Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents an interesting challenge for modern hardware. This analysis examines the combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, using measured data to understand its performance characteristics. The data reveals a pairing that is generally capable but shows significant sensitivity to game settings, particularly at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination holds the 1142nd position out of 1727 tested combos for Archeage. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all possible pairings, suggesting that while it can run the game, it is not among the top-performing configurations. The percentile data reinforces this; the CPU sits at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, meaning half of all processors are faster in general benchmark tasks. The GPU performs better relative to its peers, ranking at the 63rd percentile, indicating it is a more capable component in this pairing.

This rank is a composite of the two parts' capabilities. The GPU's stronger relative standing is somewhat hampered by the CPU's more modest position. The benchmark results show the GPU averages a score of 20146, which is only 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 460 and 1.9% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER. Meanwhile, the CPU's average score of 2305 is nearly identical to its closest rivals, being just 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i3-10305. This suggests the pairing's overall rank is more a reflection of the GPU's performance ceiling than the CPU's, but the CPU's baseline capability still limits the system's overall potential in this specific title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Archeage with this hardware?

A: According to the measured data, 1920x1080 offers the most fluid experience, with all settings except Ultra achieving an average FPS above 83. At 2560x1440, performance is still playable, but the High preset drops to 54.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 35.9 FPS. The 3840x2160 resolution is only viable on Low settings, which yields an average of 50.6 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT a strong performer for its class?

A: Yes, the data indicates it is a solid mid-range option. It ranks at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 20146 is 1.9% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER and just 0.6% lower than the non-XT AMD Radeon RX 7600, showing it sits comfortably within its performance tier.

Q: Can this system handle the Ultra settings in Archeage?

A: The data shows that Ultra settings are the most demanding, causing a significant performance drop. At 1920x1080, average FPS is 53.3, which is just on the edge of smooth playability. At 2560x1440, it drops to 35.9 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it becomes unplayable at 18.7 FPS. The system can technically run Ultra, but only at the lowest resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its direct competitors?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 2305 places it in a tight cluster with its nearest rivals. It is only 0.2% ahead of both the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4, and a mere 0.6% behind the Intel Core i7-8809G. This indicates that its processing power is essentially on par with those alternatives.

Q: Is this a balanced system for a game like Archeage?

A: The data suggests a degree of imbalance. The GPU is a more capable component relative to its peers (63rd percentile) than the CPU (50th percentile). In CPU-bound scenarios, the i5-9400 may hold back the RX 7600 XT, but in this game, the GPU's performance is still the primary factor for the FPS differences between settings.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT had a launch MSRP of 329 USD.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and can boost up to 4.10 GHz. This configuration is relevant to Archeage's performance, as the game's engine can utilize multiple cores for processing game logic, AI, and player interactions. The CPU's 9 MB of shared L3 cache provides a sizeable pool for frequently accessed data.

In this pairing, the CPU's role appears to be a foundational one. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125, are modest. The 50th percentile ranking confirms it is an average performer. The data suggests that while it is not a bottleneck that makes the game unplayable, it may not provide enough headroom for the GPU to reach its full potential in all scenarios. The performance difference between this CPU and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, is a negligible 0.2%, indicating that the i5-9400 does not have a significant computational advantage over much newer and less expensive parts. Its performance is sufficient for the game's baseline, but the measured FPS drops at higher settings are largely a function of the GPU's workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's performance across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system shows its best results. The Low preset achieves an average of 133.4 FPS, while Medium and High closely follow at 118.4 and 83 FPS, respectively. The Ultra preset is the outlier, dropping significantly to 53.3 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, there is a proportional decrease in performance. The Low preset now yields 89.5 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium and High presets produce 77.5 and 54.5 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 35.9 FPS, indicating a heavy load on the GPU. At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable framerates on most settings. Only the Low preset, with an average of 50.6 FPS, is acceptable. Medium and High presets drop to 43.8 and 33.9 FPS, respectively. The Ultra preset at this resolution is nearly unplayable, with an average of just 18.7 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops by roughly 30-35% across all settings. For instance, the High preset goes from 83 FPS to 54.5 FPS, a 34% reduction. The Low preset sees a similar drop from 133.4 to 89.5 FPS.

The scaling from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 is more severe. The High preset drops from 54.5 FPS to 33.9 FPS, a 38% decrease, while the Low preset drops from 89.5 to 50.6 FPS, a 43% decrease. This steeper decline at 4K indicates that the system is becoming increasingly GPU-limited. The rendering workload at 4K is substantially higher, and the RX 7600 XT's 128-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are strained. The result is that the component limiting performance shifts more decisively to the GPU at higher resolutions, as the CPU has less of an impact on the frame rate calculations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, the 1920x1080 resolution with the Medium or High preset is the clear choice. The Medium preset at 118.4 FPS offers a smooth and responsive experience, while High at 83 FPS still provides excellent framerates with presumably better visual fidelity.

For users with a 2560x1440 monitor, the Medium preset at 77.5 FPS offers the best balance between visual quality and performance. The Low preset at 89.5 FPS is also viable for competitive play, but the Medium preset provides a more visually rich experience for a modest FPS cost. At 3840x2160, the only viable setting is Low, which yields an average of 50.6 FPS. This indicates that the system is not well-suited for 4K gaming in Archeage, and users should either lower the resolution or accept a less visually detailed image. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as its performance cost is disproportionately high compared to the visual benefits, especially at 1080p where it drops the FPS from 83 to 53.3.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the primary driver of the FPS differences observed in the data. It is based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This large memory allocation is a distinct advantage, though it is paired with a relatively narrow bus. The GPU’s high boost clock of 2755 MHz helps to process the rendering workload in Archeage.

Its benchmark scores, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2348 and a Passmark G3D score of 17132, are solid. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the main determinant of performance at higher settings. The significant FPS drops when moving from Low to Ultra presets at the same resolution are a direct result of the GPU's workload increasing. For example, at 1920x1080, the FPS drops from 133.4 on Low to 53.3 on Ultra. This demonstrates that the GPU is the limiting factor in these scenarios. Its relative strength, being 1.9% faster than the RTX 2060 SUPER, establishes it as a capable card, but the data suggests that for the most demanding settings in Archeage, it is just not powerful enough to maintain high framerates.