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 built on the Alder Lake architecture using 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 and an 18 MB shared L3 cache. This processor sits in the 77th percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 19850, placing it nearly level with the Intel Core i7-9700 (0.1% ahead) and Intel Core i7-8700 (0.2% behind). In synthetic multi-threaded workloads, the i5-12400 scores 5890 in 3DMark max threads and 15935 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while single-thread performance reaches 910 in 3DMark single-thread and 2249 in Cinebench R23 single-core.

For a game like Archeage, an MMORPG released in January 2014, the balance between single-thread and multi-thread performance matters. The measured frame rates show that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 143 FPS average, which is the highest recorded value across all tested configurations. At this resolution and low graphical load, the CPU's single-thread capability—reflected in the 910 3DMark single-thread score—becomes the primary driver. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz provides the headroom needed for the game's logic and network handling, which typically rely on fewer threads. The 12 threads also help when many players are on screen simultaneously, as MMORPGs often spawn numerous entities that the CPU must manage.

The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the CPU's relative influence diminishes. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS drops to 53.7, a 62% reduction from the 1080p Low figure. This is not a CPU bottleneck—the processor's thread count and clock speed remain constant. Instead, the GPU takes over as the limiting factor. The i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the RTX 2070 SUPER at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the rendering demands outpace what the CPU can supply in terms of draw calls and geometry, even if the raw compute is adequate.

How This Combo Ranks

This particular configuration—Intel Core i5-12400 paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER—ranks 1042 out of 1727 tested combos in Archeage. That places it in the lower-middle portion of the field, which is somewhat surprising given the individual component scores. The RTX 2070 SUPER itself sits in the 65th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 22206, while the CPU ranks in the 77th percentile. Yet the combination only achieves a mid-pack ranking in this specific game.

The discrepancy suggests that Archeage's engine does not scale well with the raw performance these components offer. The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400 (0.5% behind the 2070 SUPER) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (2.5% behind), yet those pairings may yield different in-game results depending on the CPU mated to them. The combo rank of 1042 out of 1727 means approximately 60% of tested combinations outperform this pairing in Archeage. This is not a reflection of weak components—the i5-12400's 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 and the RTX 2070 SUPER's Passmark G3D score of 18169 are respectable—but rather an indication that the game favors other hardware configurations.

Looking at the measured FPS data, the combo's strengths emerge at lower resolutions. At 1080p Medium, it achieves 128.5 FPS, and at 1080p High, 84.6 FPS. These are playable numbers, but they do not place the combo among the top performers. The data indicates that the bottleneck shifts between CPU and GPU depending on settings and resolution, and the combo's overall rank reflects its mid-tier status in this specific workload.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values show a consistent scaling pattern across resolutions for each settings preset. Starting with Low settings, the combo delivers 143 FPS at 1080p, 97.9 FPS at 1440p, and 53.7 FPS at 4K. This represents a 31.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 45.1% additional drop from 1440p to 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 62.4%. These percentages indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change with resolution—only the GPU's rendering load increases.

For Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 128.5 FPS at 1080p, 86.6 FPS at 1440p, and 49.6 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 32.6%, and from 1440p to 4K is 42.7%. High settings show 84.6 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p, and 35.8 FPS at 4K—a 27.9% drop to 1440p and a 41.3% drop to 4K. Ultra settings produce the steepest declines: 55.4 FPS at 1080p falls to 37.3 FPS at 1440p (32.7% drop) and then to 21.3 FPS at 4K (42.9% drop).

The scaling behavior reveals that the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become increasingly stressed as pixel count rises. At 1080p, the GPU has ample headroom, allowing the CPU to push frame rates above 100 FPS at Low and Medium settings. At 4K, even Low settings only produce 53.7 FPS, showing that the GPU's compute throughput—9.062 TFLOPS FP32—is the limiting factor. The CPU's 3DMark 2-thread score of 1692 and single-thread score of 910 are sufficient to avoid becoming the bottleneck at any resolution, as evidenced by the consistent performance scaling.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1080p delivers the highest frame rates across all settings, with 143 FPS at Low, 128.5 FPS at Medium, 84.6 FPS at High, and 55.4 FPS at Ultra. At 1440p, frame rates range from 97.9 FPS (Low) to 37.3 FPS (Ultra), while 4K drops to 53.7 FPS (Low) and 21.3 FPS (Ultra).

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19850, putting it 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831) and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600K (19771). It trails the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894) by 0.2% and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (19928) by 0.4%.

Q: Does the GPU bottleneck the CPU at any resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 4K, even Low settings only produce 53.7 FPS, while the CPU's performance remains constant. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 9.062 TFLOPS FP32 throughput are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

Q: What settings preset provides the most balanced experience at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Medium settings deliver 86.6 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings produce 61 FPS, while Ultra drops to 37.3 FPS. Medium offers the best balance between visual quality and smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the GPU rank against its nearest competitors?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206, which is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307) and 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (21670). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22729) by 2.3%.

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming?

A: The measured data shows 1080p is the clear sweet spot, with all settings except Ultra exceeding 84 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium settings exceed 60 FPS (97.9 and 86.6 respectively). For consistent 60+ FPS at 1440p, Medium is the highest viable preset.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU104 chip manufactured on TSMC's 12 nm process. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, along with 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card's pixel rate is 113.3 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 283.2 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS.

In Archeage, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution and settings increase. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 143 FPS, but this drops to 55.4 FPS at Ultra—a 61.3% reduction. This settings sensitivity indicates that the GPU's shader throughput and memory bandwidth are being heavily taxed by the game's visual effects at higher presets. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this 2014 MMORPG, as the game's texture requirements are modest by modern standards. However, the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth appears to be a limiting factor at 4K, where even Low settings only produce 53.7 FPS.

The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 18169 and DirectX 11 score of 151 show its DirectX 11 performance is solid, which is relevant since MMORPGs often rely on older API paths. The Vulkan score of 94918 and OpenCL score of 98316 in Geekbench suggest the card has headroom for compute-heavy tasks, but Archeage's engine may not leverage these fully. The GPU ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A400, scores 22307 (0.5% higher), while the AMD Radeon RX 5700 scores 21670 (2.5% lower).

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of which settings presets offer the best experience at each resolution. At 1080p, the combo delivers 143 FPS at Low, 128.5 FPS at Medium, 84.6 FPS at High, and 55.4 FPS at Ultra. For smooth gameplay, any preset except Ultra exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. High settings at 84.6 FPS strike the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, as the jump from Medium to High costs 34.2% of the frame rate but likely provides noticeable visual improvements.

At 1440p, the options narrow. Low produces 97.9 FPS, Medium produces 86.6 FPS, and High produces 61 FPS—all playable. Ultra drops to 37.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for comfortable gameplay. Medium at 86.6 FPS is the recommended preset here, as it maintains high frame rates while offering better visuals than Low. High at 61 FPS is viable for users who prioritize image quality over frame rate stability, but the margin above 60 FPS is thin.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. Low produces 53.7 FPS, Medium produces 49.6 FPS, High produces 35.8 FPS, and Ultra produces 21.3 FPS. None of these presets reach 60 FPS, and only Low and Medium approach playable territory. For users who must play at 4K, Low at 53.7 FPS is the only preset that stays above 50 FPS, though Medium at 49.6 FPS offers a better visual experience with only a 7.6% frame rate penalty. Given the data, 1080p High or 1440p Medium are the best overall choices for this combo, as they provide frame rates well above 60 FPS while retaining meaningful visual quality.