Archeage

The AMD Radeon RX 580 paired with the Intel Core i5-9400 delivers a playable 1080p experience in Archeage, but the data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution and settings increase. This combination ranks 1587th out of 1727 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower tier of systems. The measured frames per second (FPS) reveal that this is a setup built for 1080p gaming, with 4K being largely out of reach for smooth play.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and highlights where the bottleneck lies. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 71.3 at 1920x1080 to 44.2 at 2560x1440, a decline of 27.1 FPS. Moving from 1440p to 4K at the same settings, the average drops further to 29.3 FPS, a reduction of 14.9 FPS. This pattern shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor; as pixel count increases, the render load scales nearly linearly, and the RX 580’s 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 compute cannot keep pace.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more punishing. The average FPS at 1080p is 25.7, which falls to 17.0 at 1440p, and finally to 13.2 at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is 12.5 FPS, representing a 48.6% reduction in performance. This indicates that the game’s Ultra preset adds significant shader and texture work that the Polaris 20 chip struggles with, especially when combined with higher resolutions.

The data suggests that while 1080p is viable, the system is not future-proof for higher resolutions. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at High settings sees the average FPS drop from 43.5 to 27.4, a 37.0% decrease. This is a steep penalty, and it confirms that users should not expect to run this game at 1440p with high visual fidelity. The scaling behavior points squarely at the RX 580 as the limiting component, as the i5-9400’s six cores are likely sufficient for the game’s MMO workload at these frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is built on the Polaris 20 chip using the GCN 4.0 architecture. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The card’s base clock is 1257 MHz with a boost clock of 1340 MHz, and its memory runs at 2000 MHz with 8 Gbps effective speed. These specifications place the card in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13559.

In Archeage, the GPU’s role is dominant. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (13.2 average) versus 1080p Low (71.3 average) shows a 5.4x difference in performance, driven almost entirely by the GPU’s fill rate and compute capabilities. The card’s 32 ROPs and 144 TMUs handle texture and pixel work, but the 2304 shading units are taxed heavily at higher settings. The 8 GB VRAM is not the limiting factor here; even at 4K Ultra, the game likely fits within the memory pool, so the bottleneck is pure shader throughput.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RX 580’s average score of 13559 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 at 13564 (0.0% delta) and the GTX 950 at 13549 (0.1% delta). This means the card is effectively on par with those older NVIDIA parts in synthetic tests, but the measured FPS in Archeage shows it can still deliver 71.3 FPS at 1080p Low, which is respectable for a card of this age. The 1.1% lead over the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (score 13416) is marginal, indicating that the RX 580 is not a standout performer but is consistent.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Archeage at 4K?

A: No. The measured data shows 4K average FPS of 17.6 at High settings and 13.2 at Ultra, both below playable thresholds. Even at Low settings, 4K only reaches 29.3 FPS average, which is barely acceptable for a non-competitive MMO.

Q: What is the best resolution for smooth gameplay?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system achieves consistently playable frame rates. At Low settings, it hits 71.3 FPS average, and at Medium it drops to 63.2 FPS average, both suitable for most players.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its direct rivals?

A: The RX 580’s average benchmark score of 13559 is within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (13549) and GTX 570 (13564). It is 1.1% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (13416) and 1.1% slower than the NVIDIA P106-090 (13716).

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Archeage?

A: Yes. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory with a 256-bit bus. Given the measured FPS drops at higher settings, the limiting factor is compute performance, not memory capacity, as the game does not appear to exceed the VRAM allocation.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings produce 71.3 FPS average, while Ultra produces 25.7 FPS average. This is a 45.6 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy load on the GPU.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU?

A: No. The Intel Core i5-9400 has six cores and six threads with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, placing it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. The FPS scaling with resolution indicates the GPU is the bottleneck, not the processor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system provides its best performance. Low settings yield an average of 71.3 FPS, which is smooth for an MMORPG. Medium settings drop to 63.2 FPS average, still comfortable for general play. High settings reduce the average to 43.5 FPS, which is playable but shows noticeable slowdowns in crowded areas. Ultra settings are the weakest at 1080p, producing only 25.7 FPS average, which is borderline unplayable for a game that requires quick reactions.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly. Low settings average 44.2 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal. Medium settings average 40.3 FPS, showing a smaller drop from Low than expected. High settings fall to 27.4 FPS average, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for many players. Ultra settings are not viable at 1440p, with an average of just 17.0 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system is severely limited. Low settings average 29.3 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. Medium settings drop to 26.0 FPS average, while High settings fall to 17.6 FPS. Ultra settings are the worst, producing only 13.2 FPS average. The data shows a clear pattern: as settings increase, the FPS drops at a faster rate than resolution scaling alone would suggest.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, and it has a 9 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 2305, placing it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i3-10305, which scores 2300 (0.2% delta), and the Intel Xeon E-2134, which scores 2295 (0.4% delta).

In Archeage, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (71.3) versus 4K Low (29.3) shows that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the CPU is capable of feeding frames at lower resolutions. The i5-9400’s six cores are sufficient for the game’s MMO workload; even at 1080p Ultra, where the CPU would need to handle more draw calls, the FPS drops to 25.7, which is still GPU-limited. The CPU’s 4.10 GHz boost clock helps maintain consistent frame pacing, but it cannot overcome the GPU’s limits at higher resolutions.

The CPU’s percentile ranking of 50th indicates it is an average performer, and its average benchmark score of 2305 is comparable to the i3-10305 (2300) and i3-1125G4 (2299). This means the i5-9400 is not a standout processor, but it is adequate for pairing with the RX 580. The data confirms that upgrading the CPU alone would not improve Archeage performance; the GPU must be upgraded first.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. It delivers 63.2 FPS average, which is 10.7% slower than Low (71.3 FPS) but provides noticeably better graphics. High settings at 1080p drop to 43.5 FPS, which is still playable but risks dropping below 30 FPS in heavy combat. Ultra settings should be avoided, as the 25.7 FPS average is too low for a responsive MMO experience.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only recommendation. It averages 44.2 FPS, which is playable for casual exploration but not ideal for raids. Medium drops to 40.3 FPS, showing a modest penalty, while High falls to 27.4 FPS and is not recommended. Ultra at 1440p (17.0 FPS) is unusable.

For 4K, the system is not recommended for this game. Low settings average 29.3 FPS, which is on the edge of playability, but any higher setting results in unplayable frame rates. If a user must run at 4K, they should stick to Low and accept the poor performance. The measured data clearly indicates that the sweet spot for this system is 1080p with Medium settings, offering a solid balance of visual fidelity and smooth gameplay.