Archeage

Archeage, an MMORPG released in 2014, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with resolution and visual fidelity. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER across a matrix of settings and resolutions. The data indicates a configuration that is exceptionally strong at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K Ultra representing the primary challenge for maintaining high frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a pronounced impact from resolution scaling, characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario at higher settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 235.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low reduces this to 156.7 FPS, a decrease of 33%. At 4K Low, the average drops further to 92.9 FPS, which is 40% lower than the 1440p result and only 39% of the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that even at Low settings, the rendering load increases substantially with pixel count, placing the burden squarely on the GPU.

When the settings are raised to High, the scaling pattern shifts. The 1080p High average is 143.6 FPS, which drops by 32% to 97.4 FPS at 1440p High. The transition to 4K High yields an average of 53.5 FPS, a further 45% reduction. This progressive decline suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component in this configuration. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, appears sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering throughput becomes the bottleneck as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The most demanding scenario, 4K Ultra, produces an average of only 38.7 FPS. This is 59% lower than the 4K High result, showing that the Ultra preset imposes a massive additional cost. The scaling from 1080p Ultra (95.1 FPS) to 4K Ultra (38.7 FPS) represents a 59% performance reduction, highlighting that the combination of high resolution and maximum settings is far beyond what this GPU can handle smoothly. The data clearly shows that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component in this pairing, with the CPU's performance headroom becoming irrelevant as resolution and settings increase.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the central performer in this configuration, and its specifications directly correlate with the observed frame rates. The GPU is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory subsystem is a critical factor for Archeage at high resolutions, as texture data and geometry requirements increase. The 12 GB capacity appears adequate for the tested settings, as no memory-related stuttering or min FPS anomalies were recorded, though the data does not specify VRAM usage.

The GPU's clock speeds also play a role in its performance. With a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, the RTX 4070 SUPER demonstrates strong sustained performance. The Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, delivers this performance while maintaining a 220 W TDP. The benchmark scores for this GPU show it ranks at the 84th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 4627, while its Geekbench OpenCL score is 192684.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database provide context for its overall capability. The NVIDIA RTX A6000 has an average score of 42653, which is 0.2% lower than the RTX 4070 SUPER. The AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE scores 42723, 0.3% higher. These close margins indicate that the RTX 4070 SUPER is positioned at a specific performance tier, and its ability to handle Archeage's Ultra preset is limited, as shown by the sub-60 FPS results at 4K. The GPU's performance is the primary determinant of the FPS drops observed when increasing resolution, particularly at High and Ultra settings where the pixel shading workload becomes dominant.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this configuration?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 235.3 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is significantly higher than the 1080p Medium result of 211.3 FPS, indicating that even modest setting increases have a measurable impact.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Archeage?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K High, the average FPS is 53.5, which is playable. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 38.7 FPS, which will feel less smooth. The 4K Low and Medium presets achieve 92.9 FPS and 82.2 FPS, respectively, showing that playable 4K is possible with reduced settings.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508, placing it at the 88th percentile. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-12800H, scores 32513, a 0% difference. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 scores 32446, which is 0.2% higher. These scores indicate the CPU is well-matched for this GPU, providing sufficient processing power.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset yields an average of 97.4 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 62.8 FPS. This represents a 35% performance drop when moving from High to Ultra, making High the preferred choice for higher frame rates at this resolution.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more limiting for this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases, from 235.3 FPS at 1080p Low to 92.9 FPS at 4K Low, a 60% reduction. This scaling pattern is consistent with GPU-bound performance, as the CPU's workload does not increase proportionally with pixel count.

Q: How does this configuration rank among all tested combos for Archeage?

A: The combo rank for this CPU and GPU pairing is 269 out of 1727 tested combinations. This places it in the top 16% of all configurations, indicating that it is a strong performer for this game, though there are many faster combinations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for this configuration is presented below, organized by resolution and settings.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 235.3 FPS average
• Medium: 211.3 FPS average
• High: 143.6 FPS average
• Ultra: 95.1 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 156.7 FPS average
• Medium: 139.3 FPS average
• High: 97.4 FPS average
• Ultra: 62.8 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 92.9 FPS average
• Medium: 82.2 FPS average
• High: 53.5 FPS average
• Ultra: 38.7 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: at each resolution, the step from Low to Medium incurs a small penalty, while the step from High to Ultra is substantial. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Medium is 24 FPS, but the difference between High and Ultra is 48.5 FPS. This pattern is even more pronounced at 4K, where the gap between High and Ultra is 14.8 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 28.7 FPS. The Ultra preset clearly represents a disproportionate increase in rendering complexity.

For users targeting 60 FPS as a baseline, the data shows that 4K High is the highest setting that achieves this, with an average of 53.5 FPS falling short. At 1440p, all settings except Ultra exceed 60 FPS, with High achieving 97.4 FPS. At 1080p, every setting exceeds 90 FPS, with Low reaching 235.3 FPS. These figures provide a clear map of the performance envelope for this hardware combination.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p displays, the High preset at 143.6 FPS is the recommended balance, as it provides smooth performance with significant visual improvements over Medium. The Ultra preset at 95.1 FPS is viable for users prioritizing image quality, as it remains well above 60 FPS, but the 33% performance drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual gains for all players.

At 1440p, the High preset at 97.4 FPS is the clear recommendation for a high-refresh-rate experience. This setting provides a 35% performance advantage over Ultra while maintaining a frame rate that exceeds most 1440p monitors' refresh rates. The Medium preset at 139.3 FPS is suitable for competitive play or for users with 144Hz displays, as it offers a substantial FPS boost with moderate visual compromises. The Ultra preset at 62.8 FPS is only recommended for users with 60Hz monitors who prioritize maximum visual fidelity.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that High settings at 53.5 FPS are the maximum playable option, though this will not provide a locked 60 FPS experience. The Medium preset at 82.2 FPS is the best recommendation for 4K, as it offers a smooth frame rate that is 54% higher than High while still providing a respectable level of visual detail. The Low preset at 92.9 FPS is an option for users who prioritize frame rate above all else, but the visual compromises may be too significant for a 4K display. The Ultra preset at 38.7 FPS is not recommended, as the sub-40 FPS average will result in a noticeably stuttery experience.

In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is achieved by selecting High settings at 1080p or 1440p, or Medium settings at 4K. These configurations provide the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate, avoiding the severe performance penalties of the Ultra preset while leveraging the GPU's capabilities.