Archeage

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT combination delivers a wide spread of frame rates in Archeage, ranging from a playable 44 FPS at 4K High to a fluid 161 FPS at 1080p Low. The data suggests that the most balanced experience is found at 1440p, where the Medium preset delivers 114 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining visual fidelity. At 1080p, the Ultra preset drops to 78 FPS, a significant 67 FPS reduction from Medium, indicating a steep performance cost for the highest graphical settings. For users prioritizing smoothness over peak fidelity, the 1440p High setting at 77 FPS offers a near-identical experience to 1080p Ultra with a higher resolution, making it the recommended target for this hardware pairing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data presents a clear hierarchy of performance across presets and resolutions. At 1080p, the jump from Low (161 FPS) to Medium (155 FPS) is marginal, costing only 6 FPS for a noticeable visual upgrade. However, moving from Medium to High (115 FPS) incurs a 40 FPS penalty, and the leap to Ultra (78 FPS) costs another 37 FPS. This pattern suggests that the Medium preset at 1080p offers the best performance-per-visual-fidelity ratio, maintaining a high refresh rate while avoiding the diminishing returns of the High and Ultra settings.

At 1440p, the performance curve steepens. Low delivers 128 FPS, Medium drops to 114 FPS, and High falls to 77 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is a substantial 37 FPS, while the difference between Low and Medium is only 14 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p (53 FPS) is the first setting to dip below the 60 FPS playability threshold, suggesting that this preset is too demanding for this combination at this resolution. The data indicates that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot, offering 114 FPS with a 16% performance drop from Low but a significant visual improvement.

At 4K, all presets struggle to maintain high frame rates. Medium (65 FPS) is the only preset that stays above 60 FPS, while High (44 FPS) and Ultra (30 FPS) fall well below the smoothness threshold. The 4K Low preset (73 FPS) is playable but sacrifices visual quality. The data clearly shows that 4K is only viable with the Medium preset, which provides 65 FPS, or the Low preset for a higher 73 FPS. The combination of the i5-9400 and RX 7800 XT is not well-suited for 4K Ultra, as the 30 FPS result indicates a severe bottleneck in the highest settings.

Given these measurements, the recommended preset for the best overall experience is 1440p Medium, which delivers 114 FPS with a 97 FPS minimum and 131 FPS maximum, ensuring consistent smoothness. For users with 1080p displays, 1080p Medium at 155 FPS provides the best balance, while those with 4K panels should stick to 4K Medium at 65 FPS, as it is the only preset that maintains playability without dropping to Low settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is the primary driver of frame rates in Archeage, and its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth provides ample headroom for the game’s textures and assets. The GPU’s boost clock of 2430 MHz and game clock of 2124 MHz, based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with 3840 shading units, are clearly capable of high throughput. The benchmark results show that the GPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 161 FPS at 1080p Low.

However, the data reveals a shift in the GPU’s role as resolution increases. At 1080p, the frame rate drops of 6 FPS between Low and Medium suggest that the GPU is operating well within its limits, and the CPU is likely the primary bottleneck. At 1440p, the 37 FPS drop from Medium to High indicates the GPU is beginning to work harder, but it still maintains high performance. At 4K, the GPU’s workload becomes more significant, with the Ultra preset dropping to 30 FPS, a 50% reduction from the 4K Medium score of 65 FPS.

The RX 7800 XT’s memory capacity of 16 GB is more than sufficient for Archeage, as the game’s release date of 2014 suggests it does not require excessive VRAM. The GPU’s 96 ROPs and 240 TMUs are capable of handling the game’s rendering demands, but the 4K Ultra result of 30 FPS suggests that the GPU’s raw compute power, measured at 37.32 TFLOPS, is insufficient for the highest settings at this resolution. The data implies that the RX 7800 XT is a strong performer for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but its capabilities are stretched at 4K with Ultra settings.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 11627 places it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a mid-range performer. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 with a score of 11680 (0.5% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with a score of 11528 (0.9% lower). This close grouping shows that the RX 7800 XT is statistically similar to these older or workstation-class GPUs in synthetic benchmarks, yet its real-world performance in Archeage is far superior due to its modern architecture and memory subsystem. The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4157 and Passmark G3D score of 24176 further highlight its capabilities, though these synthetic scores do not directly translate to the game-specific measured FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Archeage?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1440p Medium, the combo achieves 114 FPS, while 1440p High maintains 77 FPS. This is superior to 4K, where even Medium drops to 65 FPS and Ultra falls to 30 FPS, and it provides a higher resolution than 1080p without a significant frame rate penalty.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform compared to High at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers 53 FPS, which is 24 FPS lower than the High preset’s 77 FPS. This represents a 31% reduction in average frame rate, indicating that the Ultra preset’s additional graphical effects have a substantial performance cost that may not be justified for the visual improvement.

Q: Is the 4K resolution playable with this hardware?

A: Yes, but only with the Medium preset, which achieves 65 FPS. The High preset at 44 FPS and Ultra preset at 30 FPS are below the 60 FPS playability threshold, making them less suitable for smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 73 FPS is also playable but sacrifices visual quality.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, placing it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259 with a -0.2% deltaPct, meaning they are statistically identical. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 with a 0.4% deltaPct, also showing near-identical performance.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at 1440p Medium?

A: At 1440p Medium, the combo delivers an average FPS of 114, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. This 34 FPS spread indicates relatively consistent frame times, with the minimum still well above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay without significant stutters.

Q: Does the GPU’s memory bandwidth affect performance in Archeage?

