Outriders

The benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 in Outriders reveals a configuration that is heavily skewed toward high refresh rate 1080p and 1440p gameplay, with 4K Ultra proving to be a significant challenge. The RTX 3070’s 8 GB VRAM and the i5-11400F’s six-core architecture create a pairing where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU remains capable of feeding the GPU at lower settings. This combination ranks in the 46th percentile of tested combos, indicating a mid-pack standing that is defined more by its GPU strength than its processor’s raw throughput.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable drop in performance as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that drop is telling. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 147 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average falls to 96 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 4K High, the average plummets to 50 FPS, which is a 66% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario; the CPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p, as evidenced by the high frame rates, but the RTX 3070’s compute and memory bandwidth struggle to keep up with the pixel count at 4K.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (184 FPS) and Ultra (109 FPS) is 75 FPS. At 1440p, that gap shrinks to 89 FPS (158 Low vs 69 Ultra). At 4K, the spread is 56 FPS (92 Low vs 36 Ultra). This indicates that the GPU’s workload scales non-linearly with settings, and the 4K Ultra setting (36 FPS) is simply too demanding for this hardware, pushing it below playable thresholds. The data suggests that 4K is only viable with Low or Medium settings, where the combo can maintain 92 FPS and 67 FPS respectively, but High and Ultra are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

The 1440p Medium result (128 FPS) is particularly noteworthy, as it shows the combo can deliver high refresh rates at a middle-ground setting that balances visual fidelity and performance. The 1080p Medium result (163 FPS) with a max of 188 FPS further reinforces that this pairing is optimized for competitive or fast-paced play at lower resolutions. Overall, the scaling curve points to the GPU as the dominant constraint; at 1080p, the CPU has headroom to spare, but at 4K, the RTX 3070’s 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB VRAM are insufficient to maintain high frame rates with demanding settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the driving force behind this combo’s gaming performance, and its specifications directly correlate with the observed results. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra result (36 FPS) suggests that the 8 GB capacity and bandwidth are a bottleneck when texture and geometry demands spike. The GPU’s boost clock of 1725 MHz and base clock of 1500 MHz are modest by modern standards, but they allow the 5888 shading units to achieve a peak FP32 throughput of 20.31 TFLOPS.

In Outriders, the GPU’s role is clearly evidenced by the frame rate deltas between settings. The jump from Medium to Ultra at 4K (67 FPS to 36 FPS) represents a 46% performance loss, which is a direct consequence of the increased shading and memory load. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is likely a contributing factor at 4K Ultra, as the game may exceed this capacity, causing texture streaming or swap thrash. The data shows that the RTX 3070 is a capable 1440p card, as evidenced by the 96 FPS High result, but it is not a 4K powerhouse.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which has an average score 0.7% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, which is 1% higher. The RTX 3070’s percentile rank of 61 indicates it sits above the median of all GPUs, but its performance in Outriders is heavily influenced by the game’s optimization. The 4K Low result (92 FPS) shows that the GPU can still deliver high frame rates when the visual load is reduced, but the Ultra setting (36 FPS) is a clear outlier, suggesting that the game’s highest preset is not well-tuned for this hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of the entire benchmark database, this Intel Core i5-11400F + RTX 3070 combo ranks 1723 out of 3710 tested configurations, placing it in the 46th percentile. This is a mid-pack ranking that reflects a balanced but not exceptional pairing. The combo’s position is likely dragged down by the CPU’s modest multi-threaded performance, as the GPU alone ranks in the 61st percentile, while the CPU ranks in the 71st percentile. The discrepancy between the two components’ individual ranks suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck, but it also does not boost the combo above its peers.

The ranking indicates that there are 1987 other combos that perform better in Outriders, which is a significant number. However, the 46th percentile is not a poor showing; it means the combo outperforms nearly half of all tested systems. The data suggests that the bottleneck is the GPU at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s benchmark scores (e.g., Cinebench R23 multi-core of 14340) are strong enough to handle the game’s CPU demands. The combo’s rank would likely improve if the test were conducted at 1080p only, where the FPS numbers are higher and the GPU is less stressed.

