Archeage

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a severely GPU-limited experience in Archeage, with average frame rates that fall below playable thresholds at every resolution except for the lowest settings at 1080p. The data indicates a fundamental performance bottleneck: the integrated-class Arc B390, which ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, cannot keep pace with the demands of this MMORPG, even when paired with a capable 10-core processor. Across the measured resolutions, the pattern is consistent and stark, with 4K Ultra yielding just 11 FPS and 1080p Low barely reaching a playable 71 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals a system where the graphics processor is the overwhelming limiting factor. At High settings, the transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 sees average FPS plummet from 43 to 17, a reduction of 26 frames or roughly 60% of the 1080p performance. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU that is saturated even at lower resolutions, where the increase in pixel count from 2.07 million to 8.29 million (a 4x jump) directly translates into a near-proportional drop in frame rate, as the rendering pipeline is the sole constraint.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p confirms this trend. At Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 64 at 1080p to 43 at 1440p, a drop of 21 frames. At Low settings, the same resolution step reduces performance from 71 to 48 FPS. This consistent ~33% performance reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another ~40% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K, is a textbook demonstration of a fill-rate-bound scenario. The Arc B390's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are simply insufficient for the higher resolution workloads.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (71 FPS) and Ultra (29 FPS) is 42 frames. At 1440p, that gap shrinks to 28 frames (48 vs 20). At 4K, the gap is only 17 frames (28 vs 11). This convergence is because at 4K, the GPU is so overwhelmed by pixel output that the additional shader work from higher settings has less relative impact. The data suggests that lowering resolution provides the most significant FPS gains, while adjusting settings has a diminishing effect at higher pixel counts.

The absence of min/max FPS data for most rows makes stability analysis limited, but the available data points are telling. At 4K Medium, the frame rate varies between 21 and 28 FPS, a 7-frame range. At 1440p Medium, the range is 36 to 49 FPS, a 13-frame spread. At 1080p Medium, the range is 54 to 73 FPS, a 19-frame spread. This increasing variance at lower resolutions suggests that while the GPU is the primary limiter, the CPU begins to contribute to frame pacing at 1080p, where the i5-12600KF's capability can create more variable frame delivery within a still GPU-bound context.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution (IGP) with a 3 nm process node and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its performance profile is best understood through its benchmark scores: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is a low-end part, and the game performance data reflects this classification. The GPU's memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory for frame buffer, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This architecture often leads to performance degradation in scenarios with high memory pressure, which can exacerbate the low frame rates seen at high resolutions.

The Arc B390's compute resources are modest, with 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s is a theoretical maximum that, when divided across the 8.29 million pixels of a 4K display, yields a maximum fill-rate-bound performance of roughly 7 frames per second under ideal conditions. The measured 17 FPS at 4K High and 11 FPS at 4K Ultra are below even that theoretical fill-rate limit, indicating that other bottlenecks, such as memory bandwidth or shader complexity, are also contributing to the low performance.

The GPU's boost clock of 2500 MHz is relatively high for an integrated part, but it is insufficient to compensate for the lack of dedicated memory bandwidth. The FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS is a measure of raw compute, but in a game like Archeage, which is heavily dependent on draw calls and texture sampling, the TMU and ROP counts are more critical. The 48 TMUs and 24 ROPs are the primary constraining factors at higher resolutions, as they determine how quickly textures can be filtered and pixels can be written to the frame buffer.

The closest rivals to the Arc B390, based on average benchmark scores, are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710. The Arc B390 is 1.3% faster than the GT 520MX, 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% faster than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% faster than the GT 710. These are all older, low-end discrete GPUs or integrated parts, underscoring that the Arc B390's performance tier is at the very bottom of the modern GPU landscape. In Archeage, this places it as a part capable of only low-resolution, low-detail gaming.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the only viable settings for a playable experience are at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 71 FPS. This is the only configuration where the average frame rate exceeds the 60 FPS threshold typically considered smooth. The 1080p Medium preset, at 64 FPS, is also technically playable, but with less headroom. The data shows a clear hierarchy: at 1080p, Low (71 FPS) > Medium (64 FPS) > High (43 FPS) > Ultra (29 FPS). The 7 FPS difference between Low and Medium is a modest cost for the visual improvement, making Medium the best balance for users who prioritize image quality over maximum frame rate headroom.

For users who require 1440p output, the data shows that even Low settings only achieve 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. The 1440p Medium preset drops to 43 FPS, and High falls to 29 FPS. None of these are ideal for fast-paced gameplay, but 1440p Low represents the highest frame rate achievable at that resolution. The 4K resolution is effectively unplayable across all settings, with the best result being 28 FPS at Low. The data suggests that 4K should be avoided entirely with this configuration.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution. At 1080p, it delivers 29 FPS, which is half the frame rate of the Medium preset. At 1440p, it drops to 20 FPS, and at 4K, it is a stuttery 11 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra settings is disproportionate to the visual gains, particularly given the low baseline performance. The most sensible approach, based on the measured rows, is to play at 1080p with Medium settings (64 FPS) or 1080p Low (71 FPS) if a higher, more stable frame rate is desired.

