Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents an interesting benchmark case for the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly capable at this title, with performance scaling that clearly identifies where the bottlenecks lie. The measured frames per second across resolutions and settings paint a picture of a GPU that is powerful enough to push very high frame rates, but which also encounters a significant CPU limitation at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic scaling pattern that shifts the performance bottleneck depending on the resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is heavily CPU-bound. The average frame rate at Low settings is 242 FPS, which is exceptionally high. However, the scaling from Low to Medium settings is a modest drop to 232 FPS, a reduction of only 10 FPS. This small delta suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU has ample headroom to render more frames but is being held back by the processor's ability to feed it draw calls and game logic updates. The jump to High settings at 1080p yields 163 FPS, and Ultra drops further to 111 FPS, showing that while GPU load increases, the relative performance hit is not as dramatic as it would be in a purely GPU-bound scenario.

Moving to 2560x1440, the balance begins to shift. The Low setting average is 181 FPS, a significant drop from the 242 FPS seen at 1080p. This 61 FPS reduction indicates that the GPU is now starting to become a more significant contributor to the frame time. The Medium preset at 1440p produces 161 FPS, while High drops to 110 FPS. The most notable data point at this resolution is the Ultra preset, which falls to 75 FPS. This is a sharp decline from the High preset, indicating that the Ultra settings introduce a substantial increase in GPU workload that the RTX 4080 handles, but which causes a more pronounced frame rate penalty than the step from Medium to High.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the primary bottleneck. The Low preset averages 104 FPS, which is still highly playable but represents a dramatic reduction from the 242 FPS at 1080p. The Medium preset at 4K yields 92 FPS, and High drops to 63 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution is the most demanding configuration tested, producing an average of only 43 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is a drop from 75 FPS to 43 FPS, a 32 FPS decrease that highlights the immense pixel throughput required at 4K. The data clearly shows that at 1080p and 1440p, the i5-13400F is the primary limiter, while at 4K, the RTX 4080's rendering load takes precedence.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 242, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the Ultra preset at 4K compare to the Low preset at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 43 FPS, while the Low preset at 1920x1080 averages 242 FPS. This represents a performance difference of 199 FPS, or roughly 5.6 times higher frame rate for the lower resolution and settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p?

A: The data suggests a transition. At 1440p with Low settings, the average FPS is 181, which is significantly lower than the 242 FPS at 1080p Low. This indicates the GPU is starting to become more of a limiting factor, though the CPU still plays a significant role.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 63 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 43 FPS. The Ultra preset is 20 FPS slower, indicating a substantial increase in GPU workload.

Q: Which resolution provides the most balanced experience between quality and frame rate?

A: The 2560x1440 High preset offers an average of 110 FPS, which is a high frame rate that also benefits from a higher resolution than 1080p. This appears to be a strong balance point for this hardware.

Q: Does the RTX 4080's performance in this game align with its overall benchmark percentile?

A: The RTX 4080 has a percentileVsAllGpus score of 86, indicating it is in the top 14% of all GPUs. The measured FPS in Archeage, particularly at 1440p and 4K, is consistent with a high-end GPU, though the CPU limits its full potential at 1080p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end graphics card based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The card's base clock is 2205 MHz, with a boost clock of 2505 MHz. These specifications place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247. Its nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which is 0.1% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, which is 2.6% slower.

