Outriders

# Outriders with Intel Core i5-12400F + AMD Radeon RX 9070

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a well-balanced Outriders experience, though the data reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions and settings. At 1080p, this combo achieves 213.5 FPS on Low settings, indicating the CPU can feed the GPU effectively, but the Ultra preset at 4K drops to 42.8 FPS, showing where the graphics card becomes the limiting factor. The combo ranks 494th out of 1693 tested combinations, placing it comfortably in the upper tier of systems for this looter shooter.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable but steep decline as resolution increases, confirming that Outriders scales heavily with pixel count. At 1080p High, the system produces 171.3 FPS, which drops to 109.6 FPS at 1440p High (a 36% reduction) and further to 55 FPS at 4K High (a 68% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-limited workload, as the Intel Core i5-12400F with its 6 cores and 12 threads has sufficient headroom to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically as resolution increases. At 1080p, the spread from Low (213.5 FPS) to Ultra (122.6 FPS) is 90.9 FPS, while at 4K the spread from Low (105.3 FPS) to Ultra (42.8 FPS) is 62.5 FPS. This narrowing absolute gap at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is the primary constraint, as the additional pixel workload consumes the performance headroom that settings adjustments would otherwise provide. The 4K Low result of 105.3 FPS versus 4K Ultra at 42.8 FPS demonstrates that even at 4K, lowering settings can nearly triple performance, suggesting the RX 9070's raw throughput is the deciding factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 494 out of 1693 tested combinations places it in the 71st percentile of all systems tested for Outriders. This is a strong showing, though not elite, reflecting the balance between the mid-range CPU and the high-end GPU. The RX 9070 alone sits in the 79th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 34780, while the i5-12400F sits in the 77th percentile of all CPUs with an average score of 19221. The combined rank being slightly lower than either component's individual percentile suggests that Outriders does not fully exploit the strengths of both parts simultaneously.

In practical terms, this rank means the system outperforms roughly 71% of tested configurations for this game. The nearest GPU rivals include the NVIDIA A2 (deltaPct of -0.2%) and the NVIDIA Quadro GV100 (deltaPct of 0.3%), indicating the RX 9070's average benchmark score is essentially on par with those workstation-class cards. For the CPU, the nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-8700K with a deltaPct of 0.1%, meaning the i5-12400F performs nearly identically to that older flagship in synthetic benchmarks. This parity suggests that the combo's rank is driven more by the GPU's capability than the CPU's, as the processor competes with much older silicon.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is well-suited for Outriders at high resolutions, as the 4K High result of 55 FPS and the 4K Medium result of 76.5 FPS indicate that the GPU has enough memory capacity and bandwidth to handle the game's textures and effects without running into VRAM limitations. The card's boost clock of 2520 MHz and game clock of 2070 MHz, combined with 3584 shading units and 128 ROPs, provide the computational muscle needed for the game's particle effects and lighting.

The GPU's pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s directly influence the resolution scaling observed in the data. At 4K, the GPU must process over 8 million pixels per frame, which explains why the Ultra preset yields only 42.8 FPS despite the card's substantial compute capabilities. The 36.13 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the 171.3 FPS at 1080p High and 109.6 FPS at 1440p High, but the 4K Ultra workload exceeds what the card can handle at high frame rates. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290 and Passmark G3D score of 25381 corroborate the GPU's position as a high-performance part that struggles with the most demanding 4K settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system demonstrates strong performance across all settings. Low settings produce 213.5 FPS, Medium reaches 191.7 FPS, High achieves 171.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 122.6 FPS. This represents a 42.6% performance hit from Low to Ultra at 1080p, which is a reasonable trade-off for the visual improvements. The 1080p results show that the system can easily drive high-refresh-rate monitors even with maximum settings.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain highly playable. Low settings deliver 184.9 FPS, Medium hits 149.2 FPS, High manages 109.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 81.8 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs approximately 13% performance on Low, 22% on Medium, 36% on High, and 33% on Ultra. These reductions are consistent with the increased pixel count, and the 1440p Ultra result of 81.8 FPS remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 4K, the system becomes more constrained. Low settings still deliver a playable 105.3 FPS, Medium drops to 76.5 FPS, High falls to 55 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 42.8 FPS. The 4K results highlight the GPU's limits, with only Low and Medium settings providing consistently smooth frame rates. The 4K High result of 55 FPS is borderline, while Ultra is not recommended for competitive or fast-paced play. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 59.4% performance reduction, indicating that the most demanding settings exact a heavy toll at this resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F 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 part features 18 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The CPU's synthetic benchmark results, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and single-core score of 2332, demonstrate that it has sufficient processing power for Outriders' game logic and physics calculations.

The CPU's performance is closely matched with its nearest rivals, showing a deltaPct of 0.1% versus the Intel Core i7-8700K and 0.3% versus the Intel Core i5-1335U. This means the i5-12400F performs essentially identically to those alternatives in average benchmark scores, despite being a newer design. The CPU's 3DMark scores—5895 for 16 threads and 909 for single-thread—indicate that multithreaded workloads benefit from the 12 threads, but single-thread performance remains strong for gaming.

In the context of Outriders, the CPU is not the bottleneck at any tested resolution or setting. The fact that 1080p Low produces 213.5 FPS (which is likely near the game's engine limit) and that frame rates scale predictably with resolution confirms that the CPU has ample headroom. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking among all processors, combined with its ability to sustain high frame rates at 1080p, means that upgrading the CPU would provide minimal gains in this specific game. The GPU is clearly the limiting component at 1440p and 4K, particularly at higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

For 1440p gaming, the Medium preset at 149.2 FPS offers the best balance between visual quality and performance. The High preset at 109.6 FPS is also excellent, providing smoother visuals while still delivering well above 100 FPS. For players with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, Medium is the recommended choice, as it nearly doubles the Ultra result of 81.8 FPS while maintaining acceptable visual fidelity.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 76.5 FPS is the sweet spot, offering a playable experience without the significant visual downgrade of Low (105.3 FPS) or the performance hit of High (55 FPS). The Ultra preset at 42.8 FPS is not recommended for most players, as the frame rate drops below the 60 FPS threshold that provides smooth gameplay. For 1080p, all settings are playable, but High at 171.3 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, with Ultra at 122.6 FPS still providing a high frame rate for those who prioritize image quality.

The data suggests that the optimal experience depends on the display's resolution. For 1080p and 1440p displays, High settings provide the best combination of visual fidelity and frame rate. For 4K displays, Medium settings are recommended to maintain stable frame rates above 60 FPS. Players who prioritize competitive performance over visuals can use Low settings at any resolution, as the 1080p Low result of 213.5 FPS and 1440p Low result of 184.9 FPS both exceed the refresh rates of most gaming monitors.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this combo in Outriders?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 213.5 at 1080p with Low settings, while the lowest is 42.8 at 4K with Ultra settings.

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

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The 4K Medium preset delivers 76.5 FPS, while High drops to 55 FPS and Ultra falls to 42.8 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12400F compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K?

A: The two processors have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with the i5-12400F being just 0.1% ahead of the i7-8700K.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RX 9070 and the NVIDIA A2?

A: The RX 9070's average benchmark score of 34780 is 0.2% lower than the NVIDIA A2's score of 34866, making them statistically equivalent.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best experience at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 149.2 FPS offers the best balance, though High at 109.6 FPS is also recommended for better visuals at still-high frame rates.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p in Outriders?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor even at 1080p, as evidenced by the 90.9 FPS difference between Low (213.5 FPS) and Ultra (122.6 FPS) settings, while the CPU maintains sufficient headroom.