Archeage

Archeage is an older MMORPG, but its performance with the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 reveals a system that is heavily dependent on resolution and settings. The data shows a clear progression from playable at 1080p to a slideshow at 4K Ultra, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher loads. This combo ranks in the bottom quarter of tested configurations, making it a pairing for 1080p gaming rather than high-resolution showcases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 118 FPS, which drops to 79 FPS at 1440p and further to 45 FPS at 4K. This represents a 62% drop in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a pattern that clearly points to the GPU struggling with pixel count.

The scaling becomes more punishing at higher settings. At High preset, the average FPS goes from 71 at 1080p to 48 at 1440p and finally to 27 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 32%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 44%, showing that the cost of each resolution step increases as the GPU becomes more saturated.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with 49 FPS at 1080p collapsing to 33 FPS at 1440p and a nearly unplayable 19 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 4K drop here is 61%, similar to the Low preset, but the absolute numbers are so low that even the 1080p result is marginal for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset shows the same trend with 105 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K.

The min FPS data, available only for Medium settings, reinforces the resolution sensitivity. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 89 FPS, which drops to 60 FPS at 1440p and 34 FPS at 4K. The gap between average and minimum FPS widens at higher resolutions, suggesting that frame pacing becomes less consistent as the GPU works harder.

The limiting component at 4K is clearly the Radeon RX 6600. The Core Ultra 5 235 with its 14 cores and 24 MB of L3 cache is more than capable of feeding frames at lower resolutions, but the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus become the constraint when pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K. The scaling pattern shows that the system is CPU-bound at 1080p Low (118 FPS) but becomes GPU-bound at 4K across all settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the workhorse in this pairing, and its specifications explain the performance ceiling. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is sufficient for 1080p and even 1440p gaming, but the 4K results show the memory subsystem and the 1792 shading units struggling to keep up.

The clock speeds are respectable, with a base of 1626 MHz and a boost of 2491 MHz. The game clock is rated at 2044 MHz, which is the typical sustained frequency during gaming loads. These clocks allow the GPU to deliver 8.928 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is decent for a card in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's benchmark scores put it in context. The Passmark G3D score is 15096, which places it near the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (19030) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19049) in the nearest rivals list. The deltaPct values are minimal, ranging from -0.3% to 0.4%, meaning these GPUs are effectively equivalent in synthetic benchmarks despite their different architectures.

In Archeage specifically, the GPU's performance at 4K shows its limitations. The 27 FPS at High and 19 FPS at Ultra are clear indicators that this card is not meant for 4K gaming. The 45 FPS at 4K Low is the only playable result at that resolution, and it still falls short of a smooth 60 FPS target. The 1440p results are more promising, with 79 FPS at Low and 71 FPS at Medium, suggesting that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this GPU in this game.

The VRAM situation is worth noting. With 8 GB of GDDR6, the card has enough memory for 1080p and 1440p textures, but the 4K results suggest that memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor. The 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is modest by modern standards, and the 128-bit bus width means the card cannot move data fast enough to feed the shading units at high resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo is at 1080p with Medium settings. The average FPS of 105 with a minimum of 89 FPS provides a smooth gameplay experience with headroom for dips. The maximum of 121 FPS shows that the system can occasionally push well above the average, which is ideal for an MMORPG where action can intensify in crowded areas.

At 1080p High, the average drops to 71 FPS, which is still playable but less comfortable. The jump from Medium to High costs 34 FPS, a 32% reduction, for what is likely a modest visual improvement. For players who prioritize visual fidelity, High is acceptable, but Medium offers the best balance of performance and quality.

The Low preset at 1080p delivers 118 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play but sacrifices visual quality. Given that Archeage is an MMORPG with a focus on world exploration and character detail, the visual downgrade at Low may not be worth the extra 13 FPS over Medium.

At 1440p, Medium is the sweet spot with 71 FPS and a minimum of 60 FPS. This provides a solid 60 FPS experience with some headroom. The High preset at 1440p drops to 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 79 FPS is viable but again sacrifices visual quality.

