Archeage

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 delivers a playable but inconsistent experience in Archeage, with performance heavily dependent on resolution and settings. The data shows this combination ranks in the bottom 15% of tested configurations, indicating that while the hardware is functional, it struggles to maintain high frame rates under demanding conditions, particularly at 4K resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F provides six cores and twelve threads, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This 11th-generation Rocket Lake processor sits in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17,181. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (deltaPct 0), the Intel Core i7-1260P (deltaPct -0.2), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (deltaPct -0.2), placing it in a competitive mid-range tier. In Cinebench R23, the chip scores 14,372 in multi-core and 2,029 in single-core tests, while Geekbench results show 7,579 multi-core and 1,979 single-core performance.

For Archeage, an MMORPG that relies heavily on logical thread scheduling and consistent single-thread performance, this CPU's capabilities are generally sufficient. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s provide adequate bandwidth for game logic. However, the benchmark data reveals that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is not the primary constraint, as frame rates scale significantly when graphical load is reduced. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 106.5 FPS, indicating the processor can feed the GPU effectively when the graphics card is not overwhelmed.

The processor's 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1200 compatibility suggest a modest power footprint, but the data does not indicate thermal throttling as a limiting factor in Archeage. The single-thread score of 868 in 3dmark tests and 2,029 in Cinebench R23 confirms that the i5-11400F handles the type of instruction-level parallelism found in MMORPG engine code without becoming a bottleneck at moderate frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-architecture card with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock of 1506 MHz boosts to 1683 MHz, with memory running at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The GPU sits in the 51st percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 12,331. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 (deltaPct 0.7), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M (deltaPct -1.3), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER (deltaPct -1.4), showing it clusters tightly with mid-range options from different generations.

In Archeage, the GTX 1070's 8 GB VRAM is a critical asset, as the game's texture-heavy environments and large player populations can consume substantial memory. The 1920 shading units and 64 ROPs provide a solid foundation for rasterization, but the data shows the GPU becomes a severe constraint at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 19.7 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it manages 40.5 FPS — a pattern that clearly identifies the graphics card as the limiting component when settings are maximized. The GPU's DirectX 12 (12_1) support and 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are adequate for the game's engine, but the 150 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest this is an older card that cannot sustain high frame rates at pixel densities beyond 1440p.

The PassMark G3D score of 13,498 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,082 reflect a mid-range performer that excels at 1080p but falters at 4K. The Vulkan score of 47,395 in Geekbench indicates reasonable API efficiency, though Archeage's engine likely uses older DirectX paths, as evidenced by the PassMark DirectX 11 score of 100 versus DirectX 12 score of 48.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 106.5 FPS, dropping to 68.3 FPS at 1440p Low (a 36% reduction) and further to 44.2 FPS at 4K Low (another 35% drop). This scaling pattern indicates that even at the lowest settings, the GPU struggles to manage the pixel count at 4K, while the CPU maintains adequate frame delivery. At High settings, the transition from 1080p (62.2 FPS) to 1440p (43.9 FPS) shows a 29% decrease, and from 1440p to 4K (22.9 FPS) a 48% decrease — the latter being a dramatic collapse that points squarely at GPU memory bandwidth and fill rate limitations.

The Medium preset tells a similar story: 95.4 FPS at 1080p, 61.3 FPS at 1440p, and 34.7 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most punishing, with 40.5 FPS at 1080p, 29.7 FPS at 1440p, and 19.7 FPS at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 66 FPS (106.5 vs. 40.5), while at 4K the gap narrows to 24.5 FPS (44.2 vs. 19.7), suggesting that at 4K the GPU is so saturated that settings changes have a compressed impact. This data confirms that the GTX 1070 is the limiting component across all resolutions, with the CPU only becoming a potential bottleneck at the very highest frame rates seen at 1080p Low.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1,468 out of 1,727 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the bottom 15% of all configurations. This low ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual component scores — the CPU sits in the 75th percentile and the GPU in the 51st percentile — but the game's demanding nature at high settings and the GPU's age combine to drag the overall experience down. The rank suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings, even those with weaker individual components, achieve better results in this specific title.

