Archeage

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT pairing delivers a playable but scaling-constrained experience in Archeage. The data reveals a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates competitive at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and optimal settings based strictly on the recorded benchmarks.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable yet steep decline as resolution increases, indicating a clear shift in system bottleneck. At 1920x1080, the combination achieves a robust 78 FPS on High settings, but this drops to 52 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 30 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 33% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 61% loss from 1080p to 4K on the same High preset.

The scaling pattern becomes more telling when examining the Low settings tier. At 1080p Low, the system produces 129 FPS, which falls to 87 FPS at 1440p and 50 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops here are 33% and 61% respectively, mirroring the High settings scaling almost exactly. This consistency suggests that the RX 6600 XT's rendering workload, not CPU limitations, is the dominant factor determining frame rates as pixel count increases.

Looking at Medium settings, the data provides min and max FPS figures that illustrate the scaling penalty more granularly. At 1080p Medium, the average is 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 132. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 77 FPS (min 66, max 89), and at 4K Medium it falls to 44 FPS (min 38, max 51). The 4K Medium result is particularly telling—it sits just 14 FPS above the 4K High result, suggesting that reducing settings from High to Medium at 4K yields diminishing returns as the GPU struggles with the absolute pixel throughput.

The Ultra preset exhibits the most extreme scaling. From 53 FPS at 1080p, it collapses to 36 FPS at 1440p and 20 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure is essentially unplayable, and even the 1440p Ultra result falls below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for acceptable gameplay. This indicates that the Ultra preset demands more from the GPU than the RX 6600 XT can deliver at higher resolutions, making it a setting reserved strictly for 1080p use.

The data suggests that the CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, has sufficient headroom at 1080p to feed the GPU effectively, as evidenced by the 129 FPS Low result. However, the steep drop-off at 1440p and 4K across all settings points to the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth becoming the limiting factor. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p is nearly identical regardless of settings tier, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance rather than CPU or memory constraints.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT's role in this pairing is defined by its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock reaches 2589 MHz, with a game clock of 2359 MHz, and its 2048 shading units handle the rendering workload. The FP32 performance is rated at 10.60 TFLOPS, which places it in the 70th percentile of all GPUs according to the benchmark data.

The VRAM capacity becomes a critical factor at 4K resolution. The measured data shows that 4K High produces 30 FPS average, while 4K Medium produces 44 FPS. The 14 FPS gap between these settings suggests that texture and shader complexity, which consume VRAM, are impacting performance more than raw compute at this resolution. The 8 GB capacity is likely being stressed at 3840x2160, forcing the GPU to manage memory more carefully, which explains why the scaling from 1440p to 4K is more severe than the scaling from 1080p to 1440p.

Comparing the RX 6600 XT to its nearest rivals in the benchmark database, the data shows it sits within a tight performance band. The GPU's average benchmark score of 24442 is 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630, 0.8% higher than the GTX 780 Ti, and 1.1% higher than the RTX 2080 SUPER. Interestingly, it trails the Intel Arc A350M by 0.8%. These narrow deltas indicate that the RX 6600 XT is well-positioned among its peers, but the Archeage results show that its practical performance in this specific title is heavily influenced by the game's demands at various settings.

The GPU's process node of 7 nm and 11,060 million transistors contribute to its efficiency, but the 160 W TDP means it requires adequate cooling and power delivery. The PCIe 4.0 x8 interface provides sufficient bandwidth for most scenarios, though the measured data suggests that at 4K Ultra, the GPU simply runs out of headroom, producing only 20 FPS. This is not a CPU limitation—the i5-12400's benchmark scores, including a Passmark single-thread score of 3456 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257, indicate strong per-core performance that should not bottleneck at these frame rates.

The GPU's memory clock of 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) and its 64 ROPs contribute to fill-rate capabilities, but the 4K results reveal that the 165.7 GPixel/s pixel rate is insufficient for smooth Ultra settings at that resolution. The data clearly shows that the RX 6600 XT is a capable 1080p and 1440p performer, but 4K gaming requires significant settings compromises.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT ranks 2659th out of 3708 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPU and GPU pairings. This mid-tier ranking reflects the measured FPS data, which shows strong 1080p performance but weaker 4K results relative to other systems in the database.

The CPU itself ranks in the 72nd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7643, which scores 18697 (0.1% higher), and the Intel Core i7-1355U at 18730 (0.3% higher). The Intel Core i3-14100F trails by 0.9%, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 leads by 0.7%. These tiny deltas suggest that the i5-12400 is a solid mid-tier processor whose performance is well matched to the RX 6600 XT in this title.

