Archeage

# Archeage with Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D

The pairing of Intel's 6-core Alder Lake i5-12400 with NVIDIA's flagship Blackwell RTX 5090 D produces a fascinating split personality in Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG that shows clear signs of CPU limitation at lower resolutions while remaining GPU-bound at 4K Ultra. The measured frame rates reveal a system that can push past 230 FPS at 1080p Low but drops to just 52 FPS at 4K Ultra, demonstrating how dramatically the bottleneck shifts depending on the workload. This analysis examines the measured data across twelve resolution/settings combinations, placing the i5-12400 and RTX 5090 D in context within the broader benchmark database.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story about where this combo's limits lie. At 1080p Low, the system delivers 230 FPS average, but at 4K Low that falls to 125 FPS — a 45.7% reduction. However, the scaling pattern is not uniform across settings presets. The High preset shows a steeper decline: 191 FPS at 1080p drops to 132 FPS at 1440p (30.9% loss), then further to 76 FPS at 4K (another 42.4% loss from 1440p). This suggests that at High settings, the GPU becomes progressively more dominant as resolution climbs, with the CPU headroom at 1080p allowing the RTX 5090 D to stretch its legs.

The Medium preset presents the most interesting scaling curve. At 1080p Medium, the system hits 221 FPS, which barely dips to 194 FPS at 1440p (a mere 12.2% drop), before falling to 112 FPS at 4K (42.3% drop from 1440p). The relatively small 1440p penalty compared to the 1080p-to-1440p gaps in other presets hints that the i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads are still keeping pace with the GPU's demands at mid-range settings, creating a plateau where the CPU is the limiting factor even at 1440p.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic resolution sensitivity: 134 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 90 FPS at 1440p (32.8% loss), then plunging to 52 FPS at 4K (42.2% loss). The 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS is the lowest measurement in the entire dataset, indicating that the combination of high-resolution rendering and maximum settings pushes the RTX 5090 D to its limits in this aging MMORPG engine. The data implies that Archeage's engine does not scale efficiently with modern GPU horsepower at 4K Ultra, as the 32 GB GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth of the RTX 5090 D cannot overcome the computational demands of the game's rendering path.

GPU Role

The RTX 5090 D brings substantial hardware to this matchup: 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, with 21,760 shading units and 680 texture mapping units. Its boost clock of 2407 MHz and base clock of 2017 MHz represent the Blackwell 2.0 architecture running at high frequencies, yet the measured FPS in Archeage suggest the GPU is often underutilized. The 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth should theoretically provide ample headroom for texture streaming in an MMORPG world, but the benchmark results show that even at 4K Ultra (52 FPS), the GPU is not delivering the kind of performance its specifications would suggest.

Comparing the RTX 5090 D to its nearest rivals in the database, the GPU's average benchmark score of 77,712 places it just 1.1% above the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904), while sitting 1.6% below the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940) and 2.1% below the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396). This positioning seems anomalous for a flagship consumer GPU, suggesting that Archeage's workload does not align well with the RTX 5090 D's architectural strengths. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates strong overall performance, but the game-specific measurements reveal that raw compute power does not translate directly to FPS in this title.

The VRAM capacity of 32 GB is never challenged by Archeage's requirements, as even the highest settings at 4K do not appear to create memory pressure that would cause stuttering or frame drops. The measured min FPS values at Medium settings (95 FPS at 4K, 165 FPS at 1440p, 188 FPS at 1080p) show that frame pacing remains consistent, with no evidence of memory-related hitches. The GPU's pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are theoretical maxima that the game's engine likely never approaches, given the 2014 release date and the rendering techniques of that era.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested combinations, the Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D pairing ranks 70th out of 2,761 combos for Archeage, placing it within the top 2.5% of all tested configurations. This strong ranking is somewhat surprising given the CPU's modest specifications — the i5-12400 has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost of 4.40 GHz — but the data shows that Archeage does not require massive core counts to achieve high frame rates. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 18,683, places it in the upper-midrange, yet the combo's 70th position out of 2,761 indicates that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting in this pairing.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database provide context for its performance ceiling. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18,697 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18,730 (0.3% higher), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18,811 (0.7% higher), while the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18,519 (0.9% lower). These tight margins — all within 1% of each other — suggest that the i5-12400's 3DMark multi-threaded score of 5,890 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15,989 are representative of a mid-range CPU that can deliver 187 FPS at 1080p High in Archeage without becoming a significant bottleneck.

The gap between the combo's 70th rank and the CPU's 72nd percentile highlights an interesting dynamic: the RTX 5090 D boosts this combination well above what the CPU alone would suggest. With the GPU ranking in the 92nd percentile and averaging 77,712 in benchmarks, the pairing leverages the GPU's strength while the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration proves sufficient for Archeage's threading model. The data implies that for this specific game, the CPU is not the limiting factor until extremely high frame rates are demanded, at which point the 230 FPS ceiling at 1080p Low suggests the i5-12400's single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 910, Cinebench R23 single-core of 2,257) becomes the constraint.

Settings Recommendations

Examining the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 221 FPS average with a minimum of 188 FPS and maximum of 254 FPS, providing smooth gameplay with headroom for demanding MMORPG encounters. The 1440p Medium result of 194 FPS (min 165, max 223) maintains excellent fluidity, while even 4K Medium at 112 FPS (min 95, max 128) remains playable. The consistency of the Medium preset's minimum frame rates — never dropping below 95 FPS even at 4K — indicates this setting avoids the severe frame drops that might occur in crowded cities or large-scale PvP battles.

