Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a solid, if not spectacular, experience in Outriders, with performance that scales predictably across resolutions and settings. The data shows a combo that is firmly mid-pack, ranked 2288 out of 3710 tested combinations, but one that offers a clear path to high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming and playable 1440p experiences, provided settings are managed appropriately.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases, though the magnitude of the drop is steep. At 1080p High settings, the combo produces an average of 126 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 84 FPS, a reduction of 33.3%. The jump to 4K High is far more punishing, with the average plummeting to 44 FPS—a 65.1% drop from the 1080p figure. This drastic decline strongly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the workload on the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth increases exponentially.

The scaling trend is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 158 FPS at 1080p to 135 FPS at 1440p (-14.6%) and then to 81 FPS at 4K (-48.7%). The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory, from 140 FPS at 1080p to 112 FPS at 1440p and 59 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, sees the most significant relative drop: from 97 FPS at 1080p to 61 FPS at 1440p (-37.1%) and a steep fall to 32 FPS at 4K (-67.0%). This pattern confirms that while the CPU has enough headroom to push high frame rates at lower resolutions, the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are overwhelmed when pixel count quadruples, making 4K a viable target only for the Low preset.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the undeniable bottleneck in this configuration for Outriders, particularly as resolution and settings increase. The GPU's specifications—8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth—are adequate for 1080p and 1440p but prove insufficient for consistent 4K performance. The data supports this: at 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 32 FPS, which is barely playable, while 4K High yields 44 FPS. These figures suggest the GPU is hitting both a raw compute and a memory bandwidth ceiling, as the higher-resolution textures and effects demand more VRAM capacity and faster data transfer than the card can provide.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 1830 MHz and a boost of 2460 MHz, are relatively high, yet they cannot compensate for the lack of memory bandwidth at 4K. The 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is substantial, but it is effectively starved at higher resolutions. Interestingly, the RTX 4060's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 and AMD Radeon 780M, with delta percentages of -0.2% and 0.3%, respectively. This places the RTX 4060's raw average benchmark score of 17639 in a strange neighborhood, but the measured Outriders data shows it is more than capable of delivering high frame rates when the resolution is kept in check. The GPU's 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs underscores that while it is not a top-tier card, it is more than enough for mainstream gaming at 1080p.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 2 architecture, plays a supporting role in this pairing, and the data suggests it is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 158 FPS, a figure that is likely near the CPU's practical limit for this game engine. However, the fact that frame rates continue to scale with resolution—dropping to 135 FPS at 1440p and 81 FPS at 4K—indicates that the CPU is not holding back the GPU at higher resolutions. The CPU's boost clock of 4.20 GHz and 32 MB of shared L3 cache provide enough single-threaded and multi-threaded performance to feed the RTX 4060 adequately at 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed.

The Ryzen 5 3600's benchmark scores reinforce that it is a competent mid-range processor. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15045 and single-core score of 2124 are respectable, and its Passmark multi-thread score of 17700 places it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals, the Intel Core i7-1260P and Intel Core i5-11400, the Ryzen 5 3600 is essentially neck-and-neck, with delta percentages of 0.2% and -0.2%, respectively. This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the Ryzen 5 3600 would perform virtually identically to those alternatives. In Outriders, the CPU's role is to ensure a stable frame pipeline; the data shows it succeeds, as the FPS drops are almost entirely attributable to the GPU's workload scaling.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the comprehensive database of tested hardware combinations, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2288 out of 3710 combos for Outriders. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the field, at roughly the 61.7th percentile. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the strong 1080p performance, but it is likely dragged down by the GPU's struggles at 4K, where many competing combos with more powerful graphics cards would pull ahead. The combo's rank suggests that while it is a perfectly capable 1080p machine, it is not optimized for high-resolution gaming.

The ranking also reflects the balance of the pairing. The CPU is ranked in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. This slight imbalance means the CPU has a bit more headroom than the GPU, which is the opposite of an ideal pairing for maximum efficiency. In practice, this means the RTX 4060 is the component that dictates the overall experience, and its mid-pack ranking is the primary reason the combo does not score higher. For users targeting 1080p, this ranking understates the value of the setup, as the measured FPS shows it can comfortably exceed 100 FPS on High settings. For 1440p, it is still strong, but for 4K, the ranking accurately reflects its limitations.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Outriders?*

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, where the combo delivers 126 FPS on High and 97 FPS on Ultra, ensuring a smooth experience. At 2560x1440, performance is still good with 84 FPS on High, but 4K is only playable on Low settings.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 126 FPS at 1920x1080 to 44 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 65.1% reduction in performance. This indicates the GPU is heavily taxed at 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU provides sufficient performance to push frame rates at 1080p, but the GPU's memory bandwidth and capacity limit 4K performance significantly.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 135 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS. This 74 FPS difference highlights the significant impact of graphical settings on the GPU workload.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2288 out of 3710 combinations for Outriders, placing it in the lower-middle tier. This ranking is influenced by the GPU's mid-pack performance in the database, despite the combo's strong 1080p results.

Q: Can the RTX 4060 handle the Ultra preset at any resolution?

A: Yes, at 1080p, the Ultra preset yields an average of 97 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p, it drops to 61 FPS, which is still acceptable, but at 4K, it falls to 32 FPS, which is not recommended for a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results: the Low preset tops out at 158 FPS, followed by Medium at 140 FPS (with a minimum of 119 and maximum of 161), High at 126 FPS, and Ultra at 97 FPS. These figures indicate that 1080p gaming is a strong suit, with even the most demanding preset remaining comfortably above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops but remains respectable. The Low preset averages 135 FPS, while Medium averages 112 FPS (min 96, max 129). High settings yield 84 FPS, and Ultra dips to 61 FPS. This resolution is a good balance for users with 1440p monitors who are willing to adjust settings. At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. The Low preset averages 81 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 59 FPS (min 50, max 68). High settings fall to 44 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 32 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is only viable with the Low preset, and even then, the frame rate is below the 90 FPS threshold many gamers prefer.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset is the best choice, delivering 126 FPS average. This provides a significant visual improvement over Medium (140 FPS) while still maintaining a frame rate well above 120 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset is also viable at 97 FPS, but the marginal visual gains over High may not justify the 23% performance hit.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, offering 112 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS, ensuring a consistently smooth experience. The High preset at 84 FPS is also acceptable for most users, but it is closer to the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 61 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes, so it is only recommended for users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate stability.

At 3840x2160, the only viable option is the Low preset, which averages 81 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, but the visual quality will be noticeably reduced. The Medium preset at 59 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets are not recommended due to sub-60 FPS averages. In summary, the data suggests that users should stick to 1080p with High settings for the best balance of visuals and performance, or 1440p with Medium settings if they have a higher-resolution display.