Outriders

# Outriders Performance Analysis: Intel Core i5-11400F + AMD Radeon RX 9070

This combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 lands at rank 675 out of 1,693 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. The pairing demonstrates a clear GPU-bound character at higher resolutions, while the 6-core/12-thread Rocket Lake processor proves sufficient to feed the RDNA 4.0 graphics card at 1080p. The data shows a system capable of smooth 4K play at High settings, with headroom for competitive frame rates at lower presets. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on the RX 9070, paired with 12 MB of shared L3 cache on the CPU, creates a balanced platform for this looter shooter, though the 65W TDP processor's single-thread performance becomes the limiter in the most demanding scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 675 out of 1,693 tested combinations places it comfortably in the 60th percentile of all tested systems. This is a solid mid-tier position, suggesting that while not a top-100 contender, this pairing delivers consistent, playable performance across the board in Outriders. The CPU itself sits at the 75th percentile among all processors in the database, with an average benchmark score of 17,181. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U at 17,189 (0% delta), while the Intel Core i7-1260P trails by just 0.2% at 17,212. The Intel Core Ultra 7 164U matches that 0.2% deficit, and the Core i5-1240U sits 0.2% ahead at 17,141. These margins are negligible in real-world gaming, meaning the i5-11400F's compute capabilities are effectively on par with several newer mobile and low-power chips.

On the GPU side, the Radeon RX 9070 achieves the 79th percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 34,780. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA A2 at 34,866 (-0.2%), the Quadro GV100 at 34,677 (+0.3%), and the Radeon HD 7970 at 34,541 (+0.7%). The RX 9070's 36.13 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput and 644.6 GB/s memory bandwidth are the dominant factors in Outriders' GPU-bound scenarios. The combination of a 75th-percentile CPU with a 79th-percentile GPU produces a system that ranks slightly below what each component's percentile might suggest, indicating that the CPU occasionally holds back the GPU in less demanding scenes. The 4 nm Navi 48 chip with 3,584 shading units and 56 RT cores provides ample geometry and pixel processing for this title's particle-heavy combat effects.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K in Outriders?

A: Yes, at High settings the measured average is 59.9 FPS at 3840x2160, which rounds to a locked 60. Lowering to Medium yields 75.9 FPS, while Low reaches 104.1 FPS. Ultra drops to 40.1 FPS, so a mix of High and Medium is recommended for 4K.

Q: How does the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration affect 1080p performance?

A: At 1920x1080, the system reaches 183.2 FPS on Low, 162 FPS on Medium, 149.3 FPS on High, and 123.6 FPS on Ultra. The 12 MB L3 cache and 4.40 GHz boost clock keep frame rates consistently above 120 FPS, even at Ultra, indicating the CPU is not bottlenecking at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low produces 159.3 FPS while Ultra drops to 76.7 FPS. This 82.6 FPS difference (approximately 52% reduction) shows how dramatically Ultra settings impact the GPU's shading and memory workloads.

Q: Is the RX 9070's 16 GB memory sufficient for Outriders at high resolutions?

A: The 16 GB GDDR6 buffer with 644.6 GB/s bandwidth is more than adequate. At 4K Ultra, the system still maintains 40.1 FPS, and memory pressure is not indicated as a limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios.

Q: How does this combo compare to the CPU's nearest rival in gaming?

A: The i5-11400F and Ryzen 7 5700U have virtually identical average benchmark scores (17,181 vs 17,189), but the Intel chip's higher single-thread score (868 in 3dmark single-thread) gives it an edge in Outriders, which responds well to per-core performance.

Q: What setting provides the best balance of quality and performance at 1440p?

A: High at 108.2 FPS offers a strong compromise, while Medium at 137.8 FPS provides additional headroom for 144Hz displays. Ultra at 76.7 FPS is playable but sacrifices 30% of the frame rate compared to High.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread Rocket Lake-S processor based on Intel's 14 nm process, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 65W TDP and Socket 1200 platform make it a mainstream desktop part, though it lacks integrated graphics. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 14,372 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,029 in single-core, while Geekbench returns 7,579 multi-core and 1,979 single-core. The PassMark multi-thread score of 16,908 and single-thread score of 2,981 indicate balanced performance across both threaded and latency-sensitive workloads.

In Outriders, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 180 FPS on Low settings. The 3dmark 16-thread score of 5,619 and 2-thread score of 1,691 show that the processor scales reasonably well with thread count, but the game's primary thread benefits from the 4.40 GHz boost clock. The 75th percentile ranking among all CPUs means this processor outperforms roughly three-quarters of tested chips, and its nearest rivals in the database — all within 0.2% of its average score — are mobile and low-power parts, confirming the i5-11400F's strength in sustained desktop workloads. However, the data also reveals that at 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with the CPU's influence diminishing as resolution increases and pixel throughput dominates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers four resolutions and four settings, providing a comprehensive view of the combo's scaling. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 183.2 FPS on Low, 162 FPS on Medium, 149.3 FPS on High, and 123.6 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the figures drop to 159.3 FPS (Low), 137.8 FPS (Medium), 108.2 FPS (High), and 76.7 FPS (Ultra). At 3840x2160, performance falls further to 104.1 FPS (Low), 75.9 FPS (Medium), 59.9 FPS (High), and 40.1 FPS (Ultra). These numbers reveal a consistent pattern: each setting tier costs roughly 15-20% of frame rate, while resolution increases impose progressively larger penalties on the GPU.

The 1080p results show that even at Ultra settings, the combo exceeds 120 FPS, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The 1440p High result of 108.2 FPS is particularly noteworthy, as it provides a smooth experience on 144Hz displays with only a minor visual compromise. At 4K, the High preset's 59.9 FPS average is right at the threshold for console-like smoothness, while Medium's 75.9 FPS offers a comfortable margin. Ultra at 4K drops below 50 FPS, suggesting that players should avoid this setting unless they prioritize visual fidelity over responsiveness. The Low preset at 4K, at 104.1 FPS, demonstrates the GPU's raw capability when settings are minimized.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K shows a clear GPU-bound progression. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 149.3 at 1080p to 108.2 at 1440p (a 27.5% reduction) and then to 59.9 at 4K (a 44.6% further reduction). This scaling pattern — roughly 28% penalty for 1.78x more pixels, then 45% for another 2.25x — indicates that the RX 9070's 644.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and 322.6 GPixel/s fill rate are the primary constraints at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the drop is steeper in relative terms: 183.2 FPS at 1080p falls to 159.3 at 1440p (-13%) and then to 104.1 at 4K (-34.6%).

The Ultra preset tells a different story, with 123.6 FPS at 1080p dropping to 76.7 at 1440p (-37.9%) and then to 40.1 at 4K (-47.7%). This steeper scaling at Ultra suggests that the GPU's 36.13 TFLOPS of compute and 564.5 GTexel/s texture rate become saturated when combined with high-resolution rendering and maximum effects. The CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p Low, where 183.2 FPS approaches the practical limit for the i5-11400F's single-thread performance; beyond this point, the processor would likely cap frame rates. At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes entirely, with the GPU's 16 GB memory and 256-bit bus determining the outcome. The data clearly shows that for this combo, resolution scaling is governed by the GPU's architectural strengths and weaknesses, with the CPU stepping aside as pixel count increases.