Archeage

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a starkly lopsided performance profile in Archeage. The processor is a top-tier desktop part, while the graphics solution is an integrated-class component operating with system-shared memory. Benchmark results confirm this imbalance: the combo ranks 2546th out of 2761 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all combinations. The measured frame rates reveal that this system is fundamentally limited by its graphics subsystem, with playable performance only achievable at lower resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and reveals the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 39 at 1920x1080 to 26 at 2560x1440, then to 15 at 3840x2160. That represents a 33% performance loss from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 42% loss from 1440p to 4K. The pixel count increase from 1080p to 4K is roughly fourfold, yet the frame rate drops by only 62%, suggesting the integrated GPU is already struggling at the lowest resolution and cannot scale efficiently as load increases.

The Low settings preset shows a similar pattern but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the system manages 65 FPS, which drops to 43 at 1440p and 25 at 4K. The percentage declines are 34% and 42% respectively, closely mirroring the High settings scaling. This consistency indicates that resolution scaling is purely GPU-bound; the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames at any resolution, but the Arc B370's fill rate and shading capacity collapse as pixel count rises.

Medium settings provide the only complete min/max data in the pack. At 1080p Medium, average FPS is 57 with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 66. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 39 with min/max of 33/44. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 22 with min/max of 19/25. The tight min/max spreads at each resolution suggest consistent frame pacing without severe stutters, but the absolute values are too low for smooth gameplay at 4K. The Ultra preset is essentially unplayable everywhere, with 27 FPS at 1080p, 18 at 1440p, and 10 at 4K.

The scaling behavior indicates that the limiting component is definitively the GPU. A CPU-bound scenario would show relatively flat FPS across resolutions, but the data shows steep, predictable declines that track with pixel count. The i7-14700K's 20 cores and 28 threads are irrelevant to this scaling curve; the Arc B370's 1280 shading units and 20 ROPs simply cannot sustain acceptable throughput beyond 1080p.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on a 3 nm process. Its base clock is 300 MHz with a boost of 2400 MHz, and it draws a nominal 25 W TDP. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning the GPU borrows from system RAM rather than having dedicated VRAM. This is reflected in its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs.

The nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark data are older discrete parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher). The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower. These comparisons show the Arc B370 is roughly equivalent to a decade-old entry-level discrete GPU, which explains its poor performance in a 2014-era MMORPG like Archeage.

The system-shared memory architecture is particularly problematic for gaming. With no dedicated VRAM, the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, and the bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent." This means performance can vary based on the system's RAM configuration, but the measured results suggest the effective bandwidth is insufficient for modern game rendering. The 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is theoretical; the actual throughput is constrained by memory access and the 40 TMUs and 20 ROPs.

The low 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs is telling. The Arc B370 is designed for portable devices and low-power scenarios, not for gaming. In Archeage, which is not a graphically demanding title by modern standards, the GPU still fails to maintain 60 FPS at 1080p on any settings preset. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields only 27 FPS, and the Low preset tops out at 65 FPS. The data suggests that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is nearly saturated.

Given the 25 W TDP and integrated form factor, the Arc B370 is clearly not intended for this workload. Its 3DMark score of 1184 versus the i7-14700K's CPU benchmarks (Cinebench R23 multi-core of 33440.5, for example) illustrates the massive disparity between the two components. The CPU is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 5th percentile. This is a textbook case of a CPU vastly outperforming its paired graphics solution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a Raptor Lake Refresh part with 20 cores and 28 threads. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost of 5.60 GHz, and it carries a 125 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. In general compute benchmarks, it scores 33440.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2160 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 20767 and single-core of 2569.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all AMD parts: the EPYC 9115 scores 69288 (0.1% higher), the Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515 (0.2% higher), the Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875 (0.7% higher), and the Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996 (0.9% higher). These deltas are all within 1%, showing the i7-14700K is competitive with modern high-end processors, though slightly behind the fastest AMD options.

In Archeage, the CPU's role is largely latent because the GPU bottleneck is so severe. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 65 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. This suggests the CPU can feed frames at that rate, but the GPU cannot go higher. The fact that the 1080p Ultra preset drops to 27 FPS while the CPU is identical confirms that the frame rate is determined by the graphics load, not the processor.

The i7-14700K's 20 cores and 28 threads are far more than Archeage needs. The game released in 2014, and even its most demanding scenes are unlikely to scale beyond a handful of threads. The high single-core performance (2160 in Cinebench R23 single-core, 4472 in Passmark single-thread) is more relevant, but even that is wasted when the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's percentile rank of 94 versus the GPU's rank of 5 underscores the mismatch.

The CPU's memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel bus is relevant only insofar as it feeds the system-shared GPU. If the system uses slower DDR4, the GPU's effective bandwidth will be lower, further hurting performance. The ECC support is a server-oriented feature irrelevant to gaming. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present but unused; the Arc B370 is the active display adapter.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 Low is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, averaging 65 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 57 FPS, which is still playable. Higher resolutions or settings yield diminishing returns and quickly become unplayable.

