Outriders

The benchmark data for Outriders on the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination shows a system that is clearly capable of delivering high refresh-rate gameplay at 1080p, but which becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution scales up. The measured performance across the three resolutions and four quality presets reveals a predictable pattern: the RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary bottleneck at 4K, while the i5-12400 provides ample headroom at lower resolutions. This pairing sits in the 57th percentile of all tested combos for this game (rank 2124 out of 3710), indicating a solid, mid-to-upper-tier experience with no major imbalances.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, but the shape of that curve changes depending on the preset. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 214 at 1920x1080 to 144 at 2560x1440, then to 75 at 3840x2160. That is a 33% reduction going from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 48% reduction going from 1440p to 4K. This pattern indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is struggling to keep up with the pixel count at higher resolutions, though the 4K result of 75 FPS is still very playable.

The High preset shows a similar proportional decline: 124 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are roughly 37% and 47%, respectively. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with averages of 90 FPS, 57 FPS, and 30 FPS across the three resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 30 FPS is the only sub-30 average in the entire dataset, and it demonstrates that this combination cannot handle maximum settings at 4K without dropping below playable thresholds.

The scaling behavior points to the RTX 2070 SUPER as the limiting component at 1440p and above. At 1080p, the i5-12400’s strong single-thread performance allows the GPU to operate at its full potential, as evidenced by the 214 FPS Low result. However, as resolution increases, the GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become the constraining factors, with the CPU’s role diminishing. The data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows at higher resolutions, which is a classic sign of GPU saturation.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Outriders?

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, where the system achieves a minimum of 90 FPS on Ultra and 124 FPS on High. At 2560x1440, High settings still deliver 78 FPS, but the Ultra preset drops to 57 FPS, making 1440p viable only with lowered settings.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER perform relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 20282 places it slightly below the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480, -1%), the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, -1.2%), and the Intel Arc B570 (20556, -1.3%). It is about 1.5% behind the Intel Arc A750 (20582), showing that it competes closely with these mid-range cards.

Q: Is the Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RTX 2070 SUPER in this game?

A: At 1080p, the CPU appears sufficient, as the 214 FPS Low result is likely near the game’s engine limit. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, with the CPU having ample headroom. The data suggests no significant CPU bottleneck at any resolution, as FPS scales with resolution and settings as expected.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: The average FPS drops from 105 at Medium to 78 at High, a 26% reduction. The Medium preset also shows a min FPS of 89 and a max of 120, while High has no recorded min/max values, but the average gap is substantial enough to favor Medium for smoother gameplay.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Outriders?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 75 FPS. Medium settings at 4K yield 55 FPS with a min of 46, which is playable but with visible dips. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as they produce 41 FPS and 30 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU’s benchmark performance compare to its rivals?

A: The i5-12400’s average score of 18683 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, -0.1%) and the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, -0.3%). It is 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811) and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519), indicating it performs at the expected level for its class.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the dominant factor in determining Outriders’ frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus and a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, the GPU has sufficient capacity for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results show its limitations. The base clock of 1605 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz are typical for this Turing architecture card, and they contribute to a peak FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS.

In the measured data, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the 214 FPS average suggests the GPU is not fully taxed, leaving headroom for the CPU to deliver frames. However, at 4K Ultra, the 30 FPS average is a clear indication that the GPU is rendering at its maximum capacity, with the 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores providing little benefit for this non-ray-traced title. The 64 ROPs and 160 TMUs are more relevant, as they handle the rasterization workload, and their throughput (113.3 GPixel/s and 283.2 GTexel/s) is what ultimately limits 4K performance.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 20282 places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, which aligns with its measured gaming performance. Its nearest rivals, such as the RTX 3070 Mobile and Intel Arc B570, are all within 1.5% of its score, confirming that the 2070 SUPER remains competitive in this specific title. The 12 nm process node and 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die are older technology, but they still deliver solid results in Outriders, which is not overly demanding on memory capacity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 214 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 166 FPS with a minimum of 141 and a maximum of 191, showing tight frame pacing. High settings average 124 FPS, while Ultra drops to 90 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is well within the GPU’s comfort zone, with even the most demanding preset staying well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low averages 144 FPS, Medium averages 105 FPS (min 89, max 120), and High averages 78 FPS. Ultra is the only preset that falls below 60 FPS, with an average of 57 FPS. This makes 1440p a viable option for High settings, but players seeking smooth 60+ FPS gameplay will need to use Medium or lower. The min FPS of 89 on Medium suggests that even during intense combat, the frame rate does not dip below playable levels.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low averages 75 FPS, Medium averages 55 FPS (min 46, max 63), High averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 55 FPS is borderline, but the min of 46 FPS indicates occasional dips that could be noticeable. The 30 FPS Ultra result is the only average below 30 FPS, making it unsuitable for competitive play. The data shows that 4K is only practical at Low settings, where the 75 FPS average provides a smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing high frame rates at 1080p, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers 90 FPS on average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. The High preset at 124 FPS is also excellent, but the visual quality difference between High and Ultra is often worth the 34 FPS reduction for those with 144Hz monitors. The Medium preset at 166 FPS is overkill for most users, but it provides the highest frame pacing consistency (min 141, max 191).

At 1440p, the High preset at 78 FPS is the recommended balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS is just below the 60 FPS target, making it less desirable unless the player is willing to accept minor frame drops. The Medium preset at 105 FPS is the best option for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, as it maintains a minimum of 89 FPS. The Low preset at 144 FPS is unnecessary unless the player is aiming for maximum competitive performance.

At 4K, the Low preset at 75 FPS is the only recommendation for a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset at 55 FPS is playable but has a min of 46 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering in action-heavy scenes. The High and Ultra presets at 41 FPS and 30 FPS respectively are not recommended for anything except screenshots or turn-based play. Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience across all resolutions is to use High settings at 1080p or 1440p, with Low settings reserved for 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a supporting role in Outriders, as the game is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the CPU has enough parallel processing power to handle the game’s background tasks, but its single-thread performance is what matters most for frame pacing. The base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide strong per-core performance, as evidenced by the 3dmark single-thread score of 910 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257.

The CPU’s multi-threaded prowess is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and a Passmark multithread score of 18747. In Outriders, this translates to consistent frame delivery without CPU-related hitches, particularly at 1080p where the GPU is less taxed. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache helps with data locality, reducing the need for slower memory access. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 18683 places it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals are all within 0.9% of its score, showing that it performs exactly as expected for its class.

At 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes, as the GPU’s rendering time dominates the frame time budget. The data shows that the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 45 FPS (75 vs 30), which is entirely attributable to the GPU’s workload. The CPU’s 12 threads are more than sufficient for the game’s engine, and the 65W TDP ensures that thermal throttling is not a concern. Overall, the i5-12400 provides a stable foundation for the RTX 2070 SUPER, ensuring that the GPU is always the limiting factor in Outriders.