Outriders

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 presents a clear case of a modern processor constrained by a legacy graphics card in Outriders. The data indicates a system where the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, as the CPU’s substantial headroom is never fully utilized. The measured frames per second across all resolutions paint a consistent picture: the RX 580 dictates the experience, and settings must be chosen with its limitations in mind.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the Low preset is the only setting that provides a consistently playable experience across all tested resolutions, though its viability depends heavily on the target display. At 1920x1080, Low yields an average of 108.8 FPS, which is excellent for a looter shooter’s fast-paced action. Moving to Medium drops the average to 77.7 FPS, a significant but still smooth reduction for most displays. High further reduces performance to 62.1 FPS, which remains acceptable for a 60Hz monitor.

The situation changes dramatically at higher resolutions. At 2560x1440, the Low preset produces 68.2 FPS, which is playable, while Medium falls to 50.8 FPS, and High drops to 39.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, even Low struggles with just 38 FPS, and Medium falls to 24.6 FPS. Consequently, the data strongly suggests that for a balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1080p is the sweet spot, offering a 77.7 FPS average. For 1440p, Low is the only sensible choice to maintain a frame rate above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset, which averages only 45.2 FPS at 1080p and 14.1 FPS at 4K, is effectively unusable with this hardware combination.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the primary determinant of performance in this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is a foundational capability for the game’s texture streaming. The GPU’s core clock speeds, a base of 1257 MHz and a boost of 1340 MHz, are modest by modern standards. The benchmark results for this GPU place it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13559. This places it in direct competition with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950, which has an average score of 13549, indicating a negligible 0.1% difference.

This performance class is the key constraint. The data shows that the GPU’s compute capabilities, rated at 6.175 TFLOPS FP32, are simply insufficient for the demands of Outriders at higher settings. The transition from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 31.1 FPS (from 108.8 to 77.7), a 28.6% drop, and the jump to High costs another 15.6 FPS. This steep performance cliff with each settings tier is characteristic of a GPU that is overwhelmed by the game’s effects and rendering techniques, rather than a CPU limitation.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the GPU as the limiting factor. At 1080p with High settings, the RX 580 produces 62.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 39.9 FPS, a reduction of 22.2 FPS or roughly 36%. Increasing the resolution to 4K High further devastates performance, yielding just 19 FPS. This is a 43.1 FPS drop from 1080p, which corresponds to a 69.4% reduction in frame rate. The pattern is similar across all settings, though more pronounced at higher presets.

This scaling behavior is a classic sign of a pixel-bound workload. The CPU’s role in frame generation becomes less critical as resolution increases, and the GPU’s fillrate and shading capacity take over. The fact that the frame rate nearly halves when moving from 1440p to 4K suggests that the RX 580’s 32 ROPs and 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate are being saturated. The data implies that the i5-14400F is not a factor in these drops; the GPU is simply running out of processing power to handle the increased pixel count.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for this specific combination in Outriders:

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 108.8 FPS
• Medium: 77.7 FPS
• High: 62.1 FPS
• Ultra: 45.2 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 68.2 FPS
• Medium: 50.8 FPS
• High: 39.9 FPS
• Ultra: 26.4 FPS

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 38 FPS
• Medium: 24.6 FPS
• High: 19 FPS
• Ultra: 14.1 FPS

The data shows a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, the step from Low to Medium is a 31.1 FPS drop, while the step from Medium to High is a 15.6 FPS drop, and from High to Ultra is a 16.9 FPS drop. At 1440p, the same progression sees drops of 17.4, 10.9, and 13.5 FPS respectively. At 4K, all presets are below 40 FPS, with the difference between Low and Ultra being a mere 23.9 FPS. This compression of frame rates at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is so heavily taxed that even the lowest settings cannot provide a smooth experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for a 60 FPS target?

A: The data shows that the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the only combination that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, achieving an average of 77.7 FPS. The Low preset at 2560x1440 also achieves a playable 68.2 FPS.

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

A: No. The measured data shows that even at the Low settings preset, the average frame rate at 3840x2160 is only 38 FPS. The Ultra preset averages a mere 14.1 FPS, which is not a viable gaming experience.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. The Low preset averages 108.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 45.2 FPS. This represents a 63.6 FPS drop, or a 58.5% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest settings.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F holding back the RX 580 in this game?

A: The benchmark results do not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The GPU’s performance class, as measured by its average benchmark score of 13559, is the limiting factor. The CPU’s high multi-threaded score of 21914 in Cinebench R23 suggests it has ample reserve, but the game performance is constrained by the GPU’s ability to render frames.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its closest rivals based on the benchmark data?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559. This makes it statistically identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, which scores 13564, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950, which scores 13549. It is only 1.1% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 455.

Q: Given the frame rates, what is the playable ceiling for this system?

A: Based on the data, the playable ceiling is 1440p with the Low settings preset, which produces an average of 68.2 FPS. Attempting higher settings at this resolution, or any settings at 4K, results in average frame rates below 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a capable processor that is not the performance bottleneck in this configuration. It features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 and a single-core score of 3093. In the broader CPU landscape, it sits in the 88th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 32508. This places it nearly exactly in line with the Intel Core i7-12800H, which has an average score of 32513.

The data suggests that this CPU has ample headroom for Outriders. The frame rates are dictated by the GPU, as evidenced by the significant drops when resolution or settings are increased. The i5-14400F’s high single-thread performance, indicated by its Geekbench single-core score of 2333, is more than sufficient to feed the RX 580. The CPU’s role is to process game logic and prepare draw calls, and its performance class ensures it is not the constraining factor in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Outriders, this pairing ranks 1571st out of 1693 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested in the game. This low ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU’s performance limitations.

The combo’s rank is more reflective of the GPU than the CPU. The RX 580’s benchmark percentile is 53%, meaning it performs worse than roughly half of all GPUs in the database. The i5-14400F, by contrast, is in the 88th percentile for CPUs. The pairing of a high-performing CPU with a mid-to-low-performing GPU results in a system that is heavily imbalanced for gaming. The data implies that this combination is suited for 1080p gaming at medium settings, but it falls far behind the majority of other tested systems, particularly at higher resolutions or when maximum visual fidelity is desired.