Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents an interesting challenge for the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the AMD Radeon 890M. This combination represents a modern mobile platform with a powerful processor and an integrated graphics solution, and the measured frame rates reveal a system that is heavily constrained by its GPU in this particular title. The data shows a playable experience only at lower resolutions and settings, with the integrated Radeon 890M struggling to keep pace with the demands of the game’s higher presets.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K with this hardware configuration reveals a steep performance cliff that clearly points to the integrated GPU as the primary limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 63 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low settings, the average drops to 43 FPS, a reduction of 20 frames per second. Pushing further to 4K at Low settings yields only 24 FPS on average. This pattern shows that even at the lowest graphical preset, the rendering load scales so heavily with resolution that the frame rate nearly halves at each major step up.

When examining the Medium settings, the scaling story becomes even more pronounced. At 1080p Medium, the average is 57 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 38 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it plummets to 22 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 33%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is approximately 42%. This non-linear decline is a classic symptom of a GPU that is running out of pixel processing throughput and memory bandwidth, as the Radeon 890M relies on system shared memory, making its bandwidth "System Dependent."

The High and Ultra settings tell an even more severe story. At 1080p High, the system manages 38 FPS, but this falls to 26 FPS at 1440p and a nearly unplayable 15 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 1080p producing 26 FPS, 1440p dropping to 18 FPS, and 4K collapsing to just 10 FPS. The data indicates that the scaling penalty from 1080p to 4K is about 60% for High settings (from 38 to 15 FPS) and over 60% for Ultra (from 26 to 10 FPS). This suggests that the GPU’s fixed resources, specifically its 1024 shading units and 32 ROPs, are being saturated by the increasing pixel count, leaving the CPU with plenty of headroom to spare.

The fact that the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H has a boost clock of 5.10 GHz and 16 cores is irrelevant to this bottleneck. The benchmark results show that the limiting component is unequivocally the AMD Radeon 890M, as the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the increase in resolution, which is a GPU-bound workload. The CPU’s role in this scenario is to feed the GPU with draw calls, but the integrated graphics simply cannot process the frames fast enough to utilize the processor’s full potential. The data implies that for a smoother experience at higher resolutions, a discrete GPU would be necessary, as the current setup is constrained by the iGPU's memory bus and pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combination in Archeage?

A: The highest average FPS recorded in the measured data is 63 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only setting that pushes the frame rate past the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that high refresh rate play is out of reach for this iGPU setup.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon 890M's performance compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The Radeon 890M has an average benchmark score of 9210, placing it at the 45th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Vega 8, has a score of 9221, representing a deltaPct of -0.1%, meaning the 890M is essentially tied with it. Other close rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (score 9273, deltaPct -0.7%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (score 9294, deltaPct -0.9%), showing that its general compute performance is similar to these older discrete cards, though its gaming performance in this specific title is what matters here.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 9 185H a high-performing processor compared to other CPUs?

A: Yes, according to the data, the Core Ultra 9 185H sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35670. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, which scores 35719, a negligible deltaPct of -0.1%. This indicates that the CPU is a top-tier performer, but its power is largely untapped in this gaming scenario due to the GPU bottleneck.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded for the 4K Medium preset?

A: For the 3840x2160 resolution at Medium settings, the measured data shows a minimum FPS of 19 and a maximum FPS of 25, with an average of 22 FPS. This narrow band indicates a consistent, albeit very low, performance level that would likely feel stuttery and unresponsive for most players.

Q: Does the CPU's multi-threading capability impact its benchmark scores?

A: The benchmark data shows strong multi-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 11657. The CPU also has a Passmark multithread score of 29376 and a Passmark physics score of 1956. These scores highlight its 16 cores and 22 threads, but for Archeage, the game's performance is clearly gated by the graphics solution, not the processor's thread count.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested system combinations in this game?

A: The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and AMD Radeon 890M ranks 2596 out of 2761 tested combinations in Archeage. This places it in the bottom 6% of all tested systems, confirming that while the CPU is powerful, the integrated GPU holds the overall gaming experience back significantly.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is an integrated graphics processor built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, featuring a chip named Strix Point. It operates with a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz. This boost clock is quite high for an iGPU, but its performance is fundamentally limited by its memory configuration, which is "System Shared" in both size and type. This means the GPU uses a portion of the system's main memory, and its bandwidth is "System Dependent," which in this case is the dual-channel DDR5 memory of the Core Ultra 9 185H. The GPU's memory bus width is also listed as "System Shared," underscoring that it does not have its own dedicated VRAM.

The GPU’s raw specifications include 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. It also has 16 ray tracing cores. Its theoretical peak performance is 5.939 TFLOPS for FP32 and FP16 calculations. The pixel rate is 92.80 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 185.6 GTexel/s. These numbers suggest a capable iGPU for light gaming, but the measured FPS in Archeage indicates that the game's engine is particularly demanding, especially at higher resolutions and settings where the lack of dedicated VRAM and memory bandwidth becomes a critical bottleneck.

