Outriders

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Outriders shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the shape of that curve reveals where the bottleneck sits. At 1080p with High settings, the Core i5-12400 and RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers 173.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 129 FPS, a reduction of roughly 26%. Stepping up to 4K High yields 66 FPS, which is nearly half of the 1440p figure and only 38% of the 1080p result. This is a steep degradation curve, and it points squarely at the GPU as the limiting component at higher resolutions.

The data becomes more telling when comparing the Low preset across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 212.1 FPS, while 1440p Low reaches 186 FPS and 4K Low drops to 120.3 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 1440p Low is only 26 FPS, but the gap between 1440p and 4K Low is 65.7 FPS. That accelerating decline is a classic sign of the GPU's rendering pipeline saturating as pixel count grows. The RTX 4070 SUPER has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 192-bit bus, and at 4K the memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s becomes a harder constraint.

The Ultra preset tells the same story with even sharper edges. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 149.5 FPS, which is still highly playable. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 91.6 FPS. At 4K Ultra, it collapses to 47.9 FPS — below the 60 FPS threshold that most players target. The drop from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is 43.7 FPS, a 48% reduction, which is far steeper than the 39% drop seen at High settings. This indicates that the highest preset introduces effects that disproportionately tax the GPU at 4K, likely related to the 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores being pushed harder.

The limiting component is unambiguous. The CPU has 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and its benchmarks (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935, single-core of 2249) are strong enough that it does not become the primary constraint until very high frame rates. The 1080p Low result of 212.1 FPS suggests the CPU can feed the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates. At 4K, even the Low preset drops to 120.3 FPS, which is entirely GPU-bound territory. Players with 1440p or 4K displays should expect the RTX 4070 SUPER to be the deciding factor, not the i5-12400.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of presets, and the optimal choice depends heavily on target resolution. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 149.5 FPS is the clear winner. It delivers a smooth, high-refresh experience while still maintaining a frame rate above 140, and there is no reason to sacrifice visual quality for the marginal gain to 173.4 FPS at High or 188.7 FPS at Medium. The Low preset at 212.1 FPS is only useful for competitive play where every frame matters, but the visual downgrade is not justified for most Outriders sessions.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. High settings at 129 FPS are excellent, comfortably above 120 Hz refresh rates. Medium at 164.4 FPS is even smoother, but the visual fidelity loss from High to Medium is noticeable in a looter shooter where environmental detail and particle effects matter. Ultra at 91.6 FPS is playable but sacrifices the headroom needed for drops during intense combat. The data suggests High is the sweet spot: it offers 129 FPS, a 41% improvement over Ultra, while retaining most of the visual polish.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. High settings at 66 FPS is the only preset that stays above 60 FPS, and it does so by a slim margin. Medium at 93 FPS is actually the better experience if the player can tolerate a slight reduction in texture quality, because it provides a 41% uplift over High and keeps the frame rate well above 60. Ultra at 47.9 FPS is not recommended for 4K — it dips below the playability threshold and will feel stuttery in fast-paced encounters. Low at 120.3 FPS is viable for players who prioritize frame rate over everything, but the visual compromise is severe at this resolution.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1440p High at 129 FPS. It balances frame rate, visual quality, and headroom for demanding scenes. For 1080p users, Ultra at 149.5 FPS is the pick. For 4K users, Medium at 93 FPS offers the best compromise, with High as a fallback for those who want maximum fidelity at 60 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing for Outriders, and the data confirms its strengths and limits. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. It clocks to a boost of 2475 MHz with a base of 1980 MHz, and it packs 7168 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. These specifications translate into a PassMark G3D score of 29995 and an average benchmark score of 42576, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs.

In Outriders, the GPU's memory capacity is not a limiting factor at any measured setting. The 12 GB frame buffer is ample for 4K Ultra, where the GPU's compute throughput becomes the bottleneck rather than memory capacity. The 4K Ultra result of 47.9 FPS shows the GPU running out of shading and ray tracing headroom, not memory. The 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores are engaged at Ultra, and the performance penalty from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra (91.6 to 47.9 FPS) reflects the raw pixel and effect workload.

The GPU's clock behavior is consistent with its 220 W TDP and 35.48 TFLOPS FP32 throughput. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 212.1 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit, but at 4K Low the GPU still manages 120.3 FPS, indicating it has substantial headroom even when the CPU is not the constraint. The RTX 4070 SUPER's nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 42653 in average benchmarks, a 0.2% difference — essentially identical performance in synthetic tests, though Outriders-specific results may differ. The AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE scores 42723, 0.3% higher, again a negligible gap.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only with the right preset. High settings deliver 66 FPS at 4K, which clears the 60 FPS bar. Medium settings give 93 FPS for more headroom. Ultra drops to 47.9 FPS, which is below 60 and not recommended for 4K.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: High settings at 129 FPS is the best balance. Ultra runs at 91.6 FPS, which is playable but leaves less margin for frame drops. Medium hits 164.4 FPS if you prefer maximum smoothness over visual fidelity.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: The Core i5-12400 with 6 cores and 12 threads is sufficient to push the RTX 4070 SUPER to 212.1 FPS at 1080p Low. At 1080p Ultra, the combo still reaches 149.5 FPS, so the CPU is not a bottleneck at standard resolutions for this game.

