Allods Online

Allods Online, a 2010 MMORPG, presents an interesting case study for modern hardware. The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F processor and the Intel Arc B570 graphics card yields a broad spectrum of performance, heavily dependent on the resolution and quality settings selected. The data reveals a system that can handle the game smoothly at high refresh rates on standard monitors but struggles significantly at 4K with maximum settings, indicating a clear performance bottleneck shift between the CPU and GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic and consistent decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 91 FPS at 1080p to 57 FPS at 1440p, a 37% reduction, and then further down to 30 FPS at 4K, which is a 67% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This pattern strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B570 becomes the limiting factor as the pixel count grows.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at lower settings. With Low settings, the system achieves 184 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 116 FPS at 1440p and finally to 61 FPS at 4K. The fact that even at Low settings, which typically reduce GPU load, the frame rate at 4K is still only a third of the 1080p figure, underscores that the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The performance halving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is a clear sign of the GPU hitting its fill-rate or bandwidth limits.

The data suggests that the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but as the resolution increases, the GPU's rendering workload scales exponentially. This translates to a system that is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but not for 4K, where the GPU's capabilities are overwhelmed. The 19 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a clear indicator that this combination is not intended for that workload, and even the 30 FPS at 4K High is below the standard for a smooth experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake generation, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In the context of Allods Online, which relies on a mix of single-threaded game logic and multi-threaded asset streaming, this CPU provides a solid foundation. Its performance, as measured by its 71st percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 17177, places it well above the median. It sits within 1% of rivals like the AMD EPYC 7H12 and the Intel Core i5-12450H, indicating a competitive performance tier.

Given that the game is an MMORPG, the CPU's role in handling many concurrent players, network data, and game state calculations is critical. The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. The jump from 91 FPS at High to 184 FPS at Low settings demonstrates that when the GPU load is reduced, the CPU is capable of pushing frames much higher. This suggests that in this scenario, the CPU has the single-thread performance headroom to drive the game at high frame rates.

However, the impact of the CPU's 12 threads is less clear. The game is from 2010, and while it can use multiple cores, its scaling is likely not perfect. The data shows that at 4K Low, the system still manages 61 FPS, which is a significant drop from 1080p Low (184 FPS). If the CPU were the sole bottleneck at 1080p Low, we would expect a smaller drop when moving to 4K Low, as the CPU workload would be relatively unchanged. The significant drop implies the GPU is still the main limiter even at the lowest settings. The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are adequate for this title, ensuring it doesn't starve the GPU.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the clear determinant of high-resolution performance in this configuration. Based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, this GPU comes with 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. Its core clocks are a constant 2500 MHz for both base and boost. The GPU's overall strength, indicated by its 65th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 20556, puts it in a mid-to-high tier, closely matching the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and Intel Arc A750, with deltas of 0.1% and -0.1% respectively.

The GPU's role is most evident in the scaling from 1080p to 4K. The memory bandwidth is likely a critical factor; the 380.0 GB/s figure must feed more pixels as resolution increases. The difference between 144 FPS at 1080p Medium and 47 FPS at 4K Medium is a 67% drop, highlighting the GPU's inability to keep up with the pixel throughput demands. Similarly, the 30 FPS at 4K High versus 91 FPS at 1080p High shows a 67% reduction. This is a classic symptom of a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering pipeline is saturated.

