Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, still demands significant hardware headroom at maximum settings. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER across resolutions and presets. The data reveals a configuration that excels at high refresh rates in standard presets but encounters a steep penalty when Ultra settings are enabled, particularly at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate trajectory from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates where the bottleneck shifts. At Low settings, the combination produces 268.9 FPS at 1920x1080, 179.5 FPS at 2560x1440, and 104.2 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 61.3% drop from 1080p to 4K, indicating that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is being pushed harder as pixel count increases. The scaling is almost linear with the pixel count increase, confirming a GPU-limited scenario.

With Medium settings, the pattern holds but with a wider gap: 239 FPS at 1080p, 162.1 FPS at 1440p, and 92.3 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 43.1%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 32.2%. This non-linear scaling suggests that memory bandwidth and fill rate become more critical at higher resolutions, and the RTX 4080 SUPER's 736.3 GB/s bandwidth and 285.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are being taxed.

High settings produce 159.5 FPS at 1080p, 107.2 FPS at 1440p, and 63.1 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 4K drop is 60.4%, nearly identical to the Low preset's scaling. This consistency indicates that the game's rendering pipeline at these presets scales predictably with resolution, and the 4K result of 63.1 FPS is still playable but below the 70 FPS threshold many gamers target.

Ultra settings reveal the most dramatic scaling. The configuration delivers 109.7 FPS at 1080p, 72.1 FPS at 1440p, and only 39.7 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34.3%, but from 1440p to 4K the drop is 44.9%. This steeper decline at 4K Ultra suggests that the game's Ultra preset introduces effects that disproportionately impact the GPU's shader throughput and memory subsystem. The 4K Ultra result is below 40 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay despite the powerful hardware.

The data shows that the CPU, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is not the limiting factor at any resolution. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would typically be the bottleneck, the configuration reaches 268.9 FPS, indicating the i7-13700K's strong single-thread performance (1136 in 3dmark_single_thread) is sufficient to feed the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 107th out of 1727 tested combinations in Archeage. This places it in the top 6.2% of all configurations, which is a strong showing for a game that is not typically used to showcase high-end hardware. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's 93rd percentile performance and the GPU's 88th percentile standing.

The CPU's nearest rivals show minimal performance deltas. The Intel Core i7-13700KF scores 47334, just 0.1% higher, while the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 47131, 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is 0.5% higher at 47527. These tiny margins mean the choice between these CPUs would not meaningfully alter the Archeage experience, as the game's frame rates are more dependent on the GPU at higher settings.

For the GPU, the nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT with a score of 53489, only 0.2% lower than the RTX 4080 SUPER's 53610. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 0.4% lower, and the RTX 5070 Ti is 2.9% lower. In Archeage specifically, the RTX 4080 SUPER's advantage over these rivals would translate to a few frames per second at most, given the game's age and optimization level.

The 107th rank out of 1727 combos indicates that most higher-ranking configurations likely use newer or more specialized hardware, but for an MMORPG with large player populations and complex spell effects, this combo delivers a robust experience across most presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 268.9 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents the ceiling for this configuration in Archeage, and it is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor.

Q: Is 4K Ultra playable with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 39.7, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4K High preset, at 63.1 FPS, is the highest playable option at that resolution.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in Archeage?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K's performance is not a limiting factor. Its 3dmark single-thread score of 1136 and multicore score of 12412 ensure that it can keep up with the GPU at all tested settings. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking confirms it is a top-tier processor for this game.

Q: What is the best resolution-to-settings ratio for 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 107.2 FPS, which is excellent for fast-paced gameplay. The Medium preset offers 162.1 FPS for competitive play, while Ultra drops to 72.1 FPS, which is still smooth but not ideal for high-refresh displays.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER's memory configuration impact results?

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus with 736.3 GB/s bandwidth. This is sufficient for Archeage, even at 4K, but the Ultra preset's effects appear to tax the memory controller more heavily, as evidenced by the steep FPS drop at 4K Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration delivers 268.9 FPS on Low, 239 FPS on Medium, 159.5 FPS on High, and 109.7 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Medium is a 11.1% drop, from Medium to High is 33.3%, and from High to Ultra is 31.2%. The Ultra preset's cost is significant, cutting performance by more than half compared to Low.

At 2560x1440, the results are 179.5 FPS on Low, 162.1 FPS on Medium, 107.2 FPS on High, and 72.1 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 9.7%, from Medium to High is 33.9%, and from High to Ultra is 32.7%. The percentage drops are similar to 1080p, but the absolute frame rates are lower due to the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the configuration achieves 104.2 FPS on Low, 92.3 FPS on Medium, 63.1 FPS on High, and 39.7 FPS on Ultra. The Low to Medium drop is 11.4%, Medium to High is 31.6%, and High to Ultra is 37.1%. The High to Ultra drop is the largest percentage decrease across all resolutions, indicating that the Ultra preset's additional effects (likely shadows and post-processing) are particularly demanding at 4K.

The data shows that the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual fidelity at 1080p and 1440p, with frame rates of 239 and 162.1 respectively. At 4K, the High preset at 63.1 FPS is the only viable option for consistent gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary driver of performance in Archeage, especially at higher resolutions and settings. Its 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 816.0 GTexel/s texture rate are more than adequate for this game, but the Ultra preset's impact reveals a bottleneck in the memory subsystem.

The GPU's base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2550 MHz. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory operates at 1438 MHz with a 23 Gbps effective data rate. This memory configuration provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial but not unlimited. The 4K Ultra result of 39.7 FPS suggests that the game's Ultra preset exceeds the effective memory bandwidth for smooth operation.

The GPU's 112 ROPs and 320 TMUs are well-suited for the game's rendering needs. However, the 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are likely underutilized, as Archeage does not feature ray tracing or DLSS. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 34245 places it in the 88th percentile, and its nearest rivals show that the performance delta in synthetic benchmarks is minimal.

The GPU's 45,900 million transistors on a 5 nm TSMC process give it a transistor density of 121.1 million per square millimeter. This architectural efficiency does not translate to a linear performance advantage in Archeage, as the game's engine appears to be the limiting factor at Ultra settings.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080, the Medium preset at 239 FPS is the recommended choice for competitive play, while High at 159.5 FPS offers better visuals without sacrificing smoothness. Ultra at 109.7 FPS is playable but the visual improvement over High is not worth the 31.2% performance drop.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 162.1 FPS is ideal for high-refresh monitors, providing a smooth experience for both PvE and PvP content. The High preset at 107.2 FPS is also excellent and offers better image quality for those who prioritize visuals over absolute frame rates. Ultra at 72.1 FPS is borderline for competitive play but can be used for casual exploration.

At 3840x2160, the High preset at 63.1 FPS is the only recommended option. The Medium preset at 92.3 FPS is also viable and provides a higher frame rate buffer, but the visual fidelity difference between Medium and High is noticeable in an MMORPG with detailed environments. Ultra at 39.7 FPS should be avoided due to inconsistent frame pacing and the risk of drops below 30 FPS in crowded areas.

The data shows that this configuration is best suited for 1440p High or 1080p Ultra, where it delivers frame rates above 100 FPS. For 4K users, the High preset is the sweet spot, offering a 63.1 FPS average that remains playable even during large-scale battles. The Low preset at any resolution is not recommended, as the frame rate gains over Medium are minimal (11.1% at 1080p) but the visual degradation is severe.