Archeage

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a performance profile in Archeage that is heavily dictated by resolution and graphics presets. The data shows a clear transition from a CPU-bound scenario at 1080p to a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, with the combination ranking in the 58th percentile of tested configurations. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across all settings to identify where this pairing excels and where it falls short.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the shifting bottleneck between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 142 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops this to 96 FPS, a 32% reduction, and at 3840x2160 Low, it falls further to 55 FPS, which is 61% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases, even at the lowest graphical load.

The trend is consistent across all presets. For High settings, the average FPS drops from 86 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p (a 33% decrease) and then to 33 at 4K (a 62% decrease from 1080p). The scaling is nearly linear, suggesting that the RTX 2070 SUPER is fully saturated at higher resolutions.

At 1080p, the performance gap between settings is relatively modest. The difference between Low (142 FPS) and Medium (126 FPS) is only 11%, and even High (86 FPS) retains a playable frame rate. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately, and the frame rate is more dependent on the graphics settings than on the processor’s limits.

The 4K results tell a different story. The drop from Ultra (23 FPS) to High (33 FPS) is 30%, but the jump from High to Medium (49 FPS) is another 48% improvement. This disproportionate scaling at 4K confirms that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the dominant constraint, and reducing settings provides outsized gains because the GPU is the bottleneck.

GPU Role

The RTX 2070 SUPER’s specifications are central to understanding its 4K performance limitations. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, the card provides a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The 1605 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost clocks are typical for the Turing architecture, but the data suggests that raw fill rate is the limiting factor at high resolutions.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 20282. Its nearest rivals show it performing slightly below the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and the RTX 3070 Mobile, with deltaPct values of -1% to -1.5%. This indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER is a mid-to-upper tier card, but not a flagship, and its 4K performance in Archeage reflects this positioning.

The 4K Medium result (49 FPS) with a minimum of 41 FPS and maximum of 56 FPS shows that the card can handle 4K if settings are moderated. The 4K Ultra result of 23 FPS, however, is below the playable threshold for most users. The card’s 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs are insufficient for the extreme pixel fill rate demanded by 4K Ultra in this MMO.

At 1440p, the GPU performs more comfortably. The Medium preset achieves 85 FPS with a range of 72 to 98 FPS, and High reaches 58 FPS. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot where the RTX 2070 SUPER can maintain high frame rates without being overly constrained by its memory bandwidth or compute throughput.

FAQ

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER capable of running Archeage at 4K?

A: Yes, but only with reduced settings. The data shows 55 FPS at 4K Low and 49 FPS at 4K Medium, which are playable, but 4K High (33 FPS) and 4K Ultra (23 FPS) fall below typical smoothness thresholds.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 142 FPS, and the scaling from Low to Medium (126 FPS) is only an 11% drop. This indicates that the Core Ultra 5 225 is not the bottleneck at this resolution, as the GPU is still able to produce high frame rates.

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

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 is the optimal balance. At Medium settings, it delivers 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS, providing a smooth experience without the sharp FPS drop seen at 4K.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2147 out of 3708 tested combos in Archeage, placing it in the 58th percentile. This indicates it performs better than a majority of systems, but is not in the top tier.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Archeage?

A: While the 8 GB GDDR6 memory is not directly cited as a cause of frame drops, the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is a limiting factor at 4K. The steep FPS decline at higher resolutions is consistent with a GPU that is constrained by its memory subsystem.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 5 225 holding back the GPU?

A: At 1080p, the high FPS numbers (142 Low, 126 Medium) suggest the CPU is not a limiting factor. However, the 10-core, 10-thread processor with a 4.90 GHz boost clock is likely sufficient for Archeage’s MMO workload, which rarely scales beyond a few threads.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 142 FPS. Medium settings yield 126 FPS average, with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS, indicating consistent performance. High settings drop to 86 FPS average. Ultra settings are the most demanding, yielding only 59 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down predictably. Low settings give 96 FPS average. Medium settings produce 85 FPS average, with a range of 72 to 98 FPS. High settings yield 58 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 39 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly stretched. Low settings manage 55 FPS average. Medium settings provide 49 FPS average, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS. High settings drop to 33 FPS. Ultra settings are the worst, with only 23 FPS average, making the game effectively unplayable at this preset.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the gap between Low and Medium is relatively small, while the gap between High and Ultra is substantial. For instance, at 1440p, Low (96 FPS) to Medium (85 FPS) is a 11% drop, but High (58 FPS) to Ultra (39 FPS) is a 33% drop. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that disproportionately impact the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2147 out of 3708 tested combos places it at roughly the 58th percentile among all systems tested in Archeage. This is a solid mid-pack result, indicating that the RTX 2070 SUPER and Core Ultra 5 225 combination is capable of running the game well, but it is far from the top performers.

The GPU’s percentile rank of 65% among all GPUs is higher than the combo’s overall rank, suggesting that the CPU may be slightly holding back the system in this specific game. However, the CPU’s percentile rank of 85% among all CPUs indicates that the processor itself is strong. The discrepancy suggests that Archeage may not fully utilize the CPU’s capabilities, or that the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions.

Compared to its nearest GPU rivals, the RTX 2070 SUPER is 1% slower than the Quadro M4000M and 1.2% slower than the RTX 3070 Mobile. These small differences in synthetic benchmarks do not necessarily translate to identical performance in Archeage, but they provide a reference point for its relative standing.

The combo’s rank is not a reflection of poor hardware, but rather the high demands of Archeage at 4K. At 1080p and 1440p, the system is clearly capable of delivering high frame rates, placing it well above the median in practical terms.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth experience, the data points to 2560x1440 with Medium settings as the best balance of visual quality and performance. The 85 FPS average with a 72 FPS minimum ensures that gameplay remains fluid even in busy scenes. This is the highest resolution at which the combo maintains an average above 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, High settings (86 FPS) are the recommended choice for users who prioritize visual fidelity. The drop to Ultra (59 FPS) is significant and may introduce noticeable stutter in crowded areas, so High is the safe maximum.

For users who insist on 4K, the Medium preset (49 FPS) is the only viable option. The 41 FPS minimum is below the ideal threshold, but playable for less action-oriented content. Low settings (55 FPS) provide a more stable experience, but at a significant visual cost.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution above 1080p. At 1440p, it yields 39 FPS, and at 4K, it drops to 23 FPS. The visual improvements from High to Ultra are unlikely to justify the 33% to 43% performance hit.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. With a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, it provides strong single-thread performance, which is crucial for MMO games like Archeage that often rely on a primary game thread.

The CPU’s benchmark results show a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655. Its Passmark single-thread score of 4412 places it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, indicating excellent single-threaded capability. This is reflected in the game’s performance at 1080p, where the CPU is able to feed the GPU efficiently.

The nearest CPU rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the Ryzen 5 5500X3D, with deltaPct values of 0% and -0.2%, respectively. This shows the Core Ultra 5 225 is on par with these popular gaming processors in synthetic benchmarks.

In Archeage, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p Low, where the 142 FPS result suggests the processor is not the bottleneck. However, at 4K, the CPU’s performance becomes less relevant as the GPU takes over as the limiting factor. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient for the game’s data demands.

The 65 W TDP is notably low for a 10-core processor, indicating efficient power delivery. This efficiency does not appear to sacrifice performance in this game, as the high frame rates at 1080p demonstrate. The CPU’s lack of a multiplier unlock is irrelevant to its gaming performance here.

Overall, the Core Ultra 5 225 provides a solid foundation for the RTX 2070 SUPER, ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data at lower resolutions. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield better 4K performance, while upgrading the CPU would provide marginal gains at best for this specific title.