The VRAM capacity of 10 GB is not a limiting factor at the tested settings, as even the highest settings in this title likely do not exceed that capacity. The performance is more likely constrained by the raw compute throughput, which is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, and the texture and pixel rates. The GPU's 144 TMUs and 80 ROPs are responsible for texture filtering and pixel output, and their throughput becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU has enough power to deliver high frame rates, but at 4K, its limits are exposed, resulting in the low average FPS observed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across three resolutions and four quality settings.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates excellent performance. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 184 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings yield 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, showing a stable experience. High settings still produce a very playable 91 FPS average. The Ultra preset is more demanding, dropping the average to 57 FPS, which is still smooth but represents a significant performance hit for the visual quality increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's strain. The Low preset averages 116 FPS, which is still excellent. Medium settings drop to 91 FPS, with a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 104 FPS. This is a noticeable step down from 1080p but remains a good experience. The High preset falls to 57 FPS, which is the same as the 1080p Ultra score, indicating a parity in load. The Ultra preset becomes quite demanding, with an average of only 36 FPS, making it a less desirable choice for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations are fully apparent. The Low preset is the only one that provides a playable frame rate, averaging 61 FPS. Medium settings drop to 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 55, which is a playable but not ideal experience. The High preset is on the edge of playability at 30 FPS, and the Ultra preset is not playable, with an average of just 19 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming is only feasible with the Low settings preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i5-11400F and the Arc B570 ranks 2231 out of 2775 tested combos in Allods Online. This places it in the 20th percentile of all systems tested, meaning roughly 80% of tested system configurations perform better in this specific game. This ranking is a reflection of the game's age and the specific hardware demands, which may not align perfectly with the strengths of these components.

This ranking is lower than what the individual component benchmarks might suggest. The CPU's 71st percentile and the GPU's 65th percentile are respectable, but their combined performance in this title yields a lower overall rank. This suggests that the game may not be fully utilizing the strengths of either component. For example, the game might be more heavily dependent on single-core performance or have a specific engine limitation that neither the CPU nor the GPU can fully overcome. The fact that the system can achieve 184 FPS at 1080p Low but only 19 FPS at 4K Ultra shows a wide performance envelope, but the ranking indicates that other hardware combinations can achieve higher performance in this game, likely due to better optimization for the game's engine or more balanced performance characteristics.

The ranking implies that while this setup is capable of playing the game, it is not a top-tier performer for this specific title. The system is not in the bottom tier, but it is clearly in the lower half of tested configurations. Users with this combo can expect a playable experience at lower resolutions and settings, but they should not expect to max out the game at 4K, as the rank suggests many other systems are better suited for that task.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the user's display resolution and performance priorities.

For 1920x1080 displays, the High preset is the recommended starting point. It delivers a smooth 91 FPS average, which is a significant upgrade over the 57 FPS of the Ultra preset. The difference in visual quality between High and Ultra is often less noticeable in an MMORPG than the performance hit. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz or higher), the Medium preset at 144 FPS is an excellent choice, providing a fluid experience. The Low preset at 184 FPS is only necessary for competitive play at ultra-high refresh rates, as the visual downgrade is substantial.

For 2560x1440 displays, the High preset at 57 FPS is a solid choice for a good balance of visual fidelity and smoothness. Users who prioritize frame rate over visual details should select the Medium preset, which provides a very playable 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS. The Ultra preset at 36 FPS is not recommended for general play, as the frame rate dips can be noticeable in a fast-paced game environment.

For 3840x2160 displays, the options are limited by the GPU. The Low preset at 61 FPS is the only viable option for a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset at 47 FPS is playable but may have noticeable frame drops in busy areas. The High and Ultra presets should be avoided as they fall below the 30 FPS threshold, which is generally considered not playable for this genre. Users with 4K displays would need to significantly lower settings to get a good experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Allods Online at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only with the Low settings preset, which achieves an average of 61 FPS. Higher settings result in unplayable frame rates, with Ultra averaging only 19 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 144 FPS, perfectly matching the monitor's refresh rate. The Low preset can push to 184 FPS, but the visual quality loss is significant.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F or the Intel Arc B570 the bottleneck at 1440p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1440p. For instance, the High preset drops from 91 FPS at 1080p to 57 FPS at 1440p, a performance drop that is typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: How does the Arc B570's performance in this game compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 is very close to its nearest rivals, with a 0.1% difference compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and a -0.1% difference compared to the Intel Arc A750.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset is significantly more demanding. At 1080p, High averages 91 FPS, while Ultra averages only 57 FPS, which is a 37% reduction in performance for the higher visual quality.

Q: Is the Core i5-11400F a strong performer for this game?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 17177 places it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a solid performer. It is within 0.6% of the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G, showing it can handle the game's CPU demands effectively.