Archeage

Archeage, an MMORPG released in 2014, presents a unique challenge for modern hardware due to its engine and netcode. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, using measured frame rate data to determine where the bottlenecks lie and how the combo scales across resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific combination at rank 259 out of 1727 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the top 15% of all systems. This is a strong showing, but the ranking reveals a critical insight: the RTX 4090 is not being fully utilized. The rank is not near the top, which would be expected if the GPU were the sole performance driver. The gap between this combo's position and the absolute top tier suggests that the CPU is the primary limiting factor. The Core i5-10400F sits at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4090 sits at the 91st percentile among all GPUs. This mismatch is the central theme of the performance profile. The combo’s rank of 259 indicates that while it provides a highly playable experience, there are other combinations that extract more performance from the hardware, likely those with more powerful processors.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is an absolute powerhouse, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 16,384 shading units and 512 texture mapping units. Its memory subsystem is massive: 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is rated at 2520 MHz, and its raw compute capability is 82.58 TFLOPS. In the synthetic benchmark suite, it achieves a Passmark G3D score of 38194 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 317684. However, the measured FPS in Archeage shows that this immense power is often left on the table. At 1080p High settings, the combo produces 137.9 FPS. When compared to the 4K High result of 68.4 FPS, it is clear the GPU is capable of much more than the CPU can feed it at lower resolutions. The GPU is built for massive workloads, and Archeage, with its 2014 engine, is not one that scales perfectly with the 4090’s immense parallel processing power. The GPU's 91st percentile ranking confirms it is a top-tier part, but the game's frame rate is not solely dictated by its capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a predictable pattern of decreasing performance as resolution increases, but the rate of the decrease is telling. At 1080p, the frame rates are high but capped by the CPU. The jump from 1080p High (137.9 FPS) to 1440p High (120.7 FPS) is a drop of 17.2 FPS. The jump from 1440p High to 4K High (68.4 FPS) is a much larger drop of 52.3 FPS. This indicates a shift in the bottleneck. At 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, struggling to issue enough draw calls to keep the GPU busy. As resolution increases, the GPU's workload becomes more demanding, and it gradually becomes the limiting component. At 4K, the GPU is finally being pushed, and the frame rate settles at 68.4 FPS on High settings. This is a classic sign of a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions. The fact that the 1080p Low setting (169.4 FPS) is only slightly higher than the 1080p Medium (162.4 FPS) further suggests that the system is hitting a CPU-imposed ceiling around 170 FPS, regardless of graphics load.

FAQ

Q: Why is the frame rate at 1080p Low only 169.4 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra it's 119.2 FPS?

A: The difference is due to the GPU becoming more involved as settings increase. At Low, the CPU is the primary bottleneck, capping the frame rate. At Ultra, the increased graphical complexity gives the RTX 4090 more work, shifting the bottleneck toward the GPU and reducing the frame rate.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 a good match for the i5-10400F in this game?

A: The data shows a significant bottleneck. The combo ranks 259th out of 1727, and the frame rate scaling suggests the CPU limits performance at 1080p and 1440p. A stronger CPU would likely yield higher frame rates, especially at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Archeage?

A: For a balance of visual fidelity and performance, 1440p appears to be the sweet spot. It offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining frame rates above 120 FPS on High settings (120.7 FPS). 4K is playable but drops to 68.4 FPS on High.

Q: How does the i5-10400F perform in synthetic multi-threaded tests?

A: In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 10297 in the multicore test and 1453 in the single-core test. This shows a strong multi-threaded capability for a 6-core, 12-thread processor, but single-thread performance is more relevant for an older MMORPG like Archeage.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, with a total bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This is more than sufficient for any settings in Archeage, even at 4K.

Q: How does this combo compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score of 14168 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. It is 0.4% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7552 and 0.8% behind the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C. The GPU is also closely matched, being 0.4% behind the Tesla T4 and 0.5% ahead of the Tesla P40.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Comet Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its cache structure includes 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s synthetic benchmarks show a mixed profile: in Cinebench R23, it scores 10297 in multicore and 1453 in single-core. In 3DMark, it scores 4748 in 16-thread and 688 in single-thread. This data points to a capable mid-range processor, but one that is outclassed by the RTX 4090. Archeage is an MMORPG from 2014, and as such, it is heavily reliant on single-thread performance and CPU logic for game logic, entity updates, and network handling. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs is respectable, but it is far below the GPU's 91st percentile. This mismatch is the core reason for the observed bottleneck. The data suggests that the CPU's single-thread performance is insufficient to fully drive the GPU at lower resolutions, capping frame rates at around 170 FPS in the most favorable conditions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data allows for a clear recommendation based on desired output. For players with a 1080p display, the High preset (137.9 FPS) offers a smooth experience without the performance cost of Ultra (119.2 FPS). The jump from High to Ultra is a 18.7 FPS drop, which may not be worth the minor visual gains. At 1440p, the Medium preset (141.6 FPS) is the optimal choice for high refresh rate gaming. The High preset (120.7 FPS) is also viable for a more visually rich experience. The Ultra preset at 1440p (81.4 FPS) is a significant performance hit and not recommended for competitive play. At 4K, the Low preset (117.1 FPS) is the only option that provides a frame rate above the 100 FPS mark. The Medium preset (101.3 FPS) is also playable, but the High (68.4 FPS) and Ultra (48.3 FPS) presets are too demanding for this CPU-GPU combination, resulting in frame rates that dip below 70 FPS. The data indicates that the CPU bottleneck is most pronounced at 1080p, so users with high refresh rate monitors should stick to 1080p High or 1440p Medium to avoid leaving performance on the table.