Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents an interesting test for the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT pairing. This combination, ranked 743rd out of 1727 tested combos, places it in the upper-middle tier of systems. The data reveals a configuration that can handle the game's demands, but with distinct performance characteristics that shift depending on resolution and graphical presets.

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

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Core 11th Gen series, built on the Rocket Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.60 GHz, which can boost up to 4.40 GHz, providing a solid foundation for a game like Archeage that relies on a mix of single-thread responsiveness and multi-thread background processing. The processor's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache, which helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates a balanced profile. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14372 and single-core score of 2029 suggest it can handle both heavily threaded workloads and the single-threaded tasks that often bottleneck MMORPGs. The Passmark single-thread score of 2981 reinforces this, indicating strong per-core performance. When looking at its nearest rivals, the data shows a tightly contested group. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U has an average score of 17189, a 0% deltaPct from the i5-11400F's average benchmark score of 17181. The Intel Core i7-1260P and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U are within 0.2% of its performance, while the Intel Core i5-1240U is a mere 0.2% ahead. This indicates that in a pure CPU benchmark context, the i5-11400F is effectively tied with these mobile-oriented processors, but its desktop-class power delivery may lead to more sustained performance in a gaming scenario.

For Archeage, the CPU's 12 threads are likely sufficient to manage the game's client-side logic, network processing, and the simulation of other players and NPCs. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in less demanding scenes, where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The data suggests that the i5-11400F provides a capable foundation, but its 75th percentile ranking among all CPUs implies that while it is above average, it is not a top-tier part that would eliminate all possible CPU-related bottlenecks in crowded areas.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is a member of the Radeon RX 7000 series, utilizing the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It comes equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is rated at 2544 MHz, with a game clock of 2171 MHz, and its 3456 shading units are capable of delivering 35.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power. This hardware profile is well-suited for modern gaming, and its 73rd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it comfortably above the median.

In benchmark comparisons, the RX 7700 XT's average benchmark score of 30097 places it in close competition with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, which scores 30109 with a 0% deltaPct. Interestingly, it is also within 0.2% of the AMD Radeon RX 570, a much older card, though this likely reflects the age of the benchmark suite rather than real-world gaming equivalence. The RX 7700 XT scores higher than the NVIDIA Tesla M60 and RTX 5070 Mobile, which are 0.4% and 0.6% slower, respectively.

For Archeage, the GPU's 12 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's textures and assets, even at 4K resolution. The high boost clock of 2544 MHz ensures that the GPU can render frames quickly, which is particularly important at higher resolutions where pixel throughput becomes the primary bottleneck. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the dominant factor in performance, as frame rates scale significantly with resolution changes. This indicates that the RX 7700 XT is the component that dictates the overall experience in Archeage, with the CPU providing enough headroom to prevent severe stuttering but not enough to overcome GPU limitations.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 176.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 116.5 FPS, a reduction of 59.8 FPS, and further to 4K Low, the average falls to 69.5 FPS, another drop of 47 FPS. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where the increased pixel count at higher resolutions demands more from the rendering hardware.

The trend is consistent across all settings. With High settings, performance scales from 105.9 FPS at 1080p, down to 73.2 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 40.3 FPS at 4K. The ratio of performance loss between 1080p and 4K is roughly 2.6x, which aligns closely with the 4x increase in pixel count, indicating that the GPU is being fully utilized. If the CPU were the primary limiter, we would expect to see a smaller performance delta between resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain relatively constant while the GPU's load increases.

This data strongly suggests that the Intel Core i5-11400F is not the limiting factor in this configuration for Archeage. The GPU's rendering capabilities cap the frame rates, and the CPU is able to feed it with enough data to maintain these levels. At 1080p, the CPU may have more influence, but the high frame rates achieved, even at Ultra settings with 73.5 FPS, indicate that the i5-11400F is keeping pace adequately.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data shows that 4K Medium settings, averaging 62 FPS, is a viable option, though slightly below the 60 FPS threshold. For a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS, 4K Low settings provide 69.5 FPS, but this sacrifices visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the choices are more flexible. High settings deliver 73.2 FPS, which is a good balance of visual quality and performance. Medium settings at 102.6 FPS offer a significant boost for those with high-refresh-rate monitors, while Low settings push to 116.5 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 48.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and is likely not worth the visual upgrade over High.

For 1080p, the system is powerful enough to handle any preset. Ultra settings average 73.5 FPS, providing a high-quality experience. High settings at 105.9 FPS are excellent for 100 Hz displays, and Medium at 158.4 FPS or Low at 176.3 FPS are ideal for competitive play or 165 Hz monitors. Given that the visual difference between High and Ultra may not be substantial in a game like Archeage, the High preset at 1080p appears to be the sweet spot, offering a 32.4 FPS improvement over Ultra while maintaining high visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is ranked 743rd out of 1727 tested combos in Archeage. This places it in the 43rd percentile, meaning that just over half of the tested systems outperform it. This ranking is somewhat lower than what the individual component percentiles might suggest, indicating that the pairing may not be perfectly optimized for this specific game.

The CPU's 75th percentile ranking and the GPU's 73rd percentile ranking are both above average, yet their combined performance in Archeage falls to the 43rd percentile. This discrepancy suggests that the game may not be fully utilizing the hardware's potential, or that other factors, such as memory bandwidth or driver overhead, are introducing inefficiencies. The data implies that while this combo is capable, it is not among the top performers for Archeage, and users should temper their expectations accordingly. The measured FPS numbers, however, show that it is still more than playable at most resolutions and settings, even if it doesn't top the charts.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its highest performance. Low settings average 176.3 FPS, Medium averages 158.4 FPS, High averages 105.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 73.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 102.8 FPS, which is a substantial range that gives users a lot of control over the visual-to-performance trade-off.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance scales down as expected. Low settings average 116.5 FPS, Medium averages 102.6 FPS, High averages 73.2 FPS, and Ultra averages 48.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 67.8 FPS, but the frame rates remain playable at all settings except Ultra, which dips below 50 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. Low settings average 69.5 FPS, Medium averages 62 FPS, High averages 40.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 30.2 FPS. This is the only resolution where even the Medium preset cannot guarantee a consistent 60 FPS experience, and High and Ultra presets are not recommended for smooth gameplay. The data clearly shows that 4K requires a significant compromise on settings for this hardware combination.

FAQ

Q: Is this CPU and GPU combo capable of running Archeage at 60 FPS on 1440p?

A: Yes, at 1440p, the High settings preset averages 73.2 FPS, and the Low and Medium presets average 116.5 FPS and 102.6 FPS, respectively. Only the Ultra preset, which averages 48.7 FPS, fails to reach the 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game at with this hardware?

A: The data suggests that 2560x1440 is the best balance, offering an average of 73.2 FPS on High settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 105.9 FPS on High, but 1440p provides a sharper image while still maintaining a high frame rate.

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

A: Yes, but only with significant settings compromises. At 4K, the Low preset averages 69.5 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 62 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for 4K, as they average 40.3 FPS and 30.2 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the CPU performance of the i5-11400F compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-11400F's average benchmark score is 17181. It is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, which has a deltaPct of 0%. It is also within 0.2% of the Intel Core i7-1260P and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U, and just 0.2% behind the Intel Core i5-1240U.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the main bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The measured FPS data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. Frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among all tested systems in Archeage?

A: The combo is ranked 743rd out of 1727 tested combinations, placing it in the 43rd percentile. This indicates that it performs above average but is outclassed by more than half of the other tested systems.