Outriders

# Outriders: Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a 1080p-focused performance profile in Outriders, with the data showing this combo ranks 1903rd out of 3710 tested configurations. The CPU, a 6-core/12-thread Alder Lake-S part with a 2.50 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost clock, sits at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU, an Ada Lovelace AD107 chip with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, holds the 61st percentile among all GPUs. Across the measured resolutions, the system transitions from a high-refresh-rate 1080p machine to a playable-but-limited 4K setup, with the scaling pattern revealing where the bottleneck shifts.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating that the RTX 4060 becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 134 FPS at 1920x1080 to 84 FPS at 2560x1440, a 37% reduction, and then to 44 FPS at 3840x2160, a 67% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern shows a GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions, as the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p but cannot compensate for the sheer pixel throughput required at 4K.

At Low settings, the resolution scaling is even more pronounced: 214 FPS at 1080p drops to 155 FPS at 1440p (a 28% decrease) and then to 81 FPS at 4K (a 62% decrease from 1080p). The fact that Low settings at 4K still only reaches 81 FPS—below the 1080p High result of 134 FPS—confirms that the GPU's rendering capabilities, not the CPU, cap performance at higher resolutions. Medium settings show a similar trend: 178 FPS at 1080p, 112 FPS at 1440p, and 59 FPS at 4K, with the 4K result barely exceeding half of the 1080p figure.

Ultra settings exhibit the most dramatic scaling, dropping from 97 FPS at 1080p to 61 FPS at 1440p and then to 32 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for playable frame rates, and the gap between Ultra and High at 4K (32 vs. 44 FPS) shows that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy additional load on the GPU. The data indicates that 1440p is the practical ceiling for smooth gameplay across all settings, while 4K requires significant settings reductions to achieve acceptable performance.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, running at 2125 MHz with a 17 Gbps effective rate, provides a 272.0 GB/s bandwidth over a 128-bit bus. In Outriders, this memory configuration appears sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at all settings, as the frame rates remain high even at Ultra (97 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p). However, at 4K, the combination of higher resolution and higher settings likely pushes against the 8 GB capacity, contributing to the sharp FPS drops seen at 4K Ultra (32 FPS) and 4K High (44 FPS).

The GPU's boost clock of 2460 MHz, with a base clock of 1830 MHz, delivers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The benchmark data places this GPU at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639—closely matched to the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, +0.3% delta). These rival comparisons suggest that the RTX 4060's raw compute is in line with mid-range expectations, but in Outriders specifically, the measured FPS shows it handles 1080p with ease while struggling at 4K Ultra.

The 48 ROPs and 96 TMUs on the AD107 chip, combined with the 128-bit memory bus, create a configuration that favors lower resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU delivers 214 FPS at Low and 134 FPS at High, indicating that the memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor at this resolution. At 4K, the same GPU drops to 81 FPS at Low, showing that the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become critical constraints. The data suggests that the RTX 4060 is optimized for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring substantial settings compromises.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the optimal resolution. At High settings, it delivers 84 FPS average, while at Medium it reaches 112 FPS, both comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p, frame rates exceed 134 FPS, but the visual fidelity gains from 1440p make it the better balance.

Q: Can this system handle 4K at any settings?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K Low, it achieves 81 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it reaches 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS. 4K High drops to 44 FPS, and 4K Ultra falls to 32 FPS, which is below the ideal playable range. The data indicates that 4K requires Low or Medium settings for a smooth experience.

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

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, placing it at the 72nd percentile. Its closest rival is the AMD EPYC 7643 at 18697 (-0.1% delta), followed by the Intel Core i7-1355U at 18730 (-0.3%). The Intel Core i3-14100F trails at 18519 (+0.9% delta), meaning the i5-12400 outperforms it by roughly 0.9% in average benchmarks.

