Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents a unique challenge for modern hardware due to its age and engine limitations. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700. The data indicates a configuration that is heavily influenced by resolution and settings, with the CPU providing a strong foundation while the GPU dictates the upper limits of visual fidelity.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a clear hierarchy across the four available presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 162 FPS, Medium yields 144 FPS, and High produces 98 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, sees a dramatic reduction to 67 FPS. This pattern persists across higher resolutions, where the performance cost of Ultra becomes prohibitive.

For players prioritizing smooth gameplay, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 offers the best balance. It maintains an average of 144 FPS with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 166 FPS, ensuring consistent frame times without the steep performance penalty of Ultra. The 144 FPS average is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors, while the minimum frame rate indicates stability even during intense scenes.

At 2560x1440, the High preset becomes the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 66 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. The Medium preset at this resolution provides a more comfortable 97 FPS average, but the visual fidelity loss may be noticeable. The data suggests that High at 1440p is the sweet spot for visual quality versus performance, as the step down to Medium only yields a 31 FPS gain, while the step up to Ultra costs 21 FPS for marginal visual improvements.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset achieves 62 FPS, while Medium drops to 55 FPS. High falls to 38 FPS, and Ultra becomes nearly unplayable at 26 FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant compromises. The Low preset is the only option that approaches a consistent 60 FPS, but the Medium preset’s minimum of 47 FPS and maximum of 64 FPS suggests it can be viable if the player tolerates occasional dips. Given the steep drop from Medium to High, the Medium preset is the highest setting that maintains a reasonable playability threshold at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores indicate solid multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 demonstrate a capable processor for modern workloads. The PassMark multi-thread score of 18747 and single-thread score of 3456 further corroborate this.

In Archeage, an MMORPG that often relies on a few primary threads for game logic, the single-core performance is critical. The i5-12400’s single-thread scores are strong, which helps maintain high frame rates when the CPU is the bottleneck. The 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and the 2-thread score of 1692 suggest that the processor can handle lightly-threaded workloads efficiently.

The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 162 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited. The CPU’s ability to feed the GPU at this level is evident. However, as resolution increases, the load shifts to the GPU, and the CPU’s role diminishes. The 12 threads provide headroom for background tasks and the many entities present in MMORPG environments, but the primary determinant of frame rates in this test is the GPU, especially at higher resolutions and settings. The CPU’s percentile rank of 72 against all CPUs places it in a solid mid-to-high tier, and its nearest rivals show minimal performance deltas, with the AMD EPYC 7643 being 0.1% slower and the Intel Core i3-14100F being 0.9% faster.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 offers the highest frame rates, with the Low preset reaching 162 FPS and Medium at 144 FPS. Higher resolutions like 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 result in significant FPS drops, making 1080p the most fluid experience.

Q: How much of a performance hit does the Ultra preset cause?

A: The Ultra preset is exceptionally demanding. At 1920x1080, it drops the average FPS to 67, which is 77 FPS lower than the Medium preset. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 45 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it drops to 26 FPS, making it largely unplayable at higher resolutions.

Q: Is this CPU or GPU limited in Archeage?

A: The bottleneck shifts depending on settings and resolution. At 1080p with Low settings, the high frame rate of 162 FPS suggests the CPU is a limiting factor. As resolution and settings increase, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, evidenced by the steep FPS drops at 4K.

Q: Does the Radeon RX 7700 have enough VRAM for Archeage?

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is substantial. The measured data shows stable performance at Medium settings, with minimum frame rates above 47 FPS at 4K, indicating that memory capacity is not a limiting factor in this title.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1276 out of 2761 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of all tested setups. This indicates a performance level that is above average for the database.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Low and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 109 FPS, while the High preset averages 66 FPS. This represents a 43 FPS difference, showing a substantial performance cost for the visual upgrade from Low to High.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination holds a rank of 1276 out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage. This position places it in the 46th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms more than half of the systems in the database. The ranking is a composite of the CPU and GPU capabilities, and in this specific game, the result indicates a balanced mid-range performance.

