Archeage

ArcheAge, an MMORPG released in 2014, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical presets. The data for the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination shows a system capable of high refresh rates at lower resolutions but one that becomes increasingly GPU-bound at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across all tested settings, interprets the scaling patterns, and contextualizes the performance against the broader hardware landscape.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS reveals a steep performance gradient as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves an average of 269 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 163 FPS on High and 111 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the same settings produce 181 FPS, 110 FPS, and 75 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, the averages fall to 104 FPS on Low, 63 FPS on High, and 43 FPS on Ultra.

The delta between 1080p and 4K is substantial. For High settings, the FPS drops from 163 to 63, representing a 61% reduction. For Low settings, the drop is from 269 to 104, a 61% reduction as well. This consistent proportional drop suggests that the scaling is primarily driven by the GPU's fill-rate and shading capacity, as the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU even at 4K. The RTX 4080, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth, handles the increased memory pressure of higher resolutions, but the raw compute demand of 4K still cuts the frame rate by more than half compared to 1080p.

The limiting component at 1080p is not the GPU. The jump from 269 FPS at Low to 240 FPS at Medium and 163 FPS at High shows that the GPU is still rendering frames quickly, but the game engine’s draw calls and physics calculations, likely single-thread dependent due to the game's age, start to cap performance. The i7-13700K, which scores 1136 in 3dmark_single_thread and 303 in cinebench_r15_singlecore, provides strong single-core performance, but the data suggests that at 1080p Low, the frame rate is approaching the engine's ceiling. As resolution climbs to 1440p and 4K, the GPU workload increases enough to move the bottleneck back to the graphics card, creating a smoother scaling curve.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this combo. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 240 FPS with a minimum of 204 FPS, making it the ideal choice for high-refresh-rate gaming. The Low preset at 269 FPS offers a marginal increase over Medium but sacrifices visual fidelity for a gain that is unlikely to be perceptible on most monitors. High and Ultra presets at 163 FPS and 111 FPS respectively are still smooth but represent a significant visual upgrade over Medium, though the frame rate drop from Medium to High is substantial.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is once again the standout, providing 161 FPS with a minimum of 137 FPS. This is the sweet spot for 1440p, offering a balance between visual quality and frame rate that keeps the experience fluid. High at 110 FPS is also viable for those prioritizing image quality, but the jump to Ultra at 75 FPS is a severe trade-off, reducing the average by 35 FPS. For a game like ArcheAge, where combat and world traversal benefit from smoothness, Medium is the recommended preset at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. Medium delivers 92 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS, which is the only preset that maintains a frame rate comfortably above 60 FPS. High at 63 FPS is playable but hovers near the 60 FPS threshold, making it susceptible to drops in busy scenes. Low at 104 FPS is the fastest option but minimizes the visual benefits of 4K. Ultra at 43 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The data indicates that Medium is the optimal preset for 4K, as it provides a playable frame rate while retaining enough graphical detail to justify the resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve over 144 FPS consistently?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 240 FPS with a minimum of 204 FPS, ensuring a consistent experience above 144 FPS. The Low preset at 269 FPS also exceeds this threshold, but Medium is the highest quality setting that maintains this performance level.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in ArcheAge?

A: Yes, but with caveats. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 92 FPS, which is smooth. The High preset averages 63 FPS, which is playable but close to the 60 FPS boundary. The Ultra preset drops to 43 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K on the same settings?

A: For High settings, 1080p averages 163 FPS while 4K averages 63 FPS, a 61% reduction. For Low settings, 1080p averages 269 FPS and 4K averages 104 FPS, also a 61% reduction. This indicates a consistent scaling pattern driven by GPU load.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at lower resolutions?

A: The data suggests the CPU becomes the limiting factor at 1080p. The frame rate at Low settings (269 FPS) is exceptionally high, but the gap between Low and Medium (240 FPS) is smaller than the gap between Medium and High (163 FPS), indicating the engine's processing capability is being approached.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The minimum FPS for Medium settings is 204 at 1920x1080, 137 at 2560x1440, and 79 at 3840x2160. These values indicate that the combo maintains a stable frame rate without severe dips.