In the context of Archeage, the GPU's role is heavily dependent on the resolution and settings. At 4K Ultra, the RTX 4080 is clearly the primary bottleneck, producing an average of 43 FPS. This is a demanding scenario that requires the full power of the GPU. At 1440p and 1080p, the GPU has more headroom, but its performance is still a major factor in the frame rate. The 16 GB of VRAM is a substantial amount, and while Archeage is a 2014 title that likely does not require such a large framebuffer at these settings, the capacity ensures no memory-related stutters or texture thrashing occurs. The high boost clock of 2505 MHz allows for sustained performance in GPU-bound scenarios, while the high memory bandwidth helps maintain frame pacing when the game world is densely populated with other players and effects. The data indicates that the RTX 4080 is a capable part for this game, but its performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is typical of a high-end card that is being limited by other system components at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a detailed matrix of average frame rates across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 242 FPS. The Medium preset averages 232 FPS, with a minimum of 197 FPS and a maximum of 267 FPS. The High preset drops to 163 FPS average. The Ultra preset is the most demanding at this resolution, yielding an average of 111 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 181 FPS. The Medium preset averages 161 FPS, with a minimum of 137 FPS and a maximum of 186 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 110 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 75 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 104 FPS. The Medium preset averages 92 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. The High preset averages 63 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only configuration to drop below the 60 FPS threshold, averaging just 43 FPS.

The data shows a clear relationship between settings and performance. At each resolution, the step from Low to Medium is relatively small, while the step from High to Ultra is much more significant. For example, at 1440p, the difference between Low and Medium is 20 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is 35 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra preset includes an exponential increase in graphical fidelity that heavily taxes the GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 13th-generation processor from the Raptor Lake family, built on a 10 nm process. It has 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The processor has a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22604 and a single-core score of 3191. It has an average benchmark score of 25292, placing it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, which is within 0% of its average score, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, which is 0.4% faster.

In Archeage, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p. The high frame rates at this resolution, particularly at Low and Medium settings, are a direct result of the i5-13400F's strong single-threaded performance, which is critical for MMO game logic and draw call submission. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 242 FPS, which is a very high number. However, the fact that the frame rate does not scale perfectly with GPU settings at this resolution suggests the CPU is the limiting factor. The CPU is providing all the frames the game logic will allow, and the GPU is simply rendering them. At 1440p and 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes as the GPU's rendering time becomes the dominant factor in the total frame time. The boost clock of 4.60 GHz is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios, as single-threaded performance is paramount. The 10-core, 16-thread configuration ensures that background tasks and other game systems do not interfere with the main game thread, contributing to overall smoothness.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For players with a 1920x1080 display, the High preset at 163 FPS average is a strong recommendation. It provides a significantly better visual experience than the Low or Medium presets while still maintaining a frame rate that is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. The Ultra preset at 111 FPS is also viable, but the 52 FPS drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual gain for all players.

For 2560x1440 displays, the High preset again appears to be the best balance. It achieves an average of 110 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. The Medium preset at 161 FPS is also excellent if maximum frame rate is the priority, but the visual quality difference between Medium and High is substantial. The Ultra preset at 75 FPS is playable, but it is a significant step down from the 110 FPS of the High preset.

For 3840x2160 displays, the High preset at 63 FPS is the highest quality setting that maintains an average frame rate above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 43 FPS, which is likely to be a stutter-prone experience on many displays. The Medium preset at 92 FPS is a viable option for those who prefer a higher frame rate over maximum visual fidelity. The Low preset at 104 FPS is also an option, but the visual compromise is significant. The data suggests that High settings at 4K are the sweet spot for this hardware, offering a good balance of visual quality and performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 286th out of 3708 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the top 7.7% of all systems tested. This is a strong ranking that reflects the high performance of both components. The RTX 4080's high average benchmark score (54247) and 86th percentile ranking contribute significantly to this result, while the i5-13400F's 77th percentile ranking provides a solid foundation. The data indicates that this combo is well-suited for Archeage, especially at 1440p and 4K where the GPU's power is fully utilized. The 286th rank out of 3708 combos means that only 285 other systems performed better in this game, demonstrating that this is a high-tier configuration. The combination of a strong single-threaded CPU and a powerful GPU ensures that the system is not significantly bottlenecked in most scenarios, though the 1080p results show that the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions. Despite this, the overall ranking is excellent, and the measured frame rates confirm that this is a top-tier setup for Archeage.