High settings present a viable alternative for users prioritizing visual fidelity over framerate headroom. At 1080p High, the system achieves 191 FPS, which drops to 132 FPS at 1440p and 76 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result of 76 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play, but the lack of min/max data for this preset makes it difficult to assess frame pacing stability. Ultra settings, by contrast, appear problematic: while 1080p Ultra delivers a respectable 134 FPS, the 1440p Ultra result of 90 FPS and 4K Ultra of 52 FPS suggest diminishing returns that may not justify the visual upgrade over High.

Low settings provide the highest possible frame rates — 230 FPS at 1080p, 202 FPS at 1440p, and 125 FPS at 4K — but these come at the cost of visual quality that may hinder gameplay in an MMORPG where reading the environment matters. The data suggests that for most players, Medium at 1440p (194 FPS) or Medium at 4K (112 FPS) offers the sweet spot, delivering high frame rates while maintaining acceptable visual fidelity. The 165 FPS minimum at 1440p Medium indicates that even in the most demanding scenes, the system will not dip below the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of presets shows a clear hierarchy: Low produces 230 FPS average, Medium produces 221 FPS (with a minimum of 188 FPS and maximum of 254 FPS), High produces 191 FPS, and Ultra produces 134 FPS. The 1080p results demonstrate that at this resolution, the CPU becomes the primary constraint, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames faster than the i5-12400 can feed it. The difference between Low and Medium (9 FPS) is minimal, while the jump from High to Ultra (57 FPS) represents a substantial performance cost that may not be justified by visual improvements.

At 2560x1440, the scaling shifts as the GPU begins to take on more work. Low delivers 202 FPS, Medium delivers 194 FPS (min 165, max 223), High delivers 132 FPS, and Ultra delivers 90 FPS. The 1440p Medium result of 194 FPS is remarkably close to the 1080p Medium result of 221 FPS, suggesting that the system remains CPU-bound even at this higher resolution when settings are moderate. However, the High preset shows a significant drop of 62 FPS compared to 1080p, indicating that the increased pixel count combined with High settings starts to engage the GPU more substantially.

At 3840x2160, the GPU clearly becomes the limiting factor. Low produces 125 FPS, Medium produces 112 FPS (min 95, max 128), High produces 76 FPS, and Ultra produces 52 FPS. The 4K results show a compression of performance across presets — only 73 FPS separates Low from Ultra — whereas at 1080p, that gap is 96 FPS. This compression indicates that at 4K, the RTX 5090 D is working near its limits, and the settings preset has less impact on the final frame rate because the GPU is already saturated with rendering work. The 52 FPS Ultra result at 4K is the only measured value below 60 FPS, marking it as the sole configuration where smooth gameplay could be compromised.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost of 4.40 GHz, prove sufficient for Archeage's demands. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15,989 and single-core score of 2,257, along with a Geekbench multi-core score of 8,564 and single-core score of 1,848, position it as a capable mid-range processor. The 3DMark results — 5,890 for max threads, 4,745 for 8 threads, 3,012 for 4 threads, 1,692 for 2 threads, and 910 for single thread — show that performance scales reasonably with thread count, but the game appears to benefit most from the first few cores.

The PassMark scores reveal the CPU's character: multi-thread score of 18,747, single-thread score of 3,456, physics score of 1,105, and floating-point math score of 45,494. These figures suggest that while the i5-12400 is not a powerhouse, it provides consistent performance that prevents it from becoming a bottleneck in Archeage at most settings. The 65W TDP and 10 nm process node (Alder Lake architecture) contribute to efficient operation, though the CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core are modest by modern standards.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 72nd among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 18,683, places it just below its nearest rivals — the AMD EPYC 7643 (18,697, 0.1% higher), Intel Core i7-1355U (18,730, 0.3% higher), and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18,811, 0.7% higher) — while slightly above the Intel Core i3-14100F (18,519, 0.9% lower). The tight clustering of these scores indicates that the i5-12400 sits in a competitive mid-range band, and in Archeage specifically, its 6-core/12-thread configuration appears well-matched to the game's threading model. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the 230 FPS ceiling is likely imposed by CPU single-thread performance, as the GPU could theoretically render faster but is limited by the CPU's ability to submit draw calls and process game logic.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system in Archeage?

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p Medium provides the best balance with 194 FPS average, 165 FPS minimum, and 223 FPS maximum. For 4K gaming, Medium at 112 FPS (min 95, max 128) is the recommended choice, as it remains well above 60 FPS while maintaining visual quality.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest GPU rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712, which is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904), 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940), and 2.1% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396). It ranks in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU becomes a limiting factor at 1080p, where frame rates cap around 230 FPS on Low settings. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU takes over as the primary constraint, with 4K Ultra dropping to 52 FPS. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking and its proximity to rivals (all within 1% in average score) indicate it performs adequately for this title.

Q: What is the maximum FPS achievable with this combo in Archeage?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 230 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The Medium preset at 1080p achieves 221 FPS (min 188, max 254), which is the highest maximum FPS recorded in the dataset.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Archeage?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 70th out of 2,761 tested combos for this game, placing it in the top 2.5% of all configurations. This high ranking despite the mid-range CPU underscores the GPU's dominance in this pairing.

Q: What are the CPU's key benchmark scores that relate to Archeage performance?

A: The i5-12400 achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15,989 and single-core score of 2,257, a Geekbench multi-core score of 8,564 and single-core score of 1,848, and a 3DMark max-threads score of 5,890 with a single-thread score of 910. Its average benchmark score is 18,683, placing it at the 72nd percentile.