The GPU ranks in the 70th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 24442. As previously noted, its nearest rivals are within a 1.1% performance band, indicating that the RX 6600 XT is a consistently competitive option. The combo's 2659th rank out of 3708 means that many other pairings—likely those with higher-end GPUs or newer CPUs—achieve better frame rates in Archeage, particularly at higher resolutions.

Given the measured data, the combo's ranking makes sense. At 1080p, the system achieves frame rates that would be competitive with many higher-ranked combos, but the 4K results, particularly the 20 FPS Ultra figure, drag down its overall standing. The ranking reflects a system that excels at 1080p and handles 1440p well, but falls behind at 4K where the GPU's limitations become pronounced. This positioning suggests that users with this combo should target 1080p or 1440p for the best experience relative to other systems in the database.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 78 FPS average, which is smooth for an MMORPG, but the Medium preset offers 114 FPS—a 46% improvement that makes it the best choice for high refresh rate monitors. The Low preset reaches 129 FPS, but the visual fidelity loss may not justify the additional 15 FPS over Medium.

For 2560x1440, the High preset produces 52 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced combat. The Medium preset, at 77 FPS, provides a significantly better experience and includes min/max figures of 66 and 89 FPS, indicating consistent performance. This makes Medium the recommended setting at 1440p, as it balances visual quality with smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 87 FPS is an option for those prioritizing frame rate, but the gap between Low and Medium is only 10 FPS, making Medium the smarter choice.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. The High preset yields only 30 FPS, which is borderline for acceptable playability. The Medium preset improves this to 44 FPS, which is notably better, but still below the 60 FPS target many players prefer. The Low preset at 50 FPS is the highest achievable average at 4K, but it requires significant visual compromises. For players who must use 4K, Medium settings offer the best trade-off between visual quality and playability, though the 38 FPS minimum suggests occasional dips during intense scenes.

The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely at all resolutions above 1080p. At 1080p, it produces 53 FPS, which is lower than High settings despite presumably offering better visuals. The performance cost of Ultra is substantial—at 1440p it drops to 36 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 20 FPS. The data indicates that Ultra is not a viable preset for this hardware combination unless the user is willing to accept sub-30 FPS gameplay at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combination's performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings achieve 129 FPS average, Medium settings achieve 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 132, High settings achieve 78 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 53 FPS. This resolution offers the most flexibility, with multiple presets delivering playable frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings produce 87 FPS, Medium settings produce 77 FPS (min 66, max 89), High settings produce 52 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 36 FPS. The Medium preset stands out as the sweet spot, offering a 25 FPS improvement over High while maintaining a minimum frame rate above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are more limited. Low settings achieve 50 FPS, Medium settings achieve 44 FPS (min 38, max 51), High settings achieve 30 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve only 20 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is just 6 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 14 FPS, illustrating the diminishing returns of higher settings at 4K.

The data also reveals interesting patterns in the min/max figures. At 1080p Medium, the variance between minimum and maximum is 35 FPS, while at 1440p Medium it is 23 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 13 FPS. This tighter variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is more consistently loaded, whereas at 1080p, there is more fluctuation, possibly due to CPU-driven scenes or variable scene complexity in Archeage.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 offers the highest frame rates, with the Medium preset achieving 114 FPS average. This is the only resolution where the combination can consistently exceed 100 FPS, making it the best choice for smooth gameplay.

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

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 50 FPS, Medium achieves 44 FPS, and High achieves 30 FPS. The Ultra preset produces only 20 FPS, which is not playable. The Medium preset is the recommended 4K option.

Q: How does the RX 6600 XT compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 6600 XT has an average benchmark score of 24442, which is 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630, 0.8% higher than the GTX 780 Ti, and 1.1% higher than the RTX 2080 SUPER. It trails the Intel Arc A350M by 0.8%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent across settings, and the CPU's strong single-thread scores (3456 in Passmark) suggest it is not limiting performance.

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

A: This combination ranks 2659th out of 3708 tested combos in Archeage. The CPU ranks in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU ranks in the 70th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset?

A: No, based on the measured data. At 1080p, Ultra produces 53 FPS, which is lower than the High preset's 78 FPS. At 1440p and 4K, Ultra drops to 36 FPS and 20 FPS respectively, making it unsuitable for playable frame rates.