Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 pairing in Outriders presents a study in balance, though the data reveals which component takes the lead at each setting and resolution. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across the board, explaining how the CPU's six Zen 3 cores and the GPU's Ampere architecture interact with the game's demands.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 5 5500 brings six physical cores and twelve threads to the table, running on the Zen 3 architecture at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. This is a 65 W part on the AM4 socket, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. For a looter shooter like Outriders, which relies on consistent frame pacing during chaotic combat, the 16 MB of L3 cache and 512 KB per-core L2 cache help keep frequently accessed data close to the cores.

Benchmark results show the processor's capability profile. In Cinebench R23, it scores 16429 multi-core and 2319 single-core. The Geekbench scores are 7976 multi-core and 1730 single-core. These numbers place the CPU in the 73rd percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19593. The nearest rivals show how tight the competition is: the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 19617 (a delta of -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19668 (-0.4%), the Intel Core i7-10700F scores 19499 (+0.5%), and the Intel Core i5-11600KF scores 19723 (-0.7%). The deltas are all under one percent, meaning the 5500 is effectively neck-and-neck with these alternatives in general compute.

In Outriders specifically, the CPU's role becomes apparent when looking at the highest frame rates. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 189 FPS average. At 1080p Medium, it reaches 168 FPS. These numbers suggest the CPU is feeding the GPU well enough to avoid major bottlenecks at lower resolutions. The fact that the 5500's multi-threaded score in 3DMark (5411 for max threads) is strong for its class indicates it can handle the game's background threading for enemy AI and physics without dragging down the average frame rate. The single-thread score of 836 in 3DMark is also relevant, as Outriders still relies on a few primary threads for the game logic loop.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is doing its job. The jump from 109 FPS at Ultra to 189 FPS at Low shows significant headroom, but the CPU is not the primary limiter. Given that the CPU's percentile rank is 73, it sits comfortably above the median, meaning most players with this chip will not find it holding back their RTX 3070 in this title. The 12 threads ensure the game has room to schedule tasks even with background processes running.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the heavy lifter here. It packs 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1500 MHz and boosts to 1725 MHz. Built on Samsung's 8 nm process with the GA104 chip, it has 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation units. The 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are present, though Outriders does not heavily utilize ray tracing in the benchmark data provided.

The GPU's memory configuration is crucial for this game. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo drops to 36 FPS average. At 4K High, it recovers to 50 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p in Outriders, but the 4K Ultra setting appears to be pushing the memory subsystem hard, likely causing the steep performance cliff. The passmark G3D score of 22214 and the GPU's overall percentile of 61 among all GPUs indicate it is a mid-to-upper tier performer, though not at the very top.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database show where it sits. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083 (a delta of 0.7%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037 (1%), the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 (1.1%), and the NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468 (-1.5%). The RTX 3070's average benchmark score is 17208. These comparisons highlight that the 3070 is competitive with modern mid-range cards, but the 4K Ultra performance in Outriders suggests the 8 GB VRAM becomes a limiting factor at the highest fidelity.

Looking at the measured FPS, the GPU's role scales predictably. At 1440p, the difference between Low (162 FPS) and Ultra (69 FPS) is drastic, showing the GPU-bound nature of the higher settings. The texture fill rate of 317.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s are adequate for 1440p, but at 4K, the sheer number of pixels overwhelms the card, especially with Ultra settings that likely increase draw distances and shadow complexity.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo scales across resolutions. At 1080p High, the average is 151 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops it to 96 FPS, a reduction of 36.4%. At 4K High, it falls to 50 FPS, which is 66.9% lower than 1080p High. This scaling pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior — the CPU is capable of handling the frame generation at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering workload increases dramatically with pixel count.

The Low settings show a similar trend. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 189 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 162 FPS, a 14.3% decrease. At 4K Low, it hits 92 FPS, a 51.3% drop from 1080p. The smaller gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings (27 FPS difference) compared to High settings (55 FPS difference) indicates that at Low settings, the CPU starts to become more relevant, but the GPU still dominates the scaling. The fact that 4K Low (92 FPS) is still playable suggests the GPU has enough raw power, but the memory bandwidth and capacity become strained at higher resolutions.

Medium settings provide the only complete data with min/max FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average is 168 FPS with a min of 143 and max of 193. At 1440p Medium, the average is 128 FPS with a min of 108 and max of 147. At 4K Medium, the average is 67 FPS with a min of 57 and max of 77. The frame time consistency, as shown by the min-to-max range, stays relatively tight at each resolution, indicating the combo does not suffer from severe stuttering. The 4K Medium min of 57 FPS shows that dips can be noticeable, but the average of 67 FPS is still within a playable range for most users.

Ultra settings reveal the GPU's limits. At 1080p Ultra, the combo averages 109 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 69 FPS. At 4K Ultra, it collapses to 36 FPS. The drop from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra is a 47.8% reduction, which is steeper than the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra (36.7%). This non-linear scaling points to the 8 GB VRAM being fully saturated at 4K Ultra, forcing the GPU to manage memory more aggressively, which hurts performance disproportionately.

