Archeage

# Archeage CPU/GPU Performance Analysis

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B390 represents a peculiar configuration for Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG that places modest demands on modern hardware. This combination ranks 2453rd out of 2761 tested combos in the database, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. The data reveals a system where the CPU is substantially more capable than the GPU, creating a bottleneck that defines every performance metric in this game. The Core i5-12400 sits in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, while the Arc B390 languishes in the 9th percentile among GPUs — a stark disparity that explains the measured frame rates. The following analysis breaks down how each component contributes to Archeage's performance and what users can expect at various settings and resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings six physical cores and twelve threads to this configuration, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process, features an 18 MB shared L3 cache and 80 KB L1 cache per core, with 1.25 MB L2 per core. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, and while it includes UHD Graphics 730 integrated graphics, the system relies on the discrete Arc B390 for rendering. The CPU's benchmark scores indicate solid multi-threaded capability: Cinebench R23 multi-core reaches 15989, while single-core scores 2257. Geekbench shows 8564 multi-core and 1848 single-core results. PassMark multi-thread scores 18747, with single-thread at 3456.

In Archeage, an MMORPG from 2014, the CPU's role is primarily handling game logic, network processing, and NPC AI across crowded zones. The 3DMark tests reveal scaling from 1692 at 2 threads to 5890 at max threads, showing reasonable multi-threading efficiency. The 16-thread score of 5873 is nearly identical to the max-thread result, indicating the processor saturates its capabilities around that point. For a game released in 2014, the i5-12400's 12 threads provide substantial headroom for the typical workloads Archeage generates. The CPU's 65 W TDP and active production status suggest it remains a viable modern processor, though its benchmark percentile of 72% places it below top-tier options.

The nearest CPU rivals in the database include the AMD EPYC 7643 with an average score of 18697 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-1355U at 18730 (0.3% higher), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 at 18811 (0.7% higher). The Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, which is 0.9% lower. These margins are minimal, indicating the i5-12400 performs competitively with these alternatives in general benchmarks. However, in Archeage specifically, the CPU's capabilities far exceed what the GPU can feed, making the processor largely underutilized in this pairing. The measured FPS data shows dramatic drops at higher resolutions, which would not occur if the CPU were the limiting factor — instead, the GPU's weakness dominates.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a Panther Lake chip, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, featuring 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units. The GPU includes 12 ray tracing cores and delivers 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, with FP16 at 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). Memory is system-shared with bandwidth described as system dependent, meaning the GPU borrows from the host system's RAM rather than having dedicated VRAM. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with a 80 W TDP. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The Arc B390's only listed benchmark is 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 with a score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 (1.3% lower), the GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% lower), the GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% lower), and the GT 710 at 1443 (2.7% lower). This positions the Arc B390 at the very bottom of the GPU performance spectrum, comparable to entry-level discrete cards from over a decade ago. For Archeage, these specifications translate into severe frame rate limitations, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU must render more pixels with limited compute resources.

The system-shared memory architecture is a critical constraint. Without dedicated VRAM, the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, and performance becomes heavily dependent on the host system's RAM configuration. The 2500 MHz boost clock provides some computational headroom, but the 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs are simply insufficient for smooth 1080p gaming in most scenarios. The 3DMark score of 1482 confirms this assessment, as it places the GPU in the company of legacy low-end parts. In Archeage, the GPU's limitations manifest immediately: even at 1080p Low settings, the maximum average FPS reaches only 71, and every increase in resolution or settings causes significant performance degradation.

How This Combo Ranks

This CPU-GPU combination ranks 2453rd out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the 11th percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's severe bottleneck; the CPU's 72nd percentile standing is effectively wasted in this pairing. The gap between component capabilities is among the largest in the database, with the GPU ranking in the 9th percentile versus the CPU's 72nd. This imbalance means the system behaves like a low-end GPU with a mid-range CPU, and Archeage's performance is dictated almost entirely by the Arc B390's limitations.

