Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents an interesting performance profile for the Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. The measured data reveals that this combination is heavily influenced by both resolution and graphics preset, with the CPU's six cores proving to be a significant factor at lower resolutions. The benchmark results indicate a system that can deliver high frame rates, but the scaling patterns suggest a need for careful settings selection to balance visual fidelity against the game's engine limitations.

Settings Recommendations

The data shows a clear hierarchy across the four tested presets, with the experience varying dramatically by resolution. At 4K (3840x2160), the Ultra preset yields an average of 42.3 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on many displays. In contrast, the High preset at the same resolution produces a far more playable 64.2 FPS, representing a substantial improvement of roughly 52% over Ultra. The Medium preset offers 95.2 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance at this resolution, as it remains comfortably above the 60 FPS mark while providing more detail than Low.

At 1440p (2560x1440), the situation improves considerably. The High preset delivers 108.1 FPS, which is excellent for most high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset is even faster at 162.3 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 174.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 72.9 FPS is still viable, but the jump from High to Ultra costs over 35 FPS, a significant penalty for the extra visual effects. At 1080p (1920x1080), all presets are highly playable, with the Low preset hitting 195.5 FPS and the Medium preset at 190.9 FPS. The High preset at 160.4 FPS is also strong, while Ultra drops to 111.5 FPS.

The optimal experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1440p. This configuration provides a 162.3 FPS average, which is well above the refresh rate of most standard monitors and only slightly below the Low preset’s 174.3 FPS. The performance gap between Medium and Low at this resolution is only about 7%, making the visual upgrade essentially free. For users with 4K displays, the Medium preset at 95.2 FPS is the recommended choice, as it is the only setting that combines high resolution with a frame rate that exceeds 90 FPS. The High preset at 4K is a fallback for those prioritizing visual fidelity, but the data suggests that the transition from Medium to High at this resolution incurs a notable 33% performance loss.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for a 4K display?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 95.2 FPS, which is the highest frame rate among the settings that are not the visually minimal Low preset. The High preset at 64.2 FPS is also acceptable, but the Medium preset offers a better balance of performance and visual quality.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 195.5 FPS, which is 84 FPS higher than the Ultra preset’s 111.5 FPS. This represents an approximate 75% performance advantage for Low over Ultra.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance at 1080p?

A: The data suggests a potential CPU bottleneck at 1080p, as the frame rates across different presets are relatively close. The Low preset at 195.5 FPS and the Medium preset at 190.9 FPS differ by only 4.6 FPS, indicating that the graphics card is not the primary constraint at this resolution.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 yields 108.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 72.9 FPS. This is a difference of 35.2 FPS, meaning the Ultra preset is approximately 33% slower than High.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER being fully utilized at 4K?

A: At 4K, the performance gap between presets is larger, with Ultra at 42.3 FPS and Low at 103.5 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is more heavily loaded at this resolution, but the CPU still plays a role, as the jump from Low to Medium only adds 8.3 FPS.

Q: Which preset provides the highest frame rate overall?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 provides the highest measured average at 195.5 FPS. The Medium preset at the same resolution is close behind at 190.9 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic pattern of a CPU-limited system at lower resolutions transitioning to a GPU-limited system at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between the Low and Ultra presets is 84 FPS (195.5 vs. 111.5). This relatively small gap, combined with the high absolute numbers, suggests that the Intel Core i5-11400F is nearing its limit, preventing the RTX 4080 SUPER from reaching its full potential. The CPU’s six cores and 12 threads are likely the limiting factor, as the game’s engine may not scale efficiently beyond a certain thread count.

Moving to 1440p, the scaling changes. The Low preset drops from 195.5 FPS to 174.3 FPS, a reduction of 21.2 FPS. The Ultra preset drops from 111.5 FPS to 72.9 FPS, a reduction of 38.6 FPS. The larger absolute drop for Ultra indicates that the GPU is starting to become more involved, but the CPU still has a significant influence. At 4K, the scaling becomes more pronounced. The Low preset falls to 103.5 FPS, a 40.8% drop from 1080p. The Ultra preset falls to 42.3 FPS, a 62.1% drop from 1080p. This steep decline for Ultra confirms that the RTX 4080 SUPER is now the primary bottleneck, as the higher resolution demands more pixel throughput and shading work.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts based on settings. At 1080p, the CPU is the primary constraint, as the GPU has ample headroom. The performance difference between Low and High at 1080p is only 35.1 FPS (195.5 vs. 160.4), which is less than the difference between High and Ultra at the same resolution (48.9 FPS). This suggests that the game’s CPU overhead is substantial, and the graphics card’s capabilities are not fully utilized until the resolution increases. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as the demands on the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 10240 shading units and 736.3 GB/s memory bandwidth increase significantly.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 191st out of 1727 tested combos for Archeage. This placement in the top 11% of all configurations indicates a strong overall performance level. However, the rank is somewhat lower than what the GPU’s raw power might suggest, likely due to the CPU’s limitations in this specific title. The GPU itself ranks in the 88th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 75th percentile among all CPUs. The combo’s rank of 191 suggests that many other pairings, likely with stronger CPUs, achieve better results in Archeage.

The data implies that the RTX 4080 SUPER is capable of higher frame rates than what is being delivered at 1080p. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT with a deltaPct of 0.2% and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M with a deltaPct of 0.4%, indicating that the RTX 4080 SUPER is statistically tied with these cards in synthetic benchmarks. In Archeage, however, the combo’s rank is influenced by the CPU. The Core i5-11400F’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with a deltaPct of 0% and the Intel Core i7-1260P with a deltaPct of -0.2%, show that the CPU is mid-range in performance. This pairing of a high-end GPU with a mid-range CPU results in a combo rank that is respectable but not top-tier.

The ranking suggests that users seeking the absolute highest frame rates in Archeage would benefit from a more powerful CPU to complement the RTX 4080 SUPER. The combo’s 191st rank out of 1727 is a solid result, but the data reveals that the CPU is often the limiting factor, particularly at 1080p where the GPU is underutilized.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a single-thread score of 868 in 3DMark and a multicore score of 5652 in 3DMark with max threads. These numbers place it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, indicating a competent but not exceptional processor.

In Archeage, the CPU’s role is critical at lower resolutions. The measured FPS at 1080p shows that the difference between the Low and High presets is relatively small, suggesting that the CPU is the primary bottleneck. The game engine appears to be sensitive to single-thread performance, as the CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score of 868 is a moderate figure. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz helps, but the 6-core configuration may not be enough for heavily populated areas in an MMORPG, which often have high CPU demands for entity updates and game logic.

At 4K, the CPU’s influence diminishes as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The performance drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 92 FPS (195.5 vs. 103.5), which is a 47% reduction. This indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is being pushed harder, and the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU. However, the CPU’s 12 threads and 12 MB of L3 cache are still relevant, as the game’s data handling requires consistent throughput.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and dual-channel DDR4 support are adequate for this game, but they are not exceptional. The benchmark results show that the CPU’s multicore performance, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14372, is strong for its class, but Archeage may not fully utilize all 12 threads. The data suggests that a CPU with higher single-thread performance would provide better results at 1080p, while the current configuration is well-balanced for 4K gaming where the GPU dominates.