Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER presents a striking generational contrast in Outriders. The data places this combination at rank 1000 out of 1693 tested combos, placing it squarely in the middle of the pack. This rank is surprising given the GPU's high-end positioning, and it strongly suggests the 2018-era CPU is holding the system back. The benchmark results show a system where the GPU is capable of far more than the processor can feed it, especially at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in raw compute performance?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 42576 places it within a tight cluster of competitors. It is 0.2% behind the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE, while leading the AMD Radeon Pro 580X by 1.4% and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 by 1.6%.

Q: What is the Ryzen 5 2600's standing among all CPUs?

A: The CPU sits at the 77th percentile of all processors, indicating it outperforms a majority of the market. Its average benchmark score of 19616 is nearly identical to its closest rivals, with a 0.6% lead over the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U and a 0.7% lead over the Intel Core i7-10700F.

Q: What is the best performance the combo achieves in Outriders?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 137.3 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the data that breaks the 130 FPS barrier.

Q: How much of a performance gap exists between the lowest and highest settings at 4K?

A: The difference is substantial. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate drops from 95.6 FPS on Low settings to 47.8 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a performance reduction of roughly half when moving to the highest quality preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the CPU is the primary bottleneck, particularly at 1080p. The frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p at the same settings is small, suggesting the GPU has headroom, while the CPU's performance ceiling is being reached.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. It operates at a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1000 out of 1693 tested combinations is a clear indicator of an imbalanced pairing. A GPU with a percentile rank of 84 among all graphics cards is being paired with a CPU that, while respectable at the 77th percentile, is from a much older generation. This rank implies that in Outriders, a game that relies heavily on consistent frame pacing, the system is not performing to the level its components would suggest independently.

The data shows that the GPU is capable of producing very high frame rates, but the CPU's limitations in processing game logic and draw calls prevent it from fully utilizing the GPU's potential. This is a classic scenario where the CPU's single-thread performance becomes a hard ceiling. The 12-thread Ryzen 5 2600 has a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1579, which is a modest figure by modern standards. This bottleneck is likely the primary reason the combo doesn't rank higher, as the system is often waiting on the CPU to deliver data to the GPU.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER is the clear workhorse of this combination, and its specifications suggest it is more than capable of handling Outriders at high settings. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, it has ample resources for the game's textures and effects. The GPU's architecture features 7168 shading units and 56 RT cores, which provide the raw compute power for the game's rendering. The boost clock of 2475 MHz ensures it can reach high frequencies when thermal and power limits allow.

The performance data shows the GPU's strength. At 1080p with Low settings, the system hits 137.3 FPS. However, the GPU's true capability is masked by the CPU. The fact that the frame rate only drops from 110.4 FPS at 1080p High to 94.7 FPS at 1440p High is telling. This 15.7 FPS drop is relatively small compared to what would be expected from a GPU-bound scenario, indicating that the CPU is preventing the GPU from being fully utilized at 1080p. The GPU has significant headroom, but the CPU cannot keep up with its demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the combo's performance across different resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are consistently high. The system achieves 137.3 FPS on Low, 123.8 FPS on Medium, 110.4 FPS on High, and 101.1 FPS on Ultra. This shows a clear scaling pattern where lower settings yield higher frame rates, but even at Ultra, the game is very playable.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show a more noticeable impact from the resolution increase. The system achieves 120.7 FPS on Low, 105.3 FPS on Medium, 94.7 FPS on High, and 84.3 FPS on Ultra. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is relatively modest, particularly at Ultra settings, where the difference is only 16.8 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the CPU bottleneck becomes less pronounced as the GPU is finally pushed harder. The system achieves 95.6 FPS on Low, 86.2 FPS on Medium, 64.6 FPS on High, and 47.8 FPS on Ultra. The 4K results show a more significant drop-off between Medium and High, and the Ultra preset dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which is a key marker for smooth gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 2560x1440 appears to be the optimal choice. The average frame rate of 94.7 FPS provides a smooth experience with a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings. It is a substantial improvement over the 84.3 FPS at Ultra, while still maintaining a high level of detail.

For players who prefer maximum smoothness, the Low preset at 1920x1080 offers the highest frame rate of 137.3 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or for users with high-refresh-rate monitors. At 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a playable experience, offering 86.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 47.8 FPS, is not recommended for a smooth experience, and the High preset at 64.6 FPS is borderline.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. While it was a solid mid-range CPU at its release, its age is showing in Outriders. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11186 is respectable, but its single-core score of 1579 is a limiting factor for gaming.

The data suggests the CPU is the primary bottleneck in this system. This is most evident in the small frame rate deltas between 1080p and 1440p. When the resolution increases, the GPU has to work harder, but the CPU's workload remains relatively constant. The fact that the frame rate doesn't drop significantly when moving to a higher resolution indicates that the CPU is already working at its maximum capacity, and the GPU is waiting for it. The PassMark single-thread score of 2239 further confirms that the CPU's per-core performance is not enough to fully drive the RTX 4070 SUPER.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals a classic CPU-bound scenario. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 110.4 FPS to 94.7 FPS, a decrease of 15.7 FPS. From 1440p to 4K at the same settings, the frame rate drops from 94.7 FPS to 64.6 FPS, a decrease of 30.1 FPS. This pattern shows that the system is not scaling as expected.

In a perfectly balanced system, the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K would be much more pronounced, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. Here, the drop is moderate, and the 4K results show the GPU finally starting to work harder. This indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is the limiting component, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential. At 4K, the GPU begins to take on more of the load, but the damage is done, and the system's overall rank suffers due to its inability to deliver high frame rates at lower resolutions where the CPU is the sole constraint.