Comparing to the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Intel Core i5-12450H has an average score 0.4% lower, while the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G is 0.6% lower. This indicates that the i5-11400F is closely matched with these other processors, and the choice of CPU is not the differentiating factor in this combo’s rank. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (0.7% higher), are also very close in score, meaning that small variations in game optimization or driver overhead could shift the rank.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo in Outriders?

A: The data shows that 1440p Medium (128 FPS) is the sweet spot for high refresh rates, while 1080p High (147 FPS) is also excellent. 4K is only playable with Low (92 FPS) or Medium (67 FPS) settings.

Q: Why does the 4K Ultra setting perform so poorly?

A: The 4K Ultra result (36 FPS) is a 46% drop from 4K Medium (67 FPS), indicating that the RTX 3070’s 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the highest preset at that resolution.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, as frame rates scale inversely with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU has ample headroom, evidenced by the high FPS numbers.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 1723 out of 3710 combos (46th percentile), which is a mid-pack standing. The GPU alone ranks in the 61st percentile, while the CPU ranks in the 71st percentile.

Q: What are the nearest rivals to the RTX 3070 in this data?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is 0.7% higher in average benchmark score, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 is 1% higher. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is 1.5% lower.

Q: Can this combo handle competitive play at 1080p?

A: Yes, the 1080p Medium result (163 FPS) and Low result (184 FPS) show that the combo can easily exceed 144 Hz for competitive gaming, with a max FPS of 188 at Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 3840x2160, the combo achieves 50 FPS on High, 92 FPS on Low, 67 FPS on Medium (with min/max of 57/77), and 36 FPS on Ultra. The 4K results show a wide variance, with Low being the only setting that consistently delivers above 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, the numbers improve significantly: High averages 96 FPS, Low hits 158 FPS, Medium averages 128 FPS (min/max 108/147), and Ultra drops to 69 FPS. The 1440p data reveals that Ultra is the only setting that falls below the 100 FPS mark, making Medium the best choice for high refresh rate monitors.

At 1920x1080, the combo excels across all settings. High averages 147 FPS, Low reaches 184 FPS, Medium averages 163 FPS (min/max 139/188), and Ultra still maintains a solid 109 FPS. The 1080p results show that the combo is capable of driving high refresh rate displays even at Ultra, with a 109 FPS average that is close to the 144 Hz threshold. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 75 FPS, which is smaller than the 122 FPS difference at 4K, further confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The Medium setting at 1080p (163 FPS) offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with a max FPS of 188 that approaches the refresh rate ceiling of most gaming monitors.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a six-core, twelve-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (51.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide a solid foundation for gaming. In Outriders, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations, and the data suggests it performs this task admirably at 1080p and 1440p. The 1080p High result of 147 FPS is not limited by the CPU, as evidenced by the fact that lowering to Low (184 FPS) provides a significant boost, indicating that the GPU was the constraint even at High.

The CPU’s benchmark scores support this interpretation. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and single-core score of 2024 are respectable for a mid-range chip, putting it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% higher score), the Intel Core i5-12450H (0.4% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (0.6% lower). These close margins indicate that the i5-11400F is not a standout performer, but it is also not a weak link in this combo. The CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for Outriders, which is not a heavily multi-threaded title based on the frame rate data.

The fact that the 4K Ultra setting (36 FPS) is so low is not a CPU issue; even a more powerful processor would not significantly improve that result, as the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. Conversely, the 1080p Low result (184 FPS) shows that the CPU can handle high frame rates, but the game’s engine may have a frame rate cap or the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU’s 65 W TDP and lack of integrated graphics are irrelevant to the gaming performance, but its PCIe 4.0 support (20 lanes) ensures that the RTX 3070 can communicate at full bandwidth. Overall, the i5-11400F plays a supporting role in this combo, providing enough throughput to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 3070 at lower resolutions, but it does not contribute to the frame rate drop at 4K.