Archeage

Archeage, a 2014 MMORPG, is not typically used as a primary benchmark for modern hardware, but the measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER provides a clear picture of a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card in most scenarios. The data shows a combination that can handle the game at high frame rates in less demanding settings, but which struggles to maintain playability at maximum quality presets, particularly at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. In the context of Archeage, this processor offers an immense amount of computational headroom. The game, being an MMORPG from 2014, is unlikely to stress all 24 cores, but the high boost clock is beneficial for the single-threaded performance that older game engines often rely on. The CPU's benchmark scores reflect its top-tier status; for instance, it achieves 51,731 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7,303 points in single-core. This places it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is more than capable of feeding the GPU with data. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, scores an average of 83,807, a marginal 0.2% difference, confirming that the 290K Plus is at the very peak of desktop processor performance. The CPU's massive L3 cache of 36 MB shared and high memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s with DDR5 support further ensure that any potential CPU-side bottleneck is virtually eliminated in this older title.

Given the CPU's capabilities, the benchmark results across the board are almost entirely dictated by the GPU's ability to render frames. The processor's role here is to ensure that frame pacing is consistent and that the GPU is never waiting on game logic or draw calls. The data supports this interpretation: even at the lowest resolution and settings, where the GPU load is minimized, the system achieves 142 FPS at 1080p. This is a high frame rate, but it is not limited by the CPU's maximum potential, as seen in its multi-threaded workload scores. Instead, the frame rate is a product of the game's engine and the GPU's performance. The CPU's 24 threads are massively underutilized in this scenario, but the high single-core score of 4,823 in Passmark ensures that the game's primary thread is handled with ease. The contrast between the CPU's theoretical power and the measured frame rates highlights that this is a GPU-bound configuration for Archeage, a fact that becomes even more apparent when examining the GPU's role.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU based on the TU104 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base and boost clocks are 1605 MHz and 1770 MHz, respectively. In Archeage, the GPU is the primary determinant of performance, as the game's rendering load scales significantly with resolution and settings. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is a critical factor; at 4K, the game's texture and buffer requirements can pressure this capacity, leading to performance drops that are more pronounced than the pure pixel count increase would suggest. The GPU's benchmark percentile of 65% places it in the mid-to-upper range, but its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Arc B570 with an average score of 20,556, are just 1.3% behind, indicating that the RTX 2070 SUPER is not a high-end part by current standards.

The measured frame rates show the GPU's limitations clearly. For example, at 1080p with Low settings, the system hits 142 FPS, but this drops to 86 FPS on High settings. This 56 FPS drop is a direct result of the GPU's rendering workload increasing with more complex shaders and effects. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs are being tasked heavily. The game is not leveraging the GPU's ray tracing cores (40 RT cores) or tensor cores (320), as it predates those features. Therefore, performance is purely a function of raw rasterization power. The GPU's FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS is the relevant metric here, and it is simply not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra, where the system manages only 23 FPS. The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU is the bottleneck, and its age is showing when pushed to higher fidelity settings.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling of average FPS across resolutions provides a definitive answer to the question of which component is the limiting factor. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at the High settings preset shows a clear and consistent decline: 86 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. This is a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern. The frame rate drops by approximately 32.5% when going from 1080p to 1440p, and then by another 43% when going from 1440p to 4K. The pixel count increases by 1.78x from 1080p to 1440p, and by 2.25x from 1440p to 4K. The FPS drops are slightly less than the pixel count increases, which is typical for a game that is not entirely fill-rate limited, but the trend is unmistakable.

If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU's workload (game logic, draw calls) is largely independent of resolution. That is not the case here. The Ultra settings preset shows an even more dramatic scaling, from 59 FPS at 1080p to 39 FPS at 1440p and finally to 23 FPS at 4K. This steep decline at Ultra settings points to the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources being saturated. The 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth is a fixed resource, and at 4K, the sheer amount of data being processed for each frame overwhelms it. The data indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the definitive bottleneck; the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is not holding the system back at any resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is ranked 2147 out of 3708 tested combos in Archeage. This places it in the lower half of all configurations, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's age. While the CPU is in the 96th percentile of all processors, the GPU is in the 65th percentile, and its performance is dragging the overall combo rank down. The rank of 2147 suggests that while there are many slower combinations, there are also a significant number of systems that outperform this one, likely those with more modern mid-range or high-end GPUs paired with less powerful CPUs.