The combo rank of 2453 out of 2761 means approximately 89% of tested configurations outperform this pairing in Archeage. This places it near the bottom of the performance hierarchy, alongside systems featuring decade-old discrete GPUs. The data indicates that users would need to significantly reduce graphical demands to achieve playable frame rates, and even then, the ceiling remains low. The ranking also suggests that alternative GPU choices paired with the same CPU would yield dramatically better results, as the i5-12400 has ample headroom for more demanding graphics cards. The combination's position in the database reflects the fundamental mismatch between a modern six-core processor and an integrated GPU that performs at the level of early-2010s entry-level hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 71 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded across all configurations, representing the best-case scenario for this pairing. Moving to Medium settings at the same resolution drops the average to 64 FPS, with a minimum of 54 and maximum of 73. High settings at 1080p reduce performance to 43 FPS on average. Ultra settings at 1080p are significantly more demanding, yielding only 29 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 59% performance reduction, from 71 to 29 FPS, illustrating the GPU's sensitivity to graphical complexity.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops are substantial. Low settings produce 48 FPS on average, a 32% decrease from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings at 1440p average 43 FPS, with a minimum of 36 and maximum of 49 — this represents a 33% drop from the 1080p Medium score. High settings at 1440p fall to 29 FPS, identical to the 1080p Ultra result, indicating that resolution and settings interact in ways that produce similar workloads. Ultra settings at 1440p manage only 20 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. The 1440p results show that even Low settings barely reach 48 FPS, and any meaningful graphical quality requires accepting sub-60 FPS performance.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become severe. Low settings yield 28 FPS, Medium settings average 25 FPS with a minimum of 21 and maximum of 28, High settings drop to 17 FPS, and Ultra settings produce only 11 FPS. None of these results approach playable frame rates for most users, with even the best 4K configuration falling well below 30 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 11 FPS represents a 84.5% reduction from the 1080p Low score, demonstrating the GPU's inability to handle high pixel counts. The measured data shows a consistent pattern: the Arc B390 is only viable at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, and even then, the frame rates are marginal for a 2014 MMORPG.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a GPU-bound system with severe performance degradation at higher pixel counts. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 71 at 1080p to 48 at 1440p (a 32.4% reduction) and further to 28 at 4K (a 60.6% reduction from 1080p). Medium settings show a similar trend: 64 FPS at 1080p, 43 at 1440p (32.8% drop), and 25 at 4K (60.9% drop). High settings decline from 43 FPS at 1080p to 29 at 1440p (32.6% drop) and 17 at 4K (60.5% drop). Ultra settings fall from 29 FPS at 1080p to 20 at 1440p (31% drop) and 11 at 4K (62.1% drop).

These scaling patterns are remarkably consistent across all settings presets, with resolution increases from 1080p to 1440p reducing performance by roughly one-third, and 1080p to 4K reducing performance by approximately 60%. This consistency indicates that the GPU is the sole limiting factor — if the CPU were constraining performance, the scaling would flatten at lower resolutions. The Arc B390's system-shared memory and limited shading units cause it to become progressively more overwhelmed as pixel count increases. The 4K results are uniformly unplayable, with even Low settings failing to reach 30 FPS. The data strongly suggests that users should avoid resolutions above 1080p with this configuration, as the performance cost is disproportionately high relative to the visual benefit.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this configuration depend heavily on the target resolution and acceptable frame rates. At 1080p, Low settings provide the only consistently playable experience, with 71 FPS average. Medium settings at 1080p offer 64 FPS, which remains playable and provides better visual quality while sacrificing only 7 FPS compared to Low. High settings at 1080p drop to 43 FPS, which may be acceptable for some users but represents a significant quality-to-performance tradeoff. Ultra settings at 1080p at 29 FPS are borderline and not recommended for action-heavy content.

For users willing to accept lower performance, 1440p Low at 48 FPS is the only 1440p option that approaches playability. Medium at 1440p yields 43 FPS, which is playable but with noticeable compromises. High and Ultra at 1440p (29 and 20 FPS respectively) are not recommended. At 4K, no settings preset achieves playable frame rates, with the best option (Low at 28 FPS) falling below the 30 FPS threshold and all others significantly lower. The data indicates that Medium settings at 1080p offer the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS — this ensures reasonably smooth gameplay. Users prioritizing frame rate over visuals should select Low at 1080p for the 71 FPS average, while those wanting better graphics at 1080p can opt for High at 43 FPS if they can tolerate the reduction.

FAQ

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

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 71, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds 70 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 or the Intel Arc B390 the limiting factor in Archeage?

A: The GPU is definitively the limiting factor. The Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 72nd percentile. Resolution scaling shows consistent performance drops from 1080p to 4K, which would not occur if the CPU were the bottleneck.

Q: Can this combination run Archeage at 4K resolution?

A: No 4K configuration achieves playable frame rates. The best 4K result is 28 FPS at Low settings, with Medium at 25 FPS, High at 17 FPS, and Ultra at 11 FPS. All of these fall below the 30 FPS threshold generally considered minimum for playability.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 (1.3% lower), GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% lower), GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% lower), and GT 710 at 1443 (2.7% lower). All of these are within 3% of the Arc B390's performance.

Q: What settings provide the best experience with this configuration?

A: Medium settings at 1080p offer the best balance, with 64 FPS average and a minimum of 54 FPS. This provides smooth gameplay while maintaining reasonable visual quality. Low settings at 1080p achieve 71 FPS for users prioritizing frame rate, while High at 1080p drops to 43 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in the database for Archeage?

A: This combination ranks 2453rd out of 2761 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This low ranking reflects the GPU's severe performance limitations despite the CPU's relatively strong 72nd percentile standing.