Archeage

Archeage, an MMORPG that launched in 2014, remains a demanding title for modern hardware, particularly when paired with a flagship GPU like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D and a mid-range Intel Core Ultra 5 225. The measured FPS data reveals a fascinating dynamic where the CPU, rather than the GPU, often becomes the primary bottleneck, especially at lower resolutions. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark results to understand how this specific combination behaves across different settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Archeage shows a classic pattern of resolution scaling, but with a distinct inflection point that reveals the CPU's influence. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 293 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 219 FPS, a 25% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 125 FPS, a further 43% drop from 1440p. This steep decline as resolution increases indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

However, the scaling at higher settings tells a slightly different story. At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 134 at 1080p to 90 at 1440p (a 33% reduction), and then to 52 at 4K (a 42% reduction from 1440p). This consistent percentage drop across all resolutions at Ultra suggests that the workload is scaling more linearly with pixel count, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. The fact that the 1080p to 1440p drop (33%) is larger than the 1080p to 1440p drop at Low settings (25%) implies that at Ultra presets, the GPU is more fully engaged, and the CPU has less headroom to compensate.

The data implies that the RTX 5090 D is immensely powerful, but its potential is not fully realized at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 293 FPS average is likely close to a CPU-imposed ceiling, as the Core Ultra 5 225 with its 10 cores and 10 threads cannot feed frames fast enough to push higher. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings shows a significant FPS penalty, which suggests that while the GPU is taking on more work, the CPU is still struggling to keep up. It is not until 4K resolution that the GPU's workload becomes so heavy that it clearly becomes the dominant bottleneck, as evidenced by the 125 FPS average at Low settings, which is still very high but shows a more pronounced scaling with pixel count.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for different priorities. For players seeking the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers an average of 293 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor. The Medium preset at 1080p is only slightly slower at 282 FPS, making it an excellent choice for a balance between visual fidelity and performance. The High preset at 1080p drops to 197 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth, but the 85 FPS difference between Low and High is substantial.

At 1440p, the Medium preset stands out as the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 195 FPS, which is only 24 FPS less than the Low preset (219 FPS) but offers significantly better visuals. The High preset at 1440p, with an average of 132 FPS, is still very playable, but the jump from Medium to High costs 63 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is a demanding option, averaging 90 FPS, which is playable but drops below the 100 FPS mark that many competitive players prefer.

The 4K resolution results show that the RTX 5090 D is capable of handling even the most demanding presets. The Low preset at 4K averages 125 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 112 FPS. These are both excellent results for 4K gaming. The High preset at 4K averages 76 FPS, which is still smooth, but the Ultra preset at 4K drops to 52 FPS, which is on the edge of what is considered a playable frame rate for many users. Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality at both 1440p and 4K, while at 1080p, the Medium preset is also highly recommended due to its near-Low FPS and substantially better visuals.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz and it boosts up to 4.90 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 25,891 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,655 in single-core. Its average benchmark score of 36,938 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which scores 36,945, a 0% delta.

In Archeage, the CPU's role is critical, as evidenced by the FPS data at lower resolutions. The game's engine appears to be heavily reliant on single-thread performance and core count. With 10 cores and 10 threads, the Core Ultra 5 225 provides a solid foundation, but the FPS ceiling at 1080p Low (293 FPS) suggests that the processor is the limiting factor in this scenario. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,412 is strong, but the game's engine may not be perfectly optimized for the architecture.

The data implies that at 1080p and even 1440p, the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls is what determines the maximum achievable FPS, not the GPU. The substantial FPS drops when increasing settings from Low to High at 1080p (293 to 197 FPS) are more likely due to increased CPU workload from more complex scene geometry and physics, rather than GPU limitations. The fact that the 4K Low preset still manages 125 FPS shows that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's high pixel output, but the gap between 1080p and 4K at Low settings (293 vs 125 FPS) is larger than what a purely GPU-bound system would show, indicating the CPU is still a constraining element even at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 14th out of 2,761 combos in Archeage. This is a top-tier ranking, placing it in the top 0.5% of all tested combinations. The high rank is primarily driven by the RTX 5090 D's immense raw power, which is in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs.

However, the CPU's rank in the 85th percentile is lower than the GPU's, which suggests a slight imbalance. The data shows that the combo ranks very highly, but it is not the absolute best. This indicates that while this pairing is exceptionally fast, it is not perfectly optimized for Archeage. The CPU, while capable, may not be able to fully unlock the RTX 5090 D's potential in all scenarios. The 14th place ranking out of 2,761 combos is a strong testament to the overall performance, but it also hints that other combinations with more powerful CPUs might achieve even higher frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU is the primary bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship graphics card built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2407 MHz, and it houses 21,760 shading units. The card's PassMark G3D score is 44,065, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, which scores 76,904, a 1.1% delta.

In Archeage, the GPU's role becomes increasingly important as resolution and settings are increased. At 1080p, the GPU is not the main constraint, as the CPU limits performance. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU is fully taxed, delivering only 52 FPS. This shows that even a card as powerful as the RTX 5090 D can be brought to its knees by the most demanding settings. The 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for any scenario in this game, but the sheer computational load of 4K Ultra is what causes the FPS to drop.

The data indicates that the RTX 5090 D's performance scales well with resolution. The difference between 1080p Ultra (134 FPS) and 4K Ultra (52 FPS) is a 61% drop, which is substantial but expected for a game with such a high pixel load. The card's high bandwidth and pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s are likely key factors in maintaining playable frame rates at 4K, even at High settings. The GPU is the dominant force behind the high ranking of this combo, and its power is only fully realized at 4K, where the CPU's influence is diminished.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in Archeage?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 293 at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU performance at 1080p compare to 4K?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 293, while at 4K Low, it is 125. This indicates the CPU is a significant limiter at 1080p, but the GPU becomes more of a bottleneck as resolution increases.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 195 FPS, while the High preset averages 132 FPS, a difference of 63 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K resolution?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 52 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold typically considered smooth, but it is still a playable frame rate for many.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 14th out of 2,761 tested combinations, placing it in the top 0.5% of all systems.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded in the data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 52, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measured for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

|:--- |:--- |:--- |

| 3840x2160 | High | 76 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 125 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 112 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 52 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 132 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 219 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 195 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 90 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 197 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 293 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 282 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 134 |

For the Medium preset, additional data is available. At 4K, the minimum FPS is 95 and the maximum is 128. At 1440p, the minimum is 166 and the maximum is 224. At 1080p, the minimum is 239 and the maximum is 324. This data shows that the frame time consistency is reasonable, with the 1080p Medium preset showing a 85 FPS spread between min and max, while the 1440p Medium preset shows a 58 FPS spread. This suggests that even at lower settings, the game can have occasional frame dips, but the overall experience remains smooth.