Archeage

Archeage is a 2014 MMORPG with a large, persistent world where frame pacing at 1080p and 1440p is critical for a smooth experience. This analysis examines the pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, using only the measured data provided. The combination ranks 1276th out of 2761 tested combos for this title, placing it in the 54th percentile of all tested systems. This mid-pack position is interesting, as the individual components show strong synthetic scores, but the game's real-world performance reveals a more complex story about where the bottleneck lies.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1276 out of 2761 combos indicates that while this system is not at the top of the charts, it is solidly above the median for Archeage. This is a title that can be heavily CPU-bound in crowded areas, and the data suggests the Core i5-14400F, despite its strong multi-threaded capabilities, is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU's average benchmark score of 32279 places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rivals being the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% ahead) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% ahead). This means the i5-14400F is a very capable processor in general, but its performance in Archeage is constrained by the game's engine.

On the GPU side, the Radeon RX 7700’s average benchmark score of 15852 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon R9 370X, with a negligible 0.1% performance difference. This is a significant finding; the RX 7700's synthetic compute power is nearly identical to that of a much older card in this benchmark suite, suggesting that its raw compute performance is not the primary driver of its gaming performance. The system's overall rank is therefore a composite of a strong CPU and a mid-range GPU, but the game's performance profile suggests the CPU is holding the system back from achieving a higher standing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this combo. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 162 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. However, the Medium preset still provides a very high 144 FPS average, with a minimum of 122 FPS. The performance cost of moving from Low to Medium is a 18 FPS drop, but the visual improvement is substantial. For a more visually rich MMORPG experience, Medium at 1080p is the sweet spot, as it maintains a frame rate well above the 120 FPS threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 97 FPS, with a minimum of 82 FPS. This is still a very playable experience, though it drops below the 100 FPS mark. The High preset at 1440p drops to 66 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced MMORPG but not ideal for fast action. At 3840x2160, the situation changes drastically. The Ultra preset is essentially unplayable at 26 FPS average. The High preset at 4K is also below the playable threshold at 38 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 55 FPS, which is the minimum recommended for a playable experience.

The data strongly suggests that the best experience for this combo is the Medium preset at 2560x1440 or 1920x1080. It offers a balanced combination of visual quality and frame rate. The High preset is only recommended for 1080p, where it still hits 98 FPS average. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions, as it results in a significant frame rate penalty.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a significant performance drop as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario at higher settings. However, the pattern is not uniform. When comparing the Medium preset, we see the average FPS drop from 144 at 1080p to 97 at 1440p, a 32.6% decrease. From 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops from 97 to 55, a 43.3% decrease. This shows that the GPU is being increasingly taxed as resolution scales, and its limits are being reached.

Conversely, the Low preset shows a different scaling pattern. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops from 162 to 109, a 32.7% decrease. From 1440p to 4K, it drops from 109 to 62, a 43.1% decrease. The consistent percentage drops across these resolution steps indicate that the GPU is the limiting component even at Low settings. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance delta between 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU workload would remain constant. The data shows that the RX 7700's 16 GB of VRAM and 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth are not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K, even with reduced graphical details.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 on Medium settings provides the best balance, with an average of 97 FPS. 1920x1080 on Medium is the high-refresh-rate option, averaging 144 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU perform at 4K resolution?

A: The Radeon RX 7700 cannot deliver a playable experience at 4K. The High preset averages only 38 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 26 FPS. Even the Low preset at 4K averages just 62 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the primary bottleneck?

A: The resolution scaling data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The FPS drops consistently as resolution increases, which is a sign of GPU limitation. The CPU is still a critical factor, but its performance is sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p and 1440p.

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 162 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The Medium preset at the same resolution achieves 144 FPS.

Q: How does this combo compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU's performance is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, with a 0.1% difference in average benchmark score. The GPU's performance is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon R9 370X, with a 0.1% difference. This indicates the combo's performance is not unique but rather representative of this performance tier.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset?

A: No. The Ultra preset results in significantly lower frame rates at all resolutions. At 1080p, it averages 67 FPS, which is a large drop from the 144 FPS of the Medium preset. At higher resolutions, it becomes unplayable.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2459 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 20974 in Passmark G3D and 2865 in 3DMark Steel Nomad. This places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. However, its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 370X, has a nearly identical average benchmark score, which is surprising given the generational difference.

In Archeage, the GPU's role is clearly defined by the resolution scaling data. At 1080p, it is capable of delivering high frame rates, peaking at 162 FPS on Low settings. However, its performance degrades rapidly as resolution increases. The 16 GB of VRAM is ample for any texture loads the game can throw at it, but the compute power is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, where even the Low preset only achieves 62 FPS. This suggests that while the GPU has a large memory buffer, its raw shader and texture processing capabilities are not enough for demanding 4K scenarios. The texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s and the FP32 performance of 25.18 TFLOPS are not sufficient to match the demands of the higher resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. It features a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 21645 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3055 in single-core. Its average benchmark score of 32279 places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, which is only 0.1% faster on average.

In Archeage, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 1080p and 1440p, as the GPU is able to maintain high frame rates. However, the CPU's performance is still critical. The high single-thread performance, as evidenced by the 3055 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is important for MMORPGs, which often rely on a single main thread for game logic. The multi-threaded performance is also useful for background tasks and handling the many entities in a crowded world. The data indicates that the i5-14400F is a capable processor for this game, but its performance is not the limiting factor. The system's overall rank of 1276 is likely determined by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, not the CPU's.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the measured average FPS for the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination in Archeage.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 3840x2160 | Low | 62 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 55 | 47 | 64 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 38 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 26 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 109 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 97 | 82 | 111 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 66 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 45 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 162 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 144 | 122 | 166 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 98 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 67 | - | - |

The data shows a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, the Low and Medium presets provide the best experience, with the High preset still acceptable. The Ultra preset is not recommended. At 1440p, the Medium preset is the optimal choice, with Low being the alternative for higher frame rates. High and Ultra are playable but with significant compromises. At 4K, only the Low and Medium presets are marginally playable, and the High and Ultra presets should be avoided. The frame time data for the Medium preset shows that at 1080p, the minimum FPS of 122 is well above the maximum FPS of 64 at 4K, illustrating the huge performance gap between these resolutions.