Outriders

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a fascinating case study for running Outriders, a looter shooter from 2021. The measured data reveals a system that is highly capable at mainstream resolutions but hits a clear performance ceiling at 4K, with the playability threshold firmly set at 60 FPS. This analysis breaks down the exact frame rates, compares the hardware to its nearest rivals, and determines the optimal settings for each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this combination show a clear scaling pattern tied to resolution and graphical preset. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers excellent performance across the board. With Low settings, the average FPS is a very high 176, indicating immense headroom. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 128 FPS, with a minimum of 109 FPS and a maximum of 148 FPS. The High preset still maintains an average of 96 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. Even the most demanding Ultra preset remains very playable, with an average of 70 FPS. This data suggests that at 1080p, the i3-12100F and Arc B570 combo is not a bottleneck, allowing for high frame rates even at maximum quality.

Stepping up to 2560x1440 introduces a noticeable performance shift. The Low preset still provides a high average of 111 FPS. The Medium preset averages 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS, indicating a stable experience that stays above the playability threshold. The High preset just clears the 60 FPS mark with an average of 61 FPS. However, the Ultra preset falls out of the playable range, dropping to an average of 44 FPS. The transition from High to Ultra at this resolution is steep, representing a significant graphical load increase that the hardware cannot sustain at 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance ceiling becomes the defining characteristic. The Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, with an average of 58 FPS—just under the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 49 FPS. The High preset falls to an average of 32 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the least playable, with an average of 23 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is beyond the comfortable reach of this hardware configuration for a consistently smooth experience in Outriders, with even the lowest settings failing to hit the target average.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Outriders at 1920x1080 with maximum settings?*

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows an average of 70 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset. This clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, making it fully playable at the highest quality settings.

Q: What is the best preset for 2560x1440?

A: The High preset is the most demanding setting that remains playable, averaging 61 FPS. While Low and Medium presets are also playable, High is the best quality option that maintains an average at or above the 60 FPS threshold.

*Q: Is this combo capable of running Outriders at 4K?*

A: No. At 3840x2160, none of the tested presets reach the 60 FPS average required for playability. The Low preset comes closest with an average of 58 FPS, but it falls short of the target.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there between 1080p and 1440p on the High preset?

A: The average FPS drops from 96 FPS at 1920x1080 to 61 FPS at 2560x1440 on the High preset. This is a substantial decrease of 35 FPS, illustrating the significant impact of the resolution increase on the GPU.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Medium and Ultra presets at 1920x1080?

A: The Medium preset averages 128 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 70 FPS. This is a difference of 58 FPS, showing that the jump to Ultra settings carries a heavy performance cost even at a lower resolution.

Q: Does the system provide consistent frame pacing in playable scenarios?

A: The data indicates stable performance. At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 109 against an average of 128. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 69 against an average of 81. These narrow gaps suggest consistent frame delivery without major stutters in these configurations.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data, the components in this combo are closely matched by other hardware in their respective performance classes. The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. Its closest rivals include the Intel Core 3 N355 and the Intel Core i5-9500, which have average scores of 13492 and 13452 respectively, showing a negligible performance difference. The Intel Core 5 120UL is slightly faster at 13594 (a -0.7% delta), while the Intel Core i7-1250U is a bit slower at 13351 (a 1.1% delta). In practical terms, a system using any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Outriders, making them all equivalent alternatives for this pairing.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rival is the Intel Arc A750, which scores 20582, placing it a negligible -0.1% behind. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is also a direct competitor, with a score of 20534 and a 0.1% delta. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X is surprisingly close in score at 20662 (-0.5% delta), and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20480 (0.4% delta) rounds out the list. Consequently, a system swapping the Arc B570 for an Arc A750 would be expected to produce essentially the same measured FPS in this game. The benchmark behavior of this combo would be highly representative of any of these alternative CPU-GPU pairings.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall performance of this specific combination is placed within a broad context. The data shows a comboRankInGame of 2978 out of 3710 total tested combinations. This places it in the lower portion of the database, suggesting that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is far from the bottom. This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows it is a strong performer at 1080p and capable at 1440p but struggles at 4K. The rank reflects the system's position relative to all other hardware pairings that have been benchmarked in Outriders, indicating that a large number of more powerful combinations exist that can maintain higher frame rates at higher resolutions. However, for a mainstream setup, this ranking does not indicate poor performance at its intended resolutions.

The Verdict

The benchmark results provide a clear verdict for this hardware combination. The system can definitively run Outriders at 1920x1080, where it clears the 60 FPS threshold on all presets, including Ultra (averaging 70 FPS). At 2560x1440, the system remains playable, but only up to the High preset, which achieves an average of 61 FPS. The Low and Medium presets are also playable at this resolution. The verdict is not favorable for 3840x2160, as the data shows no playable settings; the Low preset averages 58 FPS, which falls below the required 60 FPS threshold. Therefore, this PC is suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming and smooth 1440p gaming at high settings, but it is not suitable for 4K gaming in Outriders.

Best Settings per Resolution

For users seeking the best visual quality without dropping below the 60 FPS average, the data points to specific presets. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the most demanding playable option, with an average FPS of 70. At 2560x1440, the High preset is the optimal choice, delivering an average of 61 FPS. At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset, as even the Low setting only manages 58 FPS. However, if one were to prioritize an average frame rate closest to the target, the Low preset is the only option near playability, but it fails to meet the threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured data reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the high frame rates (e.g., 176 FPS on Low) suggest the CPU is capable of feeding frames quickly, but the differences between presets are substantial. The drop from 176 FPS on Low to 96 FPS on High and 70 FPS on Ultra indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as graphical load increases. The CPU's 4-core, 8-thread design appears sufficient at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. The average FPS on the Low preset is 111, but this falls to 81 on Medium and 61 on High. The steep drop to 44 FPS on Ultra suggests a heavy GPU workload that the Arc B570 cannot handle at this resolution. The CPU is likely still capable, but the GPU is now the definitive limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the dominant bottleneck. The fact that even the Low preset only achieves 58 FPS shows the GPU is saturated regardless of the reduced graphical complexity. The CPU's performance headroom is irrelevant at this resolution, as the GPU's rendering capabilities are far below what is needed to maintain high frame rates. The data implies that for this game, the Arc B570's performance scales strongly with resolution, and the i3-12100F is less of a limiting factor than the GPU across all tested settings.