Archeage

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 produces a striking performance profile in Archeage, one that is heavily dictated by the game’s age and engine limitations. The data reveals a system where the GPU’s immense power is frequently capped by the CPU, yet the frame rates remain highly playable across most settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, focusing on where the bottleneck lies and what users can expect at each configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shifting balance between CPU and GPU load. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 230.9 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops that to 200 FPS, a reduction of approximately 13%. The subsequent jump to 3840x2160 at Low yields 120.4 FPS, a further 40% decline. This pattern indicates that even at 4K Low, the RTX 5090 is not the primary constraint; the CPU’s single-thread performance is likely the limiting factor, as the frame rate remains exceptionally high.

The scaling becomes more pronounced when the graphics load increases. At High settings, the transition from 1080p (186.7 FPS) to 1440p (123.4 FPS) represents a 34% drop, and then to 4K (73.7 FPS) another 40% drop. This steeper decline at higher settings suggests the GPU starts to take on a more significant role, though the absolute numbers still point to a CPU-bound scenario. The Ultra preset tells a similar story: 128.2 FPS at 1080p, 84.4 FPS at 1440p, and 51.3 FPS at 4K. The consistent halving of performance from 1080p to 4K across all presets—except Low—indicates that while resolution scaling is evident, the game’s engine does not allow the RTX 5090 to stretch its legs fully until the resolution and settings are pushed to the extreme.

The data suggests that Archeage is not a typical GPU-bound title. The i5-12400, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, appears to be the ceiling for most scenarios. The fact that 4K Low (120.4 FPS) outperforms 1080p Ultra (128.2 FPS) by only a small margin reinforces this. The GPU is capable of far more, but the CPU cannot feed it data fast enough to saturate it, particularly at lower resolutions where the frame rate is highest.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing holds a rank of 44 out of 1727 combos for Archeage. This places it in the top 2.5% of all tested systems, a strong showing that underscores the raw power of the RTX 5090. However, the rank is not higher, which is a direct consequence of the CPU’s limitations in this particular game. The i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake generation, and its performance in synthetic benchmarks—such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935 and a single-core score of 2249—demonstrates solid mainstream capability, but not the top-tier throughput that would push this combo to the absolute pinnacle.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in general benchmarks include the Intel Core i7-9700, which scores nearly identically (19831 average versus 19850 for the i5-12400, a delta of 0.1%). This suggests that in CPU-limited scenarios, the i5-12400 performs on par with older 8-core parts. The RTX 5090, meanwhile, is in the 94th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84306. Its closest rival, the RTX 5090 D, scores 84241, a negligible 0.1% difference. This means that the GPU is not the weak link; it is the CPU that holds the combo back from ranking even higher. The data shows a system that is massively overqualified on the graphics side, yet the rank of 44 indicates that many other combinations—presumably with more powerful CPUs—achieve better results in Archeage.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a monster of a graphics card, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its base clock is 2017 MHz, boosting to 2407 MHz. With 21,760 shading units and 176 ROPs, the theoretical pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s. These specifications place it far beyond what any 2014 MMORPG would have anticipated. The card’s raw compute power, measured at 104.8 TFLOPS for FP32, is immense.

Despite this hardware, the measured FPS in Archeage does not reflect the GPU’s full potential. The data shows that the card’s role is largely dependent on the preset. At Low settings, the GPU is underutilized, as the CPU becomes the bottleneck. At Ultra settings, particularly at 4K, the GPU begins to flex its capabilities, but even then, the frame rate of 51.3 FPS suggests that the game’s engine is not optimized to leverage the card’s architecture. The 32 GB VRAM is far more than the game needs, and the high memory clock of 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) is irrelevant when the CPU cannot supply enough draw calls. The GPU’s percentile rank of 94 indicates it is a top-tier part, but in this title, it is effectively waiting for the CPU to catch up.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured results provide a clear matrix of performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across the board. The Low preset averages 230.9 FPS, making it the highest recorded score for this combo. Medium follows at 221.1 FPS, High at 186.7 FPS, and Ultra at 128.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is roughly 44%, which is significant but still leaves the Ultra preset well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers remain strong. Low settings yield 200 FPS, Medium 187.2 FPS, High 123.4 FPS, and Ultra 84.4 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra at this resolution is steep—a 32% reduction—indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy load that even the RTX 5090 cannot fully compensate for, likely due to CPU overhead. At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more varied. Low settings still deliver a playable 120.4 FPS, while Medium drops to 104.5 FPS. High settings fall to 73.7 FPS, which is still smooth for most users. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 51.3 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS mark and suggests that this setting is too demanding for a consistently fluid experience in this title.

These numbers illustrate a clear hierarchy: Low and Medium presets are always playable, even at 4K. High is generally fine at 1440p and acceptable at 4K, but Ultra is only recommended for 1080p and 1440p, where it stays above the 60 FPS threshold.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience depends on the user’s display resolution. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, delivering 128.2 FPS. This provides a high level of visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness, and the frame rate is more than enough for any competitive or immersive play. The High preset at 186.7 FPS is also excellent, but the jump to Ultra is worth the slight performance cost for the visual improvements.

At 2560x1440, the High preset offers the best balance, with 123.4 FPS. This is a substantial frame rate that ensures no stutter, and the visual quality is superior to Medium. The Ultra preset at 84.4 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize graphics over raw frame rate, but the drop from High is noticeable. For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, delivering 104.5 FPS. This is the highest setting that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS target. High at 73.7 FPS is acceptable, but the margin for error is smaller. The Ultra preset at 4K should be avoided, as 51.3 FPS falls below the comfort zone for many players, especially in a fast-paced MMORPG where frame drops can be disruptive.

In summary, the data suggests that users should stick to High settings at 1440p and Medium at 4K to get the best combination of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset is best reserved for 1080p, where the CPU and GPU can keep up. This configuration is powerful, but the game’s engine ultimately limits its potential, making the choice of settings crucial to a satisfying experience.