Archeage

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The chip carries 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. Its memory controller supports both DDR4 and DDR5, and the platform uses dual-channel memory. The CPU's integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 730, though the Radeon RX 570 handles all rendering in this configuration.

Benchmark data places this processor in the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,850. Its nearest rivals in average score are the Intel Core i7-9700 (19,831, 0.1% ahead), Intel Core i7-8700 (19,894, 0.2% behind), AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (19,928, 0.4% behind), and Intel Core i5-11600K (19,771, 0.4% ahead). The narrow deltas — all within 0.4% — indicate that the i5-12400 sits in a tightly competitive band for general compute performance, with no single rival offering a decisive edge in aggregate benchmarks.

For Archeage, an MMORPG from 2014, the CPU's role is best understood through its multithreaded capacity. The 3DMark scores show a scaling pattern: 1,692 for 2 threads, 3,012 for 4 threads, 4,745 for 8 threads, and 5,873 for 16 threads. The jump from 8 to 16 threads (from 4,745 to 5,873) is modest compared to the doubling from 2 to 4 threads, suggesting diminishing returns beyond 8 threads in synthetic tests. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15,935 versus a single-core score of 2,249 reinforces that the chip has substantial headroom for multi-threaded workloads, but Archeage's age means it relies heavily on single-thread performance.

The measured FPS data in this combo shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the average is 63.8 FPS — the only setting/resolution combination that exceeds 60 FPS. This suggests that while the CPU can drive the game, the GPU becomes a limiting factor as settings increase. The single-thread 3DMark score of 910 and PassMark single-thread score of 3,456 are respectable for the era, but the game's engine likely doesn't leverage the full 12 threads. The data indicates that the i5-12400 provides enough compute headroom that the Radeon RX 570 is the primary constraint at higher settings, especially at 1440p and 4K.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12400 compare to its closest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The i5-12400's average score of 19,850 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-9700 (19,831, 0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i7-8700 (19,894, 0.2% slower). The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (19,928) is 0.4% higher, while the Intel Core i5-11600K (19,771) is 0.4% lower. All four rivals are within a 0.8% band.

Q: What is the best average FPS achievable with this CPU and GPU combo in Archeage?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 63.8, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. No other setting or resolution combination in the measured data reaches 60 FPS or above.

Q: How does the RX 570's benchmark performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 30,158. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (30,109) is 0.2% behind, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (30,097) is 0.2% behind, the NVIDIA Tesla M60 (29,969) is 0.6% behind, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (29,928) is 0.8% behind. The RX 570 is essentially tied with much newer hardware in these aggregate scores.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations for Archeage?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 + AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1,685 out of 1,727 total tested combos for Archeage, placing it in the bottom 2.4% of all configurations.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more at 4K in Archeage?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, average FPS ranges from 10.5 (Ultra) to 21.5 (Low). The steep drop from 1080p to 4K at the same settings — for example, High goes from 38.5 to 12.6 FPS — indicates the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at 4K, as the CPU's relative workload doesn't scale with resolution.

Q: What is the difference between the 1080p Low and Ultra settings in measured FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 63.8 FPS, while Ultra produces 24.5 FPS. This is a 39.3 FPS difference, representing a 61.6% drop in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 38.5 at 1080p to 23.0 at 1440p, then to 12.6 at 4K. This represents a 40.3% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 67.3% drop from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is similar for Medium settings: 52.9 at 1080p, 38.0 at 1440p, and 19.7 at 4K — a 28.2% drop to 1440p and a 62.8% drop to 4K.

Low settings follow the same trend: 63.8 FPS at 1080p, 41.1 at 1440p, and 21.5 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35.6%, and to 4K it's 66.3%. Ultra settings show the most severe scaling: 24.5 at 1080p, 14.9 at 1440p, and 10.5 at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 1440p is 39.2%, and to 4K it's 57.1%.

The fact that the proportional decline from 1080p to 4K is consistently around 60-67% across all settings — with Ultra being the exception at 57.1% — indicates that the limiting component scales with pixel count. Since the CPU's workload in an MMORPG like Archeage is largely independent of resolution, this pattern points to the GPU as the constraining factor. The RX 570's 4 GB GDDR5 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely insufficient for 4K rendering, especially at higher presets where texture and shading demands increase.

Notably, the gap between Low and Medium settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (63.8) and Medium (52.9) is 10.9 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 3.1 FPS (41.1 vs 38.0). At 4K, the gap is only 1.8 FPS (21.5 vs 19.7). This suggests that as pixel count rises, the GPU's raw fill-rate and memory bandwidth become the dominant constraint, making the setting-based differences less impactful.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 + AMD Radeon RX 570 combination ranks 1,685 out of 1,727 tested combos for Archeage. This places the combo in the bottom 2.4% of all configurations, indicating that this pairing is well below average for this specific game. The extremely low rank — just 42 positions from the bottom of the list — reflects the measured FPS data, which shows playable performance only at 1080p Low settings.