Q: Is the GPU's performance consistent with its benchmark percentile?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 places it at the 61st percentile, which aligns with its Outriders performance. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2% delta) and AMD Radeon 780M (17588, +0.3% delta), showing the GPU sits in a tightly packed mid-range tier. In Outriders, its 1080p High result of 134 FPS reflects this mid-range positioning.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the data includes minimum and maximum FPS readings. At 1080p, the average is 178 FPS with a minimum of 152 and maximum of 205, showing a 53 FPS spread. At 1440p, the average drops to 112 FPS with a range of 96 to 129 (33 FPS spread). At 4K, the average is 59 FPS with a range of 50 to 68 (18 FPS spread), indicating tighter frame pacing at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 214 FPS, which likely approaches the CPU's limit given its 6-core/12-thread configuration. However, at 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as frame rates drop to 81 FPS at Low settings. The data suggests the CPU is sufficient for all resolutions, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor above 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 4060 delivers its strongest results. Low settings yield an average of 214 FPS, Medium reaches 178 FPS with a minimum of 152 and maximum of 205, High achieves 134 FPS, and Ultra drops to 97 FPS. These numbers show that even at the most demanding 1080p preset, the system maintains frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but the scaling becomes evident. Low settings produce 155 FPS, Medium averages 112 FPS (minimum 96, maximum 129), High reaches 84 FPS, and Ultra falls to 61 FPS. The Ultra result is still playable, but it represents a 37% drop from the 1080p Ultra figure, highlighting the increased GPU load at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become clear. Low settings average 81 FPS, Medium reaches 59 FPS (minimum 50, maximum 68), High drops to 44 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS. The 4K Medium result is the only preset that stays close to the 60 FPS target, while 4K High and Ultra require either a tolerance for lower frame rates or a reduction in settings. The measured data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step halves the performance headroom, and 4K Ultra represents the worst-case scenario for this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 + RTX 4060 combination ranks 1903rd out of 3710 tested combos in Outriders, placing it just past the midpoint of all configurations. This ranking reflects the system's balanced but mid-range positioning: the CPU's 72nd percentile and GPU's 61st percentile combine to produce a setup that excels at 1080p and handles 1440p well, but falls behind more powerful configurations at 4K.

The rank of 1903 suggests that roughly 1807 tested combos perform better in Outriders, likely those with higher-end GPUs or CPUs that can maintain higher frame rates at 4K. However, the combo's performance is not anomalous—it sits within the expected range for a mid-tier 40-series GPU paired with a mainstream 12th-gen Core i5. The data indicates that the ranking is driven primarily by the GPU's 61st percentile position, as the CPU's 72nd percentile provides ample headroom for most gaming scenarios.

Compared to the GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores, the RTX 4060's performance in Outriders is consistent with its overall standing. The AMD Radeon 780M, which scores within 0.3% of the RTX 4060 in average benchmarks, would likely produce similar frame rates in this game, while the AMD Radeon HD 7790, despite its age, matches the RTX 4060's average score and would likely show comparable Outriders performance. The combo's rank of 1903 reflects this competitive tier.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 provides 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process, includes 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU's benchmark scores show strong multi-threaded performance: Cinebench R23 multicore reaches 15989, while the single-core score is 2257, indicating balanced capabilities for gaming workloads.

In Outriders, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 214 FPS, which likely approaches the CPU's maximum frame delivery capacity given the 6-core/12-thread configuration. The 3DMark scores support this: 16-thread performance reaches 5873, while single-thread performance is 910, showing that the CPU can handle both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads effectively.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, -0.1% delta) and Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, -0.3%), with the Intel Core i3-14100F at 18519 (+0.9% delta). These comparisons indicate that the i5-12400's performance is tightly grouped with a range of CPUs, but its 6-core/12-thread configuration provides a solid foundation for Outriders without becoming a bottleneck at any measured resolution. The data shows that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU, as frame rates drop proportionally with resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset at 97 FPS is the best choice for visual quality, as it remains well above the 60 FPS threshold. Players with high-refresh-rate monitors (144 Hz or higher) may prefer High at 134 FPS or Medium at 178 FPS, which offer smoother motion at the cost of some graphical fidelity. The Low preset at 214 FPS is only necessary for competitive play where maximum frame rates are essential.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 112 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS, making it the optimal balance of visual quality and smoothness. The High preset at 84 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize graphics over frame rate, while Ultra at 61 FPS sits just at the edge of playability—acceptable but with less headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 155 FPS is suitable for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors.

For 4K, the Medium preset at 59 FPS is the only option that maintains near-60 FPS performance, with a minimum of 50 FPS providing acceptable frame pacing. The Low preset at 81 FPS offers more headroom but sacrifices visual quality. 4K High at 44 FPS and 4K Ultra at 32 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as the data shows they fall below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering. The measured results indicate that 4K Medium is the recommended preset for this combo, balancing resolution, visual quality, and playability.