Archeage

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers playable performance in Archeage, but the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by graphics settings at higher resolutions. The combination ranks in the 60th percentile of tested configurations, indicating a solid mid-tier setup that excels at 1080p and 1440p but struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K Ultra.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a dramatic collapse as resolution increases, particularly at the highest settings. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 58.5 FPS, which drops to 39.1 FPS at 1440p Ultra—a reduction of roughly 33%—and further plummets to 24.9 FPS at 4K Ultra. This pattern strongly suggests that the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth become the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the pixel count increases demand on the GPU's resources faster than the processor can compensate.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution tells a clearer story. At 1080p, the gap between Low (140.1 FPS) and Ultra (58.5 FPS) is a massive 81.6 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck even at the lowest resolution. At 1440p, the spread narrows slightly: Low achieves 94.8 FPS while Ultra falls to 39.1 FPS, a difference of 55.7 FPS. At 4K, the range compresses further—Low runs at 53 FPS versus Ultra at 24.9 FPS, a 28.1 FPS gap—which shows that the GPU is so saturated at 4K that even reducing settings cannot fully recover performance.

The data indicates that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination, with High settings delivering 86 FPS and Medium reaching 127.9 FPS. At 1440p, High settings still achieve 60.9 FPS, which is the threshold for smooth gameplay, while 4K requires Low settings (53 FPS) to approach playability. The limiting component is unequivocally the GPU; the CPU's strong single-thread performance cannot overcome the graphics card's bandwidth ceiling at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This processor scores 4642 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 32881 in multi-core, ranking in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. In Archeage, an MMORPG that relies heavily on single-threaded game logic and draw call processing, this strong single-core performance is critical for maintaining consistent frame rates in crowded environments.

The CPU's benchmark data shows it sits just 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X in average score (49166 versus 49062), and it trails the Intel Core i5-14600KF by 0.4% (49367). This places the i5-14600K in a tight cluster with high-end desktop processors, meaning the CPU is unlikely to be the bottleneck in most gaming scenarios. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 140.1 FPS, which indicates the processor can feed the GPU sufficiently at lower graphical loads.

However, the CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining the scaling from Low to Medium at 1080p. The jump from 140.1 to 127.9 FPS (a 12.2 FPS drop) is relatively modest, suggesting that the CPU still has headroom. The more significant drop occurs from Medium to High (127.9 to 86 FPS), which points to the GPU struggling with increased shading and texture work. The i5-14600K's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for the game's data structures, but the measured results suggest the processor is not the primary constraint at any resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and the card achieves 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In the GPU benchmark hierarchy, the RTX 2070 SUPER ranks in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, placing it as a capable mid-range card at the time of its release.

The GPU's benchmark scores show it sits just 0.5% below the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22206 versus 22307) and 0.9% above the GeForce GTX TITAN Z (22006). More notably, it trails the RTX 4060 Mobile by 2.3% and leads the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 2.5%. These narrow margins indicate that the RTX 2070 SUPER is competitive with modern entry-level options but lacks the raw power needed for 4K Ultra gaming.

The measured FPS data clearly shows the GPU's limitations. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces only 24.9 FPS, which is below the threshold for playable frame rates. Even at 4K Medium, the score of 50.6 FPS is borderline, and only 4K Low (53 FPS) approaches acceptable smoothness. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely the culprit at 4K, as Archeage's high-resolution textures can exceed this limit, causing the GPU to fall back on slower memory operations. At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU performs adequately, with 1440p High achieving 60.9 FPS and 1080p High reaching 86 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1032 out of 1727 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the 60th percentile of all configurations. This ranking indicates that while the setup is not top-tier, it outperforms a majority of tested systems, largely due to the CPU's strong single-thread performance compensating for the GPU's mid-range capabilities.

The rank position relative to other combos suggests that users with this pairing can expect consistent performance at 1080p and 1440p, but the system will lag behind configurations with more powerful GPUs at 4K. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking versus the GPU's 65th percentile creates an imbalance where the processor has significant headroom for future GPU upgrades. In Archeage specifically, the data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher settings, meaning a stronger graphics card would yield substantial FPS improvements without requiring a CPU change.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results across all settings. Low settings achieve 140.1 FPS, Medium reaches 127.9 FPS, High produces 86 FPS, and Ultra drops to 58.5 FPS. The step from High to Ultra represents a 27.5 FPS loss, indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant graphical load that the GPU cannot fully absorb.

At 2560x1440, performance remains playable but with more variance. Low settings hit 94.8 FPS, Medium achieves 87.1 FPS, High maintains 60.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39.1 FPS. The 1440p High result is exactly at the 60 FPS threshold, while Ultra is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the GPU struggles across the board. Low settings produce 53 FPS, Medium reaches 50.6 FPS, High drops to 35.9 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 24.9 FPS. None of these results are ideal for competitive gaming, but Low and Medium are technically playable for casual exploration.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 1440p in Archeage?

A: Yes, at High settings the combo achieves 60.9 FPS at 2560x1440, just above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings provide more headroom at 87.1 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this setup?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the most consistent resolution, with High settings delivering 86 FPS and Medium reaching 127.9 FPS. Even Ultra stays above 58 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K scores 49166 on average, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062) and 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-14600KF (49367).

Q: Can this GPU handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, the RTX 2070 SUPER produces only 24.9 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra, which is below playable frame rates. Even High settings at 4K only reach 35.9 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's benchmark ranking?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER ranks in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22206. It sits 0.5% below the RTX A400 and 2.5% above the Radeon RX 5700.

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

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 140.1 FPS, but Ultra at 4K drops to 24.9 FPS, showing the GPU cannot keep pace as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with High settings, which delivers 86 FPS with a balance of visual quality and smoothness. Players seeking higher frame rates can drop to Medium at 127.9 FPS, while those wanting maximum fidelity can use Ultra at 58.5 FPS, which remains playable.

At 2560x1440, High settings are the recommended choice, producing 60.9 FPS that is right at the smoothness threshold. Medium settings provide a safer margin at 87.1 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High is worth the slight FPS reduction. Avoid Ultra at this resolution, as 39.1 FPS is too choppy for most gameplay.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings (53 FPS) are acceptable for general play, with Medium (50.6 FPS) being marginally worse. High and Ultra are not recommended, as both fall below 36 FPS. For the best overall experience, the data strongly favors 1080p High or Medium, with 1440p High as a viable alternative for users with higher-resolution displays.