The frame time data from the Medium preset shows the least variance at 1080p (54 to 73 FPS), suggesting that this setting provides a more consistent experience than Low, which lacks min/max data but likely exhibits similar or higher variance due to less GPU load. For a game like Archeage, where large player gatherings can cause frame dips, the extra headroom from 1080p Low (71 FPS) might be preferable to the slightly better visuals of 1080p Medium (64 FPS). The data does not support any settings above Medium at 1080p for a consistently smooth experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this CPU/GPU combo in Archeage?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings is the only configuration with an average FPS above 60, reaching 71 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset is also viable at 64 FPS, offering a better visual experience with a modest performance cost.

Q: Can this system run Archeage at 4K?

A: No. The measured data shows average frame rates of 17 FPS at High, 25 FPS at Medium, 28 FPS at Low, and 11 FPS at Ultra for 3840x2160. These are all far below playable thresholds.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: Based on the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, the Arc B390 is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GT 520MX, 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% faster than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% faster than the GT 710. It ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the main bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the overwhelming bottleneck. The frame rate scales significantly with resolution (71 FPS at 1080p Low vs 28 FPS at 4K Low), which is characteristic of GPU limitation. The CPU's role is secondary, as evidenced by the smaller frame rate differences between settings at the same resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings achieve 71 FPS, while Ultra settings achieve 29 FPS. This is a 42 FPS difference, representing a 59% performance reduction when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: What is the combo rank for this hardware in Archeage?

A: This specific configuration (Intel Core i5-12600KF + Intel Arc B390) ranks 2453 out of 2761 tested combos for Archeage, placing it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12600KF and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2453 out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage. This places the system in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations, a position that reflects the GPU's severe performance limitations. The rank is consistent with the measured frame rates, which are below 30 FPS for most settings at 1440p and 4K. The i5-12600KF is a high-performing CPU in other contexts, but its contribution is rendered moot by the Arc B390's low performance tier.

The combination rank of 2453 is driven almost entirely by the GPU's 9th percentile standing. A system with a better GPU, even paired with a weaker CPU, would likely rank significantly higher in this game, as Archeage's performance is more dependent on GPU fill rate and memory bandwidth. The data shows that the combo's performance is not balanced; the CPU has substantial headroom that the GPU cannot utilize. The 71 FPS at 1080p Low is the only bright spot, but it is a far cry from what the i5-12600KF could deliver with a more capable graphics card.

The rank also suggests that the system is only suitable for low-end gaming. While the 1080p Low and Medium presets are playable, the system's inability to handle 1440p High (29 FPS) or 4K at any setting (max 28 FPS) limits its utility for modern gaming standards. The data indicates that this combo is a poor match for Archeage, with the GPU serving as a significant performance anchor. For users with this CPU, a discrete GPU upgrade would be the primary path to improved performance in this game.

The percentile ranking of the GPU (9%) is the key statistic for understanding the combo rank. The nearest rival GPUs are all from the NVIDIA 600/700 series or older mobile parts, which are not modern gaming solutions. This confirms that the Arc B390 is fundamentally unsuited for gaming at high resolutions or detail levels. The combo rank of 2453 is therefore a reflection of the GPU's place in the hardware hierarchy, not the CPU's capability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF provides a strong foundation for gaming, with 10 cores and 16 threads, base clock of 3.70 GHz, and boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23391 and single-core score of 3302 place it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. However, in Archeage with the Arc B390, the CPU's performance is largely irrelevant to the final frame rate, as the GPU is the limiting factor across all measured resolutions. The CPU sits idle relative to its capacity, waiting for the GPU to complete rendering tasks.

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core i9-10900K (0.3% slower), AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (0.3% faster), AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (0.3% slower), and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (0.3% slower). This places the i5-12600KF in a performance class above the Arc B390's rivals by a wide margin. The CPU's single-threaded performance, as measured by Geekbench single-core score of 2157, is sufficient for MMORPGs, which often have a primary game thread that can bottleneck weaker processors. However, the data shows no such bottleneck here; the frame rates are uniformly low, indicating the GPU is doing all the limiting.

The CPU's 125W TDP and Alder Lake architecture provide ample compute headroom. Its PassMark multithread score of 27575 and data compression score of 343231 indicate that it can handle complex game logic and background tasks without issue. In Archeage, which is a 2014 title with relatively simple CPU demands, the i5-12600KF is more than capable. The fact that the 1080p Low setting achieves 71 FPS, while 1080p Ultra achieves only 29 FPS, is a clear sign that the CPU is not the barrier; if it were, the frame rate would be similar across settings.

The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7956 and 2-thread score of 1995 suggest that the CPU's multi-threading capabilities are robust, but the game does not appear to scale with these resources given the GPU limitation. The difference between the CPU's 79th percentile ranking and the GPU's 9th percentile ranking is stark, highlighting the imbalance of this specific pairing. For players seeking to improve performance in Archeage, the data unequivocally points to the GPU as the component requiring an upgrade, not the CPU.