Allods Online

Allods Online, a 2010 MMORPG, shows a wide performance spread on the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by both resolution and graphics settings, with frame rates ranging from a playable minimum to very high refresh rates depending on configuration. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across all resolutions and presets, interprets the scaling, and provides clear settings guidance based solely on the provided data.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 169.7 FPS, but at 4K with Low settings, that number falls to 67.7 FPS, a reduction of approximately 60%. This significant decline indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is more capable of keeping up, allowing the GPU to become the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern across all settings is consistent: moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 results in a noticeable but manageable drop, while the jump to 3840x2160 creates the steepest decline. For example, on High settings, the average FPS goes from 97.6 at 1080p to 59.8 at 1440p, a drop of about 39%, and then falls further to 30.5 at 4K, a 69% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep drop at 4K confirms that the RTX 2060's GPU resources—specifically its 6 GB of memory and 192-bit bus—are heavily taxed at that resolution.

The data indicates that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combination if aiming for higher frame rates, as even the most demanding Ultra preset achieves 41.1 FPS there. At 4K, only the Low preset (67.7 FPS) and Medium preset (53.2 FPS) reach playable levels above 30 FPS, while High (30.5 FPS) is borderline and Ultra (21 FPS) is not fluid. The scaling from Medium to Ultra at any given resolution is also steep, showing that the Ultra preset's demands far exceed what the GPU can comfortably handle at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is the central component in these results. Its base clock of 1365 MHz and boost clock of 1680 MHz, combined with 1920 shading units, produce a measured average benchmark score of 16074, placing it at the 58th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, scores 16351, a delta of -1.7%, meaning the RTX 2060 is slightly behind that competitor in synthesis benchmarks.

The GPU's memory capacity is directly implicated in the 4K performance collapse. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset yields only 21 FPS, while dropping to Low raises it to 67.7 FPS. This suggests that the 6 GB frame buffer is a hard constraint at 4K, forcing the GPU to manage textures and effects with less headroom. The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 2060 is not equipped for high-fidelity 4K gaming in this title, as even the High preset only manages 30.5 FPS.

In contrast, at 1080p, the GPU has ample resources, allowing the Low preset to reach 169.7 FPS and the Medium preset to hit 152.7 FPS. The RTX 2060's 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are present, but their impact on this older MMORPG is not directly measured; the data instead shows a traditional rasterization workload where raw bandwidth and memory size are the key factors. The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (avg score 15996, delta 0.5%), is nearly identical, indicating that this level of performance is typical for this class of hardware.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for high-refresh-rate gaming with this setup?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where frame rates exceed 144 FPS. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 169.7 FPS, and with Medium settings, it reaches 152.7 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh monitors.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with the RTX 2060 and i5-9400?

A: Yes, but only with reduced settings. At 3840x2160, the Low preset provides 67.7 FPS and Medium provides 53.2 FPS, which are playable. The High preset (30.5 FPS) is marginal, and Ultra (21 FPS) is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, placing it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, scores 2300, a delta of only 0.2%, meaning the i5-9400 is virtually identical in performance to that processor.

Q: What is the most demanding preset in the measured data?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding at every resolution. At 1080p, it yields 61.3 FPS; at 1440p, it drops to 41.1 FPS; and at 4K, it falls to 21 FPS. This preset consistently produces the lowest frame rates.

Q: Does the GPU outperform its closest rival in the benchmark data?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average score of 16074, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M scores 16351, which is a -1.7% delta. This means the RTX 2060 is slightly slower than that rival, but it is ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, which scores 15996, a 0.5% delta.

Q: Is there a large performance gap between Low and Medium settings?

A: Yes, but it varies by resolution. At 1080p, the gap is 17 FPS (169.7 vs 152.7), while at 1440p, it is 30.8 FPS (125.3 vs 94.5). At 4K, the gap narrows to 14.5 FPS (67.7 vs 53.2), showing that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset is the best balance, delivering 152.7 FPS, which is only slightly below the Low preset's 169.7 FPS but with presumably better visual quality. The High preset is also viable at 97.6 FPS, but the step to Ultra (61.3 FPS) represents a substantial drop for what may be marginal visual gains.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only option for high-refresh displays, providing 125.3 FPS. The Medium preset at 94.5 FPS is still smooth for most monitors, but the High preset (59.8 FPS) is better suited for standard 60 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 41.1 FPS is not recommended for competitive or fast-paced gameplay but could be acceptable for slower exploration.

For 4K, the choice is stark. The Low preset (67.7 FPS) is the recommended starting point, offering a playable experience. The Medium preset (53.2 FPS) is a viable alternative if visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate stability. The High (30.5 FPS) and Ultra (21 FPS) presets should be avoided unless the user prioritizes screenshots over gameplay fluidity. Overall, the data suggests that this hardware is best utilized at 1080p Medium or 1440p Low for a responsive experience, with 4K reserved for those willing to compromise on settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset leads with 169.7 FPS, followed closely by Medium at 152.7 FPS. High settings produce 97.6 FPS, while Ultra drops to 61.3 FPS. This shows a smooth progression with a steep penalty for Ultra settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, there is a significant reduction across all presets. Low settings achieve 125.3 FPS, Medium reaches 94.5 FPS, High falls to 59.8 FPS, and Ultra manages 41.1 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly a 25-35% drop for Low and Medium, but a 39% drop for High and a 33% drop for Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the performance is heavily constrained. Low settings produce 67.7 FPS, Medium yields 53.2 FPS, High drops to 30.5 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 21 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium at 4K is 14.5 FPS, but the gap between High and Ultra is only 9.5 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset's extra demands yield diminishing returns. The data shows that the RTX 2060's memory bandwidth and capacity are the limiting factors at this resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400, with 6 cores and 6 threads, operates at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boosts up to 4.10 GHz. Its average benchmark score of 2305 places it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, with a multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125. This places it in the middle of the pack, with its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, scoring 2300 (a 0.2% delta), indicating that the i5-9400 provides typical mid-range CPU performance.

In the context of Allods Online, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system hits 169.7 FPS, which suggests that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at that level. However, the 4.10 GHz boost clock and 9 MB of shared L3 cache are not sufficient to push frame rates higher at 1080p Low, as the data shows no preset exceeding 170 FPS. This indicates a CPU-bound scenario at the highest frame rates, where the i5-9400's 6 threads limit further scaling.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is nearly identical, with the Intel Core i7-8809G scoring 2319 (a -0.6% delta) being the only rival to outperform it. This parity suggests that the i5-9400 is not a unique bottleneck; rather, it is a standard performer for this generation. The data implies that in Allods Online, the CPU is sufficient for 60 FPS gaming at 1080p and 1440p, but it becomes the limiting factor when trying to exceed 150 FPS, as the GPU has more headroom at lower resolutions.