Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, when paired with the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, demonstrates a performance profile that is heavily dictated by resolution and graphics settings. The measured data shows a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but becomes increasingly constrained as pixel count rises, typical of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across the tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, and then to 3840x2160, reveals a clear and predictable decline in frame rates across all settings presets. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 86 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p, a significant 33% reduction. Moving further to 4K, the High preset yields just 33 FPS, which is a 62% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, placing the primary burden on the GPU.

The scaling behavior is even more pronounced at lower settings. With the Low preset, the system achieves 142 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 96 FPS at 1440p and 55 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is approximately 61%, which is consistent with the High preset's scaling. This consistency suggests that even when the graphical workload is reduced, the sheer number of pixels at 4K still overwhelms the RTX 2070 SUPER.

Looking at the Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, we see that the frame pacing also suffers at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the Medium preset averages 126 FPS with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 85 FPS with a min-max range of 72-98 FPS. The 4K Medium result shows an average of 49 FPS with a range of 41-56 FPS. The width of the frame time variance remains relatively consistent, but the overall average is far lower, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K.

The data strongly suggests that at 1080p, the Core i9-14900K is capable of feeding the GPU with enough frames to reach 142 FPS on Low, indicating a balanced but slightly GPU-bound scenario at higher settings. However, at 4K, the RTX 2070 SUPER is clearly the bottleneck. The difference between the Low and High presets at 4K is 22 FPS (55 vs 33), which is a 40% performance penalty for increasing visual fidelity. This is a classic sign that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are saturated, and the CPU has ample headroom to spare.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with the Medium preset?

A: The measured average FPS is 126, with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra preset compare to the 4K High preset in terms of average FPS?

A: The 4K Ultra preset achieves an average of 23 FPS, while the 4K High preset achieves 33 FPS. Ultra is therefore 10 FPS slower on average.

Q: Is the frame rate at 1440p with the Low preset higher than the frame rate at 1080p with the High preset?

A: Yes. The 1440p Low preset averages 96 FPS, which is higher than the 1080p High preset's average of 86 FPS.

Q: What is the performance drop from 1080p to 1440p on the Ultra preset?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 59. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 39. This represents a 20 FPS reduction.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The highest average FPS is 142, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Does the 4K Medium preset maintain a playable frame rate?

A: The 4K Medium preset has an average of 49 FPS, which is above the 30 FPS threshold but may not be considered smooth for all players.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the defining component for this game's performance at higher resolutions. Its specifications show it is a Turing-architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. These characteristics determine the raw fill rate and shader processing capabilities, which are directly tested by Archeage's rendering engine.

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU's performance is the limiting factor at 4K. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1651 and a Passmark G3D score of 18169 place it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals, it trails the Intel Arc A750 by 1.5% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile by 1.2% in average benchmark score. This level of performance is sufficient for 1080p gaming but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with this specific title.

The memory configuration is also relevant. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Archeage, but the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is a potential constraint at 4K Ultra settings, where texture data and geometry overload the memory subsystem. The data shows that the scaling from 1440p to 4K is severe at all presets, suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth and processing power are being pushed to their limits. The 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a good indicator of its raw compute capability, which is more than enough for a game from 2014, but the pixel throughput requirements at 4K remain the primary challenge.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its strongest performance. The Low preset yields an average of 142 FPS, providing a very smooth experience for fast-paced gameplay. The Medium preset averages 126 FPS, with a min-max range of 107-145 FPS, which shows good frame consistency. The High preset drops to an average of 86 FPS, still a solid playable frame rate. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of 59 FPS, which is just at the threshold of what many consider acceptable for smooth play.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. Low settings average 96 FPS, which is still very good. Medium settings average 85 FPS, with a range of 72-98 FPS. High settings produce 58 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset falls to 39 FPS, which begins to feel less fluid and may impact gameplay in crowded areas.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings yield an average of 55 FPS, which is the only preset to break the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 49 FPS (min 41, max 56), providing a stutter-prone experience. High settings drop to 33 FPS, which is on the edge of playability. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, delivering only 23 FPS, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay. The data shows a clear hierarchy where each step up in resolution or settings has a substantial impact on the average FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Archeage, the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combo ranks 2147 out of 3708 total configurations. This places it in the lower half of all tested setups, specifically in the 42nd percentile. This ranking is a direct result of the GPU's mid-range performance level, as the CPU is a top-tier component.

The ranking is likely dragged down by the GPU's performance ceiling. The GPU has a percentile of 65 against all GPUs, but its average benchmark score of 20282 is just 1% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and 1.5% lower than the Intel Arc A750. This places the RTX 2070 SUPER in a specific performance tier. When paired with a flagship CPU like the i9-14900K, the GPU is often the component that holds back the overall system ranking in this database. The CPU's high performance cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations in a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, which is why the combo rank is not higher.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor from the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5. It holds a 95th percentile ranking against all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 79097 is only 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-14900KF.

In the context of Archeage, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The fact that the Low preset can reach 142 FPS indicates that the CPU can deliver frames quickly enough for the GPU to process. However, the CPU does not help at higher resolutions. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is almost entirely due to the GPU's workload, suggesting that the i9-14900K has significant headroom left on the table.

The CPU's massive multi-threading capabilities, evidenced by a Passmark multi-thread score of 58674, are largely irrelevant for this game's frame rate at 4K. The benchmark results show that the GPU is the bottleneck. While the CPU can easily handle the game's single-threaded load, as shown by its Passmark single-thread score of 4697, its performance does not scale to overcome GPU limitations. Therefore, the CPU's role in this configuration is to ensure that it never becomes the bottleneck, which it does not, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of FPS at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear guide for optimizing the gameplay experience. For players with a 1080p monitor, the Medium preset is the best balance of visual quality and performance, offering an average of 126 FPS with a minimum of 107 FPS. This ensures a consistently smooth experience without the visual compromises of the Low preset. The High preset is also viable at 1080p, with 86 FPS, providing better visuals for those who prefer fidelity over maximum frame rates.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 85 FPS and a minimum of 72 FPS, which is generally smooth. The Low preset can achieve 96 FPS, but the visual degradation may be significant. The High preset at 58 FPS is playable but may be subject to noticeable frame drops in busy scenes. The Ultra preset at 39 FPS is not recommended for a fluid experience.

For 4K resolution, the Low preset is the only option that approaches a playable frame rate, averaging 55 FPS. The Medium preset yields 49 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced content but may not be ideal. The High and Ultra presets should be avoided, as they produce average frame rates of 33 and 23 FPS, respectively, which are too low for responsive gameplay. For the best experience on this combination, the data suggests prioritizing resolution over settings, or dropping to 1440p Medium to achieve a more consistent frame rate.