Outriders

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a playable but uneven experience in Outriders, with performance heavily dependent on resolution and quality preset. The data shows a system that can comfortably handle 1080p gaming at high framerates but struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K, particularly at maximum settings. The combination ranks in the 21st percentile of tested configurations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of systems benchmarked for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases, though the magnitude of the drop is substantial. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 102 FPS, which drops to 78 FPS at 1440p and further to 41 FPS at 4K. This represents a 60% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings, indicating that the Radeon RX 9060 becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling behavior at Low settings tells a similar story but with higher absolute numbers. The system achieves 128 FPS at 1080p Low, 110 FPS at 1440p Low, and 75 FPS at 4K Low. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is approximately 41%, which is less severe than at High settings, suggesting that the GPU still has headroom at lower quality presets but the gap narrows as pixel count increases.

The Ultra preset data is particularly revealing about the GPU's limitations. At 1080p Ultra, the system manages 90 FPS, which drops to 57 FPS at 1440p Ultra and plummets to just 30 FPS at 4K Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is below the generally accepted threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that this combination is not suited for maximum fidelity at native 4K resolution. The step from Medium to Ultra at 4K costs 25 FPS, highlighting how the most demanding settings disproportionately tax the RDNA 4.0 GPU.

The pattern across all settings shows that the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is gentler than the scaling from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the system loses 16 FPS going from 1080p to 1440p, but then loses another 43 FPS going from 1440p to 4K. This nonlinear scaling suggests that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus become increasingly strained as the frame buffer demands grow at 4K resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake family, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 668 in Cinebench R15 multicore, 2784 in Cinebench R20 multicore, and 6629 in Cinebench R23 multicore. Single-core performance is comparatively modest, with scores of 94 in Cinebench R15, 392 in Cinebench R20, and 935 in Cinebench R23.

For a Looter Shooter like Outriders, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The 6-core/6-thread configuration is adequate for this genre, though the lack of hyperthreading means the processor cannot handle as many concurrent threads as competing chips with similar core counts but additional threads. The processor sits at the 47th percentile of all CPUs, placing it squarely in the mid-range of the performance spectrum.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck at 1080p, where the GPU is doing most of the heavy lifting. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 128 FPS, which is a respectable result that suggests the i5-9400 can keep up with the GPU's output at lower resolutions. However, the CPU's synthetic benchmark scores show it is roughly on par with the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% slower) and the Intel Core i3-10305 (0.4% slower), while being marginally faster than the Intel Core i7-10710U (0.3% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (0.4% faster).

The measured FPS data does not show any significant CPU-induced frame drops, as the minimum FPS values at Medium settings are consistently close to the averages. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 97 against an average of 114, at 1440p Medium it is 83 against 98, and at 4K Medium it is 46 against 55. These minimums indicate that the CPU is maintaining consistent frame delivery without noticeable stutters, which is important for a fast-paced looter shooter where combat encounters can involve numerous enemies and particle effects.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 + AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 2292 out of 2913 tested combos for Outriders, placing it at approximately the 78.7th percentile from the bottom. This means the combo outperforms roughly 21% of all tested configurations while being outclassed by the remaining 79%. For a mid-range CPU paired with a mainstream GPU, this ranking is expected given the GPU's 59th percentile position among all GPUs.

The ranking suggests that this combination is better suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming rather than 4K. At 1080p, the system delivers frame rates that would be considered good for the genre, with High settings producing 102 FPS and Ultra producing 90 FPS. These results would likely place the combo higher in a 1080p-only ranking, as the 4K results drag down the overall position.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 16014 places it very close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129, representing a negligible 0.7% difference. This is a notable comparison because the RTX 3060 Ti is a well-regarded 1440p card, and the RX 9060's similar synthetic performance suggests it should be capable at that resolution. The measured FPS data confirms this, with 78 FPS at 1440p High and 98 FPS at 1440p Medium.

The combo's rank of 2292 indicates that there are 621 tested configurations that perform worse in Outriders. This places the system in the lower-middle portion of the ranking table, which is consistent with the GPU's 59th percentile standing and the CPU's 47th percentile standing. The combination is neither a low-end budget setup nor a high-end enthusiast configuration, but rather a balanced mid-range pairing that delivers acceptable performance at mainstream resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results. The Low preset achieves 128 FPS, making it the highest measured frame rate across all resolutions and settings. The Medium preset produces 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 131, providing a smooth experience with minimal frame dips. High settings yield 102 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings produce 90 FPS, which represents a 30% reduction from Low but remains entirely playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are noticeable but not catastrophic. The Low preset delivers 110 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings produce 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 and maximum of 112, indicating good frame consistency. High settings yield 78 FPS, which is above 60 FPS but shows the GPU starting to work harder. Ultra settings produce 57 FPS, which dips below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in occasional perceived stutter during intense combat scenes.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. The Low preset achieves 75 FPS, which is acceptable for 4K gaming. Medium settings produce 55 FPS with a minimum of 46 and maximum of 63, indicating that the GPU is pushing its limits and frame times may be inconsistent. High settings yield just 41 FPS, which falls below the smoothness threshold. Ultra settings produce only 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for playability and will feel choppy in a fast-paced action game.

