Archeage

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER delivers a playable but not exceptional Archeage experience, ranking in the 1522nd position out of 1727 tested combinations. This places the combo in the lower tier of tested systems, indicating that while the hardware is capable of running the game, it struggles significantly at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows a clear performance ceiling: the system is only consistently smooth at 1080p with Medium or Low settings, while 4K Ultra is nearly unplayable.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 with Medium settings provides the best balance, achieving an average of 89.7 FPS. Low settings at 1080p offers the highest frame rate at 101.3 FPS, but Medium provides a significantly better visual experience with only a 11.6 FPS penalty.

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

A: No, not at competitive frame rates. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 40.3 on Low to just 15.2 on Ultra. Even at Low settings, the 40.3 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target most players prefer, and the Ultra preset is unplayable.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 14286, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11's score of 14314. This indicates nearly identical raw performance in synthetic tests, despite the NVIDIA card being a discrete solution.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F a bottleneck for this GPU in Archeage?

A: The data suggests a balanced pairing. The CPU's multi-threaded score of 10297 in Cinebench R23 is sufficient to feed the GPU. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, indicating the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, not the CPU.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GPU?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER had a launch MSRP of 229 USD.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 66.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 25.9 FPS. This represents a 40.2 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset is too demanding for this hardware at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1522nd out of 1727 tested combos in Archeage. This places the system in the bottom 12% of all tested configurations, which is a clear indicator that it is not built for high-end gaming performance in this specific MMORPG. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's mid-range capabilities, as the CPU is a more competent performer relative to its peers.

The CPU, for instance, sits at the 73rd percentile when compared to all processors, with an average benchmark score of 14168. This is a solid mid-range result, placing it within a tight performance band of rivals like the AMD EPYC 7552 (0.4% faster) and the Intel Core i5-8500 (1.1% slower). The CPU is clearly not the primary cause of the low overall combo rank.

The GPU, however, only reaches the 55th percentile among all GPUs. Its average score of 14286 is effectively tied with the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, which are typically integrated or low-power solutions. This positions the GTX 1660 SUPER as a baseline discrete GPU that is outclassed by more modern or powerful options. The combination's modest rank is therefore a direct result of the GPU's performance ceiling, which is insufficient for demanding settings at high resolutions in Archeage.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic pattern where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system achieves an average of 62.1 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops this to 39.7 FPS, a reduction of 36%. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 23 FPS, a further 42% drop from 1440p.

This scaling behavior is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. The 1660 SUPER's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain frame rates as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K. The CPU's performance, which remains constant across resolutions, does not show a similar scaling issue, confirming that the graphics card is the limiting component.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is particularly telling. The Low preset yields 40.3 FPS, while Ultra yields 15.2 FPS. This 2.65x difference in performance highlights the massive load that high-quality textures and effects place on the GPU's 1408 shading units. The data indicates that to achieve a playable experience, users must prioritize resolution over settings or vice versa; they cannot have both with this hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system performs best. The Low preset delivers an average of 101.3 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth. Medium settings are nearly as good at 89.7 FPS, making this the sweet spot for a quality experience. High settings drop to 62.1 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably less fluid. The Ultra preset falls to 40.1 FPS, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience and not recommended.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades significantly. The Low preset is the only one that remains above the 60 FPS line, averaging 66.1 FPS. Medium settings average 57.5 FPS, which is borderline playable but may show stutter in busy areas. High settings drop to 39.7 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 25.9 FPS, making both presets unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system is overwhelmed. The Low preset averages 40.3 FPS, which is a playable but not ideal frame rate. Medium drops to 34.6 FPS, and High falls to 23 FPS. Ultra is effectively unplayable at 15.2 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is only viable with the lowest settings and even then, the frame rate is not consistently smooth.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the defining component in this system's Archeage performance, and its limitations are clear in the data. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 192-bit bus, it offers a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. This is sufficient for 1080p gaming but becomes a bottleneck at higher resolutions where the memory demand increases.

The GPU's clock speeds are set at a base of 1530 MHz and a boost of 1785 MHz. These clocks, combined with the 1408 shading units, produce a peak FP32 performance of 5.027 TFLOPS. This level of compute power is adequate for the game's medium settings at 1080p, as evidenced by the 89.7 FPS average, but it is not enough to handle the Ultra preset at 1440p, which yields just 25.9 FPS.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores align with its in-game performance. Its Passmark G3D score of 12699 and average benchmark score of 14286 place it in the 55th percentile. This is a low-mid-range result, and the nearest rivals are all within 0.7% of its score, indicating a crowded field of similarly performing parts. In Archeage, this means the 1660 SUPER is a baseline card that can handle the game at modest settings but is not future-proof for high-fidelity gaming.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the clear recommendation for this combo is to play at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This preset achieves an average of 89.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while still providing a significantly better visual experience than the Low preset. The visual quality gain from Medium to High is not worth the 27.6 FPS drop to 62.1 FPS.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only viable option, averaging 66.1 FPS. While Medium at 1440p produces 57.5 FPS, the marginal improvement in visuals is likely not worth the risk of frame drops below 60 FPS in heavy combat scenarios. The High and Ultra presets should be avoided entirely at this resolution.

At 4K, the game is not reasonably playable. Even the Low preset only averages 40.3 FPS, which is below the standard for a smooth experience. Users with a 4K display should either lower the resolution to 1080p or consider upgrading their GPU. The Ultra preset at any resolution above 1080p is not recommended, as it consistently produces frame rates below 41 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides a solid foundation for this GPU, and the data shows it is not a significant bottleneck in Archeage. This 6-core, 12-thread processor has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, which are respectable figures for gaming. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297 demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability, while the single-core score of 1453 is adequate for handling the game's primary game logic.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark results place it in the 73rd percentile, with an average score of 14168. This is a strong showing, especially when compared to its nearest rivals. It is 0.4% faster than the AMD EPYC 7552 and 1.1% faster than the Intel Core i5-8500, putting it in a competitive position within its performance class.

In the context of Archeage, the CPU's role is to ensure that the game's logic, AI, and network handling do not become the limiting factor. The measured FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows that performance is dictated by the GPU, not the CPU. At 1080p Low, the CPU is capable of pushing over 100 FPS, proving it has the headroom to support the GPU's output. Therefore, any performance issues in Archeage with this combo should be attributed to the graphics card, not the processor.