Roblox

Roblox is a sandbox title that places unusual demands on a system, and the measured results for the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 reveal a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics processor. The data shows a clear pattern where frame rates scale dramatically with resolution, indicating that the Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this pairing. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, the combo’s standing among other tested configurations, and the specific roles the CPU and GPU play in producing these results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep decline in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which is classic evidence of a GPU-limited scenario. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 124 FPS at 1080p to 83 FPS at 1440p, then falls further to 47 FPS at 4K. This represents a 62% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a substantial hit that points directly at the graphics card’s rendering capabilities rather than the processor.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 154 at 1080p to 103 at 1440p, and finally to 58 at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 140 FPS at 1080p, 94 FPS at 1440p, and 53 FPS at 4K. Even the Ultra preset, which starts at a modest 101 FPS at 1080p, drops to 67 FPS at 1440p and bottoms out at 38 FPS at 4K. The consistency of this scaling across all four settings presets strongly indicates that the limiting component is the GPU, as the CPU’s workload does not change significantly with resolution.

What is particularly telling is the gap between the 1080p and 1440p results versus the 1440p to 4K results. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the drop is 41 FPS (from 124 to 83). From 1440p to 4K, the drop is 36 FPS (from 83 to 47). This near-linear scaling suggests the GPU is being pushed to its limits at every resolution, with no headroom left for the CPU to become a factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower resolutions, but that is not the case here.

The Medium preset provides the only min/max data points in the measured results, offering additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 140 FPS with a minimum of 119 and a maximum of 161. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 94 FPS with a range of 80 to 108. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 53 FPS with a range of 45 to 61. The fact that even the minimum frame rates at 1080p (119 FPS) exceed the maximum frame rates at 4K (61 FPS) underscores how severely the GPU limits performance at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested CPU and GPU combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 with the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2774 out of 3010 combos for Roblox. This places the configuration in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, which is a poor showing for a game that is generally considered lightweight. The rank reflects the Arc B370’s very low standing among GPUs, as the card sits in the 5th percentile against all GPUs in the database.

The GPU’s benchmark results are stark. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Arc B370 scores 1184 points. Its nearest rivals in the database are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 at 1186 points (0.2% faster), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 at 1190 points (0.5% faster), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M at 1192 points (0.7% faster). The only GPU it edges out is the AMD FirePro M2000 at 1168 points, which is 1.4% slower. This places the Arc B370 in territory occupied by decade-old discrete GPUs and mobile parts, explaining why the combo ranks so poorly in Roblox despite the game’s modest requirements.

The CPU, meanwhile, is far more capable in relative terms. The Core i5-9400 sits in the 47th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 at 2259 points (0.2% faster), the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248 points (0.3% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246 points (0.4% slower). The CPU is clearly not the weak link in this pairing; the data indicates that the GPU is dragging down the overall combo ranking.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all four presets deliver playable frame rates, but the data suggests that the High preset at 124 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 101 FPS is only 23 FPS slower, but the visual gains in Roblox’s blocky aesthetic are often marginal. The Low preset at 154 FPS is the fastest, but Roblox’s visual style benefits from higher settings.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 94 FPS is the sweet spot. The High preset at 83 FPS is still playable, but the gap between Medium and High (11 FPS) is smaller than the gap between Medium and Low (9 FPS), making Medium the better choice for maintaining frame rate without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 67 FPS is borderline; it is playable but leaves little headroom for dips in complex scenes.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset at 58 FPS is the only option that stays above 60 FPS, and even that is marginal. The Medium preset at 53 FPS is playable but will feel less smooth. The High preset at 47 FPS and the Ultra preset at 38 FPS are both below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. For 4K, the data clearly indicates that Low settings are the only viable option for a smooth experience, and even then, users should expect occasional dips.