The data implies that Archeage is particularly sensitive to GPU rasterization performance and VRAM capacity, areas where the GTX 1070's 2016-era design is outclassed by more recent cards. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 score of 2,029) does not translate into a high combo rank, indicating that the game is not CPU-bound in most scenarios tested. The measured FPS values across all 12 rows of data show that the combo never exceeds 106.5 FPS (1080p Low) and falls below 20 FPS at 4K Ultra, which are the extremes that define its poor standing relative to other tested configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS table for this combo is as follows:

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 106.5 FPS average
• Medium: 95.4 FPS average
• High: 62.2 FPS average
• Ultra: 40.5 FPS average

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 68.3 FPS average
• Medium: 61.3 FPS average
• High: 43.9 FPS average
• Ultra: 29.7 FPS average

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 44.2 FPS average
• Medium: 34.7 FPS average
• High: 22.9 FPS average
• Ultra: 19.7 FPS average

The 1080p Low setting is the only configuration that delivers a consistently smooth experience above 100 FPS, suitable for fast-paced MMORPG combat. Medium at 1080p remains playable at 95.4 FPS, but High drops to 62.2 FPS, which is acceptable for casual play. At 1440p, only Low (68.3 FPS) and Medium (61.3 FPS) provide playable frame rates, while High and Ultra fall below 44 FPS. At 4K, even Low (44.2 FPS) is marginal, and Ultra (19.7 FPS) is effectively unplayable. The data shows no minimum or maximum FPS values, so the average figures should be interpreted as steady-state performance without spikes or dips.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F sufficient for Archeage at 1080p?

A: Yes, the CPU's six cores and twelve threads with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide enough processing power, as evidenced by the 106.5 FPS average at 1080p Low settings. The 75th percentile CPU ranking and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14,372 confirm it is not the bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: Can the GTX 1070 handle Archeage at 4K resolution?

A: No, the data shows 4K performance is poor across all settings, with the best result being 44.2 FPS at Low settings and only 19.7 FPS at Ultra. The 8 GB VRAM and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the pixel load at 3840x2160.

Q: How does this combo compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The GTX 1070's average benchmark score of 12,331 is within 1.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER (12,504) and 1.3% of the GeForce GTX 880M (12,490), indicating similar raw performance levels in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset at 61.3 FPS is the highest setting that maintains a playable frame rate above 60 FPS. Low settings provide 68.3 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual experience at nearly the same performance.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any point?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck in most scenarios, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings changes. The only potential CPU limitation would be at 1080p Low where 106.5 FPS approaches the upper limit of what the GTX 1070 can render.

Q: Is this combo suitable for Ultra settings at any resolution?

A: Only at 1080p does Ultra reach a playable 40.5 FPS, but even that is below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p and 4K, Ultra settings yield 29.7 FPS and 19.7 FPS respectively, which are not recommended for gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, delivering 95.4 FPS average. This preset provides a balance between visual fidelity and performance, staying well above the 60 FPS threshold while offering better textures and effects than Low. For users prioritizing maximum smoothness, the Low preset at 1080p yields 106.5 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or crowded zones with many players.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 61.3 FPS is the only option that maintains playable performance without dropping below 60 FPS. The Low preset at 68.3 FPS offers a slight margin, but the visual trade-off may not be worth the 7 FPS gain. High and Ultra at 1440p are not recommended, as they fall to 43.9 FPS and 29.7 FPS respectively, which will feel sluggish in combat scenarios.

At 3840x2160, the data indicates this combo is not suitable for serious gameplay. Even the Low preset at 44.2 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, and Medium drops to 34.7 FPS. Users attempting 4K should stick to Low settings for the least stutter, but should expect a degraded experience. The Ultra preset at 19.7 FPS is effectively unplayable and should be avoided entirely. The overall recommendation is to use 1080p Medium for the best combination of visuals and performance, with 1440p Medium as a fallback for users with 1440p monitors who can tolerate slightly lower frame rates.