Outriders

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a fascinating performance profile in Outriders, one that clearly separates the GPU's raw capabilities from the CPU's logical limits. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system where the graphics card is often the dominant force, but not always the sole arbiter of performance. The data suggests that this combination is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, while also providing a playable, albeit demanding, 4K experience depending on the quality preset selected.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling of average FPS from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is stark and tells a clear story about the limiting component. At Ultra settings, the performance drops from 151.1 FPS at 1080p to 104.3 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 54.0 FPS at 4K. This represents a dramatic 64% reduction in frame rate from the lowest to the highest resolution, strongly indicating that the rendering load is shifting squarely onto the GPU. The RTX 4080 SUPER, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, is being tasked with exponentially more pixel work, and the data shows it is struggling to maintain high frame rates at the 4K Ultra ceiling.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Low preset scaling is far less punishing. The system produces 212.4 FPS at 1080p, 184.8 FPS at 1440p, and 139.6 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is only 34%, which is significantly smaller than at Ultra. This suggests that at Low settings, the CPU begins to play a more significant role in determining the final frame rate, particularly at lower resolutions. The i5-12400F's six Performance cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are likely becoming the bottleneck, preventing the frame rate from scaling as high as the GPU might otherwise allow.

The trend is consistent across all presets: the gap between 1080p and 4K performance widens as graphical fidelity increases. For example, at High settings, the FPS goes from 175.1 at 1080p to 78.6 at 4K, a 55% reduction. This pattern is the classic signature of GPU-bound scaling. The RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU's influence is more noticeable when the graphical load is light, as evidenced by the smaller performance deltas at the Low preset. The data implies that for a 4K experience, users must be willing to sacrifice visual quality to approach the 140+ FPS territory seen at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance for this specific combo, and the optimal choice depends entirely on the target resolution. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset is demanding, yielding only 54.0 FPS. While playable, this is below the 60 FPS threshold many consider the baseline for a smooth experience. Dropping to High increases the average to 78.6 FPS, a significant 45% improvement over Ultra. Given the visual fidelity difference between High and Ultra is often less perceptible than the frame rate gain, the High preset appears to be the most sensible choice for 4K, offering a much smoother experience while still maintaining a high level of detail.

For 2560x1440 users, the data points to a different conclusion. The Ultra preset achieves 104.3 FPS, which is already comfortably above the 60 FPS target and suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset provides a massive jump to 166.5 FPS, and Low reaches 184.8 FPS. Given the system can handle Ultra at over 100 FPS, there is little reason to compromise on quality. The High preset at 146.9 FPS offers a good middle ground, but the data suggests that the RTX 4080 SUPER has enough headroom to run this game at maximum settings at 1440p without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1920x1080, the GPU is so powerful that all presets deliver excellent performance. The Ultra preset runs at 151.1 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz display. The Medium preset provides 192.9 FPS, and Low reaches 212.4 FPS. Here, the recommendation is simple: select the Ultra preset. The frame rate is more than sufficient for competitive play, and the visual enhancements are essentially free. The data indicates that this pairing is overqualified for 1080p, making it a future-proof option for this resolution or a prime candidate for a high-resolution monitor upgrade.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the clear workhorse in this configuration, and its specifications directly correlate with the observed performance. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, the card offers substantial bandwidth for high-resolution textures and effects. The 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power provides the raw processing capability needed to handle the complex rendering at 4K. The GPU's high boost clock of 2550 MHz ensures it can sustain these workloads, while the 80 RT cores and 320 Tensor cores are ready for any ray-traced or DLSS-enhanced content, though this game's data does not specifically test those features.

