Archeage

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 produces a spread of results in Archeage that clearly demonstrates the escalating demands of higher resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combination is highly capable, delivering an average of 142 FPS at Low settings and 126 FPS at Medium settings. Moving to 2560x1440, these figures drop to 95 FPS and 85 FPS respectively. The most significant step occurs at 3840x2160, where the same settings yield only 55 FPS and 49 FPS. This pattern shows that while the CPU-GPU combo can maintain high refresh rates at 1080p, the transition to 4K imposes a severe penalty, cutting performance by over 60% when comparing Low settings across those two resolutions.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more gradual, with a reduction of roughly 33% for both Low and Medium settings. However, the jump from 1440p to 4K is where the system struggles, as the average FPS at 4K Medium (49 FPS) falls below the 1080p Ultra result (58 FPS). This indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck at 4K, as the sheer number of pixels overwhelms the rendering capabilities of the RX 9060. The 1080p results, particularly the 142 FPS average at Low, suggest that at lower resolutions the workload is more balanced, allowing the CPU's performance to be more fully utilized.

Resolution Scaling

Analyzing the measured data, the scaling efficiency between resolutions reveals a typical pattern for a mid-range GPU. At 1920x1080, the system operates in a comfortable range, with the High preset achieving 86 FPS. This is a playable state for most users, but it is the Low and Medium presets that show the raw potential of the combo, reaching 142 FPS and 126 FPS respectively. The 1440p results indicate a 33% performance drop across the board, which is a substantial but expected cost for the increased pixel count. The 4K results, however, are telling: the High preset drops to 33 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the Ultra preset falls to a nearly unplayable 23 FPS.

The data suggests that the limiting component at 4K is definitively the GPU. The RX 9060, with its 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus, is not equipped to handle the massive fill-rate demands of 3840x2160 in a demanding MMORPG like Archeage. The frame rate collapse from 55 FPS at Low to 23 FPS at Ultra at 4K is a direct consequence of the GPU's processing limits. In contrast, the 1080p results show that the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions, as the system can push past 140 FPS. The performance curve indicates that for optimal experiences, users should consider 1080p or 1440p, where the system can maintain higher frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a Navi 44 chip, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. Its specifications include 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. Memory is provided by 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. These specifications place the GPU in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014.

In Archeage, the GPU's role is most evident in the resolution scaling data. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p textures, but at 4K, the memory bandwidth and capacity become strained, contributing to the significant frame rate drops. The GPU's compute capabilities, rated at 21.43 TFLOPS for FP32, are adequate for the game's DirectX 12 workload, but the 128-bit memory bus is a limiting factor at higher resolutions. When compared to its nearest rivals, the RX 9060 performs similarly to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which has a deltaPct of -0.7, and the AMD Radeon R9 370X, with a deltaPct of 1.0. This indicates that the RX 9060 is a competent performer for its class, but its 4K capabilities are limited.

The game's performance at 1440p Medium (85 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (58 FPS) highlights the GPU's strengths. At 1440p, the GPU can still deliver high frame rates, but the 4K results show a clear ceiling. The data suggests that the RX 9060 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can provide a smooth experience. The 4K Ultra result of 23 FPS is a clear indicator that this resolution is beyond the GPU's comfortable operating range for this specific title.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 126 FPS, with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 3840x2160 with High settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average frame rate is 33 FPS, which is significantly lower than the 86 FPS achieved at 1920x1080 with the same settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160. The frame rate drops sharply from 55 FPS at Low to 23 FPS at Ultra, showing that the RX 9060's rendering capacity is overwhelmed by the pixel count, rather than the CPU being unable to feed it.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve high frame rates?

