Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 7700 pairing. The benchmark data shows this combination achieves a combo rank of 1276 out of 2761 tested configurations, placing it in the 54th percentile of all tested combos. This mid-pack ranking suggests a system that is competent but not exceptional for this specific title, likely due to the game's age and its heavier reliance on single-core CPU performance rather than the multi-core prowess of the Ultra 9 or the modern features of the RX 7700. The data indicates a system capable of smooth gameplay at lower settings, but one that struggles to maintain high frame rates when graphical demands are increased, a pattern that reveals a complex interaction between the game's engine and the hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination sits at rank 1276 out of 2761 tested combos for Archeage. This position in the lower-middle of the pack indicates that while this is a modern, high-end CPU and a capable mid-range GPU, the pairing is not optimized for this particular game's workload. The data suggests that the game's engine, being a decade old, does not fully utilize the 24 cores and 24 threads of the Ultra 9, and the RX 7700's performance is likely bottlenecked by other factors within the game's rendering pipeline.

The CPU itself is a powerhouse in synthetic benchmarks, scoring 51731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7303 in single-core, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with an average score of 83807, a mere 0.2% difference, and the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83090, which it leads by 1.1%. This indicates that the CPU is performing at the very top of its class, yet this raw compute capability does not translate into a top-tier ranking in Archeage. The bottleneck is not the CPU's processing power, but rather how the game's code interacts with it.

For the GPU, the Radeon RX 7700 scores 20974 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 370X, is a mere 0.1% behind with a score of 15862, which is a stark illustration of the RX 7700's mid-range standing. Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 1.7% ahead with a score of 16129. This data reinforces that the GPU is a solid performer for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but its mid-pack percentile ranking in a game like Archeage suggests that the game's engine is likely not taking full advantage of the GPU's capabilities, leaving performance on the table.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. The card's boost clock is listed at 2459 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz and a base clock of 1900 MHz. These specifications are significant in the context of Archeage's measured performance. The data reveals a clear pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates drop significantly, but the GPU is not necessarily the sole limiting factor.

At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 162 FPS. When settings are increased to High, the average drops to 98 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 67 FPS. This scaling suggests that the GPU is handling the increased load, but the performance hit from Low to Ultra is substantial. At 4K, the strain on the GPU becomes more apparent. The average FPS at 4K High is 38, and at Ultra, it drops to 26. The 16 GB VRAM buffer is ample for a game of this era, even at 4K, so the frame rate drops are more likely tied to the GPU's raw compute and fill rate, which are moderate given its 58th percentile ranking. The GPU's pixel rate is 236.1 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 393.4 GTexel/s, figures that are adequate but not exceptional for 4K gaming in newer titles, and the data shows they struggle to maintain high FPS in Archeage's Ultra preset at that resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo in Archeage is achieved at Medium settings, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 and a maximum of 166. This provides a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience that is well-suited for an MMORPG. The High preset at 1080p also offers a playable 98 FPS average, but the jump to Ultra drops performance to 67 FPS, which is less desirable for maintaining fluid gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Medium preset again provides the best balance, yielding an average of 97 FPS with a minimum of 82 and a maximum of 111. The High preset at this resolution gives a respectable 66 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls to 45 FPS, which may feel less responsive. At 3840x2160, all presets struggle to provide a high-refresh-rate experience. The Low preset manages an average of 62 FPS, while Medium averages 55 FPS. High drops to 38 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 26 FPS. For 4K gaming, the Low or Medium presets are the only viable options for a playable frame rate, but for the best overall experience, 1440p Medium is the recommended choice, offering a high frame rate with a significant improvement in visual quality over Low settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Archeage?

A: The combo ranks 1276th out of 2761 tested configurations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum for this game.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K's score of 83807, and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX's score of 83090.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming with this hardware?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 provides the best experience, with an average of 144 FPS, a minimum of 122 FPS, and a maximum of 166 FPS.

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

A: It can, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 62 FPS, Medium averages 55 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra drops to 26 FPS. Only Low and Medium presets offer playable frame rates.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking compared to all other GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 20974.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 7700's average benchmark score is 15852, which is 1.7% lower than the RTX 3060 Ti's score of 16129.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent drop in performance as resolution scales from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 162 at 1920x1080 to 109 at 2560x1440, and finally to 62 at 3840x2160. This represents a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 43% drop from 1440p to 4K. This pattern is repeated across all settings presets, indicating that the GPU is the primary component being stressed by the increase in pixel count.

However, the data also shows that the CPU is not entirely without influence. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 162 FPS, which is a very high frame rate. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to maintain high performance. The fact that the frame rate drops so significantly at 4K, where the GPU's fill rate and compute capabilities become the bottleneck, points to the GPU as the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its high single-core score of 7303 in Cinebench R23, is more than capable of handling the game's logic at any resolution; the data indicates that the RX 7700's performance ceiling is what prevents higher frame rates at 1440p and 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. It features a substantial 36 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it is a top-tier performer, with a Passmark multithread score of 60860 and a single-thread score of 4823. Its average benchmark score of 84003 places it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, clearly showing its immense processing power.

For Archeage, a game released in 2014, the CPU's role is primarily to handle game logic, AI, and network processing, which are largely single-threaded tasks. The Ultra 9's high boost clock of 5.80 GHz and strong single-core performance are beneficial here. The benchmark results support this, as the system can achieve high frame rates at 1080p Low (162 FPS), indicating that the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do. The data suggests that the game is not utilizing the CPU's 24 cores effectively, but the sheer speed of its individual cores is sufficient to maintain high performance. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking compared to its 54th percentile combo ranking in this game strongly implies that the CPU's potential is being held back by the game engine's limitations and the GPU's performance ceiling at higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combo in Archeage:

• 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Low: Average FPS is 162.
• Medium: Average FPS is 144, with a minimum of 122 and a maximum of 166.
• High: Average FPS is 98.
• Ultra: Average FPS is 67.

• 2560x1440 (1440p)
• Low: Average FPS is 109.
• Medium: Average FPS is 97, with a minimum of 82 and a maximum of 111.
• High: Average FPS is 66.
• Ultra: Average FPS is 45.

• 3840x2160 (4K)
• Low: Average FPS is 62.
• Medium: Average FPS is 55, with a minimum of 47 and a maximum of 64.
• High: Average FPS is 38.
• Ultra: Average FPS is 26.

The data shows a consistent performance hierarchy: Low settings yield the highest FPS, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra. The gap between Medium and High is substantial at all resolutions, indicating a significant jump in GPU workload. The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows that at 1080p the frame rate stays above 122 FPS, and at 1440p it stays above 82 FPS, suggesting good frame pacing. However, at 4K Medium, the minimum FPS drops to 47, highlighting the GPU's struggle at this resolution. The Ultra preset is only playable at 1080p, where it achieves a 67 FPS average, and becomes increasingly less viable at higher resolutions, culminating in a 26 FPS average at 4K.