Outriders

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics within Outriders. This combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates, but the data reveals a clear shift in performance scaling as resolution and settings change. At lower resolutions, the six-core processor becomes the primary limiting factor, while at 4K, the immense power of the RTX 5090 D takes center stage. The result is a system that is overwhelmingly capable but whose performance profile is heavily dictated by the workload placed upon it.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data from Outriders shows a classic, yet pronounced, scaling pattern. At 1080p High settings, the combo achieves an average of 172 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 148 FPS, a decrease of roughly 14%. The jump to 4K High produces a more significant drop to 94 FPS, which is about 36% lower than the 1440p result. This steep decline as resolution increases is the expected behavior for a GPU-bound scenario at higher pixel counts.

However, the scaling is not uniform across all settings. At Low settings, the progression is much flatter. The combo hits 215 FPS at 1080p, drops to 185 FPS at 1440p, and only falls to 149 FPS at 4K. The smaller percentage drops between 1080p and 1440p here suggest that the CPU is hitting its limit early, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs even at lower resolutions. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is only 66 FPS, whereas at High settings, the gap is 78 FPS. This indicates that as the graphical load increases, the GPU becomes more of a factor, widening the performance gap between resolutions.

The data strongly suggests a dual-phase limiting scenario. At 1080p and 1440p, particularly with lower graphical presets, the Intel Core i5-12400F is likely the primary bottleneck, capping the maximum achievable frame rate. At 4K Ultra, the load on the RTX 5090 D becomes immense, and the GPU becomes the definitive limiting component. The relatively small difference between 1080p and 1440p frame rates at Low settings (a 30 FPS drop) compared to the difference between 1440p and 4K at High settings (a 54 FPS drop) highlights this transition. The system is extraordinarily fast, but its performance ceiling is often dictated by the processor until the resolution is high enough to fully engage the graphics card.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a monstrous piece of hardware on paper, and its benchmark results reflect that. It sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 77712 places it in close competition with mobile and data center parts like the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which score 78940 and 79605 respectively. This puts it in rarefied air, and in Outriders, it shows.

The card features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This vast memory pool and bandwidth are more than sufficient for Outriders, even at 4K Ultra settings. The card's boost clock of 2407 MHz and its 21760 shading units provide the raw compute power needed to push the high pixel counts at 4K. The benchmark results support this, with the card achieving a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326, a synthetic test that heavily taxes the GPU.

In the context of Outriders, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and settings rise. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 68 FPS, a significant drop from the 94 FPS at High settings. This 26 FPS penalty for moving from High to Ultra demonstrates the sheer graphical horsepower required by the game's Ultra preset. The RTX 5090 D is clearly the engine driving performance at this level, but even its immense power is taxed. The card's performance percentile of 92 is validated by these results, as it is able to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra, a feat that would be impossible with a less capable GPU. The data points to the GPU being the definitive performance arbiter at 4K, with the CPU's role diminishing as pixel count increases.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks is solid, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380 and single-core score of 1680 indicate a capable mid-range processor. However, its role in this specific combo is often to feed the voracious RTX 5090 D, and the data suggests it struggles to keep up at lower resolutions.

The CPU's influence is most evident at 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 215 FPS. This is a very high number, but it pales in comparison to what the RTX 5090 D is likely capable of delivering if left completely unconstrained. The relatively small performance gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings (a 30 FPS difference) is a strong indicator of a CPU bottleneck. The processor is likely maxing out its single-core or multi-core throughput, preventing the GPU from generating even more frames.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, it scores nearly identically to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, Intel Core 3 201E, and Intel Core i5-1335U, with deltaPct values of 0, -0.1, and 0.3 respectively. This shows it is a competent performer but not at the very top of the heap. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and boost clock of 4.40 GHz are adequate for gaming, but they represent a potential ceiling for a GPU as fast as the RTX 5090 D. The 65W TDP and 10nm process node are details of its design, but the practical takeaway from the Outriders data is that this CPU is the limiting factor in high-refresh-rate, lower-resolution scenarios. It provides enough power to achieve incredibly high frame rates, but it prevents the system from reaching its absolute maximum potential at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Outriders with this combo provides a complete picture of its performance across a matrix of settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally fast. With Low settings, it averages 215 FPS, which drops to 191 FPS on Medium and 172 FPS on High. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still manages a very high 153 FPS average. The Medium settings data also shows a minimum FPS of 163 and a maximum of 220, indicating good frame pacing and headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, we see a predictable decline. The Low preset averages 185 FPS, a 30 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium and High follow at 164 FPS and 148 FPS, respectively. Ultra settings at 1440p yield an average of 130 FPS. The Medium preset here shows a minimum of 140 FPS and a maximum of 189 FPS, demonstrating that even with the increased resolution, the system maintains high and stable frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes the dominant factor. The Low preset still delivers a very playable 149 FPS. Medium and High settings drop to 125 FPS and 94 FPS, respectively. The Ultra preset, however, is the most demanding, bringing the average down to 68 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has recorded minimum and maximum FPS of 106 and 144, showing a wider variance than at lower resolutions, which is typical for GPU-bound scenarios. This breakdown clearly shows the system is a 1080p and 1440p champion, capable of high refresh rates even on Ultra, while being a solid 4K performer that can handle High settings comfortably but requires compromises for Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Outriders, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D holds a rank of 271 out of 2913 tested combos. This places it in the top 9.3% of all systems tested, a strong showing that puts it in the upper echelon of performance. This high ranking reflects the sheer power of the RTX 5090 D, which can compensate for the more modest capabilities of the i5-12400F in most scenarios.

The ranking indicates that while the CPU may be a bottleneck at lower resolutions, the overall package is still incredibly fast. The 271st position out of 2913 combos means there are 270 configurations that perform better, likely featuring top-tier processors like the Core i9 or Ryzen 9 series paired with the same or similar high-end GPUs. This combo's rank is a reflection of its ability to deliver exceptional performance in a demanding game, even with a component imbalance. It shows that in Outriders, the GPU is the primary driver of overall system ranking, and this combo benefits enormously from having one of the most powerful GPUs available. The data confirms that this is a high-performance pairing that will deliver an excellent experience, even if it is not the absolute fastest combination possible.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The combo achieves an average of 172 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings.

Q: How does the CPU perform relative to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039, which is within 0.3% of the scores for the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, Intel Core 3 201E, and Intel Core i5-1335U.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 68, which is significantly lower than the 94 FPS at High settings, indicating the GPU is heavily taxed.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS the combo can achieve?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 215 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 271st out of 2913 tested combos for Outriders, placing it in the top 9.3% of all systems.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p and 4K on Low settings?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 215 at 1080p to 149 at 4K, a difference of 66 FPS.