The CPU alone has a percentile rank of 72 against all CPUs, suggesting it is a strong performer. The GPU has a percentile rank of 58 against all GPUs, indicating it is slightly above average. The combination of these two components yields a system that is more capable than the GPU’s percentile alone might suggest, implying that the CPU is not holding back the system significantly in this title.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the CPU’s performance is very close. The Intel Core i7-1355U is 0.3% slower on average, and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 is 0.7% slower. The Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% faster. These small deltas indicate that the i5-12400 is well-positioned within its performance tier. The GPU’s nearest rivals show similar marginal differences. The AMD Radeon R9 370X is 0.1% slower, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is 1.1% slower. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is 1% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 1.7% faster. This proximity in scores suggests that the RX 7700 is a competitive option, and the overall combo rank is a direct result of this mid-tier hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend of decreasing performance as resolution increases. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 162 at 1920x1080 to 109 at 2560x1440 and then to 62 at 3840x2160. This represents a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 43% drop from 1440p to 4K. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the number of pixels rendered has a direct impact on the frame rate.

At the Medium preset, the averages are 144 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 47 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 42 FPS. The consistent reduction across resolutions indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The High preset shows a similar pattern, with 98 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 38 FPS at 4K.

The Ultra preset exhibits the most severe scaling, with 67 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that the game’s engine and the GPU’s rendering capabilities are the primary factors. The CPU’s influence is most apparent at 1080p with Low settings, where the frame rate is high enough that the CPU’s ability to process game logic and draw calls becomes a factor. However, at 4K, the GPU is undoubtedly the bottleneck, as the frame rates drop to levels that are consistent with the GPU’s raw pixel throughput. This analysis indicates that players seeking higher resolutions will need to reduce settings to maintain playable frame rates, as the GPU’s performance is the determining factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured FPS values provides a detailed view of the combo’s performance across all tested configurations.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: Average 162 FPS.
• Medium: Average 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 166 FPS.
• High: Average 98 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 67 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: Average 109 FPS.
• Medium: Average 97 FPS, with a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 111 FPS.
• High: Average 66 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 45 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: Average 62 FPS.
• Medium: Average 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS.
• High: Average 38 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 26 FPS.

These numbers reveal that the Medium preset is the only one that provides consistent frame time data across all resolutions, with recorded minimum and maximum values. The variance at 1080p Medium (122-166 FPS) is wider than at 1440p Medium (82-111 FPS), which is 25 FPS and 29 FPS respectively. This suggests that the game’s frame pacing is more stable at higher resolutions, likely due to the GPU being more consistently loaded. The Low and High presets lack min/max data, but the averages indicate a predictable linear scaling. The Ultra preset’s low averages at all resolutions make it unsuitable for smooth gameplay, particularly at 1440p and 4K where it falls below 45 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is a member of the Radeon RX 7000 series, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and utilizing the Navi 32 chip. It features a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz. The GPU is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This substantial memory capacity and bandwidth are more than sufficient for a 2014 MMORPG like Archeage, even at high resolutions.

The GPU’s benchmark scores show a mixed profile. Its PassMark G3D score of 20974 is respectable, but its DirectX 11 score of 186 and DirectX 12 score of 96 are relatively low. This suggests that the GPU’s raw compute power is high, but its performance in older API workloads may be inconsistent. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865 provides a modern benchmark reference point.

In Archeage, the GPU’s role is clearly dominant in determining frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that the GPU’s performance scales inversely with resolution, which is expected. However, the significant drop from Medium to High settings (e.g., 144 to 98 FPS at 1080p) indicates that the GPU’s shading and fill-rate capabilities are stressed by the High preset’s visual effects. The Ultra preset’s even steeper drop to 67 FPS at 1080p suggests that the game’s ultra settings include effects that are particularly demanding on the GPU’s compute units.

The GPU’s percentile rank of 58 against all GPUs places it in the mid-range. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (1% faster) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (1.7% faster), show that it is competitive with similar tier products. The 16 GB of VRAM provides a significant advantage for future-proofing, although it is not a limiting factor in this specific game. The data indicates that the RX 7700 is a capable GPU for Archeage, but its performance is not exceptional, and it requires careful settings management to achieve high frame rates at 1440p and 4K.