The Medium preset data provides the most complete picture of performance characteristics, as it is the only setting level with both minimum and maximum FPS values at all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the spread between minimum and maximum is 34 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the spread is 29 FPS. At 4K Medium, the spread narrows to 17 FPS. This tightening range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is consistently saturated and cannot produce higher peaks, whereas at lower resolutions there is more headroom for frame bursts.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Outriders with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1080p provides the best balance of performance and visual quality. At 1080p High, the system achieves 102 FPS, while at 1440p High it drops to 78 FPS. For a smoother experience, 1080p Medium delivers 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS.

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

A: The measured results show 4K is only playable at Low settings, where the system averages 75 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 55 FPS with minimums of 46 FPS. High settings produce 41 FPS, and Ultra settings produce only 30 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Radeon RX 9060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 16014 is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's score of 16129. It is 1% higher than both the AMD Radeon R9 370X and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, and 2.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500.

Q: Is the Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RX 9060?

A: The CPU's 47th percentile ranking and 6-core/6-thread configuration provide sufficient processing power for Outriders. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings (97 at 1080p, 83 at 1440p, 46 at 4K) suggest the CPU is maintaining consistent frame delivery without causing major stutters.

Q: What settings preset provides the most consistent frame times?

A: The Medium preset shows the tightest relationship between average and minimum FPS across all resolutions. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 46 FPS is only 16% below the average of 55 FPS, whereas at 4K High the average is 41 FPS without a reported minimum, suggesting less predictable performance.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 2292 out of 2913 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier of systems tested for Outriders. It outperforms roughly 21% of all configurations while being outclassed by the remaining 79%.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data supports different settings recommendations depending on the target resolution. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is viable at 90 FPS, but the Medium preset at 114 FPS with a 97 FPS minimum provides a more stable experience. The jump from Medium to Ultra costs 24 FPS, which is a significant trade-off for the visual improvements that Ultra typically provides. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, the Low preset at 128 FPS is the best choice, as it maximizes frame rate without compromising the ability to track fast-moving targets.

At 1440p, the High preset at 78 FPS is the recommended balance point. It stays above the 60 FPS threshold while providing better visual quality than Medium, which delivers 98 FPS but at noticeably lower fidelity. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS is borderline, as it falls just below the 60 FPS mark and may cause perceptible frame pacing issues during heavy combat. For players who prioritize frame rate over visuals at 1440p, the Medium preset at 98 FPS is the strongest option, offering a 40 FPS advantage over Ultra.

For 4K resolution, the options are more constrained. The Low preset at 75 FPS is the only setting that provides consistently smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 55 FPS with a 46 FPS minimum may be acceptable for players who prefer visual quality over frame rate, but the frame dips could prove problematic during intense action sequences. The High and Ultra presets at 41 FPS and 30 FPS respectively are not recommended, as they fall below the threshold for comfortable play and will likely result in a degraded experience.

The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best overall experience for this hardware, as it provides the most consistent frame delivery across all resolutions. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings (97 at 1080p, 83 at 1440p, 46 at 4K) are closer to their respective averages than at other settings, indicating steadier frame pacing. For most players, starting at Medium and adjusting upward or downward based on personal sensitivity to frame rate variations will yield the best results.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, along with 28 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores show it performing at the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 17631 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322. In compute workloads, it scores 88183 in Geekbench OpenCL and 39476 in Geekbench Vulkan. The Passmark DirectX scores are notably inconsistent, ranging from 44 in DirectX 12 to 280 in DirectX 9, which may reflect driver optimization or workload characteristics.

The measured FPS data demonstrates that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance in Outriders, particularly at higher resolutions. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a significant reduction in frame rates across all settings, which is consistent with a GPU that has ample processing power for 1080p but becomes saturated at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K with High or Ultra settings, the memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s may become a limiting factor.

The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is tightly clustered. The RX 9060's average benchmark score of 16014 is within 2.1% of all four nearest competitors, ranging from the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 at 15679 to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti at 16129. This tight clustering suggests that the RX 9060 is a well-balanced mid-range GPU whose performance in Outriders will be similar to these competing cards, with the measured FPS data confirming its capability at 1080p and 1440p resolutions.