Archeage

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Archeage with the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B370 shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 65 FPS average, but this drops to 43 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 25 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 33.8% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 61.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The scaling pattern indicates that the Intel Arc B370, with its System Shared memory and 1280 shading units, becomes the dominant limiting factor as pixel count rises.

The Medium preset tells a similar story. At 1080p, the average is 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 66. Moving to 1440p, the average falls to 39 FPS (31.6% drop), and at 4K it reaches 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 and maximum of 25. The consistency of the performance degradation across settings suggests that the GPU's compute throughput — rated at 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 — is simply insufficient to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions in this MMORPG.

High settings exhibit the same downward trajectory: 39 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p (33.3% drop), and 15 FPS at 4K (61.5% drop from 1080p). The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing 27 FPS at 1080p, 18 FPS at 1440p, and just 10 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K under Ultra is a 63% reduction, closely matching the pattern seen in other presets.

The data reveals that the limiting component shifts depending on resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (65 FPS) and Ultra (27 FPS) is 38 FPS, indicating that both CPU and GPU are being exercised. However, at 4K, the difference between Low (25 FPS) and Ultra (10 FPS) narrows to 15 FPS in absolute terms, though the relative gap remains. The i5-9400's six cores and six threads, running at a base of 2.90 GHz and boost of 4.10 GHz, appear sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the Arc B370's 25 W TDP and integrated graphics design constrain performance at higher resolutions.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by Intel. Its clock speeds are modest: a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz. The GPU relies entirely on System Shared memory, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM; the bandwidth is described as System Dependent. This configuration directly impacts Archeage performance because the game's texture streaming and draw calls must contend with system memory bandwidth rather than dedicated graphics memory.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B370 scores 1184 points, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in that benchmark include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186 points, deltaPct -0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190 points, deltaPct -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192 points, deltaPct -0.7%). The Arc B370 also edges out the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168 points, deltaPct 1.4%). These comparisons place the Arc B370 in very low-end territory, which is consistent with its measured Archeage performance.

The GPU's memory architecture is the primary constraint. With System Shared memory, the effective bandwidth fluctuates based on the host system's RAM configuration and other workloads. In Archeage, this manifests as the steep FPS drops seen when moving from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the GPU manages 65 FPS, but the same settings at 4K produce only 25 FPS — a 61.5% reduction. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are insufficient for high-resolution rendering in a game with Archeage's draw distances and particle effects.

The 10 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 indicate modern API compatibility, but this does not translate to competitive performance. The FP16 throughput of 12.29 TFLOPS (2:1) suggests some compute headroom, yet the FP32 figure of 6.144 TFLOPS is what matters for rasterization workloads in Archeage. The GPU's 20 ROPs and 40 TMUs are low counts for a game that relies heavily on texture filtering and pixel fill at higher resolutions.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2546 out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage. This places it in the 7.8th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 92% of other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher frame rates in this game. The rank reflects the Arc B370's position as a 5th percentile GPU, which drags down an otherwise mid-range CPU.

The i5-9400 alone sits at the 47th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (deltaPct -0.2%), the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (deltaPct 0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (deltaPct 0.4%), and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (deltaPct -0.4%). This clustering indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck in Archeage; the delta percentages are all within one point of zero, meaning the i5-9400 performs essentially identically to its direct competitors in synthetic CPU benchmarks.

The GPU's percentile ranking, however, is dramatically worse. At the 5th percentile, the Arc B370 is outclassed by the vast majority of GPUs in the database. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is nearly identical to that of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), both of which are legacy parts. This explains why the combo rank is so low: the GPU's performance ceiling is the binding constraint, and even a competent six-core CPU cannot compensate for it in a GPU-heavy title like Archeage.

The gap between the CPU's 47th percentile and the GPU's 5th percentile is stark. In Archeage, the measured FPS data confirms this imbalance. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 65 FPS, which is playable but far from smooth for a game that benefits from high frame rates during large-scale PvP or crowded cities. At any resolution above 1080p, the frame rates fall below 45 FPS, and at 4K they drop to 25 FPS or lower. The combo rank of 2546 reflects a pairing that is severely GPU-limited across all tested settings.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-9400 with Intel Arc B370 delivers its best results. The Low preset yields an average of 65 FPS. The Medium preset produces 57 FPS average, with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 66 FPS. High settings drop to 39 FPS average. Ultra is the most demanding, averaging 27 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 38 FPS, indicating that the GPU has some headroom at lower settings but becomes saturated as graphical demands increase.

