Allods Online

Allods Online, a 2010-era MMORPG, presents an interesting challenge for modern hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 integrated GPU. The data reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution across all tested resolutions and settings, with the CPU demonstrating significant headroom that remains largely untapped. The benchmark results provide a clear picture of a system where the integrated graphics are the definitive bottleneck, and the framerate scaling patterns confirm this at every step.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Allods Online shows a dramatic and consistent drop in performance as resolution increases, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 120 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops that average to 75 FPS, a 37.5% reduction. The step to 4K at Low settings further reduces the average to 39 FPS, which is less than a third of the 1080p performance. This steep decline with increasing pixel count is a classic indicator that the rendering pipeline, not the CPU, is the limiting factor.

The scaling pattern holds true for other settings as well. At Medium settings, the average framerate falls from 94 FPS at 1080p to 59 FPS at 1440p, and then to 31 FPS at 4K. The High preset follows a similar trajectory, starting at 59 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 37 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 19 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with the system managing only 37 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and a nearly unplayable 12 FPS at 4K. The consistent halving or near-halving of framerates with each major resolution step strongly suggests that the fixed-function hardware of the Intel Arc B390, such as its 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs, is being saturated.

The data indicates that the scaling is not perfectly linear, but the trend is unambiguous. For instance, the transition from 1080p to 1440p on Low settings results in a 45 FPS drop, while the transition from 1440p to 4K results in a 36 FPS drop. This slight variation can be attributed to the changing balance of pixel fillrate and shader work, but the overall message is clear. The system's performance is dictated by the graphics processor's ability to fill pixels, and this ability degrades rapidly as the render target grows. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the component struggling to keep up with the increasing workload.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary determinant of this combo's gaming performance, and its specifications from the FACT PACK explain why. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, but its integrated nature is its most defining characteristic. The GPU memory is listed as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main DDR5 memory and its bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s is "System Dependent." This architecture avoids the cost of dedicated VRAM but introduces a significant performance penalty in scenarios that require high memory bandwidth, such as high-resolution gaming.

The GPU's compute capabilities are modest by modern discrete standards, with 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The measured 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are legacy parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 and GeForce GT 625 OEM. This benchmark context is crucial; the Arc B390 is not designed for demanding gaming workloads. The performance data in Allods Online reflects this, as even at 1080p with High settings, the system produces an average of 59 FPS, which is playable but not high-refresh territory. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields only 37 FPS, showing that the GPU's processing power is quickly overwhelmed by increased graphical fidelity.

The lack of dedicated VRAM means that the GPU must constantly fetch texture and geometry data from the system memory pool. This shared access can cause contention with the CPU, but the benchmark results suggest that the GPU's raw compute limits are hit first. The fact that the pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s gives a theoretical ceiling, but the real-world scores show that these limits are the primary barrier. The system is not stuttering due to a lack of VRAM; it is consistently producing low average framerates, indicating a steady-state bottleneck in the graphics pipeline itself.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this combo is the Medium preset at 1920x1080. This setting yields an average of 94 FPS, with a minimum of 80 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches high-refresh-rate smoothness while still providing a moderate level of graphical detail. The Low preset at 1080p does achieve 120 FPS, but this comes at a significant cost to visual fidelity, which is less desirable for an MMORPG where environments are a key part of the experience.

At 1440p, the Medium preset produces an average of 59 FPS, which is right on the edge of playability. The minimum of 50 FPS could lead to noticeable dips in busy zones. The High preset at 1440p drops to 37 FPS, which is not ideal for a smooth experience. For 4K gaming, no setting is truly adequate. The Low preset manages an average of 39 FPS, but the Medium preset falls to 31 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets are effectively unplayable at 19 and 12 FPS respectively. The data suggests that for this game with this hardware, 1080p is the only resolution where a consistently smooth experience is possible.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution. Even at 1080p, it only produces an average of 37 FPS, a significant drop from the Medium preset's 94 FPS. The visual uplift from Medium to Ultra is rarely worth more than halving the framerate, especially in a game where fast movement and responsiveness can be important. The benchmark data clearly supports Medium at 1080p as the "sweet spot," offering a framerate that is more than double the High preset's 59 FPS and nearly triple the Ultra preset's 37 FPS, while presumably offering a substantial visual upgrade over the Low preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear progression. The Low preset delivers the highest average at 120 FPS. The Medium preset follows with an average of 94 FPS, with a recorded range of 80 to 108 FPS. The High preset averages 59 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 37 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 26 FPS drop, while the step from Medium to High is a larger 35 FPS drop, indicating a heavier load from the High preset's effects. The final step to Ultra is a 22 FPS drop, showing that the Ultra preset's additional demands are also significant.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same pattern emerges but with lower absolute numbers. The Low preset averages 75 FPS. The Medium preset averages 59 FPS, with a range of 50 to 68 FPS. The High preset averages 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 23 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium at this resolution is 16 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 22 FPS. At 3840x2160, the performance is severely limited. The Low preset averages 39 FPS. The Medium preset averages 31 FPS, with a range of 26 to 36 FPS. The High preset averages 19 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 12 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is brutal, with the Low preset losing 81 FPS and the Ultra preset losing 25 FPS.

