Archeage

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a profoundly CPU-limited experience in Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG. The data shows that frame rates scale inversely with resolution, but the scaling pattern reveals that the processor is the primary constraint at every setting. This combination ranks in the 84th percentile of tested configurations, a strong result that underscores the CPU’s dominance in this specific workload.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and expected trend: performance degrades as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that degradation is the key story. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 233.7 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 156.4 FPS, a 33% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 88.4 FPS, which is 62% below the 1080p result. This pattern holds across all settings presets, but the relative drop from 1080p to 4K is most severe at the Low preset.

This behavior is the classic signature of a CPU bottleneck. When the GPU is underutilized at lower resolutions, the CPU’s single-thread performance dictates the ceiling. The i5-14600KF’s boost clock of 5.30 GHz and its single-core Cinebench R23 score of 4643 are strong, but they are finite. At 1080p, the CPU is saturated, so raising the resolution to 1440p and then 4K does not proportionally halve performance; instead, the GPU gradually becomes more involved. The data confirms this: at High settings, 1080p yields 144 FPS, 1440p yields 94.7 FPS, and 4K yields 56 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 41%, a slightly steeper curve that suggests the GPU is starting to contribute more at the higher resolution.

The most telling indicator is the gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (233.7 FPS) and Ultra (94.7 FPS) is 139 FPS. At 4K, the same comparison shows a gap of 48.8 FPS (88.4 vs 39.6). This compression at higher resolutions proves that the RTX 4070 SUPER, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, is not the limiting factor until the pixel count becomes extreme. The data suggests that for competitive play at 1080p, the CPU is the wall; for immersive 4K, the GPU finally takes over, but the CPU still prevents the GPU from reaching its full potential.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU pairing achieves a combo rank of 278 out of 1727 tested combinations. This places it in the top 16% of all configurations tested in Archeage. The rank is a composite measure, and the data indicates that the CPU is the primary driver of this high placement.

The i5-14600KF holds a 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49367. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, scores 49166, a delta of 0.4% in favor of the KF variant. The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is the closest non-Intel competitor, scoring 49062, which puts the i5-14600KF 0.6% ahead. The data shows that the CPU’s multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Passmark multithread score of 38697 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889, is exceptional for this workload.

The GPU’s contribution to the rank is significant but secondary. The RTX 4070 SUPER ranks in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 42653, a negligible delta of -0.2%. This means the GPU is performing exactly as expected for its class. In Archeage, the high combo rank is a direct result of the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU with data, preventing the graphics card from becoming idle. The data shows that this pairing is more effective than the raw component scores alone would suggest, because the CPU’s 14 cores and 20 threads are well-suited to the MMO’s heavy draw-call overhead.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a 5 nm Ada Lovelace part with a boost clock of 2475 MHz and a memory clock of 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. In Archeage, the GPU’s role is largely dependent on the resolution and preset. The measured data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is not the limiting factor. The difference between Low (233.7 FPS) and High (144 FPS) is 89.7 FPS, but this gap narrows to 32.4 FPS at 4K (88.4 vs 56). This indicates that the GPU’s shader throughput, rated at 35.48 TFLOPS FP32, is more than sufficient for the game’s visual effects at lower resolutions.

The GPU’s VRAM capacity of 12 GB is never stressed by Archeage, a title from 2014 that does not demand the same memory footprint as modern releases. The data shows no signs of texture thrashing or memory-related stutter. The GPU’s pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s are capable of handling the game’s assets, but the CPU’s single-thread performance limits the GPU’s utilization. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 39.6 FPS, which is the only point where the GPU’s workload becomes the dominant factor. This is corroborated by the Passmark G3D score of 29995, which is strong but not exceptional. The data suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a capable partner, but its full potential remains untapped due to the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1080p, the results are: Low 233.7 FPS, Medium 210.9 FPS, High 144 FPS, and Ultra 94.7 FPS. The transition from Low to Medium costs only 22.8 FPS, but moving from Medium to High drops 66.9 FPS, and High to Ultra drops another 49.3 FPS. This indicates that the High preset introduces significant visual effects that the CPU must process, while Ultra adds even more overhead.

