Archeage

# Archeage with Intel Core i5-12600KF + AMD Radeon RX 9070

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a configuration that handles Archeage across a wide range of resolutions and settings, but with notable performance cliffs at higher quality presets. This 10-core, 16-thread Alder Lake processor combined with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on the Radeon side produces results that range from highly playable at 1080p to borderline at 4K Ultra, making resolution and settings selection critical for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, which is typical for a game like Archeage where the CPU has a strong influence on frame rates. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves an average of 198 FPS, which drops to 134 FPS at 1440p Low and further to 76 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 62% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that even with minimal graphical load, the GPU is becoming a more significant factor at higher resolutions.

The Medium preset tells a similar story. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 177, with a minimum of 150 and maximum of 203. Moving to 1440p Medium reduces the average to 119 FPS, with a minimum of 101 and maximum of 137. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 and maximum of 78. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly a 33% reduction, while 1440p to 4K shows a 43% reduction, suggesting that the Radeon RX 9070's bandwidth and compute capabilities are being progressively taxed.

High settings follow the expected trajectory. At 1080p High, the average is 120 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 81 FPS, a 33% drop. At 4K High, the average is 46 FPS, which is a 43% reduction from 1440p and a 62% reduction from 1080p. This pattern indicates that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at lower resolutions to the GPU as pixel count increases. The 1080p High result of 120 FPS is still well above playable thresholds, but the 4K High figure of 46 FPS suggests users will need to make compromises at that resolution.

Ultra settings reveal the steepest performance cliff. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 82 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 55 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average collapses to 32 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra at any resolution carries a heavy penalty: at 1080p, Ultra is 32% slower than High; at 1440p, it is 32% slower; and at 4K, it is 30% slower. This consistent penalty indicates that Ultra settings impose a uniform additional load that the GPU struggles to sustain, especially at 4K where 32 FPS is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay in most situations.

The data shows that the combo is CPU-limited at 1080p Low and Medium, where frame rates exceed 170 FPS and the processor's single-thread and multi-thread performance are the primary drivers. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, with the RX 9070's 16 GB of VRAM and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth being insufficient to maintain high frame rates under maximum graphical load. The sweet spot for resolution scaling appears to be 1440p, where the combo delivers playable frame rates across all presets except Ultra, which still manages 55 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU and GPU combinations for Archeage, this pairing holds a combo rank of 1107 out of 3708 tested combos. This places it in the top 30% of all configurations tested for this game, which is a respectable position given the age of the game and the wide variety of hardware that has been evaluated. The rank indicates that the i5-12600KF and RX 9070 together produce results that outperform roughly 70% of other tested configurations, though there is still significant headroom above this combo in the rankings.

The CPU itself has an average benchmark score of 27799, which places it at the 79th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals in terms of average score include the Intel Core i9-10900K at 27872, which is 0.3% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D at 27896, also 0.3% faster. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE at 27712 is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U at 27887 is 0.3% faster. These small deltas indicate that the i5-12600KF is positioned in a tightly contested performance band, where differences of less than 1% separate it from several strong competitors.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 23877, placing it at the 69th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals show a similar pattern of close competition. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z at 23736 is 0.6% slower, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800S at 24063 is 0.8% faster. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile at 23628 is 1.1% slower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER at 24170 is 1.2% faster. These narrow margins suggest that the RX 9070 is competing with older high-end and newer mid-range GPUs, and its performance in Archeage specifically reflects this positioning.

The combo rank of 1107 out of 3708 is influenced by both components working together. The CPU's 79th percentile standing is higher than the GPU's 69th percentile, which suggests that in this pairing, the GPU is the more limiting factor for overall performance in Archeage. This is consistent with the resolution scaling data, which shows the GPU becoming the bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings. The rank also indicates that while this is a strong combo, there are many tested configurations that achieve better results, likely by pairing stronger GPUs with similar or better CPUs.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The processor features 20 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. Its benchmark results show strong single-thread performance, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1016 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3302.

In Archeage, which is an MMORPG that often relies on single-thread performance for game logic and network handling, the i5-12600KF's capabilities are directly relevant. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 1995 and 4-thread score of 3806 indicate that the processor can handle lightly threaded workloads effectively. The single-thread PassMark score of 3925 further confirms this, as does the Cinebench R20 single-core score of 1386. These numbers suggest that the CPU is more than capable of driving high frame rates in scenarios where the GPU is not the limiting factor.

The multi-threaded performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23391 and a Geekbench multicore score of 12137. The 3DMark 8-thread score of 6128 and max threads score of 7952 show good scaling across cores, which can benefit Archeage in crowded areas with many players and NPCs where additional threads may be utilized for physics and AI calculations. The PassMark multithread score of 27575 and integer math score of 87830 support the notion that this CPU can maintain high frame rates even under multi-threaded loads.

The clock speeds are particularly relevant for Archeage's performance. The boost clock of 4.90 GHz provides the high single-thread frequency that older game engines often require, and the base clock of 3.70 GHz ensures that sustained loads do not cause significant frequency drops. The 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average score of 27799, places this processor in a strong position relative to its peers, and the near-parity with the Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Core i9-10900K in average benchmark scores suggests that the i5-12600KF is not a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios.

The 10-core, 16-thread configuration represents a hybrid approach with performance and efficiency cores, which allows the processor to balance power consumption and performance. In Archeage, the data shows that at 1080p Low and Medium, the CPU is capable of pushing frame rates to 198 and 177 FPS respectively, which indicates that the processor is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. The CPU's role becomes less critical at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, but the processor still needs to maintain a minimum frame rate to avoid stuttering, and the data shows no min FPS drops below 150 at 1080p Medium, indicating stable performance.