Q: Is 12 GB of VRAM enough for Outriders at 4K Ultra?

A: The data indicates yes, as the 4K Ultra result of 47.9 FPS is limited by GPU compute, not memory capacity. The 12 GB GDDR6X buffer with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the game's demands at 4K.

Q: How does this combo rank among tested systems?

A: It ranks 328th out of 1693 tested combos for Outriders, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations tested. This is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 173.4 FPS. This is well above 144 Hz refresh rates, making it ideal for high-refresh 1080p monitors. Ultra at 149.5 FPS is also viable if you want maximum quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The Core i5-12400 and RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 328th out of 1693 tested combos for Outriders, placing it in the 81st percentile of all configurations. This is a strong showing, especially considering the CPU is a mid-range part. The rank reflects the GPU's dominance in this title: the RTX 4070 SUPER sits in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, while the i5-12400 is in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. The combo outperforms its component average percentiles, suggesting that Outriders is more GPU-bound than CPU-bound.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-9700 (average score 19831, delta 0.1%), which is effectively identical in synthetic performance. The Intel Core i7-8700 scores 19894, a 0.2% difference, and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 19928, 0.4% higher. These deltas are negligible, meaning the i5-12400 is not holding back the GPU in any meaningful way. The GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX A6000 and RX 7650 GRE, differ by only 0.2-0.3%, confirming that the 4070 SUPER is a well-balanced performer.

The 328th rank out of 1693 means there are 1365 combos that perform worse, but the top 327 are likely paired with higher-tier CPUs or GPUs. For a 6-core, 12-thread CPU from the Alder Lake generation, this rank is impressive. It suggests that Outriders does not require a flagship CPU to achieve high frame rates, and the RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver of the combo's standing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a supporting role in Outriders, but it is not a weak link. This 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S family has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost of 4.40 GHz. It features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 15935, and single-core is 2249, placing it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs.

In Outriders, the CPU's impact is most visible at 1080p Low, where the combo reaches 212.1 FPS. This is the highest measured frame rate across all settings and resolutions, and it suggests the CPU can sustain frame rates well above 200 FPS when the GPU is not the constraint. At 1080p Ultra, the CPU still feeds the GPU to 149.5 FPS, which is a demanding scenario for any processor. The 12 threads are sufficient for the game's multi-threaded workload, and the 4.40 GHz boost clock provides strong single-thread performance for game logic and physics.

The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-9700, scores 19831 in average benchmarks, just 0.1% lower. The i7-8700 scores 0.2% higher, and the Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 0.4% higher. These differences are within noise, confirming that the i5-12400 is not a bottleneck in this pairing. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 3456 and multi-thread score of 18747 indicate balanced performance that scales well with the GPU's demands.

At 4K resolutions, the CPU's role diminishes further. The 4K High result of 66 FPS is entirely GPU-bound, as the CPU has ample headroom to deliver frames. The data shows no scenario where the CPU limits the combo below 200 FPS, and even at 4K Low (120.3 FPS), the CPU is not the constraint. Outriders benefits from the i5-12400's solid single-thread performance and adequate core count, but the GPU does the heavy lifting at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers 12 combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low 212.1 FPS, Medium 188.7 FPS, High 173.4 FPS, and Ultra 149.5 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 62.6 FPS, showing a 30% penalty for the highest preset. At 2560x1440, the results are: Low 186 FPS, Medium 164.4 FPS, High 129 FPS, and Ultra 91.6 FPS. The spread here is 94.4 FPS, a 51% penalty from Low to Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low 120.3 FPS, Medium 93 FPS, High 66 FPS, and Ultra 47.9 FPS. The spread is 72.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops below 60 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 47.9 FPS is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. Across all resolutions, the Low preset provides the highest frame rates, but the diminishing returns are clear: at 1080p, Low is 22% faster than Ultra, while at 4K, Low is 151% faster than Ultra.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at each preset shows consistent GPU-bound behavior. Low: 212.1 to 120.3 FPS (43% reduction). Medium: 188.7 to 93 FPS (51% reduction). High: 173.4 to 66 FPS (62% reduction). Ultra: 149.5 to 47.9 FPS (68% reduction). The increasing percentage drops with higher presets indicate that the GPU's compute resources are exhausted more quickly at higher quality settings when resolution increases. The 4K High result of 66 FPS is the only 4K configuration that stays above 60, and it does so by a narrow margin. Players targeting 4K should use Medium (93 FPS) for comfort or High (66 FPS) for maximum fidelity.