Outriders

The Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 combination represents a pairing of a modern six-core processor with an entry-level last-generation graphics card. In Outriders, this configuration produces playable results only at lower resolutions and settings, with benchmark data showing a clear pattern of GPU limitation that becomes more pronounced as resolution increases.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a thermal design power of 65 W. The processor includes 18 MB of shared L3 cache, with 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core. This CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes. The chip has a launch MSRP of $174.

Benchmark results place this processor in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 19039. In synthetic tests, the chip achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12380 and a single-core score of 1680. Geekbench results show 9472 in multicore and 1964 in single-core tests. The 3DMark suite shows a max-thread score of 5912, with 16-thread results at 5895 and single-thread scores at 909. PassMark multithread testing yields 19433, while single-thread performance registers 3481.

The processor's nearest rivals in overall performance include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with an average score of 19047 (0% delta), the Intel Core 3 201E at 19056 (-0.1% delta), the Intel Core i5-1335U at 18982 (0.3% delta), and the AMD EPYC 7773X at 18979 (0.3% delta). These close scores indicate the i5-12400F sits in a competitive mid-range performance tier.

For Outriders, the CPU's capability is more than sufficient to feed the GTX 1650 at 1080p. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combination achieves 99 FPS average, which indicates the CPU can push well beyond what the GPU can render at higher quality settings. The 6-core/12-thread configuration with a 4.40 GHz boost clock provides ample headroom for the game's looter-shooter mechanics, which typically involve many on-screen entities and physics calculations. The processor's 73rd percentile ranking suggests it performs well above average, meaning CPU bottlenecks are unlikely to be the primary constraint in this pairing.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is based on the TU117 chip using the Turing architecture, manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. The GPU contains 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die. It features 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. Clock speeds are set at 1485 MHz base and 1665 MHz boost, with memory running at 2001 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The card has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The card has a launch MSRP of 149 USD and is marked as end-of-life.

The GPU's benchmark performance places it in the 40th percentile of all GPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 7472. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 305. Geekbench results show 29629 in OpenCL and 33042 in Vulkan tests. PassMark testing reveals a G3D score of 7880, with DirectX 11 scoring 58 and DirectX 12 scoring 35. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8850M at 7447 (0.3% delta), Intel UHD Graphics 750 at 7441 (0.4% delta), AMD Radeon R7 350 at 7425 (0.6% delta), and Intel Arc A310 at 7550 (-1% delta).

The GTX 1650's role in Outriders is defining the performance ceiling. The 4 GB VRAM capacity becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions and quality settings. The 128.1 GB/s memory bandwidth and 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power are modest by modern standards. At 1080p, the card can maintain reasonable frame rates, but the data shows significant drops as resolution increases. The 40th percentile ranking places this GPU below the average of all tested GPUs, indicating it is an entry-level solution that will struggle with demanding titles at high settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Out of 3710 tested CPU-GPU combinations in Outriders, this pairing ranks 3569th. This places it in the bottom 4% of all tested configurations, which is a surprisingly low position given that the CPU is above average. The ranking reflects the GPU's significant limitation on overall performance. The i5-12400F's 73rd percentile CPU ranking contrasts sharply with the GTX 1650's 40th percentile GPU ranking, and the combined result is dragged down by the graphics card.

This rank indicates that most other combinations in the database deliver better Outriders performance. The data suggests that pairing a stronger CPU with this GPU would not meaningfully improve results, as the graphics card becomes the bottleneck in almost all scenarios. Conversely, pairing this CPU with a faster GPU would likely yield substantial improvements, as the processor has demonstrated the ability to achieve high frame rates in synthetic benchmarks. The 3569th rank out of 3710 combinations serves as a clear indicator that the GTX 1650 is the constraining element, and users seeking better Outriders performance should prioritize a GPU upgrade over a CPU upgrade.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its best results. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 99, providing a smooth experience well above standard monitor refresh rates. Medium settings drop the average to 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 and maximum of 83. High settings reduce performance to an average of 54 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 39 FPS, which is playable but below the 60 FPS target most players prefer.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance degrades noticeably. Low settings maintain an average of 62 FPS, still acceptable for play. Medium settings average 45 FPS with a range of 39 to 52 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 34 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 25 FPS average. The 1440p results show that the GTX 1650 cannot sustain high-quality gameplay at this resolution, with even Low settings barely crossing the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. Low settings average 33 FPS, Medium settings average 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 and maximum of 27, High settings average 18 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 13 FPS. None of these configurations achieve the 30 FPS minimum typically considered the baseline for playability, with only Low settings coming close at 33 FPS. The 4K data confirms that this combination is not suitable for high-resolution gaming.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The scaling pattern across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces average FPS from 99 to 62, a drop of 37 FPS or approximately 37%. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings further reduces performance from 62 to 33 FPS, another drop of approximately 47%. The cumulative effect from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is a reduction from 99 to 33 FPS, a 67% decrease.

At Medium settings, the scaling shows similar characteristics. From 1080p to 1440p, the average drops from 72 to 45 FPS, a 27 FPS reduction. From 1440p to 4K, it falls from 45 to 24 FPS, a 21 FPS reduction. The total decrease from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings is 67%, consistent with the Low settings pattern.

High settings demonstrate the same trend. The 1080p average of 54 FPS drops to 34 FPS at 1440p, then to 18 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a 47% decrease from 1440p to 4K, with an overall 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

The consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that the GPU's rendering capacity is the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant as resolution increases, since the CPU workload does not scale with resolution. The observed pattern—where FPS decreases proportionally with the number of pixels—is a clear sign that the GTX 1650's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are exhausted at higher resolutions. The 4 GB VRAM capacity also likely contributes to the steep drops at 4K, where texture memory requirements exceed the card's available resources.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 99 FPS average, which provides a highly responsive experience suitable for fast-paced combat. Medium settings at 72 FPS offer a balanced trade-off between visual quality and smoothness, with the minimum of 61 FPS ensuring minimal stutter. High settings at 54 FPS are acceptable for players who prioritize visuals over frame rate, while Ultra at 39 FPS should be avoided due to the risk of noticeable frame pacing issues.

For 2560x1440, the Low preset at 62 FPS is the only configuration that consistently stays above 60 FPS. Medium settings at 45 FPS are playable but may feel less smooth during intense firefights. High and Ultra settings at 34 and 25 FPS respectively are not recommended, as they fall below the threshold for comfortable gameplay in a fast-paced looter shooter.

At 3840x2160, no settings preset provides a good experience. The Low preset at 33 FPS is the highest achievable average, but this is below the 60 FPS target and may result in a less responsive feel. Medium settings at 24 FPS and below are not viable for serious play.

The data strongly suggests that Outriders is best experienced with this hardware combination at 1080p using Medium settings, which provides a 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS. This configuration offers the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, ensuring smooth gameplay without compromising too much on graphical quality. Players with 1440p monitors should use Low settings to maintain acceptable frame rates, while 4K gaming is not viable with this pairing.