FAQ

Q: What average frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 81 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is a comfortable frame rate for most gameplay scenarios and indicates that the combo is well-suited for 1440p gaming in Archeage.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Medium?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 177, with a minimum of 150 and maximum of 203. These high frame rates suggest the CPU is capable of driving the game well beyond typical display refresh rates, meaning the GPU is likely the limiting factor even at 1080p Medium.

Q: How does the i5-12600KF compare to the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in average benchmark scores?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, while the Ryzen 7 5800X3D has an average score of 27896. The delta is -0.3%, meaning the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is 0.3% faster on average, which is a negligible difference in real-world performance.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded across all tested settings and resolutions?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 32 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the only configuration that drops below 40 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested CPU and GPU combinations for Archeage?

A: This combo is ranked 1107 out of 3708 tested combinations. This places it in the top 30% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: Does the RX 9070's 16 GB of VRAM provide sufficient memory for 4K gaming in Archeage?

A: The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit bus and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient from a capacity standpoint, but the performance at 4K Ultra (32 FPS average) indicates that memory bandwidth and GPU compute are the limiting factors, not VRAM capacity alone.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip, manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 128 render output units, along with 56 ray tracing cores. The GPU has a base clock of 1330 MHz, a game clock of 2070 MHz, and a boost clock of 2520 MHz. Its memory configuration consists of 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s with a memory clock of 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective).

The GPU's raw compute capabilities are substantial, with an FP32 performance of 36.13 TFLOPS and a texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s. The pixel rate is 322.6 GPixel/s, which directly impacts fill-rate-dependent scenarios. These specifications translate to a PassMark G3D score of 25381 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 131539 and Vulkan score of 58705 provide additional context for the GPU's compute and graphics performance.

In Archeage, the GPU's role becomes increasingly important as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low and Medium, the GPU is not the bottleneck, as evidenced by frame rates of 198 and 177 FPS respectively. However, at 1080p High, the average drops to 120 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 82 FPS. This indicates that the GPU's performance envelope begins to limit frame rates as graphical quality increases, even at 1080p.

The 4K results show the GPU's limitations more clearly. At 4K Low, the average is 76 FPS, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it drops to 68 FPS, still acceptable. At 4K High, the average is 46 FPS, which is marginal for smooth gameplay. At 4K Ultra, the average is 32 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. The GPU's 69th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23877, places it in the upper tier but not at the flagship level, and the 4K Ultra results reflect this positioning.

The GPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark scores include the RTX 2080 SUPER at 24170, which is 1.2% faster, and the RX 6800S at 24063, which is 0.8% faster. The GTX TITAN Z at 23736 is 0.6% slower, and the RTX 3080 Mobile at 23628 is 1.1% slower. These comparisons show that the RX 9070 is performing in a competitive range, but the 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS suggests that Archeage's Ultra preset places demands that this GPU cannot fully meet at 4K.

The GPU's power requirements are notable, with a TDP of 220 W and a suggested PSU of 550 W, requiring 2x 8-pin power connectors. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensures no bandwidth limitations from the bus. The display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a, which support high refresh rate monitors. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility are relevant for modern game APIs, though Archeage's age means it may primarily use older APIs.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience for this combo across different resolutions. The key consideration is maintaining a frame rate that is smooth for the user's display and gameplay preferences, while maximizing visual quality.

At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance. The average FPS is 177, with a minimum of 150 and maximum of 203. This provides a high frame rate that exceeds most monitors' refresh rates, ensuring smooth gameplay. The High preset at 120 FPS is also excellent, but the 32% reduction from Medium to High may not be worth the visual improvement for some users. The Ultra preset at 82 FPS is still playable but represents a significant drop from High. The Low preset at 198 FPS offers the highest frame rate but sacrifices visual quality for marginal gains over Medium.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is again the recommended choice. The average FPS is 119, with a minimum of 101 and maximum of 137. This provides a smooth experience on 1440p monitors, which typically have refresh rates of 144 Hz or lower. The High preset at 81 FPS is also viable for users who prioritize visual quality, but the 32% drop from Medium may be noticeable in fast-paced scenes. The Ultra preset at 55 FPS is borderline, and the Low preset at 134 FPS offers a minor frame rate advantage over Medium but with reduced visuals.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the only option that provides a consistently playable experience. The average FPS is 68, with a minimum of 58 and maximum of 78. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay in most cases, though the minimum of 58 FPS may cause occasional dips. The Low preset at 76 FPS offers a slight improvement but with significantly reduced visual quality. The High preset at 46 FPS is not recommended for general play, as it falls below 60 FPS on average. The Ultra preset at 32 FPS is unsuitable for anything other than static screenshots or situations where frame rate is not a priority.

The data shows that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo across all resolutions. At 1080p and 1440p, it provides frame rates that far exceed playability thresholds, while at 4K, it remains playable with minor dips. Users with high refresh rate monitors at 1080p or 1440p may prefer the High preset for better visuals, accepting the frame rate reduction. For 4K users, Medium is the recommended preset, and those who want higher frame rates should consider the Low preset if visual quality is less important.

The measured minimum and maximum FPS values for the Medium preset provide additional confidence. At 1080p, the minimum of 150 FPS ensures no significant drops, and the maximum of 203 FPS shows headroom. At 1440p, the minimum of 101 FPS and maximum of 137 FPS indicate stable performance. At 4K, the minimum of 58 FPS and maximum of 78 FPS show that while the average is 68 FPS, there are occasional dips below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable in demanding scenes.