Revolution Idle

Revolution Idle is not a typical stress test for a gaming PC, but the measured frame rates for the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B390 reveal a clear performance profile. The data shows a system that struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at higher resolutions, with the gap between settings narrowing as pixel count increases. This analysis breaks down the measured results to understand where the bottleneck lies and what the practical experience would be for a player.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and tells a definitive story about the limiting component in this system. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 45 FPS, but that number plummets to just 28 FPS at 1440p and further to 15 FPS at 4K. This represents a 66.7% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, which is a dramatic scaling curve. The data indicates that the rendering pipeline is being overwhelmed by the sheer pixel count, not by the game's logic or physics calculations.

Looking at the Low settings preset, the scaling pattern repeats with even more clarity. The system achieves 62 FPS at 1080p, drops to 39 FPS at 1440p, and falls to 21 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37.1%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 46.2%. This non-linear degradation suggests that the graphics processor is hitting a hard ceiling as resolution increases, and the fact that even Low settings cannot maintain playable frame rates at 4K is a strong indicator that the GPU is the primary constraint.

The Ultra preset paints an even bleaker picture, with 29 FPS at 1080p, 18 FPS at 1440p, and a nearly unplayable 9 FPS at 4K. The delta between High and Ultra at 1080p is 16 FPS, but at 4K that delta shrinks to just 6 FPS. This compression of performance between settings at higher resolutions implies that the system is not scaling with quality settings as expected; instead, it is being limited by raw fill rate and memory bandwidth. The data suggests that the Arc B390's "System Shared" memory configuration is a critical weakness, as the bandwidth becomes a bottleneck for the increased data demands of 4K rendering.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake architecture, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark results place it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. This is a mid-range performer by current standards, but for an idle game like Revolution Idle, the CPU's role is typically more about maintaining consistent simulation ticks than pushing high frame rates.

The measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 62 FPS, which is likely near the practical limit for this CPU in any scenario. However, the fact that dropping from High to Low at 1080p only yields a 17 FPS improvement (from 45 to 62) suggests that the CPU can handle the game's logic without significant strain. The nearest rivals to the i5-9400, such as the Intel Core i7-10710U (deltaPct 0.3) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (deltaPct 0.4), all have similar average scores, indicating that there is no large performance gap between these processors.

The CPU's 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide adequate bandwidth for an idle game, which typically involves simple arithmetic and state updates rather than complex physics. The single-core Geekbench score of 1389 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 935 are modest, but they are sufficient for the game's logic. The data implies that the CPU is holding up its end of the bargain, as the FPS drops are almost entirely correlated with resolution increases, which directly impact the GPU's workload rather than the CPU's.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the clear limiting factor in this configuration. This integrated GPU, based on the Xe3-LPG architecture on a 3 nm process, has a boost clock of 2500 MHz and 1536 shading units. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, which is exceptionally low. The nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts like the GeForce GT 520MX and GT 710, with deltaPct values of 1.3 and 2.7 respectively, meaning the Arc B390 is only marginally faster than these decade-old chips.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," which means it relies on the system's DDR4 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a major disadvantage for high-resolution gaming, as the shared memory bus becomes a bottleneck. The measured FPS data confirms this, as the system cannot even maintain 30 FPS at 1440p on any settings preset except Low, where it hits 39 FPS. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are theoretical maximums, but the actual performance is far below what these numbers suggest due to the memory limitations.

The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is respectable on paper, but the data shows that this compute power cannot be effectively utilized at higher resolutions. The fact that the Ultra preset at 4K yields only 9 FPS, while the Low preset at 4K yields 21 FPS, indicates that the GPU is not shader-bound but rather bandwidth-bound. The 12 RT cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are irrelevant for an idle game, as the rendering demands are simple, but the fundamental fill rate limitations are exposed by the resolution scaling. The data clearly shows that the Arc B390 is a GPU designed for basic display output, not for gaming at modern resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows its best performance across all settings. The Low preset averages 62 FPS, which is the only setting that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold typically considered smooth. The High preset averages 45 FPS, while Medium averages 47 FPS, and Ultra drops to 29 FPS. The Medium preset has a recorded min FPS of 40 and max FPS of 54, showing a variance of 14 FPS, which indicates some frame pacing inconsistency. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 33 FPS, a substantial range that shows the GPU can still scale with quality settings at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low averages 39 FPS, High averages 28 FPS, Medium averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. The Medium preset again shows a min of 25 FPS and max of 34 FPS, a 9 FPS variance. At this resolution, no setting achieves 60 FPS, and only Low comes close to 40 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 21 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is becoming more constrained by resolution than by settings.

