Archeage

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 presents a clear study in bottleneck dynamics when running Archeage. The measured frame rates reveal a system where the GPU’s capabilities are the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance keeps the experience viable at more modest settings. This analysis breaks down the data to understand how this specific combination behaves across the board.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a severe and consistent penalty as resolution increases, which firmly points to the GPU as the limiting component in this setup. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 40.2 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that figure to 23.5 FPS, a reduction of 41.8%. The jump to 3840x2160 is even more punishing, with the average falling to 11.3 FPS, which is a further 51.9% decrease from the 1440p result.

This pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, on Low settings, the frame rate goes from 62 FPS at 1080p, down to 44.2 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 26.2 FPS at 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the GTX 1650 is running out of pixel-pushing power as the workload increases. The 4 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus, which provides a 128.1 GB/s bandwidth, are likely saturated at the higher resolutions, particularly with more demanding textures.

The implication is clear: at 4K, the system is struggling to maintain playable frame rates in all but the lowest settings. The difference between the 1080p and 4K results suggests that the i5-12400 has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the graphics card simply cannot process the increased data. The 10.4 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a clear indicator that this resolution is not a practical target for this hardware combination in Archeage.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance between visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 emerges as the most sensible choice from the measured data. It delivers an average of 53.2 FPS, which is a significant jump from the 40.2 FPS seen on High. This suggests that the Medium preset alleviates some of the GPU’s pressure while still offering a substantial visual upgrade over the Low preset’s 62 FPS.

At 1080p, the Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS threshold, which is often considered the target for smooth play. However, the 53.2 FPS average on Medium is a more than acceptable compromise, offering a 32.3% performance increase over High while likely providing a richer visual experience than Low. For users with high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset is the only viable path to maximize frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the options become more limited. The Medium preset produces a 36.1 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The High preset’s 23.5 FPS and Ultra’s 18.5 FPS are likely too choppy for a consistent experience. At 3840x2160, no preset is truly playable, with even Low only reaching a 26.2 FPS average. The data suggests that 1080p is the intended resolution for this combo, with Medium serving as the sweet spot for quality and performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark data places this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 at rank 1638 out of 1727 tested combos in Archeage. This puts it in the bottom 5.2% of all combinations, indicating that it is a lower-performing pairing for this particular game. This rank is a holistic measure that considers the combined capabilities of the CPU and GPU in the context of Archeage’s engine.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU’s performance is respectable. The i5-12400’s average benchmark score of 19850 puts it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, and it is essentially neck-and-neck with its nearest rivals. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700 and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600K, while being 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-8700 and 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX. This shows the CPU is a strong performer.

The GPU, however, drags the combo down. The GTX 1650’s average benchmark score of 8713 places it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is nearly identical to its rivals, being 0.4% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile and AMD Radeon 550X, and 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro P2200. The low combo rank is a direct result of this mid-tier GPU being paired with a higher-tier CPU, creating a significant imbalance where the graphics card is unable to keep pace.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Archeage?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 62 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this system capable of running Archeage at 4K resolution?

A: While it can run the game at 3840x2160, the results are poor. The best average at 4K is 26.2 FPS on Low settings, with High, Medium, and Ultra all falling below 21.6 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct competitors in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 is effectively tied with its closest rivals. It is 0.1% faster than the Intel Core i7-9700 and 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i5-11600K, while being 0.2% slower than the Intel Core i7-8700.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. The Low preset averages 62 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 27.1 FPS. This represents a 56.3% performance drop when moving to Ultra settings.

Q: Does the GPU have a significant performance gap compared to its nearest rivals?

A: No, the GTX 1650 is benchmarked very close to its rivals. Its average score is within 0.5% of the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 and within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon 550X.

Q: What is the overall standing of this CPU+GPU combo for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1638 out of 1727 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 5.2% of all measured systems for Archeage.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the definitive bottleneck in this configuration. Its modest specifications, including 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus and a peak bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s, are pushed to their limits by Archeage, especially at higher resolutions. The core clock speeds are a base of 1485 MHz and a boost of 1665 MHz, which are standard for the card but insufficient for demanding 1440p and 4K workloads.

The GPU’s benchmark results corroborate this. Its average benchmark score of 8713 places it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, indicating a below-average performer. The distinct drop in frame rates from 1080p to 1440p, and again from 1440p to 4K, is a classic sign of a GPU that is starved for memory bandwidth and raw compute power. The 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply not enough to maintain high frame rates with increased pixel counts.

The data suggests that the GTX 1650 is best suited for 1080p gaming with this title. At this resolution, it can provide playable frame rates on Medium and Low settings. However, turning the settings up to High or Ultra, or increasing the resolution, quickly overwhelms the card. The 10.4 FPS result at 4K Ultra is a clear indication that the card is not designed for such workloads, and the 26.2 FPS at 4K Low shows that even the lowest settings cannot make this resolution practical.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a capable processor that is not the primary cause of the low frame rates in this pairing. With 6 cores and 12 threads, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, it provides more than enough processing power for Archeage. Its strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by a 3dmark single-thread score of 910 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3456, is crucial for an MMORPG where game logic and draw calls often rely heavily on a single core.

The CPU’s synthetic benchmark scores are consistently strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935 and a Passmark multithread score of 18747. Its average benchmark score of 19850 puts it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, and its performance is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, all within a 0.4% delta. This indicates that the i5-12400 is a robust and well-balanced processor.

The data implies that the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the system still manages to achieve 62 FPS on Low, and the scaling pattern suggests that the CPU is feeding the GPU as fast as it can. The bottleneck only becomes apparent when the GPU’s workload increases, showing that the i5-12400 has significant headroom left on the table. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4/DDR5 memory further solidify its position as a strong foundation that is held back by the graphics card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a complete breakdown of the measured average frame rates for this combination.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 62 FPS
• Medium: 53.2 FPS
• High: 40.2 FPS
• Ultra: 27.1 FPS

The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 56.3% reduction in frame rate, with the most significant single drop occurring between High and Ultra, a 32.6% decrease.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops considerably:

• Low: 44.2 FPS
• Medium: 36.1 FPS
• High: 23.5 FPS
• Ultra: 18.5 FPS

Here, the gap between Low and Ultra is 58.1%, and even the Low preset struggles to maintain a solid 60 FPS. The difference between Medium and High is also steep, at 34.9%.

At 3840x2160, the results indicate a system under severe strain:

• Low: 26.2 FPS
• Medium: 21.6 FPS
• High: 11.3 FPS
• Ultra: 10.4 FPS

The frame rates at this resolution are consistently low, with a 60.3% difference between Low and Ultra. The jump from Medium to High represents a 47.7% performance loss, showing that the higher settings are extremely demanding on the GTX 1650’s limited resources. These numbers confirm that 4K gaming is not a realistic option for this hardware configuration.