At 1440p, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute numbers: Low 156.4 FPS, Medium 140.5 FPS, High 94.7 FPS, and Ultra 63 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 15.9 FPS, but Medium to High drops 45.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is noticeably heavier, costing 31.7 FPS compared to High. At 4K, the results are: Low 88.4 FPS, Medium 82.2 FPS, High 56 FPS, and Ultra 39.6 FPS. The Low to Medium drop is only 6.2 FPS, but Medium to High drops 26.2 FPS, and High to Ultra drops 16.4 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the Low preset is the only one that consistently exceeds 60 FPS at 4K. The High preset at 1440p matches the Ultra preset at 1080p (both 94.7 FPS), showing that resolution scaling is not linear. The data indicates that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it maintains high frame rates even at Ultra settings. The 4K Ultra result of 39.6 FPS is the only configuration that falls below playable thresholds.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Archeage?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 233.7, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor. The FPS drops from Low to Ultra (233.7 to 94.7) are too large to be explained by GPU load alone, indicating a CPU-bound scenario.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 278th out of 1727 tested combinations, placing it in the top 16% of all tested setups in Archeage.

Q: What is the performance difference between the i5-14600KF and its closest rival?

A: The i5-14600KF scores 49367 on average, which is 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K (49166) and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062).

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but with a significant performance cost. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 39.6, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does the GPU’s VRAM capacity affect performance?

A: The data does not indicate any VRAM-related issues. The 12 GB GDDR6X memory is sufficient for Archeage, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates at High and Medium settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset is viable, delivering 94.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS smoothness threshold. For 1440p, the High preset is the best balance, providing 94.7 FPS while the Ultra preset drops to 63 FPS, which is still playable but less stable. For 4K, the Medium preset is the only option that maintains a playable 82.2 FPS; the Low preset offers 88.4 FPS but with reduced visual fidelity.

The data strongly suggests that the High preset at 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo. It matches the 1080p Ultra performance (94.7 FPS) while providing a higher resolution. For competitive play where frame rate is paramount, the Low preset at 1080p (233.7 FPS) is the clear choice. The Medium preset at 4K (82.2 FPS) is the best way to experience the game at maximum resolution without dropping below 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K (39.6 FPS) should be avoided due to its sub-60 FPS performance. The data indicates that the combo is well-balanced for 1440p High, where the CPU and GPU are both adequately utilized.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is the dominant component in this pairing for Archeage. Its 14 cores (6 performance and 8 efficient) and 20 threads, combined with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, are the primary reason for the high frame rates. The CPU’s single-thread performance, measured at 4643 in Cinebench R23, is critical for an MMORPG where the game’s engine relies heavily on a single main thread for game logic and draw calls. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 233.7 FPS, a figure that is impossible without exceptional per-core performance.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy, with 80 KB of L1 per core and 2 MB of L2 per core, along with 24 MB of shared L3 cache, helps reduce memory latency. The benchmark results support this: the Passmark single-thread score of 4273 and the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 468 are both top-tier. The CPU’s 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average score of 49367, confirms its position as a high-end part. Its nearest rival, the i5-14600K, is virtually identical in performance (delta of 0.4%), which is expected given their similar architecture.

The CPU’s role is most evident in the scaling behavior. The fact that 1080p Low (233.7 FPS) is only 2.5 times faster than 4K Low (88.4 FPS) indicates that the CPU is not the sole bottleneck at 4K, but at 1080p, it is the definitive limit. The multi-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889, ensures that background tasks and the game’s other threads do not cause stutters. The data shows that this CPU provides a stable foundation, and the GPU is the secondary component. The i5-14600KF’s launch MSRP is $294, and its performance in Archeage justifies its position as the primary driver of this combo’s 278th-place ranking out of 1727 configurations.