Outriders

# Outriders Performance Analysis: Intel Core i5-9400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

This combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers playable performance across most settings in Outriders, but the data reveals a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions while showing signs of CPU constraint at 1080p. The combo ranks 2310 out of 2913 tested configurations in this game, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. That ranking reflects a pairing where the RTX 5050, despite its modern Blackwell architecture and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, is held back by a six-core, six-thread CPU from the Coffee Lake generation that launched in 2018. The measured frame rates tell a consistent story: the system can hit smooth 60+ FPS at 1440p with medium settings, but ultra settings at 4K drop to an unplayable 28 FPS average, indicating that neither component is overpowered for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2310 out of 2913 tested combinations places it in the 21st percentile of all systems tested in Outriders. This is a below-average standing, but it does not tell the full story. The ranking is heavily influenced by the CPU's age and its 47th percentile standing among all processors tested in general benchmarks. The RTX 5050, by contrast, sits in the 66th percentile among all GPUs, suggesting that the graphics card is the stronger half of this pairing. In Outriders specifically, the measured results show that the system's performance ceiling is dictated by which component becomes the bottleneck first — and that changes depending on resolution and settings.

The i5-9400's general benchmark scores show it trading blows with a narrow band of rivals. Its average benchmark score of 2254 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, 0.2% faster), the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, 0.3% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, 0.4% slower). The Intel Core i3-10305 edges it out by 0.4% with a score of 2264. This clustering means the i5-9400 is neither a standout nor a laggard in its class — it is simply an average mid-range processor from its era. In a game like Outriders, which benefits from multiple cores but does not heavily scale beyond six threads, this CPU provides adequate but not exceptional frame pacing.

The RTX 5050's general benchmark performance is similarly clustered. Its average score of 21035 is within 1.6% of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713), 0.6% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153), and 1% of the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237). The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile leads by 1.6% at 21379. This grouping suggests the RTX 5050 delivers performance comparable to established mid-range GPUs, which aligns with its measured behavior in Outriders where it produces solid frame rates at 1080p and 1440p but struggles at 4K ultra.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Outriders at 60 FPS on high settings at 1080p?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 102, well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440 High, the average drops to 75 FPS, which still clears 60 FPS comfortably.

Q: What is the best resolution for a consistent 60+ FPS experience?

A: At 2560x1440, both Low and Medium settings deliver averages above 60 FPS — 110 and 98 FPS respectively. The Medium setting also shows a minimum of 83 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even during demanding scenes. At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve a 72 FPS average, while Medium drops to 52 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM affect Outriders performance?

A: The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for this game at 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the playable frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the 28 FPS average suggests both VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth become limiting factors, though the GPU's compute capabilities also contribute.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RTX 5050 in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 128 FPS, but the jump to 1440p Low only drops to 110 FPS — a smaller scaling penalty than expected, indicating the CPU is holding back higher frame rates at 1080p. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that maintains 60+ FPS at 1440p?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS, which is the highest preset to comfortably exceed 60 FPS at this resolution. High settings drop to a 75 FPS average, which is playable but with less headroom.

Q: How does the combo's rank compare to its component-level standings?

A: The combo ranks 2310 out of 2913 (21st percentile) in Outriders, which is lower than both the CPU's 47th percentile and the GPU's 66th percentile standing among all tested components. This indicates the pairing underperforms relative to what each part achieves individually in other contexts.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the primary driver of Outriders' visual performance in this configuration. Its Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process with 16,900 million transistors across a 149 mm² die, provides 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz and boosts to 2572 MHz, with memory running at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit bus for 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications translate to a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s, with FP32 compute of 13.17 TFLOPS.

In Outriders, the GPU's role shifts dramatically with resolution. At 3840x2160, the RTX 5050 is heavily taxed. The measured frame rates show a steep drop from Medium (52 FPS average, 44 min, 60 max) to High (39 FPS) and Ultra (28 FPS). This pattern indicates that the 8 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at 4K, as the game's high-resolution textures and effects consume memory bandwidth aggressively. The 128-bit memory bus, while adequate for 1080p and 1440p, constrains performance at 4K where pixel throughput demands rise exponentially.