Q: Why does the system perform so poorly despite having a high-end CPU?

A: The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated GPU with system-shared memory, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is comparable to a decade-old discrete GPU. The CPU is in the 94th percentile, but the GPU bottleneck caps frame rates at low levels.

Q: Is the system more CPU-limited or GPU-limited in Archeage?

A: The data clearly shows a GPU limit. Frame rates drop sharply as resolution increases from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, with the same pattern across all settings presets. If the CPU were the limit, frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions.

Q: Can the system handle 4K gaming in Archeage?

A: No. At 4K, the highest measured average is 25 FPS on Low settings, and the Ultra preset averages only 10 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 FPS. These values are below playable thresholds.

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

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower than the Arc B370.

Q: What settings preset provides the most consistent frame pacing?

A: The Medium preset has the only complete min/max data. At 1080p, it ranges from 49 to 66 FPS with an average of 57. At 1440p, the range is 33 to 44 with an average of 39. At 4K, the range is 19 to 25 with an average of 22. The spreads are relatively narrow, indicating stable frame times.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. Low settings average 65 FPS, which is the single highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 66. High settings average 39 FPS, and Ultra settings average 27 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 8 FPS, while the gap from Medium to High is 18 FPS, showing a steep drop as quality increases.

At 2560x1440, performance falls across the board. Low settings average 43 FPS, a 34% reduction from 1080p. Medium settings average 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 and maximum of 44. High settings average 26 FPS, and Ultra settings average 18 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p delivers nearly the same average as High at 1080p (39 vs. 39), indicating that resolution scaling and quality scaling trade off roughly equally.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overmatched. Low settings average 25 FPS, which is the highest 4K result. Medium settings average 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 and maximum of 25. High settings average 15 FPS, and Ultra settings average 10 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K shows the tightest min/max spread in the dataset (19 to 25), but the absolute values are too low for enjoyable gameplay.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each settings tier costs roughly 10-15 FPS within a given resolution, and each resolution step costs roughly 35-40% of the frame rate. The Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration that approaches 60 FPS, and it barely exceeds it. The Medium preset at 1080p is the only other configuration that stays above 50 FPS. All other configurations fall below 45 FPS, with most falling below 30 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data supports a clear hierarchy for this CPU-GPU combination. The only configuration that achieves a truly smooth frame rate is 1920x1080 with Low settings, averaging 65 FPS. This should be the default recommendation for any user prioritizing gameplay fluidity. The Low preset sacrifices visual quality, but in an MMORPG like Archeage, consistent frame rates matter more than shadows or texture detail.

For users who want slightly better visuals, 1920x1080 Medium is a viable alternative, averaging 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS. This stays above the 45 FPS threshold that most players consider acceptable for a genre where reaction times matter. The min/max range of 49 to 66 FPS indicates stable frame pacing with no major drops. The trade-off is a 12% reduction in average FPS compared to Low.

The High preset at 1080p averages 39 FPS, which is playable for some users but marginal for competitive gameplay. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 27 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS minimum for smooth motion. Neither of these is recommended when Medium is available at 57 FPS. The jump from Medium to High costs 18 FPS, which is a significant loss for a modest visual upgrade.

At 1440p, the Medium preset averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS. This is the only 1440p configuration that stays above 30 FPS, making it the sole viable option at that resolution. The Low preset at 1440p averages 43 FPS, which is higher than Medium, but the visual quality difference may not justify the lower settings. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p average 26 and 18 FPS respectively, which are too low for general use.

At 4K, no configuration is recommended. The highest average is 25 FPS on Low, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for playability. The Medium preset averages 22 FPS, High averages 15 FPS, and Ultra averages 10 FPS. Users should avoid 4K entirely with this system, as even the lowest settings cannot deliver acceptable performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2546th out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the bottom 7.8% of all configurations. This ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU, which ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU ranks in the 94th percentile, so the combo's low position is a direct consequence of the graphics bottleneck.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark all score within 2% of the Arc B370. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 is 0.2% faster, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 is 0.5% faster, and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M is 0.7% faster. The AMD FirePro M2000 is 1.4% slower. These are all legacy or low-power parts, confirming the Arc B370's position at the bottom of the GPU performance stack.

The CPU's nearest rivals are all within 1% in average benchmark score. The AMD EPYC 9115 is 0.1% faster, the Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.2% faster, the Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.7% faster, and the Ryzen 7 9700F is 0.9% faster. The i7-14700K is essentially tied with these parts, showing that the processor is not a limiting factor in this combo's ranking.

The contrast between the CPU's 94th percentile and the GPU's 5th percentile creates an unusual profile. Most combos in the database have components that are more closely matched. The 2546th rank out of 2761 is consistent with a system where the GPU is the sole constraint. If the CPU were paired with a discrete GPU of average performance, the ranking would likely be in the top half. As measured, this combo is only suitable for low-resolution, low-settings gaming, and its rank reflects that reality.