Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers a surprisingly balanced experience in Outriders, with the data revealing a system that shifts from CPU-leaning at 1080p to firmly GPU-bound at 4K. Measured frames per second across three resolutions and four quality presets show this pairing handles the looter shooter with headroom at lower settings, yet Ultra at 4K demands more than the hardware can consistently provide.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies in this combo. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 151 FPS at 1080p to 130 FPS at 1440p, then plunges to 68 FPS at 4K. That represents a 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is a steep curve indicating the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The RTX 4070 SUPER, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, is doing heavy lifting at 4K, but the data shows it cannot maintain high refresh rates there.

Low settings exhibit a different scaling pattern. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 189 FPS, dropping to 162 FPS at 1440p and 124 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 14% from 1080p to 1440p and 23% from 1440p to 4K, suggesting that at Low settings, the CPU begins to play a more significant role. The Ryzen 5 5500, with its 6 cores and 12 threads boosting to 4.20 GHz, appears to cap performance around the 189 FPS mark at 1080p, since the GPU has ample headroom at that resolution and quality level.

Medium settings show a compression of the scaling curve. At 1080p Medium, the average is 168 FPS with a minimum of 143 FPS and maximum of 193 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops 14% to 144 FPS, with minimum 122 FPS and maximum 166 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls 37% to 90 FPS, with minimum 77 FPS and maximum 104 FPS. The tighter min-max range at 1440p compared to 1080p suggests more consistent frame pacing as the GPU workload increases.

Ultra settings produce the steepest decline. Starting at 134 FPS for 1080p Ultra, the average falls 30% to 94 FPS at 1440p Ultra, then a massive 48% to 49 FPS at 4K Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 49 FPS is barely playable for a looter shooter that benefits from smooth aiming, indicating this combo is not suited for maximum quality at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is nearly double the percentage drop seen at Medium, showing how the GPU's pixel throughput becomes overwhelmed.

What the data implies is a system where the Ryzen 5 5500 provides sufficient compute for 1080p gaming but the RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver at 1440p and above. The 1080p Low result of 189 FPS versus 4K Low at 124 FPS shows a 34% reduction, while the same resolution comparison at High shows a 55% reduction, proving that higher settings amplify the GPU bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in Outriders places this pairing at 1054 out of 3710 tested combinations, which puts it in the 72nd percentile of all tested systems. This is a strong showing, though not elite, reflecting the balanced nature of the Ryzen 5 5500 and RTX 4070 SUPER. The CPU itself sits at the 73rd percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks at the 83rd percentile among all graphics cards, so the combo performs slightly below what the GPU percentile alone might suggest.

The CPU's nearest rivals show how close the Ryzen 5 5500 is to other mid-range options. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 19617 in average benchmarks, just 0.1% higher than the Ryzen 5 5500's 19593 average. The Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19668, a 0.4% advantage. The Intel Core i7-10700F scores 19499, which is 0.5% lower. The Intel Core i5-11600KF scores 19723, a 0.7% edge. These tiny deltas indicate the CPU is well within the expected range for its class, and the Outriders results reflect this with no extreme outlier behavior.

The GPU's nearest rivals similarly show tight competition. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB scores 43262, just 0.1% above the RTX 4070 SUPER's 43223 average. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile scores 43268, also 0.1% higher. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 scores 43301, 0.2% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667, a 1% advantage. These comparisons are based on synthetic averages rather than Outriders-specific data, but they establish the RTX 4070 SUPER as a solid performer in its tier.

Given that the combo ranks in the top 28% of all tested systems, the data suggests Outriders is not particularly demanding on this hardware at lower resolutions. The 1080p results all exceed 134 FPS even at Ultra, which means the combo ranks well above average for 1080p gaming. The 4K Ultra result of 49 FPS is the weak point, likely pulling the overall rank down from what the 1440p numbers would imply.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz with a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, and it draws 65 W TDP. The CPU has 16 MB of L3 cache, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 64 KB of L1 cache per core. Memory support is DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU connects via PCIe Gen 3 and uses the AMD Socket AM4.