The overall picture is that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 1080p, all settings are above 100 FPS except Ultra, which is still at 109 FPS. At 1440p, High and Medium are playable at 96 and 128 FPS respectively, but Ultra dips to 69 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings (92 FPS) and Medium (67 FPS) are truly playable, with High at 50 FPS being borderline and Ultra at 36 FPS being too slow for a smooth experience.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High as the sweet spot, delivering 96 FPS average. At 1080p High, you get 151 FPS, but the visual upgrade to 1440p is significant for only a 36% frame rate loss. 4K is playable only at Low (92 FPS) or Medium (67 FPS) settings.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Outriders?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 92, and at 4K Medium it is 67. However, 4K High drops to 50 FPS and 4K Ultra falls to 36 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 8 GB VRAM appears to limit high-detail 4K performance.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 19593. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, scores 19617, a delta of -0.1%. The Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19668 (-0.4%), the Intel Core i7-10700F scores 19499 (+0.5%), and the Intel Core i5-11600KF scores 19723 (-0.7%). All are within 1% of each other.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, the data shows the GPU is not the primary limiter at 1080p. The combo achieves 189 FPS at Low, 168 FPS at Medium, 151 FPS at High, and 109 FPS at Ultra. These frame rates indicate the GPU has headroom, and the CPU is keeping up with the rendering demands.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at different settings?

A: The only complete data is for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the min is 143 FPS and max is 193 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the min is 108 and max is 147. At 4K Medium, the min is 57 and max is 77. The ranges are relatively narrow, indicating stable frame pacing without major stutter.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1649 out of 3710 tested combos for Outriders, placing it in the upper half of all possible pairings. This rank reflects its balanced performance across resolutions, though it is not a top-tier configuration for 4K Ultra gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1649 out of 3710 puts this pairing in the 55.5th percentile of all tested combinations for Outriders. This is a solid mid-to-upper tier ranking, but it shows that the RTX 3070 and Ryzen 5 5500 are not an elite pairing for this specific title. The ranking reflects the GPU's 61st percentile standing and the CPU's 73rd percentile, but the combination does not exceed the sum of its parts.

The ranking makes sense when examining the FPS data. At 1080p, this combo delivers excellent performance across all settings, with even Ultra above 100 FPS. At 1440p, it remains strong for High and Medium, but Ultra drops below 70 FPS. At 4K, the combo struggles at higher settings, pulling the overall rank down. The 36 FPS at 4K Ultra is a significant weakness that prevents this pairing from ranking higher.

Compared to other combos, the 1649 rank suggests that many pairings with stronger GPUs (like the RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT) or stronger CPUs (like the Ryzen 7 5800X) will outperform this setup in Outriders, particularly at 4K. However, the Ryzen 5 5500's competitive benchmark scores against its rivals mean that the CPU is not dragging the rank down disproportionately. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is likely the larger factor limiting the rank, as Outriders at 4K Ultra appears memory-hungry.

The rank also benefits from the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 and 3DMark max threads score of 5411 indicate the CPU can handle the game's background processes without causing FPS dips. If the CPU were weaker, the rank would likely be lower, as the 1080p Low score of 189 FPS might be unattainable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides the definitive performance picture. All numbers below are average FPS unless specified otherwise, with min and max included where available.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 189 FPS average
• Medium: 168 FPS average, 143 min, 193 max
• High: 151 FPS average
• Ultra: 109 FPS average

At 1080p, this combo excels. The Low setting achieves 189 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play or high refresh rate monitors. Medium settings at 168 FPS still provide a smooth experience, and the min of 143 FPS ensures no noticeable stutter. High settings at 151 FPS are ideal for most users. Even Ultra at 109 FPS is above the 100 FPS threshold for high refresh displays.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 162 FPS average
• Medium: 128 FPS average, 108 min, 147 max
• High: 96 FPS average
• Ultra: 69 FPS average

Moving to 1440p shows the GPU starting to work harder. Low drops to 162 FPS, which is still excellent. Medium at 128 FPS remains very playable, with a min of 108 FPS preventing major dips. High at 96 FPS is good for most players, though not ideal for 144 Hz monitors. Ultra at 69 FPS is playable but noticeably less smooth than lower settings. The frame time data for Medium shows a 39 FPS range between min and max, indicating some variance under load.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 92 FPS average
• Medium: 67 FPS average, 57 min, 77 max
• High: 50 FPS average
• Ultra: 36 FPS average

At 4K, the limits become apparent. Low at 92 FPS is playable and even smooth, showing the GPU's raw power. Medium at 67 FPS is borderline for some players, with a min of 57 FPS potentially causing noticeable dips during intense combat. High at 50 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Ultra at 36 FPS is below the 40 FPS threshold most consider minimum for playability, making it unsuitable for this combo.

The progression from 1080p to 4K shows a clear pattern: the combo maintains high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth become limiting factors at 4K. The drop from 1080p High (151 FPS) to 4K High (50 FPS) represents a 66.9% reduction, confirming that the GPU is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions. For the best experience, sticking to 1440p or below is recommended, with 1080p offering the most headroom for future game updates or background tasks.