Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents a demanding workload for modern hardware, particularly at higher resolutions. The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination yields a specific performance profile that is best understood by examining its rank, component roles, and measured frame rates. This analysis breaks down the data for this specific combo.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks at position 1677 out of 2761 tested combos in Archeage. This places the pairing in the lower-middle tier of all possible configurations, indicating that while it is far from the weakest, it does not deliver top-tier performance for this specific title. The percentile ranking for the CPU alone is 85, and for the GPU it is 61, but when combined, their effectiveness in Archeage is moderated by the game's engine and the specific demands it places on each component.

This rank suggests a significant bottleneck exists within the system. The data implies that the CPU's high ranking relative to other processors does not translate to a proportionally high rank for the combo, meaning the GPU is likely the primary limiting factor in many scenarios. The delta between the component percentiles and the combo rank indicates that the RTX 4060's performance ceiling is being hit before the Ultra 9 185H can be fully utilized. For context, the combo sits in the 60th percentile of all tested pairings, which is a stark contrast to the CPU's 85th percentile. This is a key indicator that the graphics card is holding back the overall experience in Archeage.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. It features a 24 MB shared L3 cache and a 45 W TDP. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU performs strongly, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5 and a single-core score of 1810.5. Its average benchmark score is 35670, which places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs.

In Archeage, an MMORPG known for its complex, player-dense environments, the CPU's role is to manage game logic, network data, and draw calls. The high core count and strong single-thread performance are beneficial for these tasks. The data shows that the CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 with an average score of 35719, are extremely close in overall performance, with a delta of only -0.1%. This indicates that the Ultra 9 185H is at the top of its performance class. However, the combo's rank in-game suggests that this CPU power is often left on the table. At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, but at higher resolutions, the GPU's workload increases, shifting the bottleneck. The CPU's strong PassMark multi-thread score of 29376 and data compression score of 339489 suggest it can handle the heavy background tasks and complex calculations Archeage requires without becoming a major constraint in most situations.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is a dedicated graphics card built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. It has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz. With 3072 shading units and 24 RT cores, it is a capable mid-range GPU, and its average benchmark score is 17639, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU is the component that renders the game's visuals, and its performance is directly tied to the resolution and settings. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM is a critical factor. In Archeage, the data shows a significant drop in performance at 4K, which suggests that the VRAM capacity or bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at that resolution. The GPU's nearest rivals, like the AMD Radeon 780M with an average score of 17588, are much weaker in absolute terms, but the delta in their average scores is small (0.3%). This shows that in a synthetic average, the RTX 4060 is not far ahead of integrated graphics, but in a real game like Archeage, the dedicated memory and higher fill rate make a substantial difference. The GPU's performance in PassMark G3D is 19545, which is a better indicator of its gaming prowess. However, the combo's rank suggests that this GPU is the bottleneck, especially at 1440p and 4K, where the frame rates drop to levels that are not ideal for a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a clear picture of how the combo performs across different settings and resolutions. The data shows a consistent trend: performance scales down as resolution and settings increase.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable frame rates across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 136. This drops to 121 on Medium, and 82 on High. On Ultra, the average FPS falls to 56. The Medium setting provides a minimum FPS of 103 and a maximum of 139, showing a stable frame time. This resolution is where the combo is most comfortable, offering high refresh rate potential at lower settings and a solid 60+ FPS experience at High.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance impact is noticeable. Low settings average 92 FPS, Medium averages 82 FPS, and High averages 55 FPS. Ultra settings drop to an average of 38 FPS. The Medium setting at this resolution shows a min/max of 69/94 FPS, indicating that it is still a viable option for a smooth experience, but High and Ultra begin to push the system harder.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings average 52 FPS, Medium averages 47 FPS, and High averages 32 FPS. Ultra settings average just 22 FPS, which is not a playable experience for most users. The Medium setting at 4K has a min/max of 40/54 FPS, showing that the GPU is heavily taxed. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo is only feasible at Low settings, and even then, it falls short of a 60 FPS target.

The data reveals a steep performance cliff when moving from High to Ultra settings at all resolutions. For example, at 1080p, the drop from High (82 FPS) to Ultra (56 FPS) is a 31.7% decrease. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly taxing on the RTX 4060, likely related to shadow quality, draw distance, or anti-aliasing.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Archeage with this combo for a high refresh rate experience?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo can achieve an average of 136 FPS on Low and 121 FPS on Medium, making it the only resolution where high refresh rates are consistently possible.

Q: Can this combo handle Archeage at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 52 FPS. At Medium and High settings, the average FPS drops to 47 and 32, respectively, and on Ultra, it falls to 22 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H has an average benchmark score of 35670, which is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, which scores 35719, a delta of -0.1%.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor for this combo in Archeage?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU's percentile rank is 85, while the GPU's is 61, and the combo's overall rank is significantly lower, indicating the graphics card is holding back performance.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 92 FPS, while Ultra settings average 38 FPS. This represents a substantial 54 FPS difference.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GPU?

A: The launch MSRP of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is 299 USD.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. For a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience at 1920x1080, the Medium preset is a strong choice, delivering an average of 121 FPS with a minimum of 103 FPS. This provides a significant performance buffer and ensures stable frame times. For those who prefer higher visual fidelity at 1080p, the High preset, with an average of 82 FPS, is still playable and offers a better visual experience, but it is closer to the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best balance between visual quality and performance, averaging 82 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS. This keeps the experience smooth. The High preset, at 55 FPS, is borderline acceptable for some, but the Medium preset is safer for consistent play. Ultra settings should be avoided at this resolution due to the low 38 FPS average.

For 3840x2160, the only playable option is the Low preset, which averages 52 FPS. This is not ideal for a game with fast-paced combat, but it is the only way to achieve a playable frame rate. The Medium preset at 47 FPS is also viable for less demanding situations, but it falls below the 60 FPS target. Higher settings at 4K are not recommended. The steep performance drop from High to Ultra suggests that the Ultra preset's additional effects are not worth the significant FPS loss, making High the highest recommended setting at 1080p and 1440p for a balance of quality and performance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data across resolutions shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as the resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. From 1080p to 1440p, the High preset drops from 82 FPS to 55 FPS, a decrease of 32.9%. From 1440p to 4K, the same preset drops from 55 FPS to 32 FPS, a further decrease of 41.8%. This shows that the scaling is not linear, with the jump to 4K being disproportionately more demanding.

This scaling behavior indicates that the GPU is the limiting component in this system. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would not drop as significantly at higher resolutions, as the CPU's workload remains relatively constant. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are likely the primary constraints at 4K, as the increased pixel count and texture detail demand more memory bandwidth and capacity. The fact that the average FPS at 4K Low (52 FPS) is lower than the average FPS at 1440p Ultra (38 FPS) shows that the resolution itself has a more significant impact than the settings, confirming the GPU's role as the performance ceiling. The data points to a system that is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming but is not recommended for 4K in Archeage, as the GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates at that resolution.