Allods Online

Allods Online, a 2010-era MMORPG, presents a unique challenge for the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B390 combination. The benchmark data reveals a system that is fundamentally constrained by its graphics solution, with performance collapsing at higher resolutions and settings. The combination ranks in the bottom 11% of tested configurations, indicating that while the CPU is competent, the overall experience is heavily limited by the GPU's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a dramatic and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the pattern is steeper than typical for a dedicated graphics card. This is because the Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with system-shared memory, making it the primary bottleneck in this pairing.

At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 120 FPS. This is a playable frame rate that suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately at this level. However, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p reveals a significant drop. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 120 to 75, a reduction of 45 FPS or 37.5%. This is a substantial loss that indicates the GPU is already struggling with the increased pixel count, even at the lowest graphical fidelity.

The trend continues when moving from 1440p to 4K (3840x2160). At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 75 to 39, a further reduction of 36 FPS. The total scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low is a collapse from 120 FPS to 39 FPS, a 67.5% decrease. This steep drop-off is characteristic of a system where the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are severely limited, and the "System Shared" memory bandwidth is a critical constraint.

Looking at the High settings preset, the scaling is even more punishing. At 1080p High, the system manages 59 FPS. Dropping to 1440p High reduces this to 37 FPS, and at 4K High, the average falls to a nearly unplayable 19 FPS. The difference between 1080p High and 4K High is a 40 FPS drop, or a 67.8% reduction. This consistent ~67% performance loss from 1080p to 4K across Low and High settings confirms that the limiting component is the GPU's ability to process pixels, not the CPU's ability to calculate game logic.

The 4K Medium and Ultra settings further illustrate the GPU's limitations. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 31, with a minimum of 26 and a maximum of 36. At 4K Ultra, the average collapses to just 12 FPS. The gap between 1080p Medium (94 FPS) and 4K Medium (31 FPS) is a 63 FPS difference. These results show that the Intel Arc B390's performance is not just resolution-bound but also setting-bound, with each increment in quality having a disproportionately large impact at higher resolutions. The data clearly indicates that this combo is only viable for 1080p gaming, and even then, only at lower to medium settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combination are at 1920x1080 with Low or Medium presets. The 1080p Low setting delivers an average of 120 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience in an MMORPG, where quick camera movements and ability rotations benefit from high frame rates. The 1080p Medium preset provides a more visually appealing experience at 94 FPS, with a minimum of 80 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS. This is a strong balance, offering a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays.

The 1080p High preset is also playable, with an average of 59 FPS. However, this is right at the edge of what is considered smooth, and any demanding in-game situations or large player gatherings could cause noticeable dips. The data suggests that High at 1080p is a borderline choice; it is acceptable but sacrifices the headroom that Medium provides.

The 1440p resolution is not recommended for this combo. Even at Low settings, the average FPS is 75, which is acceptable, but the Medium preset drops to 59 FPS, and High falls to 37 FPS. The 1440p Medium and High presets are too inconsistent for a responsive experience. The 4K resolution should be avoided entirely, as even the Low preset at 39 FPS is below the standard for comfortable play, and Ultra is a slideshow at 12 FPS.

The best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. It provides a 94 FPS average, which offers a substantial buffer above 60 FPS, and the minimum of 80 FPS ensures that frame pacing remains stable. This preset maximizes visual quality while maintaining a high level of performance, making it the clear recommendation for this hardware configuration. The Low preset is a viable alternative for those prioritizing maximum frame rate, but the Medium preset offers a superior balance of performance and graphical fidelity.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the defining component in this system's gaming performance, and its specifications explain the benchmark results. The GPU is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units. Its boost clock is rated at 2500 MHz, with a base clock of 300 MHz. The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s. These are modest figures, and the benchmark data confirms that the GPU is underpowered for demanding scenarios.

The most critical specification is the memory configuration. The Intel Arc B390 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it relies on the system's DDR4 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means it is tied to the CPU's memory controller and the speed of the installed RAM. For the i5-10400F, the memory bandwidth is 42.7 GB/s. This is a severe bottleneck for the GPU, as modern games require high bandwidth for textures and frame buffers. The low fill rate and limited memory bandwidth explain the steep performance drop at higher resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which has an average score of 1463 (1.3% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, with an average score of 1443 (2.7% lower). This places the Arc B390 in the same performance tier as decade-old entry-level dedicated graphics cards. This context is crucial: while the B390 is a modern integrated solution, its performance is comparable to ancient discrete GPUs, which explains why it cannot handle 1440p or 4K gaming.

