Archeage

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination delivers playable frame rates in Archeage at 1080p, but the data indicates a significant drop-off as resolution increases. The measured performance suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom for the game's MMO workload.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves 78 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops this to 52 FPS, a reduction of 26 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 30 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p figure. This steep decline—from 78 to 52 to 30 FPS across the three resolutions—indicates that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, a hallmark of a graphics card operating near its limits.

The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. With Low settings, the combo produces 129 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. Medium settings show 115, 77, and 44 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding 53, 36, and 20 FPS at the same resolutions. The consistent proportional drop between 1080p and 1440p (roughly a 33-38% reduction in frame rate) and then another substantial fall to 4K (roughly another 40-45% reduction) confirms that the GPU is the limiting component.

This scaling behavior has practical implications. The 30 FPS average at 4K High is borderline for playable MMO gameplay, and the 20 FPS at 4K Ultra is clearly not smooth. The 50 FPS at 4K Low is playable but requires sacrificing visual fidelity. The data suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo if you want a consistent experience, as the 52 FPS at High settings is acceptable, and the 36 FPS at Ultra is workable for slower-paced content. The 1080p results show that the combo has plenty of headroom at the lowest resolution, with 129 FPS on Low and 78 FPS on High.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the decisive factor in these benchmark results. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the textures and assets in Archeage at 1080p and 1440p. The 4K results, however, suggest that the memory bandwidth and the GPU's compute capabilities are stretched thin, as frame rates drop below the 60 FPS threshold even on Low settings.

The card's clock speeds are modest by modern standards, with a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz. These clocks, combined with 2176 shading units, deliver 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The benchmark data shows that this level of compute is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K, where the pixel throughput demands are substantially higher. The 64 ROPs and 224.4 GTexel/s texture rate are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 105.6 GPixel/s pixel rate struggles at 3840x2160.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 62 among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier. Its average benchmark score of 18093 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, -0.4% delta), which indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is performing at the expected level for its class. The nearest rival data shows a tight cluster, with the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, -0.5%) and AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, -1.5%) being close competitors. This suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER is a well-known quantity, and its performance in Archeage is representative of its overall capabilities.

The data indicates that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is not the primary constraint at these settings, as the frame rate drops are more consistent with compute and bandwidth limitations. The memory clocks of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) are standard for the GDDR6 generation, and the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for the game's requirements at lower resolutions. The bottleneck becomes apparent at 4K, where the combination of higher pixel count and texture detail overwhelms the GPU's throughput capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2624 out of 3708 tested combinations in Archeage, placing it in the 29th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the CPU is a newer, more capable part. The rank suggests that while this combination is not at the top of the performance hierarchy, it is far from the bottom, and it is capable of running the game at acceptable frame rates with the right settings.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance ceiling. The RTX 2060 SUPER's percentile of 62 among all GPUs is the limiting factor, as the CPU's percentile of 85 among all CPUs indicates a much stronger relative position. This disparity means that the combo's overall ranking is pulled down by the GPU, even though the CPU has headroom to spare. The data shows that pairing a stronger GPU with the Core Ultra 5 225 would yield a significantly higher combo rank, as the CPU would not be the bottleneck.

The combo's rank of 2624 out of 3708 means that approximately 1084 tested combinations perform worse in this game. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum. For context, this is a reasonable result for a mid-range GPU paired with a modern mid-range CPU, but it is not a pairing that will excel at maximum settings or high resolutions. The rank is a reflection of the GPU's age and its performance relative to newer parts, not a commentary on the CPU's capabilities.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Archeage?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo achieves 78 FPS, which is well above the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the frame rate drops to 52 FPS on High, which is still acceptable but tighter. The 3840x2160 results (30 FPS on High) are below ideal for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093. This is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, -0.4% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, -0.5%). The AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373) is actually 1.5% higher, which shows how tightly clustered these mid-range parts are.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The resolution scaling data points clearly to the GPU. Frame rates drop by roughly 33-38% from 1080p to 1440p and another 40-45% from 1440p to 4K across all settings. This is a textbook GPU-bound pattern. The CPU's high benchmark scores (85th percentile) suggest it is not the primary constraint.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 87 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 36 FPS. This is a 51 FPS difference. Medium settings sit in between at 77 FPS, and High settings are at 52 FPS. This shows that the Ultra preset is disproportionately demanding relative to the visual gains.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Archeage?

A: Technically yes, but not at high frame rates. The data shows a 30 FPS average at 4K High and 20 FPS at 4K Ultra. The only way to get a smoother experience at 4K is to use Low settings, which yields 50 FPS. This is playable but requires significant visual compromises.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938. This is within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, -0.4%). The Intel Core i9-12900T (37112) is 0.5% higher. These are all statistically equivalent scores.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 provides a solid foundation for this gaming combo. Its 10 cores and 10 threads are arranged in a configuration that handles the MMO workload of Archeage effectively. The base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz are competitive, and the 20 MB of shared L3 cache, combined with 3 MB of L2 cache per core, helps with the game's data access patterns.

The CPU's benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and single-core score of 3655 are indicative of a capable processor. The PassMark multi-thread score of 30459 and single-thread score of 4412 further confirm this. The CPU's percentile ranking of 85 among all CPUs places it in the upper tier, and its average benchmark score of 36938 is within 0.5% of several close rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D. This suggests that the CPU is not a weak link in the system.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth is more than sufficient for the game's requirements. The 3nm process node and 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die indicate a modern, efficient design. The Arc Xe-LPG integrated graphics with 16 EU are present but not relevant for this discrete GPU configuration. The data shows that the CPU has ample headroom in this game, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling being almost entirely dependent on resolution rather than CPU-intensive scenarios.

The CPU's role in Archeage is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle the game's simulation logic. The benchmark results suggest that the Core Ultra 5 225 is more than capable of this task, as the measured frame rates at 1080p are high enough that the CPU is not the bottleneck. The 129 FPS at 1080p Low and 78 FPS at 1080p High are indicative of a system where the GPU is the limiting factor, even at the lowest resolution. This is a healthy balance for a gaming PC, as it means the CPU has headroom for future GPU upgrades.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this combo. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 115 FPS and a minimum of 97 FPS. This is a smooth experience that maintains good frame pacing. The High preset at 78 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset's higher minimum frame rate (97 vs. no min data for High) suggests better consistency. The Low preset at 129 FPS is unnecessary unless you are chasing maximum refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It delivers 77 FPS with a minimum of 66 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 52 FPS is playable but may show stutters in crowded areas. The Low preset at 87 FPS is an option for competitive play, but the visual downgrade is significant. The Ultra preset at 36 FPS is not recommended for general use, as the frame rate is too low for a consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, the data presents a more challenging scenario. The Low preset at 50 FPS is the only setting that provides a playable frame rate. The Medium preset at 44 FPS (with a minimum of 38 FPS) is borderline, and the High preset at 30 FPS is below the playable threshold. The Ultra preset at 20 FPS is not viable for anything other than screenshots. For 4K, the recommendation is to use Low settings if you must play at this resolution, or to drop to 1440p for a better experience.

The overall best experience for this combo is at 1080p with Medium settings. This provides a high average frame rate (115 FPS) with a strong minimum (97 FPS), ensuring smooth gameplay in all but the most demanding MMO scenarios. The 1440p Medium settings are a viable alternative for users with a higher-resolution monitor, offering 77 FPS average and 66 FPS minimum. For users prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate, the 1080p High preset at 78 FPS is a reasonable compromise, as it maintains a playable frame rate while improving texture and shadow quality.