Outriders

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a very specific performance curve in Outriders, one that is heavily dictated by the graphics processor. The data shows that the Arc B390 is the primary limiting factor across all tested resolutions, with the CPU's substantial processing power going largely underutilized in this looter shooter. This combination places in the 3299th position out of 3710 tested combos, indicating that while the system is operational, its gaming performance is well below the median of the tested pool.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a steep and predictable drop as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 115 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average falls to 72 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it drops further to 38 FPS. This represents a decline of approximately 37% from 1080p to 1440p and another 47% from 1440p to 4K, showing that the GPU is being pushed progressively harder at higher pixel counts.

The scaling pattern under High settings is similar but less forgiving at the top end. The 1080p High preset yields 63 FPS, which drops to 40 FPS at 1440p and then to 21 FPS at 4K. The percentage loss from 1080p to 1440p is about 37%, consistent with Low, but the 1440p to 4K drop is steeper at 47.5%. This suggests that the Arc B390's limited compute resources struggle disproportionately with the increased pixel load when more visual effects are enabled.

The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with averages of 45 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p, and 15 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 35.6%, but the 1440p to 4K drop is 48.3%. Overall, the data indicates that the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, is not the bottleneck here; the frame rate differences across resolutions are characteristic of a graphics-bound scenario, where the rendering workload outpaces the GPU's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for playable frame rates with this combination?

A: Based on the measured rows, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all presets reach at least 45 FPS. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, Low hits 115 FPS, and even Ultra stays above 30 FPS at 45 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS, and at 3840x2160, all presets fall below 40 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to Medium at the same resolution?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 45 FPS, which is 38 FPS lower than the Medium preset's 83 FPS. The gap is similar at 1440p, where Ultra averages 29 FPS versus Medium's 53 FPS, and at 4K, Ultra averages 15 FPS against Medium's 28 FPS.

Q: Is there a measurable frame time variance in the Medium preset?

A: Yes, the Medium preset is the only one with min and max FPS data. At 1080p, the range is 71 to 96 FPS, at 1440p it is 45 to 61 FPS, and at 4K it is 23 to 32 FPS. This shows a consistent spread of roughly 9-13 FPS between minimum and maximum, indicating moderate frame pacing consistency.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of the GPU in this system?

A: The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score is 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it near the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463, and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The Core i5-12600KF scores 3302 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 23391 in multi-core. This is a ratio of roughly 1:7, showing a strong multi-threaded capability. However, in Outriders, this CPU advantage does not translate to higher frame rates, as the GPU limits overall output.

Q: Does the system meet the demands of 4K gaming in this title?

A: The data indicates it does not. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 38 with Low settings, and High settings yield only 21 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 15 FPS, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience in a fast-paced looter shooter.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this system's Outriders performance. Its specifications point to a low-power integrated graphics solution, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The memory is system shared, with bandwidth listed as system dependent, meaning the GPU is reliant on the host CPU's memory controller rather than dedicated VRAM. This configuration is typical of an IGP, and the measured results reflect that positioning.

The GPU's compute capabilities are modest, with 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. These figures explain why the frame rates degrade so quickly as resolution climbs. At 4K, the GPU must render over 8 million pixels per frame, and with only 24 ROPs, the fill rate becomes a bottleneck. The FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS is also low for modern gaming, which is evident in the 21 FPS average at 4K High.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GT 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710. The Arc B390 scores 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad test, which is 1.3% higher than the GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. These are all entry-level parts from previous generations, confirming that the Arc B390 operates in the lowest tier of gaming performance. In Outriders, this means the GPU is the sole contributor to the low frame rates, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the lack of graphics horsepower.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3299th out of 3710 combos for Outriders. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the GPU's 9th percentile ranking. The CPU, by contrast, sits in the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27799. This creates a stark imbalance: a high-performing processor paired with a low-performing graphics solution.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K, AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE, AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D. The deltaPct values show the i5-12600KF is within 0.3% of each of these, meaning its raw processing power is on par with those chips. However, none of that matters in Outriders, where the GPU determines the outcome. The combo rank is a reflection of the system's overall gaming capability, and the data shows that this setup is far below what would be considered a playable configuration for modern titles at higher resolutions.

The rank also suggests that many other combinations, even those with weaker CPUs, would outperform this system purely because they have more capable GPUs. For a looter shooter like Outriders, which relies on fast action and consistent frame delivery, the 3299th position is a clear indicator that this is not a gaming-oriented build. The CPU's potential is wasted in this context, as the GPU cannot translate its processing power into higher frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the only viable settings for a smooth experience are at 1920x1080. The Low preset offers the best performance, with an average of 115 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for most players. The Medium preset also provides a playable experience at 83 FPS, with a min FPS of 71, ensuring that frame drops are unlikely to be noticeable. For those who prefer higher visual fidelity, the High preset at 1080p averages 63 FPS, which is acceptable, but the Ultra preset at 45 FPS may feel less responsive in combat-heavy scenes.

At 2560x1440, the options are more limited. The Low preset averages 72 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset drops to 53 FPS, and High falls to 40 FPS. The Ultra preset at 29 FPS is not recommended for a fast-paced game. At 3840x2160, the data shows no playable options, as even the Low preset averages only 38 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has a min FPS of 23, which would cause noticeable stuttering.

The best experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1080p. It balances the 83 FPS average with a min FPS of 71, providing a stable frame rate that is suitable for the game's looter shooter mechanics. The Low preset at 1080p offers higher FPS but at reduced visual quality, while High at 1080p is a middle ground that may be preferred if visual clarity is prioritized over raw frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are as follows: Low settings yield 38 FPS, Medium yields 28 FPS with a range of 23 to 32 FPS, High yields 21 FPS, and Ultra yields 15 FPS. No min or max values are provided for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution, suggesting the data collection focused on averages for those presets.

At 2560x1440, the results are: Low averages 72 FPS, Medium averages 53 FPS with a range of 45 to 61 FPS, High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a wider spread between min and max, indicating less consistent frame delivery than at 1080p.

At 1920x1080, the averages are: Low at 115 FPS, Medium at 83 FPS with a range of 71 to 96 FPS, High at 63 FPS, and Ultra at 45 FPS. The Medium preset's min FPS of 71 at 1080p is the highest minimum recorded across all resolutions, making it the most stable configuration in the dataset.

The progression from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent halving of frame rates when moving from Low to Ultra at each resolution. For example, at 1080p, Low is 115 FPS and Ultra is 45 FPS, while at 1440p, Low is 72 FPS and Ultra is 29 FPS. This pattern reinforces that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the relative performance gap between presets remains similar regardless of resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. It has a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are strong, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302, along with a Geekbench multi-core score of 12137 and a single-core score of 2157.

In the context of Outriders, the CPU's role is diminished because the GPU is the bottleneck. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU limitation, as the frame rates scale directly with resolution and settings, which are GPU-bound factors. The CPU's 3DMark scores, such as 7956 for 16 threads and 1016 for single thread, indicate a capable processor, but these do not translate to higher frame rates when the GPU is only able to produce 21 FPS at 4K High.

The CPU's nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, have similar average benchmark scores, with deltas of -0.3% and -0.3%, respectively. This means the i5-12600KF is on par with those chips in general processing tasks. However, in Outriders, the combo rank of 3299 out of 3710 suggests that the CPU's contribution to the gaming experience is negligible. The system is entirely GPU-bound, and the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient to handle the game's threading requirements, leaving the Arc B390 as the sole determinant of performance.