Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, exhibits highly variable performance depending on the resolution and graphics preset selected. The data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination reveals a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but becomes increasingly constrained as resolution scales upward. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to understand the balance between CPU and GPU load, and to provide clear recommendations for the best playable experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the rate of that decline is not uniform across all settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 136 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 on Low settings drops this to 92 FPS, a reduction of 32%. At 4K (3840x2160) on Low, the average falls to 52 FPS, which is a further 43% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep scaling from 1440p to 4K indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

The pattern is similar for Medium settings. The jump from 1080p (121 FPS) to 1440p (82 FPS) represents a 32% performance loss. Scaling from 1440p to 4K (47 FPS) results in a 43% decline. This consistent scaling pattern across Low and Medium settings suggests that the workload is scaling with pixel count, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. The RTX 4060's 8 GB memory buffer and bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s are likely being saturated at the higher resolutions, limiting the frame rate.

However, the scaling behavior changes at the High and Ultra presets. For High settings, the drop from 1080p (82 FPS) to 1440p (55 FPS) is a 33% decrease, but the drop from 1440p to 4K (32 FPS) is only a 42% decrease, which is slightly less severe. For Ultra settings, the decline is more dramatic in absolute terms: 1080p yields 56 FPS, 1440p drops to 38 FPS (a 32% drop), and 4K falls to 22 FPS (a 42% drop from 1440p). The fact that even at 1080p, Ultra settings only produce 56 FPS suggests that the additional visual features in the Ultra preset are heavily taxing the GPU, making it the bottleneck even at the lowest resolution tested.

The data indicates that the RTX 4060 is the limiting component for this game in almost all scenarios. The CPU, with its 24 cores and high boost clock of 5.40 GHz, appears to be capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, as evidenced by the high frame rates at Low and Medium settings. The consistent ~32% performance hit when moving from 1080p to 1440p across all presets is a strong indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The scaling to 4K further confirms this, as the frame rates become quite low, particularly at Ultra where the average is just 22 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo can consistently achieve high frame rates. At this resolution, even the High preset yields 82 FPS average, and Medium and Low produce 121 FPS and 136 FPS, respectively. At 2560x1440, only the Low and Medium presets remain playable, with averages of 92 FPS and 82 FPS.

Q: How does the 4K performance compare to 1080p performance?

A: The performance drop is substantial. On Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 121 at 1080p to 47 at 4K, a 61% reduction. On Ultra settings, the decline is from 56 FPS at 1080p to 22 FPS at 4K, a 61% reduction as well. This severe scaling indicates that the RTX 4060 is not well-suited for 4K gaming in this title.

Q: Is this system more CPU-bound or GPU-bound in Archeage?

A: The benchmark results indicate a strong GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The fact that frame rates drop by roughly a third when moving from 1080p to 1440p, regardless of the settings preset, points to the GPU being the limiting factor. The CPU's high multi-threaded performance, as seen in its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35589, suggests it is not the primary constraint in this game.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset produces an average of 92 FPS, while the Ultra preset produces an average of 38 FPS. This is a 59% decrease in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest visual quality preset. The Medium preset sits in between at 82 FPS.

Q: Does the game run smoothly at 4K with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS recorded is 52 on the Low preset. The High preset averages 32 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages only 22 FPS. These frame rates are generally considered too low for a smooth gaming experience, especially in a fast-paced MMORPG environment.

Q: Which preset offers the highest minimum FPS recorded?

A: The data shows that the Medium preset at 1920x1080 has a minimum FPS of 103. This is the only preset and resolution combination with a recorded minimum FPS above 100. This suggests that the Medium preset at 1080p provides the most consistent frame pacing, avoiding major dips.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 plays the central role in determining the playable settings for Archeage. The GPU's specifications provide context for its performance. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The core clock runs at a base of 1830 MHz and boosts up to 2460 MHz. With 3072 shading units, the GPU's raw compute capability is rated at 15.11 TFLOPS for FP32 operations.

The benchmark results show that this GPU is pushed to its limits by the game's higher presets. At 1440p, the Ultra preset yields only 38 FPS, which is a demanding load. The data suggests that the 8 GB VRAM buffer is a significant limitation, especially at 4K where the High and Ultra presets produce average frame rates of 32 FPS and 22 FPS, respectively. These low numbers point to the GPU struggling with the memory bandwidth and capacity required for high-resolution textures and effects.

