2560 suggest that the processor can handle the game's primary simulation thread without excessive strain. However, the benchmark data shows that frame rates are not CPU-limited in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 71 FPS average, which is the highest measured result across all configurations. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates regardless of resolution, but the data shows a dramatic drop from 71 FPS at 1080p Low to 48 FPS at 1440p Low and 28 FPS at 4K Low.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 68 among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 14185, places it in the upper two-thirds of CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E (0.2% higher score) and AMD EPYC 7552 (0.5% lower), indicating that the i5-10400F sits in a well-populated performance tier. For Archeage specifically, the CPU's 12 threads provide enough parallelism for background game systems, but the measured FPS data confirms that the integrated GPU, not the processor, dictates performance ceilings across all settings and resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process with the Panther Lake chip. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs, with 12 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a 300 MHz base clock and boosts to 2500 MHz, delivering 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel fill rate. Critically, the memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning the GPU draws from the same DDR4 memory pool as the CPU, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

This shared-memory architecture is the primary constraint in Archeage. The GPU's 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it at the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), and GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster). These comparisons underscore that the Arc B390's raw rendering capability is minimal by modern standards, even though its API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

In Archeage, the GPU's limitations manifest clearly. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 71 FPS average, but increasing to Medium drops performance to 64 FPS, High to 43 FPS, and Ultra to 29 FPS. This scaling pattern—a 59% reduction from Low to Ultra at 1080p—indicates that the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth are overwhelmed by the game's higher-fidelity effects. The situation worsens at 1440p and 4K, where the shared memory bandwidth becomes a severe constraint. At 4K Ultra, the system manages only 11 FPS average, which is unplayable by any standard.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling across resolutions. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 71 FPS at 1080p to 48 FPS at 1440p (a 32% reduction) and further to 28 FPS at 4K (a 61% reduction from 1080p). This scaling is steeper than what would be expected from pixel count alone (4K has 4x the pixels of 1080p), indicating that the shared memory bandwidth and the GPU's limited ROP throughput become increasingly problematic as resolution increases.

Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 64 FPS at 1080p, 43 FPS at 1440p (33% drop), and 25 FPS at 4K (61% drop). High settings yield 43 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p (33% drop), and 17 FPS at 4K (60% drop). Ultra settings are the most punishing: 29 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p (31% drop), and 11 FPS at 4K (62% drop). The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings confirms that the limiting component is the GPU, not the CPU—a CPU-bound scenario would show flat FPS regardless of resolution.

The data also indicates that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (71 FPS) and Ultra (29 FPS) is 42 FPS. At 1440p, the gap shrinks to 28 FPS (48 vs. 20), and at 4K it narrows to 17 FPS (28 vs. 11). This convergence suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU's fixed overhead (shared memory access, ROP output) consumes a larger proportion of its limited resources, leaving less headroom for visual fidelity improvements to differentiate performance.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination ranks 2453 out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the 11.2th percentile of all system pairings. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the Arc B390's integrated nature; the CPU alone would rank much higher given its 68th percentile standing among all processors. The combo rank reflects the synergistic performance ceiling where the GPU's 9th percentile standing dominates the overall result.

The delta between the CPU's strong relative performance and the GPU's weak relative performance creates a lopsided system. In games where the CPU is the primary bottleneck, this combo would fare better, but Archeage's measured data shows the GPU is decisively limiting. The 2453rd rank out of 2761 combos means that approximately 89% of tested system pairings outperform this configuration in Archeage. This places the combo in the bottom tier of playable systems, suitable only for low-resolution, low-settings gaming.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks—all legacy NVIDIA parts from over a decade ago—provide context for its real-world capability. The fact that the Arc B390's 3dmark score of 1482 is only 1.3% higher than the GeForce GT 520MX, a GPU from 2011, illustrates the performance tier this system occupies. In a 2014 MMORPG like Archeage, this level of graphics hardware can handle basic rendering but struggles with modern effects, particularly at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal configuration for this combo is 1080p with Low settings, which yields 71 FPS average. This is the only configuration that consistently exceeds the 60 FPS threshold considered smooth for most players. The 1080p Medium preset offers 64 FPS average with a minimum of 54 FPS and maximum of 73 FPS, providing a better visual experience while remaining playable, though the minimum FPS dips below 60.

For players prioritizing visual quality over frame rate, 1080p High at 43 FPS average is the highest setting that remains technically playable, though it will feel less responsive during crowded MMO battles. The 1440p Low preset (48 FPS) is marginally playable but inferior to 1080p Medium in both frame rate and visual quality. All 4K presets, ranging from 11 to 28 FPS average, are unplayable for any action-oriented gameplay.

The data suggests that 1080p Medium represents the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, with a 64 FPS average and a minimum of 54 FPS that stays within acceptable bounds for an MMORPG. Players who demand the smoothest experience should select 1080p Low, while those who tolerate lower frame rates for better visuals can use 1080p High. Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution due to the severe FPS penalties—29 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p, and 11 FPS at 4K—which fail to maintain playable frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 with Low settings achieves 71 FPS average, the highest of any configuration. The 1920x1080 Medium preset delivers 64 FPS average with a minimum of 54 FPS, offering a good balance between visual quality and performance.

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

A: No. All 4K presets produce unplayable frame rates, ranging from 11 FPS at Ultra to 28 FPS at Low. The system's shared memory architecture and limited GPU compute (7.680 TFLOPS FP32) cannot sustain adequate performance at 3840x2160.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: In 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12, the Arc B390 scores 1482, placing it 1.3% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% above the GeForce 800M, and 2.7% above the GeForce GT 710. Its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates very low relative performance.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F a bottleneck in this configuration?

A: No. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking and strong multi-threaded scores (10283 Cinebench R23 multi-core, 6257 Geekbench multi-core) indicate it is not the limiting factor. The resolution scaling data—consistent FPS drops from 1080p to 4K across all settings—confirms the GPU is the primary constraint.

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

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 71 FPS average, while Ultra settings produce 29 FPS average—a 42 FPS reduction. This 59% performance penalty from increasing visual fidelity is significant and suggests Ultra should be avoided.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems in Archeage?

A: This combination ranks 2453 out of 2761 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11.2% of all system pairings. The GPU's 9th percentile performance dominates the overall ranking, despite the CPU's stronger 68th percentile standing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its best results. Low settings produce 71 FPS average, Medium yields 64 FPS average with a minimum of 54 FPS and maximum of 73 FPS, High delivers 43 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 29 FPS average. These figures indicate that 1080p is the only resolution where the system can approach or exceed 60 FPS, and only at Low or Medium presets.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades significantly across all settings. Low settings produce 48 FPS average, Medium yields 43 FPS average with a minimum of 36 FPS and maximum of 49 FPS, High delivers 29 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 20 FPS average. The 1440p results are consistently 32-33% lower than their 1080p counterparts, reflecting the GPU's limited fill rate and memory bandwidth.

At 3840x2160, the system is largely unplayable. Low settings produce 28 FPS average, Medium yields 25 FPS average with a minimum of 21 FPS and maximum of 28 FPS, High delivers 17 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 11 FPS average. The 4K results show a 60-62% reduction from 1080p, confirming that the Arc B390's shared memory architecture cannot support high-resolution rendering in Archeage. Across all resolutions and settings, the measured data shows a consistent pattern of GPU-bound performance, with the system's integrated graphics solution determining the playable envelope.