The data reveals that the Medium preset is the only one that provides a playable experience across all resolutions, though at 4K it is still below 30 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are only viable at 1080p, and even then, they do not reach 60 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that breaks the 100 FPS barrier, doing so at 1080p, but its visual simplicity may not be acceptable to all players. The measured FPS values are consistent and do not show signs of CPU-related stuttering, reinforcing the conclusion that the GPU is the sole performance limiter.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and the Intel Arc B390 is ranked 2459 out of 2775 tested combinations for Allods Online. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, confirming its status as a low-performance configuration for this title. The rank is a direct reflection of the GPU's limited capabilities, as the CPU is a modern, capable part. The data indicates that this combo is not well-suited for Allods Online, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

The CPU's benchmark scores provide context for the combo's rank. The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005 and sits in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. This is a strong result, showing that the processor is a high-performing component. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F with a score of 24964 and a deltaPct of 0.2, are virtually identical in performance. However, the GPU's 9th percentile ranking and its proximity to parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (with a deltaPct of 1.3) completely negate the CPU's advantages. The combo's rank is dragged down by the graphics solution.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile (77) and the GPU's low percentile (9) is stark. This indicates a severely unbalanced system where the processor is capable of much more than the graphics chip can deliver. The combo's rank in the game is a poor reflection of the CPU's potential but an accurate representation of the overall system's gaming performance. Any other combo with a more powerful discrete GPU would likely rank significantly higher, as the CPU provides ample headroom for a faster graphics card to utilize.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Phoenix. It has a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. Its cache configuration includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it performs admirably; for example, it scores 20851 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 8757 in Cinebench R20 multicore. These scores demonstrate that the CPU has substantial processing power for multithreaded workloads.

In the context of Allods Online, the CPU's role is largely supportive. The benchmark results show that it is not the bottleneck. The framerate scaling with resolution is a clear sign of a GPU limit. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the framerate would be similar across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload (game logic, physics, draw calls) remains relatively constant. Instead, we see a massive drop in performance as resolution increases, which is the expected behavior when the GPU is saturated.

The CPU's high performance in synthetic tests, such as a Passmark multithread score of 24389 and a single-thread score of 3685, suggests it can easily feed the Arc B390 with enough data. The fact that the system still struggles to maintain high framerates points directly at the GPU. The Ryzen 5 8400F provides a stable platform, and its 12 threads are more than sufficient for an MMORPG like Allods Online. A more powerful GPU would allow this CPU to demonstrate its true gaming potential, but with the Arc B390, its capabilities are left largely unused.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this hardware?

A: The best experience is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset, which delivers an average of 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS. This is the only configuration that offers a high, consistent framerate without sacrificing all graphical detail.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Allods Online?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average framerate is 39 FPS on the Low preset. The Ultra preset averages only 12 FPS. The data shows no settings combination at 4K provides a playable experience.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. It performs 1.3% better than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% better than the GeForce 800M, and 2.7% better than the GeForce GT 710, according to the deltaPct values.

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005. It is 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, 0.3% faster than the Intel Core i7-11850H, and 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i7-13620H, based on deltaPct values.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is the definitive limiting factor. The framerate drops sharply with increasing resolution, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's strong benchmark scores and the consistent scaling pattern confirm it has ample headroom.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank for Allods Online?

A: The combo is ranked 2459 out of 2775 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a low-performance configuration for this game.