The GPU's performance percentile of 61% against all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon 780M (deltaPct 0.3) and AMD Radeon Pro 560 (deltaPct 0.5), have comparable average scores, but the RTX 4060's performance in this specific game is what matters. The data shows that for a smooth experience, the GPU requires lower settings to be paired with higher resolutions. For instance, at 1440p, the Low preset (92 FPS) is the only way to get close to a 90+ FPS average, while at 1080p, the High preset (82 FPS) is also viable. The GPU is clearly the decisive component in this pairing, as its performance scaling with resolution is the primary driver of the frame rate changes.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For a 1080p display, the Medium preset offers the best combination of visual quality and performance, with an average FPS of 121 and a recorded minimum of 103 FPS. This ensures a smooth experience with minimal frame drops. The High preset, with an average of 82 FPS, is also a strong choice if visual fidelity is a priority, though it lacks the headroom of the Medium preset for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the choice is more constrained. The Ultra and High presets are not recommended, as they produce average frame rates of 38 FPS and 55 FPS, respectively, which may feel sluggish in combat. The Medium preset, at 82 FPS average, is the best option for a balance of quality and speed. The Low preset, at 92 FPS, is the only way to approach higher refresh rates at this resolution, but it comes with a significant visual penalty.

For 4K gaming, the data strongly suggests that this GPU is not capable of providing a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset is the only one that breaks the 50 FPS barrier, averaging 52 FPS. The Medium preset averages 47 FPS, which might be tolerable for some, but the High and Ultra presets are not viable, with averages of 32 FPS and 22 FPS. The recommendation for 4K would be to use the Low preset, but even then, the experience will not be as fluid as at lower resolutions.

The best "experience per the measured rows" is arguably the Medium preset at 1080p. It provides a high average frame rate (121 FPS) and a high minimum frame rate (103 FPS), indicating consistent performance. For users with a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset is the most balanced, as it offers a playable 82 FPS average without sacrificing the visual benefits of the resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete breakdown of measured average FPS (and minimum/maximum where available) for all tested configurations.

1920x1080:

• Low: 136 FPS average.
• Medium: 121 FPS average, with a minimum of 103 FPS and a maximum of 139 FPS.
• High: 82 FPS average.
• Ultra: 56 FPS average.

2560x1440:

• Low: 92 FPS average.
• Medium: 82 FPS average, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 94 FPS.
• High: 55 FPS average.
• Ultra: 38 FPS average.

3840x2160:

• Low: 52 FPS average.
• Medium: 47 FPS average, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS.
• High: 32 FPS average.
• Ultra: 22 FPS average.

The data reveals a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, the system can handle all presets, but only Low and Medium deliver frame rates above 120 FPS. The Ultra preset, while visually impressive, cuts the frame rate by more than half compared to Medium, from 121 FPS to 56 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset's 38 FPS average makes it the least desirable option, and at 4K, all presets except Low fall below 50 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX provides the processing foundation for this setup. With 24 cores and 24 threads, it offers substantial multi-threaded capability. Its base clock of 2.70 GHz can boost up to 5.40 GHz, and it features a large 36 MB L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 35589 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2204 in single-core, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Archeage, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The evidence for this is the consistent frame rate scaling with resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU workload would remain constant. Instead, we see a significant drop in FPS as resolution increases, which is a hallmark of GPU limitation.

However, this does not mean the CPU is irrelevant. The high frame rates at 1080p (136 FPS on Low) require a strong single-threaded performance to process game logic and draw calls. The CPU's 5.40 GHz boost clock and its single-core Cinebench R23 score of 2204 are indicative of its capability in this regard. Its nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (deltaPct -0.3) and AMD EPYC 4484PX (deltaPct -0.5), are within a fraction of a percent in average benchmark score, underscoring the 275HX's position in the top tier of processors. The CPU is certainly capable of supporting the RTX 4060, but the data shows that in this game, the GPU runs out of headroom first.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is ranked 1677 out of 2761 tested combos for Archeage. This places it in the 60.7th percentile of all possible pairings, indicating that it performs better than a majority of systems but is not at the top end.

This ranking is likely influenced by the GPU's mid-range standing. The RTX 4060 has a percentile rank of 61% against all GPUs, and its performance in this game is consistent with that position. The CPU, however, is a top-tier mobile part, ranking in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The combination of a very strong CPU with a mid-range GPU means that the system's overall ranking is dragged down by the GPU's limitations in this specific title.

The fact that the combo ranks in the middle of the pack suggests that many other tested systems, likely those with more powerful GPUs, achieve higher frame rates in Archeage. While the 275HX is a powerhouse, its capabilities are not fully utilized in this scenario because the RTX 4060 is the bottleneck. The ranking of 1677 out of 2761 is a clear indicator that for this particular game, the GPU is the determining factor for the overall performance tier, and users seeking higher frame rates at higher resolutions would need to look at systems with a stronger GPU.