At 2560x1440, the GPU shows more headroom. Medium settings deliver 98 FPS average with a tight 83-112 FPS range, while High settings maintain 75 FPS. The scaling from Medium to High at 1440p (23% reduction) is less severe than at 4K (25% reduction), suggesting the GPU still has compute resources available but is beginning to feel memory pressure. At 1920x1080, the RTX 5050 performs strongly across all presets, with even Ultra settings achieving an 86 FPS average. This indicates that at 1080p, the GPU is rarely the bottleneck — the CPU takes over that role.

The RTX 5050's general benchmark performance, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, aligns with its Outriders behavior. The card's nearest rivals in general benchmarks — the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (1.6% faster), AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (0.6% faster), and AMD Radeon HD 8970M (1% faster) — all sit in a similar performance band. This suggests the RTX 5050 is a competent mid-range GPU that can handle Outriders at mainstream resolutions, but its 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus prevent it from excelling at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 128 FPS on Low, 114 FPS on Medium (97 min, 131 max), 102 FPS on High, and 86 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show that even at the highest preset, the system maintains a frame rate well above 60 FPS, making 1080p a comfortable resolution for this combo. The spread from Low to Ultra is 42 FPS, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom to handle increased graphical loads without collapsing.

At 2560x1440, the performance profile shifts. Low settings produce 110 FPS, Medium 98 FPS (83 min, 112 max), High 75 FPS, and Ultra 54 FPS. The gap between Medium and High (23 FPS) is larger than the gap between Low and Medium (12 FPS), suggesting that High introduces effects that disproportionately tax the GPU. The Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS, which makes it borderline for smooth gameplay, though the 54 FPS average is still playable for less demanding titles.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates except at Low settings. Low produces 72 FPS, Medium 52 FPS (44 min, 60 max), High 39 FPS, and Ultra 28 FPS. The progression shows a clear pattern: each preset step costs roughly 12-13 FPS at 4K, indicating the GPU is operating at its limits. The Medium preset's minimum of 44 FPS means even that setting will experience noticeable stutters during intense combat scenes. The Ultra preset's 28 FPS average makes it effectively unplayable for a fast-paced looter shooter.

The data reveals that the system's sweet spot is 1440p Medium, where it achieves 98 FPS average with a minimum of 83 FPS. This provides smooth gameplay with room to spare, while still offering improved visual fidelity over 1080p. At 1080p, the system can handle Ultra at 86 FPS, making it the best choice for players who prioritize visual quality over resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important information about which component limits performance. At Low settings, the system drops from 128 FPS at 1080p to 110 FPS at 1440p (a 14% reduction) and then to 72 FPS at 4K (a 44% reduction from 1440p). The modest drop from 1080p to 1440p suggests the CPU is limiting performance at lower resolutions — if the GPU were the sole constraint, the scaling penalty would be larger. The steep drop from 1440p to 4K indicates the GPU becomes the bottleneck as pixel count quadruples.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 114 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p (14% reduction), and 52 FPS at 4K (47% reduction from 1440p). The consistency of the 1080p-to-1440p penalty across Low and Medium suggests the CPU is capping frame rates around 110-128 FPS at 1080p, regardless of GPU load. This is a classic sign of a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions, where the six-core, six-thread i5-9400 cannot feed the GPU fast enough to reach higher frame rates.

At High settings, the scaling becomes more pronounced: 102 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p (26% reduction), and 39 FPS at 4K (48% reduction from 1440p). The larger 1080p-to-1440p penalty here indicates the GPU is starting to become more involved, though the CPU still plays a role. At Ultra settings, the pattern continues: 86 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p (37% reduction), and 28 FPS at 4K (48% reduction from 1440p). The increasing penalty from 1080p to 1440p as settings rise shows the GPU taking on more of the workload, while the consistent 48% reduction from 1440p to 4K across High and Ultra demonstrates the GPU's memory bandwidth limitations at 4K.