This rank is a holistic measure of the system's capability in this specific game. It reflects the fact that a high-end CPU cannot compensate for a GPU that is struggling to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. The combo's performance is heavily skewed by the GPU's limitations. For a game like Archeage, which is not known for being extremely demanding, this rank indicates that the system is adequate for lower settings but will not provide a high-fidelity experience at 4K. The deltaPct values for the CPU's rivals show how close it is to other top-tier parts, but this does not translate to a high combo rank because the GPU is the limiting factor. The 2147th rank out of 3708 is a clear signal that users should temper their expectations for this pairing in modern, graphically demanding scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive table of average frame rates for the system across three resolutions and four settings presets. The most complete data is available for the Medium preset, which includes minimum and maximum FPS values.

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably, exceeding 60 FPS on all presets. The Low preset achieves an average of 142 FPS. The Medium preset averages 126 FPS, with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS, indicating a smooth experience with no significant frame dips. The High preset averages 86 FPS, which is still very playable. The Ultra preset, however, drops to an average of 59 FPS, which is the first sign of the GPU's struggle, though it remains just at the edge of playability.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU's workload increases significantly. The Low preset still delivers a high average of 96 FPS. The Medium preset averages 85 FPS, with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. This is a solid performance, but the High preset falls to 58 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to a less playable 39 FPS. The step from High to Ultra at this resolution represents a 19 FPS loss, showing the high cost of the Ultra settings.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overmatched for high-fidelity gaming. The Low preset averages 55 FPS, which is playable but not high-refresh territory. The Medium preset averages 49 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS. This shows noticeable frame pacing issues, as the minimum FPS is significantly lower than the average. The High preset drops to 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset becomes unplayable with an average of 23 FPS. The data shows that for a consistent 60 FPS experience, users must stick to 1080p with High settings or lower, or 1440p with Medium settings or lower.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo to achieve a consistent 60 FPS?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080, all presets (Low 142 FPS, Medium 126 FPS, High 86 FPS, Ultra 59 FPS) average above 58 FPS, making 1080p the only resolution where a 60 FPS target is reliably met across all settings. At 2560x1440, only the Low (96 FPS) and Medium (85 FPS) presets achieve this goal.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: The system achieves an average of 23 FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset. This is not a playable frame rate for a smooth experience, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus a bottleneck for the RTX 2070 SUPER in this game?

A: No. The CPU is in the 96th percentile of all CPUs and its performance is far ahead of what Archeage requires. The benchmark results show frame rates scaling directly with resolution, which is a characteristic of a GPU-bound system.

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

A: This specific combination is ranked 2147th out of 3708 tested combos. This places it in the lower half, which is directly attributable to the RTX 2070 SUPER's mid-range performance.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 96 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 39 FPS. This is a difference of 57 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset is far more demanding on the GPU.

Q: Is the 8 GB of VRAM on the RTX 2070 SUPER sufficient for Archeage at 4K?

A: While the data does not directly measure VRAM usage, the significant FPS drop from 55 FPS at Low to 33 FPS at High settings at 4K suggests the GPU is heavily taxed, potentially including memory capacity or bandwidth limitations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience with this hardware is found by prioritizing frame rate stability over visual fidelity. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting component, so selecting settings that reduce its load is paramount.

For a 60 FPS target, the only reliable path is to play at 1920x1080. At this resolution, the High preset offers a good balance of visual quality and performance, averaging 86 FPS. While the Ultra preset averages just under 60 FPS at 59 FPS, the risk of dips below the target is high, so High is the safer choice for a consistent experience. If the user prefers maximum frame rates, the Medium preset at 1080p provides an excellent 126 FPS average with a high minimum of 107 FPS.

For users with a 1440p monitor, achieving 60 FPS requires a compromise on settings. The Medium preset delivers an average of 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS, which is a smooth and playable experience. The High preset at 57 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 39 FPS is not recommended for a responsive feel. Therefore, Medium at 2560x1440 is the recommended sweet spot for this resolution.

4K gaming is not a viable option for a consistently smooth experience with this combo. The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 55 FPS on the Low preset, which sacrifices too much visual quality. The Medium preset at 49 FPS is playable for slower-paced content but will suffer from frame dips. Given the data, the best overall experience is to play at 1920x1080 with the High preset, which provides a high frame rate with a good level of visual detail, or 2560x1440 with the Medium preset for a higher resolution with slightly lower settings. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions except for static screenshots, as it incurs a massive performance penalty for marginal visual gains.