Q: How does the frame rate drop from 1440p to 4K compare to the drop from 1080p to 1440p?

A: For High settings, the drop from 1440p (110 FPS) to 4K (63 FPS) is 43%, while the drop from 1080p (163 FPS) to 1440p (110 FPS) is 33%. The larger drop at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for ArcheAge, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 203rd out of 3708 combos. This places it in the top 5.5% of all tested systems, a strong showing that underscores its high-end status. The rank is a holistic measure that considers performance across multiple resolutions and settings, and the measured FPS data confirms that this combo excels at high refresh rates in 1080p and 1440p, while still being capable of solid 4K performance.

The percentile ranking of the individual components supports this position. The CPU is in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. This alignment of high-performing components results in a balanced system for ArcheAge. The combo's rank of 203 suggests that while many other configurations may be faster, the i7-13700K and RTX 4080 combination offers a level of performance that is well above the median. The data shows that this system is not constrained by a weak link; both the processor and graphics card are capable of handling the game's demands, and the final performance is a product of their combined strengths.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. For ArcheAge, the game's engine, which was released in 2014, is unlikely to utilize all 16 cores effectively. The benchmark results for the CPU show a significant difference between single-thread and multi-thread performance. The CPU scores 1136 in 3dmark_single_thread and 2116 in cinebench_r23_singlecore, while its multi-thread scores are much higher, such as 30745 in cinebench_r23_multicore and 45887 in passmark_multithread.

In the context of ArcheAge, the single-thread performance is more critical. The game's core simulation and render thread are typically bound to one or two cores. The i7-13700K's strong single-core boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that this primary thread is processed quickly, which is why the system can achieve frame rates above 240 FPS at 1080p. The high multi-thread score (30745 in cinebench_r23_multicore) confirms the CPU's overall capability, but the data suggests that the game does not scale perfectly with the 16 cores. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (269 FPS) is likely near the engine's limit, as the CPU's single-thread performance becomes the bottleneck. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache may also help with game data access, but the primary driver of performance is the clock speed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across the board. The Low preset averages 269 FPS, which is the highest recorded for this combo. Medium averages 240 FPS with a minimum of 204 FPS and a maximum of 276 FPS, showing excellent frame pacing. High averages 163 FPS, and Ultra averages 111 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and speed, with the largest single drop occurring between Medium and High.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down but remains impressive. Low averages 181 FPS, Medium averages 161 FPS with a minimum of 137 FPS and a maximum of 186 FPS, High averages 110 FPS, and Ultra averages 75 FPS. The 1440p results show that the combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution, with even the High preset providing over 100 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one that dips below 100 FPS, but at 75 FPS it is still playable.

At 3840x2160, the GPU load increases significantly. Low averages 104 FPS, Medium averages 92 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, High averages 63 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The 4K results reveal that the RTX 4080 is capable of running the game at playable frame rates, but the Ultra preset is not viable for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset is the only one that maintains an average above 90 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 4K. The minimum FPS values for Medium at all resolutions (204 at 1080p, 137 at 1440p, 79 at 4K) indicate that the system does not suffer from severe stutters, providing a consistent experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end graphics card based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz. With 9728 shading units and 304 TMUs, the card is designed for high-throughput rendering. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rate drops significantly compared to 1080p, regardless of settings, which is a clear indication of GPU-bound workloads.

The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM is sufficient for ArcheAge at all tested settings and resolutions. The game, being from 2014, does not have massive texture requirements, so the memory capacity is not a limiting factor. The 716.8 GB/s bandwidth ensures that texture data can be fed to the GPU quickly, which is crucial for maintaining frame rates at 4K. The GPU's benchmark scores, such as 34457 in passmark_g3d and 214739 in geekbench_opencl, confirm its high compute capability. In comparison to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 scores 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54247 vs 54209), but 1.1% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X and 2.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB. Despite these minor differences in synthetic benchmarks, the measured FPS in ArcheAge shows that the RTX 4080 is well-utilized, particularly at 1440p and 4K where the GPU's shading and rasterization capabilities are fully exercised.