The CPU itself is not the primary culprit for this low rank. The i5-12400's percentile of 77 among all CPUs and its near-tie with the i7-9700 and i7-8700 in average score suggest it has adequate compute power. Similarly, the RX 570's percentile of 74 among all GPUs and its benchmark parity with the RTX 5060 and RX 7700 XT in aggregate scores would normally indicate a mid-pack performer. However, Archeage's engine and the specific demands of this MMORPG — likely heavy draw calls, many on-screen characters, and complex world rendering — appear to punish this older Polaris-based card more than synthetic benchmarks would suggest.

The rank of 1,685 out of 1,727 is particularly striking given that the GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are contemporary cards like the RTX 5060 and RX 7700 XT. This discrepancy between synthetic benchmark rankings and in-game performance highlights that Archeage's workload characteristics do not align well with the RX 570's strengths. The GPU's GCN 4.0 architecture, 5.095 TFLOPS FP32 performance, and 32 ROPs may be insufficient for the game's specific rendering paths, even though they produce competitive aggregate scores.

For context, this combo sits at the 2.4th percentile of tested configurations. The data suggests that users with this hardware should expect to play Archeage at lower resolution and settings to achieve acceptable frame rates, as the combo's in-game performance is far below what its component-level benchmarks might predict.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of which settings offer the best experience for this combo in Archeage. At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 63.8 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. This makes 1080p Low the recommended preset for playable performance.

Medium settings at 1080p yield 52.9 FPS average — this is a 17.1% drop from Low, but still within a range that many players would consider acceptable for an MMORPG, particularly one from 2014 where turn-based or tab-target combat doesn't require twitch reflexes. The visual upgrade from Low to Medium may be worth the 10.9 FPS cost for some users.

High settings at 1080p drop to 38.5 FPS average, which represents a 39.7% reduction from Low. This is likely too low for smooth gameplay in crowded areas or during large-scale PvP encounters, where frame rates can dip further. Ultra at 1080p produces 24.5 FPS average, which is below the threshold for comfortable play in most scenarios.

At 1440p, even Low settings only manage 41.1 FPS average, which is a 35.6% drop from the same settings at 1080p. Medium at 1440p yields 38.0 FPS, and High drops to 23.0 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor: the best average is 21.5 FPS at Low settings, with High at 12.6 FPS, Medium at 19.7 FPS, and Ultra at 10.5 FPS.

Based on this data, the optimal configuration for this combo is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which provides the only measured average above 60 FPS. For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, 1080p Medium at 52.9 FPS is the best compromise, as it offers substantially better visuals than Low while remaining above 50 FPS. Resolutions above 1080p are not recommended, as no setting at 1440p or 4K achieves even 45 FPS average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average FPS values for the Intel Core i5-12400 + AMD Radeon RX 570 in Archeage is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 63.8 FPS average
• Medium: 52.9 FPS average
• High: 38.5 FPS average
• Ultra: 24.5 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 41.1 FPS average
• Medium: 38.0 FPS average
• High: 23.0 FPS average
• Ultra: 14.9 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 21.5 FPS average
• Medium: 19.7 FPS average
• High: 12.6 FPS average
• Ultra: 10.5 FPS average

The data shows a monotonic decrease in FPS as either resolution or settings increase, with no anomalies or inversions. The largest single-step drop occurs from 1080p Low to 1080p Medium, a decline of 10.9 FPS. The smallest step is from 4K Low to 4K Medium, a decline of only 1.8 FPS, indicating that at 4K the GPU is so heavily constrained that setting changes have minimal impact.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution is instructive. At 1080p, Ultra is 61.6% slower than Low. At 1440p, Ultra is 63.7% slower than Low. At 4K, Ultra is 51.2% slower than Low. The narrowing at 4K suggests that the GPU hits a hard performance ceiling regardless of settings, likely due to memory bandwidth or fill-rate limits of the RX 570's 224.0 GB/s bandwidth and 39.81 GPixel/s pixel rate.

For users targeting 60 FPS, the data shows that only 1080p Low achieves this goal. For users targeting 30 FPS, 1080p High (38.5 FPS) and 1440p Low (41.1 FPS) both qualify, though the latter offers higher resolution at a lower visual preset. No 4K configuration reaches even 30 FPS, with the best being Low at 21.5 FPS. This breakdown confirms that the combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with diminishing returns at higher resolutions.