Outriders

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti presents an interesting study in balance within Outriders. The data shows a system where the GPU is clearly the dominant force at higher resolutions, but the CPU begins to assert its presence as the workload shifts to lower resolutions. This combination ranks in the 68th percentile of all tested combos in this game, placing it at rank 1161 out of 1693, which indicates a mid-to-upper tier standing that is respectable but not top-tier.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a predictable yet pronounced scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 102 FPS. Moving up to 1440p High, the average drops to 87.1 FPS, and at 4K High, it further falls to 61.8 FPS. This represents a significant 39.4% performance decrease from 1080p to 4K at High settings, demonstrating that the RTX 3080 Ti is being pushed hard by the higher pixel counts.

The scaling behavior changes when examining lower settings, which tells a story about the CPU's role. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p yields a drop from 130.6 FPS to 108.1 FPS, and then to 87.2 FPS at 4K. The 1080p Low result of 130.6 FPS is the highest score across all configurations, suggesting that the i5-9400 is nearing its limits in this scenario. If the GPU were the sole bottleneck, we would expect a more linear scaling pattern, but the relatively modest 20.8% drop from 1080p to 1440p Low, compared to a 33.1% drop at High settings, hints that the CPU is capping performance at 1080p.

The data indicates that at 4K, the RTX 3080 Ti is the primary limiting component, as the absolute FPS figures are relatively close across settings. The difference between 4K Low (87.2 FPS) and 4K Ultra (46.4 FPS) is substantial, but the fact that even Low settings cannot exceed 87.2 FPS at this resolution underscores the GPU's workload. In contrast, at 1080p, the spread between Low and Ultra is 39.9 FPS, which is tighter than the 40.8 FPS spread at 4K, showing that the CPU is holding back the GPU from reaching its full potential at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a formidable piece of hardware, built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip manufactured on an 8 nm process by Samsung. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz, with memory running at 19 Gbps effective. This memory configuration is particularly relevant for Outriders, as the game's texture-heavy environments and particle effects can place significant demands on VRAM capacity and bandwidth.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41224. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, scores 41441, showing a delta of -0.5%, meaning the RTX 3080 Ti is essentially on par with the flagship RTX 3090 in synthetic tests. This performance level is corroborated by the game's measured FPS, where the GPU demonstrates its capability to drive 4K High settings above 60 FPS. The RTX 3080 Ti's launch MSRP is 1,199 USD, and it has been discontinued, but its performance in Outriders remains competitive with modern counterparts. The data suggests that the GPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p, as the FPS figures plateau around 130 FPS, but at 4K, it is clearly the component determining the frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti achieves a rank of 1161 out of 1693 tested combos in Outriders. This places it in the 68th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of all tested configurations but falls short of the top tier. The ranking reflects a system that is solidly capable but not exceptional, and the data suggests that the CPU is the bottleneck preventing higher placement.

To contextualize this ranking, consider the CPU's synthetic benchmarks. The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, placing it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-10305 with a score of 2300 (a delta of 0.2%), the Intel Core i3-1125G4 with 2299 (0.2%), and the Intel Xeon E-2134 with 2295 (0.4%). These are all similar-performing chips, indicating that the i5-9400 is a mid-range processor. In contrast, the GPU's nearest rival is the RTX 3090, which is a top-tier card. This mismatch in tier between the CPU and GPU is reflected in the combo ranking, which sits in the upper-midrange rather than the top percentile.

The measured FPS data supports this analysis. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 130.6 FPS, but this is likely CPU-limited, as the GPU could theoretically push higher. At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves 46.4 FPS, which is more GPU-bound but still respectable for such demanding settings. The ranking indicates that while the GPU is powerful, the CPU's 6-core, 6-thread configuration with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz is not sufficient to fully unlock the GPU's potential at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Outriders?

A: The highest average FPS is 130.6, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 46.4, which is the lowest score across all tested configurations.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p. The FPS at Low settings (130.6) is significantly lower than what the GPU's synthetic benchmarks would suggest, indicating the i5-9400 is capping performance.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-9400 scores 2305 on average, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-10305 (2300) and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-1125G4 (2299), but 0.6% lower than the Intel Core i7-8809G (2319).

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combos in Outriders?

A: The combo ranks 1161 out of 1693 tested combos, placing it in the 68th percentile.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for Outriders at high resolutions?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory with 912.4 GB/s bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game's demands, as evidenced by playable FPS at 4K High settings (61.8 FPS).

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 130.6 FPS on Low, 113.9 FPS on Medium, 102 FPS on High, and 90.7 FPS on Ultra. This shows a clear progression where each settings tier reduces performance by approximately 10-12 FPS, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 39.9 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scores are 108.1 FPS on Low, 95.8 FPS on Medium, 87.1 FPS on High, and 80.4 FPS on Ultra. The scaling here is more gradual, with a difference of 27.7 FPS between Low and Ultra. This suggests that the GPU is starting to become more of a factor, but the CPU still has some headroom.

At 3840x2160, the results are 87.2 FPS on Low, 76.8 FPS on Medium, 61.8 FPS on High, and 46.4 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 40.8 FPS, which is the largest absolute spread across all resolutions. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is fully engaged, and the settings have a significant impact on performance. The 4K High result of 61.8 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while 4K Ultra falls below it, suggesting that High settings are the practical maximum for this combo at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process by Intel. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 9 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth. It uses the Intel Socket 1151 and has a TDP of 65 W, making it a power-efficient option.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-9400 scores 7969 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1125 in single-core. Its average benchmark score is 2305, placing it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4, both with scores around 2300, and the Intel Core i7-8809G with 2319. These similar scores indicate that the i5-9400 is a competent mid-range CPU, but it is not designed to keep pace with high-end GPUs.

In Outriders, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the FPS data. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 130.6 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum capability. The fact that the GPU is capable of much higher frame rates, as evidenced by its synthetic scores, suggests that the i5-9400 is the limiting factor at this resolution. However, at 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes, and the GPU becomes the primary determinant of performance. The 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient for the game's requirements, but the lack of hyper-threading may cause occasional stutters in heavily populated scenarios, though the data does not explicitly confirm this. Overall, the i5-9400 provides adequate performance for Outriders, but it is the weaker link in this pairing.