Archeage

Archeage is a 2014 MMORPG where large-scale player battles and crowded hub areas put a heavy load on both CPU and GPU. The benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the AMD Radeon 890M shows a combination that is strictly for 1080p gaming at lower presets, as higher resolutions and settings quickly become unplayable. The measured frames per second (FPS) reveal a system that can handle the game's minimum requirements for a smooth experience, but only if the user is willing to compromise heavily on visual fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for playable performance in Archeage?

A: The data clearly shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings is the only configuration that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, achieving an average of 63 FPS. Medium settings at the same resolution is a close second at 57 FPS, which is also playable.

Q: Can this combo handle 1440p or 4K gaming in Archeage?

A: No. At 2560x1440, even Low settings only produce an average of 43 FPS, and High settings drop to 26 FPS. At 3840x2160, all settings are below 25 FPS, with Ultra being a slideshow at 10 FPS. This system is not viable for those resolutions in this game.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The gap is substantial. The average FPS at 1920x1080 on Low is 63 FPS, while Ultra settings drop the average to 26 FPS. This represents a performance drop of over half when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon 890M a capable GPU for this game?

A: It is a capable entry-level iGPU for 1080p at lower presets. Its Passmark G3D score is 8076, and its performance is within 1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, which was a dedicated desktop GPU from a previous generation. It is not designed for high-refresh or high-resolution gaming.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H compare to its closest rivals in terms of overall CPU performance?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 32697, which puts it at the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600T, scores 32707, a delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 is also a near-exact match at 32662, meaning these processors are effectively tied in performance.

Q: Does the game utilize the CPU's many cores and threads?

A: While the CPU has 16 cores and 22 threads, Archeage is an older MMORPG. The data does not show a specific core utilization metric, but the high multi-core scores (e.g., 15028 in Cinebench R23) suggest the CPU has ample headroom. The bottleneck in this pairing is more likely the GPU, especially at higher settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, which provides strong single-thread performance for game logic and moderate multi-thread performance for background tasks. The benchmark data shows a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1743 and a multi-core score of 15028, indicating a processor that is well-balanced for gaming.

In the context of Archeage, this CPU is more than sufficient to feed the AMD Radeon 890M. The game's core logic, which handles player positions and combat calculations, relies on strong single-core performance, and the 155H's 4.80 GHz boost clock ensures this is not a bottleneck. The 22 threads and 24 MB of shared L3 cache will help with the many background processes and overlays that MMORPG players typically run. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 3468 and multithread score of 24873 further confirm its capability.

However, the benchmark results from this specific combo indicate that the CPU's power is largely untapped in this game. The FPS drops are more likely tied to the GPU's rendering limits. The CPU's performance is in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 32697 is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H. This means the 155H is operating at a level comparable to these desktop and mobile chips, ensuring that it is not the limiting factor in this pairing. The data suggests that for a player, the CPU will not be the source of stutter or low FPS; that role falls to the integrated graphics.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy of playable settings. For a smooth experience, the only viable option is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 63 FPS. This is the only preset that meets the standard for a playable frame rate without significant compromise. If a player desires slightly better visuals, Medium settings at 1080p is a strong alternative, with an average of 57 FPS and a minimum of 48 FPS. This indicates that the frame rate remains within a playable range even in more demanding scenes.

High settings at 1080p are not recommended, as the average FPS drops to 38, which can feel sluggish in a fast-paced MMORPG. Ultra settings are entirely off the table, with an average of 26 FPS. Moving up in resolution is equally punishing. At 2560x1440, even Low settings only manage 43 FPS, and Medium drops to 38 FPS. These are borderline playable for some, but the minimum FPS for Medium is 32, which could cause noticeable hitches in crowded areas.

The data strongly suggests that the "best experience" for this combo is to prioritize frame rate over graphical fidelity. Playing at 1080p on Low or Medium settings is the only way to ensure a consistent and responsive experience. The higher presets and resolutions are not viable for gameplay. The difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is a 6 FPS average drop, which is a fair trade-off for the visual improvements, but going to High costs another 19 FPS, which is a significant loss.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and AMD Radeon 890M combination ranks 2596 out of 2761 tested combos for Archeage. This places it in the bottom 6% of all systems tested, which is a very poor showing. This ranking is a direct result of the GPU's limitations. While the CPU is powerful, the integrated graphics cannot push high frame rates in this game, especially at higher resolutions.

This low rank is consistent with the measured FPS data. A rank of 2596 out of 2761 means that the vast majority of other hardware combinations, likely those with dedicated graphics cards, will perform significantly better. The combo's performance is only suitable for the lowest settings at 1080p, which is a niche use case. The data indicates that this is not a system built for Archeage, and users should expect a subpar experience compared to systems with discrete GPUs. The only saving grace is that the CPU is not the weak link, so if a user were to upgrade the graphics solution in the future (though not possible with this iGPU), the rest of the system would not hold it back.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 1024 shading units and a boost clock of 2900 MHz, which gives it a theoretical FP32 performance of 5.939 TFLOPS. Its memory is system shared, meaning its bandwidth is dependent on the system's RAM configuration. This is a significant limitation for gaming.

In Archeage, the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The benchmark results show that the iGPU's performance is at the 45th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9210. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon Vega 8, which scores 9221, a delta of -0.1%. It also trades blows with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, which scores 9273. This places the 890M in the range of older dedicated entry-level GPUs. The Passmark G3D score of 8076 and DirectX 11 score of 73 confirm that it is a low-to-mid-range part.

The GPU's role is strictly limited to 1080p gaming at Low or Medium settings. The data shows that its performance collapses under the load of higher resolutions and presets. The 4K results are particularly telling, with even Low settings only hitting 24 FPS. This is because the system shared memory bandwidth and the iGPU's compute resources are insufficient for the pixel fill rate required at that resolution. The GPU is the sole reason for the combo's low rank, and its performance dictates that users must make significant visual sacrifices to achieve a playable frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's capabilities across different resolutions and settings.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the performance is uniformly poor. The highest average FPS is 24 on Low settings, which is unplayable. Medium settings produce an average of 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 25. High settings drop to an average of 15 FPS, and Ultra settings are a borderline slideshow at an average of 10 FPS. No settings at this resolution are viable for actual gameplay.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance is better but still below the threshold for a smooth experience. Low settings achieve an average of 43 FPS, which is the best result here. Medium settings yield an average of 38 FPS, with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 44. High settings drop to an average of 26 FPS, and Ultra settings are only at an average of 18 FPS. While Low and Medium might be tolerable for some, they are not ideal.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the performance is finally within a playable range for lower presets. Low settings achieve an average of 63 FPS, which is the best result in the entire dataset. Medium settings are close behind with an average of 57 FPS, a minimum of 48 FPS, and a maximum of 65 FPS. This is the only other playable preset. High settings drop to an average of 38 FPS, and Ultra settings are at an average of 26 FPS. The data shows a clear cliff between Medium and High settings, indicating that the GPU's resources are exhausted when trying to render the more complex effects and shadows of the higher presets.