Outriders

The Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B580 combination presents a mixed picture for Outriders, a title that scales significantly with resolution and preset. The recorded data shows that this pairing can deliver smooth gameplay at lower resolutions and settings, but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding presets. The benchmark results indicate that the Arc B580 carries most of the rendering load, while the i5-9400 proves sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p and 1440p, but the gap closes at 2160p where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Outriders covers three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combination performs admirably across the board. The Low preset yields an average of 127.4 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure for this pairing. Medium settings reduce the average to 113.3 FPS, while High settings drop further to 99.6 FPS. The most demanding 1080p preset, Ultra, still maintains a solid 79.2 FPS average. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the system has ample headroom for high refresh rate monitors, even with the most demanding settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance curve steepens. The Low preset delivers an average of 111 FPS, a modest decrease from the 1080p figure. Medium settings average 92.4 FPS, which remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings produce 66.8 FPS, still playable but with less margin. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 52 FPS, which falls below the playable threshold. This indicates that at 1440p, the system can handle High settings but cannot sustain the full visual experience.

At 3840x2160, the results become more constrained. The Low preset averages 65.5 FPS, just above the 60 FPS line. Medium settings drop to 49.4 FPS, High settings reach 35.5 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 25.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is substantial, a 40.4 FPS difference, showing that the GPU struggles with the increased pixel count when higher quality assets are enabled. The data shows no min or max FPS values recorded, so only average performance can be assessed for stability.

Best Settings per Resolution

The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS average. Based on the recorded data, the best settings at each resolution are as follows. At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 79.2 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and the system clears the threshold by a comfortable 19.2 FPS margin. At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, averaging 66.8 FPS. This is 6.8 FPS above the threshold, indicating that while playable, there is less headroom than at 1080p. At 3840x2160, the only preset that meets the 60 FPS requirement is Low, with an average of 65.5 FPS. The margin here is only 5.5 FPS, which is a narrow buffer for demanding scenes.

The verdict data confirms these choices. For 1080p, all four presets are listed as playable, with Ultra as the best setting. For 1440p, High, Low, and Medium are playable, with High as the best. For 4K, only Low is playable. The pattern shows that as resolution increases, the quality preset must be reduced to maintain the same frame rate target, a classic scaling behavior.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database, this specific Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B580 combination ranks at 3035 out of 3710 tested combos for Outriders. This places the pairing in the lower portion of the overall distribution, at roughly the 81st percentile from the bottom. The rank suggests that while this system can run the game, many other hardware combinations produce higher frame rates. The combo rank is a single aggregate measure, not broken down by resolution or preset, so it reflects overall performance across the tested configurations.

The percentile data for the individual components provides context. The CPU sits at the 47th percentile among all tested CPUs, while the GPU stands at the 68th percentile among all tested GPUs. The GPU is relatively stronger than the CPU in the broader hardware landscape. However, the combo rank of 3035 out of 3710 indicates that the pairing does not translate into top-tier gaming performance for Outriders specifically, likely due to the CPU limiting the GPU in some scenarios or the game's engine favoring other architectures.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Outriders at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 79.2, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data lists Ultra as the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 averages 66.8 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that stays above the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution. The Ultra preset averages 52 FPS, which is below the playable line.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware combination?

A: Only with the Low preset. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 65.5 FPS, which is playable. Medium settings drop to 49.4 FPS, and High and Ultra fall to 35.5 FPS and 25.1 FPS respectively, all below the threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, a delta of -0.2 percent. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a delta of 0.4 percent. These differences are minimal, indicating similar CPU performance.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP scores 23061, a delta of -0.2 percent. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, a delta of 0.6 percent. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, a delta of -0.7 percent. These deltas are all within one percent, showing closely matched GPU performance.

Q: What is the overall rank of this specific CPU and GPU combo for Outriders?

A: The combo ranks 3035 out of 3710 tested combinations. This places it in the lower third of the database, indicating that many other hardware pairings achieve higher frame rates in this game.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals the division of labor between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080, the frame rate differences between presets are moderate. The Low preset averages 127.4 FPS, while Ultra averages 79.2 FPS, a drop of 48.2 FPS. This 37.8 percent reduction suggests that the GPU is handling most of the additional work from higher quality settings, as the CPU has enough headroom to feed frames at these rates. The i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, is sufficient for the demands of Outriders at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. The Low preset averages 111 FPS, down from 127.4 FPS at 1080p, a 12.9 percent decrease. The Ultra preset averages 52 FPS, down from 79.2 FPS at 1080p, a 34.3 percent decrease. The larger relative drop for Ultra settings indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as pixel count increases. The CPU is still able to provide frames, but the GPU's rendering throughput is stretched thinner at higher resolutions and quality levels.

At 3840x2160, the GPU dominates the performance profile. The Low preset averages 65.5 FPS, down from 111 FPS at 1440p, a 41 percent decrease. The Ultra preset averages 25.1 FPS, down from 52 FPS at 1440p, a 51.7 percent decrease. The steep declines at 4K indicate that the Arc B580's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint. The CPU's role diminishes as the GPU becomes saturated with the 8.3 million pixel workload. The data shows that the i5-9400 is less of a bottleneck at 4K, as the GPU cannot generate enough frames to stress the CPU.

The preset scaling at each resolution reinforces this. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 48.2 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 59 FPS. At 4K, the gap is 40.4 FPS. The wider gap at 1440p suggests that both components are being exercised, while the narrower gap at 4K shows that the GPU is the limiting factor, as even lowering settings from Medium to Low provides only a 16 FPS improvement at 4K, compared to a 18.6 FPS improvement at 1440p.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Outriders depends entirely on the target resolution and quality expectations. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable. The verdict data lists all four presets as playable, with Ultra averaging 79.2 FPS. This is a clear pass, with enough performance headroom for a smooth experience. At 2560x1440, the system remains capable but with limits. The High preset averages 66.8 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium and Low are also playable, but Ultra falls short at 52 FPS. This is a conditional pass, where users must accept High settings or lower to maintain frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more restrictive. Only the Low preset is playable, averaging 65.5 FPS. The margin above the threshold is slim, and any demanding scene could push the average below 60 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra are all below the playable line. For 4K gaming, this combination requires significant compromises in visual quality. The system can run the game at 4K, but only with the lowest settings, and the experience may not be consistently smooth.

The measured FPS data supports these verdicts. The system is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can handle all presets. For 1440p, it is a solid choice for High and below. For 4K, it is only usable at Low settings. The playable threshold of 60 FPS is met in these specific configurations, but the system does not have the raw performance to push higher resolutions with higher quality settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide a sense of what other hardware would behave similarly. The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its closest competitor, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, a delta of -0.2 percent, meaning the i7 is essentially equivalent in performance. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a delta of 0.3 percent, also effectively identical. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a delta of 0.4 percent, and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, a delta of -0.4 percent. All four rivals are within one percent of the i5-9400's average score, so swapping to any of these CPUs would yield nearly identical frame rates in Outriders, assuming the GPU remains the same.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP scores 23061, a delta of -0.2 percent, making it a near-identical match. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, a delta of 0.6 percent, which is also very close. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, a delta of -0.7 percent, and the NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, a delta of -1 percent. The tight clustering of these scores, all within one percent, indicates that any of these GPUs would produce similar performance in Outriders when paired with the i5-9400. Users with these alternative components could expect comparable FPS results to the measured data, with the same resolution and preset limitations.