A: Based on the data, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution for high frame rates. The system achieves 142 FPS at Low and 126 FPS at Medium settings, which is ideal for competitive or smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has an average score of 16129, resulting in a deltaPct of -0.7. This indicates they perform nearly identically in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for the best experience in Archeage with this hardware. For users prioritizing high refresh rates, the 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings offers the highest average FPS at 142. However, the Medium preset at 1080p delivers a more balanced experience, with an average of 126 FPS and a minimum of 107 FPS, ensuring consistent smoothness without sacrificing too much visual quality. The High preset at 1080p, achieving 86 FPS, is also viable for those who prefer better visuals while maintaining a comfortable frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, providing an average of 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS. This offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while still maintaining playable frame rates. The High preset at 1440p, at 58 FPS, is acceptable but may feel less smooth in busy scenes. The Low preset at 1440p achieves 95 FPS, but the visual downgrade may not be worth the performance gain. At 3840x2160, the data shows that no preset is ideal, as the Medium preset only reaches 49 FPS, and the High preset drops to 33 FPS. The Low preset at 4K, at 55 FPS, is the only playable option, but it comes with significant visual compromises.

The optimal experience is found at 1440p Medium, which strikes a balance between visual fidelity and performance. For those with high-refresh-rate monitors, 1080p Medium or High are excellent choices. The 4K resolution should be avoided for serious gameplay, as the frame rates fall below 60 FPS across all presets, with the Ultra preset being unplayable at 23 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 2174 out of 3708 tested combos for Archeage. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, indicating that while the system is functional, there are many other hardware combinations that yield better performance in this specific game. The rank reflects the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, which is a significant factor in the overall score.

The CPU, however, is a strong performer, ranking in the 79th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 27799. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K (deltaPct -0.3), AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (deltaPct -0.3), and AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (deltaPct 0.3). This suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck in this pairing. The GPU, in the 59th percentile with a score of 16014, is the weaker component, and its performance relative to rivals like the RTX 3060 Ti (deltaPct -0.7) confirms it is a mid-range part.

The combo's rank of 2174 out of 3708 suggests that for Archeage, the pairing is adequate but not exceptional. The high CPU percentile ensures that the system can handle the game's processing demands, but the GPU's mid-range standing limits the overall experience, particularly at 1440p and 4K. Users looking for higher rankings would likely need a more powerful GPU to complement the capable i5-12600KF.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings combination.

• 1920x1080 Low: 142 FPS
• 1920x1080 Medium: 126 FPS (min 107, max 145)
• 1920x1080 High: 86 FPS
• 1920x1080 Ultra: 58 FPS
• 2560x1440 Low: 95 FPS
• 2560x1440 Medium: 85 FPS (min 72, max 98)
• 2560x1440 High: 58 FPS
• 2560x1440 Ultra: 39 FPS
• 3840x2160 Low: 55 FPS
• 3840x2160 Medium: 49 FPS (min 41, max 56)
• 3840x2160 High: 33 FPS
• 3840x2160 Ultra: 23 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution and settings increase. The 1080p results are strong, with all presets except Ultra exceeding 58 FPS. The 1440p results are moderate, with Low and Medium providing good frame rates, but High and Ultra dropping below 60 FPS. The 4K results are poor, with no preset achieving an average of 60 FPS. This breakdown confirms that the system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on a 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The CPU features 20 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmarks are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302. The processor is in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27799, and its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, has a deltaPct of -0.3.

In Archeage, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI, which is typical for an MMORPG. The high single-core performance, evidenced by the Passmark single-thread score of 3925, is crucial for the game's main thread. The multicore performance, with a Passmark multithread score of 27575, ensures that background tasks and the game's various systems run smoothly. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the system can achieve 142 FPS at Low settings, which is likely near the game's engine limit or the GPU's cap.

However, the CPU's performance is consistent across resolutions, as the drop in FPS from 1080p to 4K is primarily due to the GPU. The CPU's strong benchmark scores, such as the 3DMark 16-thread score of 7956, suggest it has ample headroom. The fact that the combo ranks 2174 out of 3708 is more attributable to the GPU's limitations than the CPU's. The i5-12600KF provides a solid foundation, but the RX 9060 holds the system back from achieving higher frame rates at demanding resolutions.