Archeage

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a decisive, high-refresh-rate experience in Archeage, but the data reveals a clear ceiling: Ultra settings are the point where the combination stumbles, while Medium and High presets offer the best balance of fluidity and visual fidelity. Benchmark results show this combo ranks 92nd out of 1727 tested combinations for this game, placing it in the top 5.4% of all systems evaluated. The measured FPS across resolutions and settings tells a consistent story: this pairing is overbuilt for Low, comfortable at Medium and High, and only at Ultra does the frame rate drop to levels that compromise the MMORPG experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep but not uniform across settings, revealing where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. At Low settings, the transition from 1920x1080 (262.3 FPS) to 2560x1440 (183 FPS) is a 30% reduction, and then to 3840x2160 (106 FPS) is another 42% cut. This steep scaling at Low presets indicates the RTX 4080 SUPER is still the primary driver even at lower graphical loads, as the CPU has ample headroom with its 12 cores and 20 threads. The pattern shifts at High settings: 1080p yields 163.1 FPS, 1440p drops to 106.9 FPS, and 4K falls to 65.1 FPS. The percentage drops are similar, but the absolute values suggest the GPU is working harder relative to the CPU as pixel count rises.

At Medium settings, the scaling is remarkably smooth: 241.4 FPS at 1080p, 160.1 FPS at 1440p, and 94 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 34%, while the 1440p-to-4K drop is 41%. This consistency indicates a well-balanced workload distribution between the CPU and GPU. The Ultra preset, however, shows the most dramatic scaling: 110 FPS at 1080p, 72.4 FPS at 1440p, and 42.9 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p reduction is 34%, but the 1440p-to-4K reduction is 41%, nearly identical percentages to Medium. Yet the absolute floor of 42.9 FPS at 4K Ultra is the only result that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that Ultra settings push the RTX 4080 SUPER to its limits in this title.

The limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1043, passmark_single_thread score of 3984) becomes relatively more important, as evidenced by the 262.3 FPS Low result. At 4K, the GPU’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are the constraining factors, particularly at Ultra where the 42.9 FPS result is only 66% of the High preset’s 65.1 FPS. The data clearly shows this is a GPU-limited scenario at 4K Ultra, while lower settings and resolutions benefit from the i7-12700KF’s strong multi-threaded capabilities (cinebench_r23_multicore score of 28979).

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Archeage?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 262.3, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates the combo is far from stressed at minimal graphical loads.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 42.9, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 4K achieves 65.1 FPS, so dropping from Ultra to High is necessary for a smooth 4K experience.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 53610, placing it 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (score 53489) and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (score 53414). It leads the AMD Radeon RX 7700S by 2.1% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti by 2.9%.

Q: What is the CPU’s percentile ranking among all tested processors?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35355. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-14400, scores 35336, a delta of just 0.1%.

Q: Is there a significant difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the difference is 53.2 FPS. Medium settings produce 160.1 FPS, while High settings produce 106.9 FPS. Both are well above playable thresholds, but Medium offers a substantial frame rate advantage.

Q: Does the 4K Low preset outperform the 1080p Ultra preset?

A: Yes, marginally. The 4K Low result is 106 FPS, while 1080p Ultra is 110 FPS. This suggests that at 4K, even Low settings leverage the GPU heavily, whereas 1080p Ultra still benefits from the CPU’s headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination holds the 92nd position out of 1727 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the top 5.4% of all systems. This rank reflects a pairing that excels in most scenarios but is held back by the Ultra preset’s demanding requirements. The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking among all processors (avg score 35355) and the GPU’s 88th percentile ranking (avg score 53610) both contribute to this strong overall position, yet the game’s optimization for Ultra settings prevents a higher placement.

Compared to the nearest rival CPUs, the i7-12700KF is effectively tied with the Intel Core i5-14400 (delta 0.1%), the Intel Core i7-13800H (delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i9-12900HX (delta 0.2%), and the Intel Core i5-13600T (delta 0.3%). This indicates that the CPU is not the differentiating factor in this combo’s rank; rather, the GPU’s performance relative to its rivals (0.2% ahead of the RX 6900 XT, 0.4% ahead of the Pro W6600M) is what pushes the combo upward. The rank of 92 out of 1727 is a strong result, but the data suggests that systems with faster GPUs, particularly those that can sustain higher frame rates at 4K Ultra, would rank higher. The 42.9 FPS at 4K Ultra is the clear weak point, and any combo that avoids this sub-60 FPS result would likely outperform this pairing in the overall rankings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings produce 262.3 FPS, Medium settings reach 241.4 FPS, High settings achieve 163.1 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 110 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 152.3 FPS, a 58% reduction, which is substantial but still leaves the system well above the 60 FPS threshold even at Ultra. This resolution is clearly CPU-bound at lower settings, as the 262.3 FPS Low result exceeds what most displays can even show.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the GPU’s influence. Low settings yield 183 FPS, Medium settings produce 160.1 FPS, High settings reach 106.9 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 72.4 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap narrows to 110.6 FPS, a 60% reduction. The 72.4 FPS at Ultra is still playable, but it marks the first time the combo dips below the 100 FPS mark at this resolution. The 1440p results suggest that High settings are the sweet spot for competitive play, offering 106.9 FPS while maintaining better visual quality than Medium.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. Low settings achieve 106 FPS, Medium settings reach 94 FPS, High settings produce 65.1 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 42.9 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra is 63.1 FPS, a 59% drop. This is the only resolution where any preset falls below 60 FPS, and it happens at Ultra. The 4K results show that the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 16 GB memory buffer is sufficient for Medium and High settings, but Ultra’s additional overhead pushes the frame rate below acceptable levels. The jump from High to Ultra at 4K represents a 22.2 FPS loss, which is a 34% reduction, highlighting the steep cost of the Ultra preset at this resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the measured results. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, the GPU provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Archeage’s textures at 4K. The boost clock of 2550 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz drive the 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, resulting in a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s. These figures translate to the 65.1 FPS at 4K High and the 106 FPS at 4K Low.

