Archeage

Archeage on the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and AMD Radeon 880M combo produces a performance profile that is strictly limited by the integrated graphics solution. The benchmark data shows a clear ceiling: even at the lowest settings, the system only achieves 60 FPS at 1080p, and the frame rate falls off a cliff as resolution increases. This is a configuration for 1080p play with settings adjustments, not for high-refresh or high-resolution gaming.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. It carries a 24 MB shared L3 cache and is built on Intel's 7 nm process. In general compute benchmarks, this CPU is a strong performer: it scores 17,984.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,810.5 in single-core, with a Passmark multithread score of 29,376. Its average benchmark score of 35,670 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, making it a robust part for productivity and multitasking.

However, in Archeage, the CPU's role is largely secondary to the graphics subsystem. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits exactly 60 FPS average, which suggests the CPU can feed the integrated GPU adequately at that resolution. The frame rates do not scale in a way that indicates CPU bottlenecking; rather, the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution climbs. For instance, moving from 1080p Low (60 FPS) to 1440p Low (40 FPS) is a 33% drop in performance, which is far more consistent with a GPU-bound scenario than a CPU-bound one. The CPU's high single-thread score (1,810.5 in Cinebench R23) is likely sufficient for Archeage's MMO logic, but it cannot compensate for the Radeon 880M's limited fill rate.

The nearest CPU rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 (deltaPct -0.1%) and Intel Core 7 250H (deltaPct -0.2%), have nearly identical average scores, confirming that the 185H is not an outlier in either direction. This means the measured FPS results are not a quirk of a weak CPU; they are a direct consequence of the GPU pairing. In short, the CPU is overqualified for the graphics load this combo can deliver, and the benchmark results reflect that imbalance.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The data provides a clear hierarchy across settings presets, and the best experience depends entirely on the target resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 60 FPS average, which is the only preset that achieves a full 60 FPS lock in this dataset. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 54 FPS average with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, which is playable but with noticeable dips. High at 1080p drops to 36 FPS, and Ultra falls to 25 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1080p, Low is the only viable option; Medium is acceptable if the user tolerates occasional frame drops below 50 FPS.

At 1440p, the situation worsens. Low delivers 40 FPS, Medium drops to 36 FPS (with a minimum of 31 FPS), High falls to 24 FPS, and Ultra is a stuttery 17 FPS. None of these reach 60 FPS, so the "best" experience at 1440p is arguably Low for the highest average, but the frame pacing will still be suboptimal. At 4K, the results are essentially unplayable: Low averages 23 FPS, Medium 21 FPS, High 14 FPS, and Ultra a mere 10 FPS. For 4K, even Low is not recommended for any action-oriented gameplay.

The verdict is straightforward: for this combo, the best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Low, which is the only configuration that hits 60 FPS. If visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate, 1080p Medium offers a 54 FPS average with a 45 FPS minimum, which is a reasonable compromise for a slower-paced MMO. However, the data suggests that any preset above Medium at 1080p, or any preset at 1440p or higher, will result in a degraded experience that falls short of smooth gameplay standards.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling behavior is a textbook example of an integrated GPU bottleneck. Starting from the 1080p Low baseline at 60 FPS, the performance drops are steep and consistent across all settings. At 1440p Low, the average FPS falls to 40, a 33% reduction. At 4K Low, it falls to 23, a 62% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This pattern is repeated across presets: 1080p Medium is 54 FPS, 1440p Medium is 36 FPS (33% drop), and 4K Medium is 21 FPS (61% drop). The scaling is nearly linear with pixel count, which indicates that the Radeon 880M's shading units, texture units, and ROPs are saturated.

The AMD Radeon 880M has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2900 MHz. Its pixel rate is 46.40 GPixel/s and texture rate is 139.2 GTexel/s, but these figures are simply too low to handle 4K resolution in a modern MMO. The FP32 performance of 4.454 TFLOPS is modest for a GPU, and the data confirms this: 4K Ultra yields an average of 10 FPS, which is a slideshow. The fact that the CPU is not the bottleneck is evident from the 1080p Low result of exactly 60 FPS; if the CPU were the limiter, we would expect to see similar FPS across resolutions, but instead we see a dramatic falloff.