The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely. At 1080p it only manages 49 FPS, and at 1440p it drops to 33 FPS. The visual gains from Ultra over High are not worth the 31% performance hit at 1080p and the 31% hit at 1440p. The 4K Ultra result of 19 FPS is unplayable and serves only as a benchmark data point.

For the best experience, set the resolution to 1080p and the preset to Medium. This gives an average FPS of 105 with a minimum of 89, providing smooth gameplay with visual quality that is acceptable for an MMORPG. If you have a 1440p monitor, Medium is still viable at 71 FPS, but be prepared for occasional dips to 60 FPS in busy scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for this pairing is 2165 out of 2761 tested combinations, placing it in the 22nd percentile. This is a low ranking that reflects the GPU's limitations in this game. The rank indicates that the majority of tested combos outperform this setup, which is expected given the RX 6600's position in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs.

The CPU is not the limiting factor in this ranking. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, 0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, -0.1% delta), showing that the CPU is competitive with high-end mobile and desktop parts.

The GPU drags the combo down. The RX 6600's average benchmark score of 19036 puts it in the 63rd percentile, and its nearest rivals are all professional or mobile parts. The NVIDIA Quadro K6000 has a deltaPct of 0, meaning it is exactly equivalent in average score, while the RTX 4050 Mobile is -0.1% behind. This level of GPU performance is simply not enough to rank well in a game that scales heavily with resolution.

The rank of 2165 out of 2761 suggests that this combo is suitable for 1080p gaming but not for higher resolutions. The data shows that the system can handle 1080p Medium comfortably, but it falls behind at 1440p and 4K. For a player building a system for Archeage, this ranking indicates that the combo is adequate for entry-level gaming but not for enthusiasts.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications make it a strong performer in synthetic benchmarks, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085.

In Archeage, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p, where the system achieves 118 FPS at Low settings. The 14 cores provide ample headroom for an MMORPG that may have many players and NPCs on screen, and the 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance for game logic.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it well above the GPU in relative performance. The Passmark multi-thread score of 37816 and single-thread score of 4516 indicate a processor that can handle demanding workloads. The nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark are the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, both with deltaPct values around 0.1%, meaning the Ultra 5 235 is essentially tied with these top-tier mobile and desktop parts.

The data shows that the CPU has no trouble keeping up with the GPU in this game. At 1080p Low, the system hits 118 FPS, which is likely close to the GPU's maximum output at that setting. The CPU's 14 threads and 24 MB of L3 cache are more than sufficient for Archeage's workload, and the processor's 89th percentile ranking confirms its strength.

The CPU's integrated graphics, Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU, are not relevant to this analysis since the system uses a discrete GPU. The 65W TDP and Intel Socket 1851 platform are standard for a desktop processor, and the DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate data throughput for the CPU.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1080p with Medium settings provides the best experience, with an average FPS of 105 and a minimum of 89 FPS. This gives smooth gameplay with good visual quality. The 1440p Medium preset is also viable at 71 FPS average with a 60 FPS minimum.

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

A: The 4K results are poor across all settings. The best 4K result is 45 FPS at Low settings, but this drops to 27 FPS at High and 19 FPS at Ultra. None of these results provide a smooth 60 FPS experience, so 4K is not recommended for this combo.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 19036, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (19030, 0% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19049, -0.1% delta). The NVIDIA Tesla K20m is 0.3% behind, and the RTX 2000 Ada Generation is 0.4% ahead.

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

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 118 FPS, suggesting the CPU can feed frames quickly. However, at 4K, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth become constraints, with FPS dropping to as low as 19 at Ultra.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2165 out of 2761 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 22% of systems. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's performance, as the CPU ranks in the 89th percentile of all processors.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 235 perform in CPU benchmarks?

A: The CPU scores 14769 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2085 in single-core. Its Passmark multi-thread score is 37816 with a single-thread score of 4516. These results place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 at a 0.1% delta.