Archeage

# Archeage Performance Analysis: Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + Intel Arc B390

The benchmark data for Archeage with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and Intel Arc B390 combination reveals a system that is fundamentally constrained by its graphics subsystem. The Arc B390, operating as an integrated graphics processor with system-shared memory, delivers playable framerates only at lower settings and resolutions, while the 14-core Arrow Lake CPU demonstrates ample processing headroom that the GPU cannot fully utilize. This pairing ranks in the 11th percentile of tested combos for this game, indicating that while the processor is a capable modern part, the overall experience is dictated by the integrated GPU's limits.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, a pattern that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 71 FPS average, but this drops to 48 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 28 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 32% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 61% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The scaling is even more dramatic at High settings: 43 FPS at 1080p falls to 29 FPS at 1440p (a 33% drop) and then to 17 FPS at 4K (a 60% drop from 1080p).

The resolution scaling behavior indicates that pixel throughput is the limiting factor. The Arc B390's 24 ROPs and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient to maintain framerates as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K. The gap between Low and High settings at each resolution also widens at higher resolutions—at 1080p the difference is 28 FPS (71 vs 43), while at 4K it is only 11 FPS (28 vs 17)—suggesting that at 4K the GPU is so saturated that even reducing graphical complexity yields diminishing returns. The data indicates that this is a GPU-bound scenario across all tested resolutions, with the CPU's capabilities remaining largely untapped.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for Archeage places this pairing at 2453 out of 2761 tested combinations, positioning it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems. This rank reflects the Arc B390's integrated nature, which severely limits the overall gaming experience despite the strong CPU component. The GPU alone sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, while the CPU ranks in the 90th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 48995. This massive disparity between CPU and GPU capability explains the poor combo ranking—the system's potential is capped by its weakest link.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 245 scores within 1% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (0.4% lower), AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.5% lower), Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (0.6% higher), and Intel Core i5-14600K (0.8% higher). This places the processor in a competitive tier with these parts, yet none of them would meaningfully improve the Archeage experience when paired with the same GPU. The GPU's nearest rivals are all legacy low-end parts—the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster), and GT 710 (2.7% faster)—which underscores how far this integrated solution sits from even entry-level discrete graphics.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a Panther Lake chip. It operates with system-shared memory, meaning its bandwidth and capacity are system-dependent rather than fixed specifications. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Clock speeds range from a 300 MHz base to a 2500 MHz boost, though the integrated nature means thermal and power constraints are shared with the CPU package.

In Archeage, the GPU's limitations manifest clearly across all measured configurations. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it at the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all from the GeForce 600/700 series era, indicating performance levels from over a decade ago. The FP32 compute of 7.680 TFLOPS and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are respectable on paper, but the system-shared memory and integrated design create bandwidth bottlenecks that become apparent in real-world gaming. The 80 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm this is not designed for high-performance gaming, and the measured data supports this—even at 1080p Low, the 71 FPS average is the best case scenario, with Ultra settings dropping to 29 FPS at the same resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 71 FPS, Medium settings yield 64 FPS with a range of 54 to 73 FPS, High settings drop to 43 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 29 FPS. The 42 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p shows that settings have a substantial impact at this resolution, but even the highest preset remains playable for casual gaming.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance degrades noticeably. Low settings average 48 FPS, Medium settings average 43 FPS with a range of 36 to 49 FPS, High settings average 29 FPS, and Ultra settings average 20 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 28 FPS, indicating that the GPU is becoming the dominant constraint. Only Low and Medium settings maintain averages above 30 FPS at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across the board. Low settings average 28 FPS, Medium settings average 25 FPS with a range of 21 to 28 FPS, High settings average 17 FPS, and Ultra settings average 11 FPS. No configuration at 4K achieves a playable 30 FPS average, and the 17 FPS difference between Low and Ultra demonstrates that the GPU has little headroom to spare at this resolution.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where consistently playable framerates are achieved. At 1080p, even Ultra settings average 29 FPS, while 1440p and 4K configurations all fall below 48 FPS and 28 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it 1.3% behind the GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% behind the GeForce 800M, 2.5% behind the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% behind the GT 710. All of these are legacy low-end parts.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 5 245 CPU a bottleneck in this configuration?

A: No, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The Core Ultra 5 245 ranks in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile. The massive performance disparity indicates the GPU is the primary constraint.

Q: What settings should be used at 1440p for the best experience?

A: At 2560x1440, only Low (48 FPS) and Medium (43 FPS) settings maintain averages above 30 FPS. High and Ultra settings drop to 29 FPS and 20 FPS respectively, making them less suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the combo rank against other tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 2453 out of 2761 tested combos for Archeage, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this setup?

A: No, the data shows that at 3840x2160, even Low settings only average 28 FPS. The best 4K result is 28 FPS at Low, while Ultra settings drop to 11 FPS, none of which provide a satisfactory experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this combo is 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This configuration delivers a 64 FPS average with a minimum of 54 FPS and maximum of 73 FPS, providing a smooth and consistent experience. The 64 FPS average is 10% below the Low setting's 71 FPS but offers significantly better visual quality, and the 54 FPS minimum ensures that frame drops remain within acceptable bounds.

For users prioritizing maximum framerates, 1920x1080 with Low settings provides the highest measured average at 71 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset to exceed 70 FPS. However, the visual compromise may not be worth the 7 FPS gain over Medium settings. High settings at 1080p drop to 43 FPS, which is a substantial 33% reduction from Medium and likely not worth the graphical upgrade for most users. Ultra settings at 1080p average 29 FPS, which falls below the 30 FPS threshold commonly considered the minimum for playable performance.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the best choice, with a 43 FPS average and 36 FPS minimum. This provides a playable experience with reasonable visual quality, though users should be prepared for occasional dips below 40 FPS. Low settings at 1440p offer a 48 FPS average but sacrifice visual fidelity. High and Ultra settings at this resolution are not recommended, as they fall to 29 FPS and 20 FPS respectively. For 3840x2160, no settings configuration achieves playable framerates, with the best case being 28 FPS at Low settings. Users with 4K displays should strongly consider running the game at a lower resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per core L2 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, and it includes ECC memory support. Its performance metrics show strong multi-threaded capability: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and single-core score of 4648, with PassMark multi-thread and single-thread scores of 38706 and 4394 respectively.

In the context of Archeage, the CPU's role is largely secondary due to the GPU bottleneck. The processor's 90th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 48995 indicate that it has ample headroom for this game, which is an MMORPG from 2014 that does not require extreme processing power. The nearest rival comparisons show the CPU performing within 1% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, AMD Ryzen 9 7900, Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, and Intel Core i5-14600K, confirming that it is a competitive modern part. However, since the GPU is the limiting factor in every measured configuration, the CPU's capabilities do not translate into higher framerates. The 14 threads and 5.10 GHz boost clock would be more relevant in CPU-bound scenarios, but the Arc B390's integrated design ensures this system never reaches that point in Archeage. The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by the 468 Cinebench R15 single-core score and 1952 R20 single-core score, would help in MMO-heavy scenes with many players, but the GPU constraint prevents this from being realized in practice.