A: The RX 7800 XT’s 624.1 GB/s memory bandwidth is substantial, and the data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is not memory-limited, as frame rates remain high across all presets. At 4K, the performance drop to 30 FPS at Ultra suggests the GPU’s compute or memory subsystem is stressed, but the 16 GB VRAM capacity is likely sufficient for the game’s needs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings produce 161 FPS, Medium produces 155 FPS with a minimum of 131 FPS and a maximum of 178 FPS, High produces 115 FPS, and Ultra produces 78 FPS. This demonstrates a linear degradation from Low to Ultra, with the most significant drop occurring between Medium and High, a 40 FPS reduction. The 1080p Medium preset’s minimum of 131 FPS ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are: Low at 128 FPS, Medium at 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS, High at 77 FPS, and Ultra at 53 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 14 FPS, while the drop from Medium to High is 37 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 24 FPS. This shows that the Medium preset is the most efficient at this resolution, as the performance loss from Low is minimal, while High and Ultra incur much larger penalties.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are: Low at 73 FPS, Medium at 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS, High at 44 FPS, and Ultra at 30 FPS. The 4K Medium preset’s minimum of 55 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating potential dips in frame rate during intense gameplay. The 4K Low preset at 73 FPS is the only 4K setting that consistently stays above 60 FPS, while High and Ultra are significantly lower.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the Medium preset offers the best balance, with the High preset costing a disproportionate amount of performance. The Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer, with frame rates that are often half of the Medium preset’s score. This suggests that the Ultra preset’s graphical enhancements are not optimized for this hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals how the system’s components are stressed differently. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 161 at 1080p to 128 at 1440p and 73 at 4K. This represents a 20.5% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 43% reduction from 1440p to 4K. This scaling indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is increasingly taxed as resolution rises, though the CPU also plays a role in the 1080p to 1440p drop.

At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 155 at 1080p to 114 at 1440p and 65 at 4K. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is 26.5%, while the reduction from 1440p to 4K is 43%. This pattern is similar to Low settings, suggesting that the GPU’s workload scales consistently with resolution regardless of preset. The 4K Medium result of 65 FPS is the lowest playable score, and the minimum of 55 FPS indicates occasional dips below 60 FPS.

At High settings, the average FPS drops from 115 at 1080p to 77 at 1440p and 44 at 4K. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is 33%, and from 1440p to 4K is 43%. The larger drop from 1080p to 1440p at High settings compared to Low or Medium suggests that the GPU is more heavily loaded at this preset, making the resolution increase more impactful. At 4K High, the 44 FPS result is 43% lower than the 4K Medium score, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting factor.

At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 78 at 1080p to 53 at 1440p and 30 at 4K. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is 32%, and from 1440p to 4K is 43%. The 4K Ultra result of 30 FPS is the lowest measured score, and the consistent 43% reduction from 1440p to 4K across all presets strongly indicates that the RX 7800 XT’s performance scales predictably with pixel count, making the GPU the dominant bottleneck at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, plays a supporting role in this combo’s Archeage performance. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz provide sufficient single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 935 and Geekbench single-core score of 1389. The CPU’s 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s are adequate for the game’s requirements, given its 2014 release date.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 2254 places it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a mid-range performer. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 with a score of 2259 (-0.2% deltaPct), the Intel Core i7-10710U with a score of 2248 (0.3% deltaPct), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 with a score of 2246 (0.4% deltaPct). These scores show that the i5-9400 is statistically comparable to these CPUs, which are a mix of laptop and desktop parts, suggesting that its performance is not a differentiator in this game.

The data implies that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rate drops from 161 FPS at Low to 78 FPS at Ultra, a 51% reduction, which is driven by the GPU’s rendering workload. However, the fact that the 1080p Low preset achieves 161 FPS, which is higher than the 1440p Low score of 128 FPS, indicates that the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output at lower resolutions. At 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes further, as the GPU’s rendering time dominates, leading to lower frame rates across all presets.

The CPU’s multi-threaded performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and Geekbench multicore score of 5141, is likely sufficient for Archeage’s MMORPG workloads, which may involve many NPCs and player characters. The 6-thread configuration is adequate for the game’s engine, but the data does not show a direct correlation between CPU score and FPS, as the frame rates are more closely tied to resolution and preset settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT combination is ranked 1317 out of 3708 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the 64.5th percentile of all tested configurations. This means that the combo outperforms roughly 64% of all other tested CPU-GPU pairs in this game. The ranking suggests that while this is not a top-tier combo, it is well above average for Archeage.

The combo’s rank of 1317 is notable given the GPU’s percentile ranking of 51st among all GPUs and the CPU’s percentile ranking of 47th among all CPUs. The fact that this combo ranks higher than either component’s individual percentile suggests that the combination is particularly well-suited for Archeage’s specific workload, which may be more dependent on GPU performance than CPU performance. The GPU’s 16 GB VRAM and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth are likely factors in this favorable ranking.

The data shows that the combo’s performance is stronger at lower resolutions, with the 1080p Medium preset achieving 155 FPS, which is a high score relative to the overall ranking. However, at 4K Ultra, the 30 FPS result is below the playability threshold, which may pull the combo’s rank down compared to configurations with more powerful GPUs. The combo’s rank of 1317 out of 3708 indicates that while it is not among the top performers, it offers a capable experience for most gaming scenarios, particularly at 1440p and below.

The nearest rivals to the RX 7800 XT, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 and AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT, have similar average scores, but the measured FPS in Archeage shows the RX 7800 XT is significantly faster, indicating that the game benefits from the GPU’s modern architecture. This suggests that the combo’s rank is primarily driven by the GPU’s real-world performance rather than synthetic benchmarks, and that the i5-9400, while not a top-tier CPU, does not hold the GPU back in a meaningful way at the tested settings.