The Medium preset is the only one with measured minimum and maximum frame rates, which provides useful context. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 119 FPS ensures consistent performance. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 80 FPS is still acceptable. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 45 FPS will be noticeable in fast-paced scenes. For most users, the recommendation is to run Roblox at 1080p with High settings for the best combination of visuals and performance, or drop to Medium at 1440p if higher resolution is preferred.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank for this system in Roblox?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 with the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2774 out of 3010 tested combos for Roblox, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its closest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 at 1186 (0.2% faster), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 at 1190 (0.5% faster), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M at 1192 (0.7% faster).

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gameplay?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 124 FPS average, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 101 FPS is slower, while the Low preset at 154 FPS sacrifices visuals for speed.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Roblox?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset at 58 FPS stays near 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 53 FPS is playable, but the High preset at 47 FPS and Ultra preset at 38 FPS are below comfortable thresholds.

Q: How does the Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 at 2259 is 0.2% faster, the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248 is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246 is 0.4% slower.

Q: What does the Medium preset data show for minimum frame rates?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 119. At 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 80. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 45, which will be noticeable in busy scenes.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its compute capabilities are rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1 ratio). The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s.

The GPU’s memory configuration is entirely system-shared, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. The memory type is system shared, the bus width is system shared, and the bandwidth is system dependent. This is a significant limitation for gaming, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth. The card has a TDP of 25 W and is classified as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a bus interface of IGP. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The benchmark data shows this GPU in the 5th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rivals are all older discrete GPUs from the ATI/AMD Radeon HD era, which highlights how limited the Arc B370 is for gaming. In Roblox, the GPU’s limitations are the primary constraint on performance. The measured FPS data shows that even at Low settings, the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K, suggesting that the integrated solution is simply not powerful enough for high-resolution gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The CPU has a TDP of 65 W and uses the Intel Socket 1151 interface. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 9 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The CPU provides 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes and includes integrated UHD 630 graphics.

In CPU benchmarks, the Core i5-9400 shows solid performance for its generation. It scores 668 in Cinebench R15 multicore and 94 in single-core. In Cinebench R20, it scores 2784 multicore and 392 single-core. Cinebench R23 results are 6629 multicore and 935 single-core. Geekbench scores are 5141 multicore and 1389 single-core. The average benchmark score is 2254, placing it in the 47th percentile against all CPUs.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the database are closely matched. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 at 2259 is 0.2% faster, the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248 is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246 is 0.4% slower. This indicates that the Core i5-9400 is a mid-pack processor, capable of handling most games but not a top-tier performer. In Roblox, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient for Roblox’s workload, and the 4.10 GHz boost clock provides adequate single-thread performance for the game’s physics and scripting.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this system performs across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 154 FPS, the Medium preset averages 140 FPS with a minimum of 119 and maximum of 161, the High preset averages 124 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 101 FPS. These results show that the system is well-suited for 1080p gaming in Roblox, with even the most demanding preset staying above 100 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. The Low preset averages 103 FPS, the Medium preset averages 94 FPS with a range of 80 to 108, the High preset averages 83 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS. The 1440p results are still playable, but the gap between Low and Ultra narrows, suggesting that the GPU is starting to struggle with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the system’s limitations become apparent. The Low preset averages 58 FPS, the Medium preset averages 53 FPS with a range of 45 to 61, the High preset averages 47 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 38 FPS. Only the Low preset comes close to maintaining 60 FPS, and even that is marginal. The data indicates that 4K gaming is only viable at the lowest settings, and even then, users should expect frame rates to fluctuate.

The complete breakdown shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the sweet spot for this configuration, 1440p is acceptable with adjusted settings, and 4K requires significant compromises. The Medium preset at 1440p (94 FPS) is arguably the best balance of resolution and performance, while the Ultra preset at 1080p (101 FPS) offers the highest visual quality without sacrificing too much speed. The data consistently shows the GPU as the bottleneck, as no amount of CPU headroom can overcome the integrated graphics’ limitations at higher resolutions.