The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," and with a dual-channel memory bus on the CPU, the integrated GPU is likely starved for bandwidth at higher resolutions. This is further evidence that the GPU, not the CPU, is the limiting component. The data shows a clear verdict: this combo is only suited for 1080p gaming, and even then, only at lower settings. Pushing to 1440p or 4K yields diminishing returns and an unplayable experience at the top end.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand scheme of all tested hardware combinations for Archeage, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and AMD Radeon 880M ranks 2,691 out of 2,761 combos. This places it in the bottom 2.5% of all tested systems, which is a stark verdict on its gaming capability. The combo rank of 2,691 out of 2,761 means that 2,690 other CPU-GPU pairings delivered higher average frame rates in this game. This is not surprising given the integrated graphics, but it underscores that this is a low-end gaming solution.

The GPU's individual percentile ranking is 43rd among all GPUs, which is below average, and its average benchmark score of 8,436 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (deltaPct 0.1%). The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (deltaPct -0.3%) and AMD Radeon HD 8870M (deltaPct -0.3%), are all older or lower-tier discrete mobile GPUs, yet they match the 880M's compute scores. However, in Archeage, the 880M's performance is hampered by its reliance on system memory, which is a shared resource.

The CPU, by contrast, ranks in the 85th percentile, which is a massive discrepancy. This combo rank is a direct reflection of the GPU's limitations. In a game like Archeage, which is not particularly demanding on CPU threads, the 185H's 16 cores and 22 threads are irrelevant to the final FPS. The data shows that the combo's rank is driven entirely by the GPU, and any user considering this setup for gaming should expect a bottom-tier experience relative to the broader hardware landscape.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

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

A: The measured data shows that 1080p with Low settings is the only configuration that achieves a 60 FPS average. Medium settings at 1080p drop to 54 FPS average, while High and Ultra fall to 36 FPS and 25 FPS, respectively.

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

A: No. At 4K, even Low settings only produce a 23 FPS average. Medium, High, and Ultra yield 21 FPS, 14 FPS, and 10 FPS, respectively, all of which are far below playable thresholds.

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

A: This combo ranks 2,691 out of 2,761 tested combinations in Archeage, placing it in the bottom 2.5% of all systems. This is primarily due to the integrated GPU's limitations.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The CPU scores in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 43rd percentile. The FPS drops from 60 at 1080p Low to 23 at 4K Low indicate GPU-bound scaling.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings average 40 FPS, while Ultra settings average 17 FPS. This is a 23 FPS difference, showing a significant performance penalty for higher visual fidelity.

Q: Are there any settings where the system maintains a minimum FPS above 30?

A: Yes. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 45, and at 1440p Medium, the minimum FPS is 31. Low settings at 1440p also average 40 FPS, but no minimum is reported for that row.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data is presented below, with exact averages and available minimum/maximum values for each configuration.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 60 FPS (no min/max reported)
• Medium: Average 54 FPS, Minimum 45 FPS, Maximum 62 FPS
• High: Average 36 FPS (no min/max reported)
• Ultra: Average 25 FPS (no min/max reported)

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 40 FPS (no min/max reported)
• Medium: Average 36 FPS, Minimum 31 FPS, Maximum 41 FPS
• High: Average 24 FPS (no min/max reported)
• Ultra: Average 17 FPS (no min/max reported)

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 23 FPS (no min/max reported)
• Medium: Average 21 FPS, Minimum 18 FPS, Maximum 24 FPS
• High: Average 14 FPS (no min/max reported)
• Ultra: Average 10 FPS (no min/max reported)

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution roughly halves the frame rate, and each step up in settings at a fixed resolution costs a significant chunk of performance. The only configuration that provides a smooth 60 FPS experience is 1080p Low. The 1080p Medium configuration offers a playable 54 FPS average with a 45 FPS floor, but any higher settings or resolutions result in averages below 40 FPS, which is not ideal for a responsive MMO experience. The 4K results are uniformly unplayable, with the best case being 23 FPS at Low settings. This breakdown confirms that the AMD Radeon 880M is the definitive constraint, and users should target 1080p with low to medium presets to get the most out of this hardware.