The benchmark results show the GPU operating at its peak in the higher-resolution tests. The steep decline in FPS from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings (151.1 to 54.0 FPS) is a direct consequence of the GPU's rendering load. The card's performance percentile against all GPUs is 88, and its average benchmark score of 53610 places it in a category just above rivals like the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, which has an average score of 53489, a difference of only 0.2%. This highlights the RTX 4080 SUPER's position as a top-tier performer. The data shows that in Outriders, the GPU is the primary factor in determining frame rates at 1440p and 4K, with its massive computational and memory resources being fully utilized to drive the higher pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset for this combination offers a granular view of its performance envelope. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low 139.6 FPS, Medium 100.6 FPS, High 78.6 FPS, and Ultra 54.0 FPS. This shows a clear and steep cost for each increase in visual quality. At 2560x1440, the averages are significantly higher: Low 184.8 FPS, Medium 166.5 FPS, High 146.9 FPS, and Ultra 104.3 FPS. The jump from 4K is substantial, particularly at the Ultra preset, which gains nearly 50 FPS. Finally, at 1920x1080, the averages are: Low 212.4 FPS, Medium 192.9 FPS, High 175.1 FPS, and Ultra 151.1 FPS. The progression is consistent; even the lowest preset at 1080p eclipses the highest performance at 4K.

The data reveals a consistent pattern of diminishing returns for each preset increase. The gap between Low and Medium is often smaller than the gap between Medium and High, or High and Ultra. For instance, at 1440p, the difference between Low and Medium is 18.3 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is 42.6 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset, in particular, demands a disproportionately large amount of GPU resources for the final visual polish. This information is crucial for users looking to optimize their settings, as it shows that the most significant performance gains can be found by stepping down from the top preset.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Outriders, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER holds a rank of 215 out of 1693 total combos. This places it in the top 13% of all tested systems, which is an impressive standing. The high rank is likely a reflection of the RTX 4080 SUPER’s powerful GPU, which is the primary driver of gaming performance in this title. The data suggests that this combination outperforms the vast majority of other pairings users have tested.

The CPU’s own ranking is also relevant context. The i5-12400F has a percentile rank of 77 against all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 77% of processors on the market in general benchmark tests. Its average benchmark score of 19221 is remarkably close to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210, a negligible 0.1% difference. This shows that the i5-12400F provides a level of compute performance comparable to older high-end chips. However, the fact that the combo ranks 215th suggests that while the CPU is capable, it is the GPU that raises this pairing to such a high position. The 1693 tested combos likely include many with more powerful CPUs, but the strength of the RTX 4080 SUPER ensures this system still ranks highly in a game that is clearly GPU-intensive.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS for this combination at 2560x1440 with the Ultra preset is 104.3 FPS.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset playable with this hardware?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 54.0 FPS. While technically playable, it is on the lower end of the smoothness spectrum.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 212.4 FPS, which is 61.3 FPS higher than the Ultra preset's 151.1 FPS.

Q: What is the most significant performance drop between settings at 4K?

A: The largest drop at 3840x2160 is between High and Ultra settings, where the average FPS falls from 78.6 to 54.0, a decrease of 24.6 FPS.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems in Outriders?*

A: This specific CPU and GPU combination is ranked 215th out of 1693 total tested combos in the game.

Q: What is the GPU's average benchmark score compared to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 53610, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT's score of 53489.

CPU Role

While the GPU often dominates, the Intel Core i5-12400F plays a critical supporting role that is visible in the data. The processor features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This configuration is capable of handling modern game engines, and its performance is validated by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518. This score suggests a strong capability for multi-threaded workloads, which is relevant for games that utilize multiple cores.

The CPU's influence is most evident when the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 212.4 FPS. This is a very high frame rate, but it's likely that the CPU is reaching its limit, preventing the frame rate from climbing even higher. The performance difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is 19.5 FPS, which is smaller than the difference at 4K (39 FPS), further suggesting a CPU bottleneck at the lower resolution. The i5-12400F's 18 MB of shared L3 cache is sufficient for gaming, and its 3DMark single-thread score of 909 indicates good per-core performance, which is still crucial for many games. In this context, the CPU provides enough performance to feed the RTX 4080 SUPER at 1440p and 4K, but it is the component that caps the absolute maximum frame rates seen at 1080p.