At 3840x2160, the system is severely limited. Low averages 21 FPS, High averages 15 FPS, Medium averages 16 FPS with a min of 13 and max of 18, and Ultra averages 9 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is just 12 FPS, and even the best case scenario at Low is far below the 30 FPS often considered the minimum for playable gameplay. The data shows a consistent pattern where each doubling of resolution roughly halves the frame rate, which is a classic sign of a fill-rate-limited GPU. The 4K results are essentially unusable for any interactive purpose, and the system appears to be at its absolute limit even at the lowest settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Revolution Idle at 60 FPS?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 62 FPS, which is the only measured configuration that exceeds 60 FPS. All other settings and resolutions fall below this threshold, with High at 1080p reaching only 45 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The data shows the GPU is the clear bottleneck. Resolution scaling causes a 66.7% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings, and even Low settings at 4K only reach 21 FPS. The CPU's performance is consistent across resolutions, indicating it is not the limiting factor.

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

A: The only playable resolution is 1920x1080. At this resolution, Low settings provide 62 FPS, while Medium and High provide 47 and 45 FPS respectively. 1440p and 4K do not offer any settings preset that reaches 40 FPS.

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

A: The Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, which is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is far below mainstream gaming performance.

Q: Does increasing settings have the same impact at all resolutions?

A: No. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces FPS from 62 to 29, a 53.2% decrease. At 4K, the same move reduces FPS from 21 to 9, a 57.1% decrease, but the absolute difference is much smaller, showing that resolution dominates the performance ceiling.

Q: Is there any benefit to using the Ultra preset?

A: The Ultra preset provides the lowest frame rates at every resolution, with 29 FPS at 1080p, 18 FPS at 1440p, and 9 FPS at 4K. Given that this is an idle game where visual fidelity is likely less critical than smooth progression, the Ultra preset offers no practical advantage over lower settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this system is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which produces an average of 62 FPS. This is the only setting that achieves a frame rate high enough for smooth interaction, and since Revolution Idle is an idle game, the visual differences between Low and Ultra are unlikely to impact gameplay satisfaction. The 62 FPS at Low is 15 FPS higher than the next best option (Medium at 47 FPS), providing a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

For players who prefer higher visual quality, the Medium preset at 1080p is the second-best choice, averaging 47 FPS with a min of 40 FPS. This stays above the 30 FPS minimum for playability, but the frame pacing variance of 14 FPS (from min to max) could cause occasional stutters. The High preset at 1080p is marginally worse at 45 FPS, so Medium offers a better balance of quality and performance. The Ultra preset at any resolution is not recommended, as even at 1080p it drops to 29 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 1440p, the Low preset at 39 FPS is the only viable option, but it is still below 40 FPS and may feel sluggish. The Medium preset at 30 FPS is borderline playable but not recommended for extended sessions. The 4K resolution is completely impractical, with no setting exceeding 21 FPS. The data strongly suggests that users should stick to 1080p and choose between Low and Medium settings depending on their preference for visual fidelity versus smoothness. Given the idle genre, the Low preset at 1080p is the clear recommendation, as it provides the most stable experience without sacrificing the core gameplay mechanics.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2629 out of 2986 tested combos in Revolution Idle, placing it in the bottom 12% of all systems. This poor ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, which sits in the 9th percentile of all graphics cards. The CPU, by contrast, is in the 47th percentile, showing that it is a mid-pack performer that is being held back by the integrated graphics solution.

The data indicates that this combo is not suitable for any modern gaming workload beyond the most basic 2D or text-based experiences. The measured FPS at 1080p Low of 62 FPS is the only bright spot, but this is likely due to the game's low system requirements rather than the hardware's capabilities. The nearest rival GPUs, such as the GT 520MX and GT 710, are from a bygone era of computing, and the Arc B390's 1.3% and 2.7% performance advantages over these parts do not suggest any meaningful upgrade path.

For context, the CPU's nearest rivals, including the Core i7-10710U and Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, all have similar average benchmark scores within a 0.4% range, so the processor is not the differentiating factor in this ranking. The 9th percentile GPU ranking is what drags the combo down to 2629th place. This system would rank significantly higher if paired with even a modest dedicated GPU, but as configured, it is near the bottom of the database. The data shows that this combo is best suited for non-gaming tasks, and any expectation of playing Revolution Idle at high settings or resolutions is unrealistic.