The GPU's general benchmark scores are modest, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 590, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 37254, and a Vulkan score of 40808. Its Passmark G3D score is 8076, and its G2D score is 979. These scores place it at the 45th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9210. The data shows its performance is comparable to older discrete cards like the GTX 960, but in the context of Archeage at 4K, the performance is clearly insufficient, as evidenced by the 10 FPS average on Ultra settings. The reliance on shared system memory is a major factor, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access, which can lead to stutters and lower frame rates in demanding scenes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 63 FPS, which is the only playable average above 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 38 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding at this resolution, producing an average of just 26 FPS. This demonstrates that even at 1080p, the Ultra preset is not viable for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly. The Low preset averages 43 FPS, which is a drop of 20 FPS from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 38 FPS, with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 44 FPS. The High preset averages 26 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to an average of 18 FPS. At this resolution, all settings are below 60 FPS, and only the Low and Medium presets approach playable levels for a 30 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, the performance is largely unplayable. The Low preset averages 24 FPS, the Medium preset averages 22 FPS, with a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 25 FPS. The High preset averages 15 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 10 FPS. The data shows a clear and consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the average FPS drops across every single preset. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 14 FPS, showing that the graphical settings have a smaller impact at this resolution because the GPU is already overwhelmed by the pixel count. The data confirms that this iGPU configuration is only suitable for 1080p gaming with lower presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and AMD Radeon 890M ranks 2596 out of 2761 total tested combos in Archeage. This rank is exceptionally low, placing the system in the bottom 6% of all configurations. This is a surprising result given the CPU's high performance, but it directly reflects the limitations of the integrated GPU. The CPU itself is a top-tier mobile processor, ranking in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, but the overall gaming experience is dragged down by the GPU's inability to handle the game's rendering requirements.

The low combo rank highlights the importance of GPU selection for gaming. A system with a powerful CPU and a weak GPU will always be bottlenecked by the GPU in graphically intensive tasks. The data shows that the Core Ultra 9 185H is a strong performer, but its capabilities are wasted in this pairing for a game like Archeage. The deltaPct from its nearest CPU rivals is minimal, all within -0.7%, but this has no bearing on the gaming performance, which is entirely dependent on the GPU. This ranking serves as a cautionary tale about the limitations of relying on integrated graphics for modern or demanding MMORPGs.

The fact that this system ranks so low also indicates that most other tested combinations, including those with older or less powerful CPUs, likely have discrete GPUs that provide a much better gaming experience. The data strongly suggests that for a system to perform well in Archeage, a dedicated graphics card is essential, regardless of the CPU's processing power. The combo rank is a holistic measure of the entire system's gaming capability, and in this case, the GPU is the clear weak link.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only way to achieve a consistent 60 FPS experience is to play at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset, which averages 63 FPS. This is the best configuration for a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience. For players who prefer higher visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 1080p is a viable option, averaging 57 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS. This is a more balanced choice, offering a slight reduction in frame rate for a better-looking game. The High preset at 1080p, averaging 38 FPS, is playable but not smooth, and the Ultra preset at 26 FPS should be avoided.

At 1440p resolution, the Low preset averages 43 FPS, which is acceptable for a 30-40 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 38 FPS, making it a reasonable choice if visual quality is prioritized over frame rate. However, the High (26 FPS) and Ultra (18 FPS) presets are not recommended, as they fall below the thresholds for comfortable gameplay. For 4K resolution, the data suggests that no preset is truly playable, with the highest average being 24 FPS on Low settings. The Medium preset at 22 FPS is the most balanced option in terms of visuals and performance, but even this will feel sluggish.

The data indicates that the best experience is unequivocally at 1080p with Medium or Low settings. The Medium preset provides a solid 57 FPS average, which is close to the 60 FPS target, and the detailed number range (48-65 FPS) suggests relatively stable performance. The Low preset offers the highest frame rate but with reduced visual quality. For most users, the 1080p Medium setting will be the sweet spot, providing a good balance between a playable frame rate and acceptable graphics fidelity. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions due to its severe performance impact.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 24 MB of L3 cache. This is a powerful mobile CPU, as evidenced by its benchmark scores. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5 and a single-core score of 1810.5. In Geekbench, it scores 11657 multi-core and 1794 single-core. These figures place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs.

Despite its computational strength, the CPU's role in this gaming test is largely secondary. The measured FPS data shows that the game is heavily GPU-bound. The CPU is capable of handling the game's logic and draw calls, but the Radeon 890M cannot render frames fast enough to use the CPU's full potential. This is evident in the large frame rate drops at higher resolutions, which are not related to CPU performance. The CPU's high multi-threaded performance, with a Passmark multithread score of 29376 and a Passmark integer math score of 98302, is simply not the limiting factor here.

The CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 with a deltaPct of -0.1% and the Intel Core 7 250H with a deltaPct of -0.2%, showing that it is at the top of its class. However, this has no impact on the gaming experience in Archeage, which is determined by the GPU. The data implies that in a system with a discrete GPU, this CPU would provide excellent gaming performance, but in this specific configuration, its capabilities are underutilized. The processor's robust performance metrics are effectively neutralized by the bottleneck created by the integrated graphics, leading to the low overall combo rank.