The GPU’s synthetic benchmark scores corroborate its gaming performance. The passmark_g3d score of 34245 and the 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 6600 place it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (score 53489, delta 0.2%), the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (score 53414, delta 0.4%), and the AMD Radeon RX 7700S (score 52505, delta 2.1%). The GPU’s average benchmark score of 53610 is only 0.2% higher than the RX 6900 XT, yet in Archeage, the 4K Ultra result of 42.9 FPS suggests the game is particularly sensitive to the GPU’s architectural strengths, which are reflected in the 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 compute performance.

The 16 GB memory capacity is a key factor. Archeage from 2014 is not a memory-heavy title by modern standards, but the Ultra preset at 4K appears to require more memory bandwidth than the GPU can efficiently deliver, resulting in the 42.9 FPS result. The 736.3 GB/s bandwidth is ample for High settings, as evidenced by the 65.1 FPS, but the Ultra preset’s additional draw calls and shadow complexity push the GPU to its limits. The GPU’s 320 W TDP and 700 W suggested PSU indicate this is a high-power component, but the benchmark data shows it performs consistently until Ultra settings at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal preset depends on the target resolution, but High settings offer the best overall experience across all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, High delivers 163.1 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display, while Medium pushes to 241.4 FPS for those seeking maximum frame rates. The Ultra preset at 1080p still achieves 110 FPS, so it is viable, but the 53.1 FPS drop from High to Ultra is not justified by the visual gains.

For 2560x1440, High settings provide 106.9 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings at 160.1 FPS are better suited for competitive play, while Ultra at 72.4 FPS remains playable but sacrifices too much fluidity. The data strongly favors High or Medium at 1440p, with High being the recommendation for most users due to the balance of visual quality and frame rate. At 3840x2160, the recommendation is clear: High settings at 65.1 FPS is the only preset that maintains a consistent 60+ FPS experience. Low settings at 106 FPS and Medium at 94 FPS are also viable, but High offers the best visual fidelity without dropping below 60 FPS. Ultra at 42.9 FPS should be avoided, as the frame rate is too low for a smooth MMORPG experience, particularly in crowded areas where frame times can spike.

The overarching recommendation is to use High settings as the default, with Medium as a fallback for high-refresh-rate 1440p displays. Low settings are unnecessary given the hardware’s capabilities, and Ultra is only recommended at 1080p where 110 FPS is still achieved. The data shows that the combo is best utilized at Medium or High, with Ultra being the only setting that exposes the hardware’s limitations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF plays a supporting but crucial role in this combo, providing the multi-threaded headroom that keeps frame rates high at lower resolutions and settings. With 12 cores and 20 threads, the CPU excels in multi-threaded workloads, as evidenced by its cinebench_r23_multicore score of 28979 and passmark_multithread score of 34092. The 3dmark_max_threads score of 9983 and 3dmark_16_threads score of 9282 further confirm this strength. At 1080p Low, the CPU’s single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1043, passmark_single_thread score of 3984) is sufficient to drive the 262.3 FPS result without bottlenecking the GPU.

The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking among all processors places it ahead of 89% of tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35355. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14400 (score 35336, delta 0.1%), the Intel Core i7-13800H (score 35416, delta -0.2%), and the Intel Core i9-12900HX (score 35289, delta 0.2%). This tight grouping indicates that the i7-12700KF is not a performance outlier, but rather a solid mid-to-high-tier processor that pairs well with the RTX 4080 SUPER. The CPU’s base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz, combined with 25 MB of shared L3 cache, provide the responsiveness needed for MMORPG environments with many players and entities.

In Archeage, the CPU’s role becomes more pronounced at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low result of 262.3 FPS is likely CPU-limited, as the GPU has ample headroom at such minimal settings. The 1440p Low result of 183 FPS also shows the CPU’s influence, while the 4K Low result of 106 FPS shifts the bottleneck toward the GPU. The CPU’s 20 threads handle the game’s background tasks and physics calculations, ensuring that frame times remain consistent. The launch MSRP of $384 for this CPU reflects its position as a high-end desktop part, and its benchmark results justify that positioning within this combo. Overall, the i7-12700KF does not limit the RTX 4080 SUPER except in extreme high-FPS scenarios, and even then, the measured results remain well above playable thresholds.