At 2560x1440, performance declines noticeably. Low settings average 43 FPS, representing a 33.8% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 and maximum of 44 FPS — a 31.6% reduction from 1080p Medium. High settings produce 26 FPS average, a 33.3% drop from 1080p High. Ultra settings fall to 18 FPS average, a 33.3% reduction from 1080p Ultra. The consistent ~33% reduction across all presets at 1440p indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are scaling predictably with pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the Arc B370 struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 25 FPS, a 61.5% drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 22 FPS, with a minimum of 19 and maximum of 25 FPS — a 61.4% reduction from 1080p Medium. High settings average 15 FPS, a 61.5% drop from 1080p High. Ultra settings produce just 10 FPS average, a 63% reduction from 1080p Ultra. The near-uniform ~62% reduction from 1080p to 4K across all presets suggests that the GPU is hitting a hard memory bandwidth limit when rendering four times the pixels.

The minimum and maximum FPS values, available only for Medium settings, provide additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the range is 49 to 66 FPS, a 17 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range tightens to 33 to 44 FPS, an 11 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range narrows further to 19 to 25 FPS, a 6 FPS spread. This compression of the frame time variance at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is consistently saturated, with less headroom for spikes or drops.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 65 FPS average, which provides the smoothest experience for gameplay. The Medium preset at 57 FPS average is also viable, offering better visuals with a modest 12.3% performance penalty. The minimum of 49 FPS at Medium means that even the worst-case frame rate remains above the 30 FPS threshold for playability.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset at 43 FPS is the only setting that approaches smooth gameplay. Medium drops to 39 FPS average with a minimum of 33 FPS, which is borderline but may suffer during intense combat sequences. High at 26 FPS and Ultra at 18 FPS are not recommended for 1440p, as both fall below the 30 FPS floor for acceptable action in an MMORPG.

At 3840x2160, the data shows that no preset delivers playable frame rates. Low at 25 FPS, Medium at 22 FPS, High at 15 FPS, and Ultra at 10 FPS are all below 30 FPS. For 4K gaming, the recommendation is to avoid this resolution entirely with this hardware combination, as even the lowest settings cannot maintain a fluid experience.

The best overall experience, balancing visual quality and frame rate, is 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This yields 57 FPS average, 49 FPS minimum, and 66 FPS maximum. The Medium preset includes additional visual effects over Low, but the performance cost is acceptable. For players prioritizing frame rate above all else, 1080p Low at 65 FPS is the fastest configuration in the measured data.

# FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 as the only resolution where all presets exceed 25 FPS average. Low settings reach 65 FPS, and Medium reaches 57 FPS, making 1080p the only viable resolution for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the Arc B370 scores 1184, nearly matching the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). It is 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168) and 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192).

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 the bottleneck in Archeage?

A: The data indicates the opposite. The i5-9400 ranks at the 47th percentile of CPUs, and its nearest rivals are within 0.4% of its average score. The GPU, at the 5th percentile, is the limiting component, as evidenced by the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and maximum of 44 FPS. This is playable but has limited headroom for demanding scenes.

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

A: No. All measured 4K presets produce averages below 30 FPS: Low at 25 FPS, Medium at 22 FPS, High at 15 FPS, and Ultra at 10 FPS. The GPU's System Shared memory architecture cannot sustain playable frame rates at this resolution.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2546 out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage, placing it at the 7.8th percentile. This reflects the GPU's low performance tier rather than the CPU's capabilities.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process by Intel. It operates at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a theoretical memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 9 MB of shared L3 cache.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-9400 produces a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935. Its Geekbench results are 5141 multicore and 1389 single-core. These numbers place the CPU at the 47th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 2254. The nearest rivals — the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, deltaPct -0.2%), Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, deltaPct 0.3%), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, deltaPct 0.4%), and Intel Core i3-10305 (2264, deltaPct -0.4%) — all perform within a fraction of a percent of the i5-9400.

In Archeage, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, NPC AI, and player interactions, which are substantial in an MMORPG. The six cores and six threads are adequate for this workload, as evidenced by the CPU's mid-pack ranking relative to its peers. However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the performance limiter. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 65 FPS, which is a reasonable frame rate for a six-core processor from 2018. The fact that this drops to 25 FPS at 4K Low — a 61.5% reduction — points squarely at the GPU as the bottleneck.

The i5-9400's lack of hyperthreading (six threads for six cores) could theoretically limit performance in heavily threaded scenarios, but Archeage's engine does not appear to stress the CPU beyond its capabilities. The boost clock of 4.10 GHz provides adequate single-thread performance for the game's main thread, which is typically the most demanding on the CPU side. The 9 MB of shared L3 cache helps maintain data locality for frequently accessed game assets.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while modest by modern standards, is not a limiting factor in the measured results. The System Shared memory of the Arc B370 depends on the same memory controller, but the GPU's 25 W TDP and 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 throughput are far more restrictive. In summary, the i5-9400 is a competent mid-range CPU for Archeage, but it is paired with a GPU that cannot fully utilize its capabilities, resulting in a system that is GPU-bound at every resolution and settings level tested.