The GPU's 12 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) are features that the game likely does not utilize, given its 2010 release date. The Vulkan 1.4 and OpenGL 4.6 API support are also irrelevant for this title. The measured frame rates are entirely dominated by the GPU's raw rasterization power and memory bandwidth, both of which are insufficient for high-resolution gameplay. The system performs as if it has a very low-end discrete GPU, and the data supports this classification.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Allods Online with this hardware?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only viable resolution. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 120, and at Medium, it is 94. At 1440p, even Low settings drop to 75 FPS, and at 4K, all settings are below 40 FPS, making them unplayable.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GT 710 (1443). The performance is essentially tied with these legacy parts.

Q: Is the Core i5-10400F the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. The steep performance drop from 1080p to 4K (from 120 FPS to 39 FPS at Low settings) is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's performance is sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 1080p, but the GPU cannot keep up as resolution increases.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 59 FPS. The minimum is 50 FPS and the maximum is 68 FPS. While this is technically playable, it offers little headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: Why does performance drop so much at 4K Ultra?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 12. This is due to the GPU's System Shared memory and limited processing power. The 4K resolution requires processing four times the pixels of 1080p, and the Arc B390's fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for this workload, especially at maximum visual quality.

Q: Should I use the Low or Medium preset at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset is recommended. It delivers an average of 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS, providing a smooth experience. The Low preset offers 120 FPS, which is faster, but the Medium preset provides a significantly better visual experience while maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2459 out of 2775 tested combos for Allods Online. This places it in the 11.3rd percentile of all configurations, meaning it performs better than only about 11% of the systems tested. This is a very low ranking that reflects the GPU's severe limitations.

This ranking is surprising given that the CPU, the Core i5-10400F, has a strong benchmark profile. The CPU's average benchmark score is 14185, and it sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163, 0.2% lower) and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277, 0.6% higher). The CPU has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. In Cinebench R23, it scores 10283 multi-core and 1451 single-core. PassMark scores include 12115 for multithread and 2541 for single-thread.

The data shows a massive mismatch. The CPU is a mid-range performer that can handle modern gaming workloads, but the GPU is an entry-level integrated solution that falls into the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The combo's ranking of 2459 out of 2775 is dragged down entirely by the GPU. The CPU is not the limiting factor; it provides more than enough processing power for the GPU to work with. The low rank is a direct consequence of the Intel Arc B390's inability to render the game at higher resolutions and settings, as evidenced by the 3DMark score of 1482, which is comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. For a game like Allods Online, which is not visually demanding by modern standards, this combo still struggles due to the GPU's fundamental performance ceiling.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F plays a supporting role in this configuration, and the data suggests it is more than capable for Allods Online. The CPU is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, and it boosts up to 4.30 GHz. The TDP is 65 W, and it supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s.

The CPU's benchmark results indicate a solid mid-range performer. In Cinebench R23, it scores 10283 in multi-core and 1451 in single-core. The 3DMark tests show scaling from 1350 with 2 threads to 4748 with 16 threads, demonstrating that it can utilize multiple cores effectively. PassMark results are also strong, with a multithread score of 12115 and a single-thread score of 2541. These numbers suggest that the CPU can handle the game's logic, AI, and network code without breaking a sweat.

The CPU's performance is further contextualized by its ranking. It sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14185. This is significantly higher than the GPU's 9th percentile ranking. The nearest rival data shows the CPU is closely matched with the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163) and the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115), both of which are server-class processors.

In the context of Allods Online, the CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame rate by ensuring the game's simulation thread is not starved. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 120 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game's single-threaded performance. However, the fact that the frame rate drops to 19 FPS at 4K High proves that the CPU is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively constant regardless of resolution. Instead, the frame rate scales inversely with resolution, which is a definitive indicator that the GPU is the constraint. The Core i5-10400F is a capable processor that provides a strong foundation, but it is paired with a GPU that cannot translate that CPU power into playable frame rates at higher graphical loads.