Archeage

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination ranks in the 42nd percentile for Archeage, placing it at position 1571 out of 3708 tested combos. This is a mid-pack result for a 2014 MMORPG, indicating that while the hardware is modern, the game’s engine and the CPU’s six-thread limitation create a noticeable bottleneck in demanding scenarios. The pairing delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with medium-to-high settings, but 4K Ultra remains a challenging target.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1571 out of 3708 puts it squarely in the middle of the database, which is a reasonable outcome given the age of Archeage and the hardware mix. The RX 7700 XT is a strong GPU, sitting at the 67th percentile among all GPUs, but the i5-9400 is a more modest performer, ranking at the 47th percentile among CPUs. The combination of a top-tier GPU with a mid-range six-core processor from 2018 means that in CPU-bound scenes—common in MMORPGs with many players on screen—the processor will limit the GPU’s potential.

Benchmark data for the CPU shows a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935, while Geekbench results are 5141 multicore and 1389 single-core. These numbers place the i5-9400 near rivals like the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259 on average (a 0.2% difference), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, which scores 2246 (0.4% difference). The CPU’s average benchmark score is 2254, which is statistically indistinguishable from its nearest competitors, meaning the i5-9400 is not a weak link in isolation, but its six threads are a limiting factor in modern multi-threaded workloads.

For the GPU, the RX 7700 XT has an average benchmark score of 22549, putting it just ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (22435, +0.5%) and slightly behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22729, -0.8%). It also outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 1.7% (22170). This places the GPU in a competitive tier, but the measured FPS in Archeage shows that the final result depends heavily on resolution and settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It packs 28,100 million transistors onto a 346 mm² die, with a transistor density of 81.2 million per mm². The GPU has 3456 shading units, 216 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines, along with 54 ray tracing cores. Its compute power is rated at 35.17 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16, with a pixel rate of 244.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 549.5 GTexel/s.

Memory configuration is substantial: 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The base clock is 1435 MHz, with a game clock of 2171 MHz and a boost clock of 2544 MHz. This memory capacity is more than enough for Archeage, which is a 2014 title with modest VRAM requirements, so the 12 GB allocation ensures no texture streaming issues even at high resolutions.

In this game, the GPU’s role is to handle resolution scaling and graphical fidelity. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as shown by the 41 FPS average on High settings. Dropping to Low at 4K yields 68 FPS, which is a 66% improvement, confirming that the GPU is heavily loaded at this resolution. The GPU’s 67th percentile ranking among all GPUs suggests it is capable of handling modern titles, but Archeage’s older engine does not fully utilize the RDNA 3.0 architecture’s features, so the performance is more dependent on raw fill rate and memory bandwidth than on advanced features like ray tracing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a Coffee Lake chip from 2018, built on a 14 nm process. It has 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 9 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 over a dual-channel bus, providing 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes and includes integrated UHD 630 graphics, though these are not used in this discrete GPU configuration.

For Archeage, the CPU’s six threads are a critical limitation. The game is an MMORPG with large player populations and complex server-side calculations, but the client-side rendering still requires a responsive processor for draw calls and game logic. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 indicates that the i5-9400 is far from a high-end processor; for comparison, a modern eight-core CPU would score significantly higher, but the database shows this chip is close to the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248 average score, 0.3% difference) and the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264, -0.4% difference). The single-core performance is decent, as shown by the Geekbench single-core score of 1389, which is important for games that rely on a few main threads.

In practice, the CPU’s impact is visible in the FPS scaling across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 161 FPS, which is likely CPU-bound or near the cap of the game’s engine. As resolution increases, the GPU takes over, and the CPU becomes less of a factor. However, in crowded areas with many characters, the six threads may cause stutters, even if the average FPS remains playable. The CPU’s 47th percentile ranking reflects this mixed capability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo handles Archeage across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the lowest tested resolution, the frame rates are strong across the board. Low settings yield an average of 161 FPS, which is excellent for a 2014 MMORPG. Medium settings drop slightly to 155 FPS, with a minimum of 131 FPS and a maximum of 178 FPS, showing a smooth experience with only minor dips. High settings produce 107 FPS, which is still very playable, but the jump to Ultra brings a significant penalty, dropping to 73 FPS. This suggests that Ultra settings introduce effects that are disproportionately expensive on this hardware.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 119 FPS, which is below the 1080p result by 26%. Medium settings average 106 FPS, with a minimum of 90 FPS and a maximum of 122 FPS, indicating that the frame pacing is consistent. High settings drop to 72 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold for most players. Ultra settings fall to 49 FPS, which is below the ideal smoothness target and suggests that 1440p Ultra is not a viable option for a consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is under significant load. Low settings produce 68 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 41 FPS, which is borderline for a slower-paced game but may feel sluggish in fast combat. Ultra settings are the worst performer, averaging only 28 FPS, which is not recommended for any serious play. The scaling from 4K Low to 4K Ultra represents a 59% drop in performance, highlighting the GPU’s limits at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RX 7700 XT in Archeage?

A: Yes, in CPU-bound scenarios, the six-thread i5-9400 will limit the GPU. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and Geekbench multicore score of 5141 are modest, and its 47th percentile ranking suggests it is below the GPU’s tier. At 1080p Low, the 161 FPS average is likely near the engine’s CPU limit.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this hardware?

A: Based on the data, 1080p Medium is the sweet spot, with 155 FPS average and a minimum of 131 FPS, providing a smooth experience. 1440p Medium is also viable at 106 FPS, but 1080p High (107 FPS) offers a similar frame rate with higher visual quality.

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

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. 4K Low averages 68 FPS, and 4K Medium averages 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS. 4K High (41 FPS) and 4K Ultra (28 FPS) are not recommended due to sub-60 FPS averages.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 22549 places it 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (22435) and 1.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (22170). It is 0.8% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22729).

Q: Is the i5-9400’s single-core performance sufficient for Archeage?

A: The CPU has a Geekbench single-core score of 1389 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 935. These are adequate for a 2014 title, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the lack of multi-threading may cause drops in crowded areas.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking in the database?

A: The combo ranks 1571 out of 3708 tested combinations, placing it in the 42nd percentile. This is a mid-pack result, reflecting the CPU’s age and the GPU’s high performance.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data points to 1080p Medium as the top choice, delivering 155 FPS with a minimum of 131 FPS. This ensures a smooth experience with no noticeable dips, even in busy scenes. If a higher resolution is preferred, 1440p Medium is a strong alternative, averaging 106 FPS with a minimum of 90 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold.

For players who prioritize frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low offers an average of 161 FPS, but the visual sacrifice is significant for a game that is already old. High settings at 1080p (107 FPS) provide a better visual experience while staying above 100 FPS, making it a good compromise for those with 144 Hz monitors. At 1440p, High settings (72 FPS) are playable but not ideal for fast-paced action, while Ultra at any resolution above 1080p is not recommended.

The data shows that the i5-9400 and RX 7700 XT combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for Low or Medium presets. The jump from High to Ultra is disproportionately expensive, with a 32% drop in FPS at 1080p (107 to 73 FPS) and a similar penalty at higher resolutions. Therefore, sticking to High settings or below will yield the most consistent experience. For this MMORPG, the recommendation is to use 1080p High or 1440p Medium, depending on the monitor’s native resolution, to avoid the CPU bottleneck and keep frame rates smooth.