This scaling analysis indicates that the i5-9400 is the primary limiter at 1080p, where it prevents frame rates from exceeding roughly 128 FPS even on Low settings. At 1440p, the balance shifts toward the GPU, and at 4K, the RTX 5050 is clearly the bottleneck. Players seeking higher frame rates at 1080p would need a stronger CPU, while those targeting 4K would need a more powerful GPU with greater memory bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings preset depends on the player's resolution and performance preferences. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings at 86 FPS provide the best experience — the visual quality improvement over High (102 FPS) is worth the 16 FPS reduction, as both remain well above 60 FPS. Players with high-refresh-rate monitors who prioritize frame rate over visuals should consider High settings at 102 FPS, which still maintains a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings (98 FPS average, 83 FPS minimum) offer the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. High settings at 75 FPS are also playable, but the 23 FPS drop from Medium suggests the additional visual effects come at a significant cost. Ultra at 54 FPS is not recommended for competitive or fast-paced play, though it is acceptable for slower exploration. The Medium preset's minimum of 83 FPS ensures consistent smoothness even during chaotic encounters with multiple enemies.

At 3840x2160, Low settings at 72 FPS is the only preset that maintains a 60+ FPS average. Medium settings at 52 FPS (44 min) will experience noticeable frame drops, and High and Ultra are effectively unplayable. For 4K players, the data suggests either lowering the resolution or accepting Low settings as the only viable option. The 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus of the RTX 5050 are simply insufficient for Outriders' high-resolution textures and effects at higher presets.

For the best overall experience, 1440p Medium is the recommended configuration. It delivers 98 FPS average with a minimum of 83 FPS, providing smooth gameplay with good visual quality. Players who prefer higher visual fidelity can try 1440p High at 75 FPS, but should be prepared for occasional dips during intense combat. The data clearly shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K only viable at the lowest settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 plays a critical role in this system's Outriders performance, particularly at lower resolutions. This six-core, six-thread processor from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation operates at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boosts to 4.10 GHz. Its 9 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth provide adequate memory throughput for gaming, though the lack of hyperthreading limits its ability to handle heavily threaded workloads.

The CPU's general benchmark scores paint a picture of a mid-range processor. Its Cinebench R23 scores of 6629 multicore and 935 singlecore, along with a Geekbench multicore score of 5141 and singlecore of 1389, place it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. In Outriders, the i5-9400's six threads are sufficient to feed the RTX 5050 at 1080p up to approximately 128 FPS, as evidenced by the Low settings result. The fact that increasing settings from Low to Ultra at 1080p only drops frame rates from 128 to 86 FPS — while the GPU's load increases significantly — suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

At 1440p, the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU takes on more work. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (128 to 110 FPS) is a 14% reduction, which is less than the 26% reduction seen at High settings (102 to 75 FPS). This indicates that at Low settings, the CPU is still capping frame rates, while at High settings, the GPU becomes more dominant. At 4K, the CPU is no longer a bottleneck — the GPU's performance is the sole constraint, as shown by the 48% reduction from 1440p to 4K across High and Ultra settings.

The i5-9400's nearest general benchmark rivals — including the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 and Intel Core i7-10710U — all score within 0.4% of each other, confirming that this CPU is firmly in the mid-range tier. In Outriders, this means the processor provides adequate performance for 60+ FPS gaming at 1440p and below, but it cannot push frame rates beyond roughly 128 FPS at 1080p. For players with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, a newer CPU with higher single-thread performance and more threads would be needed to fully utilize the RTX 5050's capabilities. However, for standard 60 Hz displays, the i5-9400 is sufficient at 1440p and provides a smooth experience at 1080p Ultra.