In Outriders, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining the 1080p results. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 189 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 134 FPS. The 55 FPS difference between these settings is primarily GPU-driven, as the RTX 4070 SUPER scales its workload with quality settings. However, the fact that 1080p Low does not exceed 189 FPS suggests the CPU may be near its ceiling for frame generation in this game. The Ryzen 5 5500's single-thread score of 836 in 3DMark and 2319 in Cinebench R23 single-core indicate adequate per-core performance for a 2021 looter shooter.

The CPU's 16 MB of L3 cache is modest by modern standards, and Outriders likely benefits from the 12 threads when processing enemy AI and game logic. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5386 and max-thread score of 5411 show the CPU scales well with additional threads, but the 2-thread score of 1645 suggests single-thread performance is not exceptional. This explains why the 1080p Low result of 189 FPS is likely CPU-limited, as the GPU could push higher frame rates if the CPU allowed it.

The Ryzen 5 5500's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs means it outperforms most processors, but in Outriders, the combination of modest cache and Zen 3 architecture results in a system that can hit high frame rates at 1080p but cannot push beyond the 189 FPS ceiling. At 1440p and 4K, the CPU becomes less relevant as the GPU takes over the bottleneck, which is why the 1440p Low result of 162 FPS is only 14% lower than 1080p Low, while the 1440p High result of 130 FPS is 14% lower than 1080p High.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a full range of performance across settings. Low settings produce an average of 189 FPS. Medium settings average 168 FPS with a minimum of 143 FPS and maximum of 193 FPS. High settings average 151 FPS. Ultra settings average 134 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 55 FPS, or 29%, which is a moderate penalty for maximum quality. The Medium setting's maximum of 193 FPS is notably higher than the Low average, suggesting frame pacing is consistent at Medium.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 162 FPS for Low, 144 FPS for Medium, 130 FPS for High, and 94 FPS for Ultra. The Medium setting shows a minimum of 122 FPS and maximum of 166 FPS, which represents a tighter range than the 1080p Medium range of 143-193 FPS. This indicates that at 1440p, the GPU workload is more consistent, reducing frame time spikes. The drop from High to Ultra at 1440p is 36 FPS, or 28%, which is similar to the 1080p drop of 17 FPS, or 11%, showing that Ultra's extra effects cost more at higher resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 124 FPS for Low, 90 FPS for Medium, 68 FPS for High, and 49 FPS for Ultra. The Medium setting has a minimum of 77 FPS and maximum of 104 FPS, a 27 FPS spread that is wider than the 1440p Medium spread of 44 FPS. This wider variance at 4K suggests the GPU is under heavier load, leading to occasional frame drops. The 4K High result of 68 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players find acceptable, while the 4K Ultra result of 49 FPS is well below it.

The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows diminishing returns in frame rate cost. At 1080p, each step from Low to Medium costs 21 FPS, from Medium to High costs 17 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 17 FPS. At 1440p, the steps are 18 FPS, 14 FPS, and 36 FPS, respectively. At 4K, the steps are 34 FPS, 22 FPS, and 19 FPS. The 1440p High to Ultra step of 36 FPS is the largest single jump, indicating that Ultra settings at 1440p impose a heavy penalty.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS?

A: The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 49, while 4K High averages 68 FPS. At 1440p, all settings including Ultra average above 94 FPS, so 1440p is the highest resolution where every preset maintains 60+ FPS.

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 5500 bottleneck the RTX 4070 SUPER in Outriders?

A: The 1080p Low result of 189 FPS is likely CPU-limited, as the GPU has headroom at that resolution and settings. At 1440p and above, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, with the 4K High result of 68 FPS being 55% lower than 1080p High, indicating the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1054 out of 3710 tested combinations, placing it in the 72nd percentile. The CPU ranks at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, showing the combo performs slightly below the GPU's individual standing.

Q: What settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, High settings average 130 FPS, which is 36 FPS higher than Ultra's 94 FPS. Medium averages 144 FPS and Low 162 FPS. High offers a 38% improvement over Ultra while maintaining a significant visual upgrade over Medium.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this combo?

A: At 4K Low, the average is 124 FPS, and at Medium it is 90 FPS. High drops to 68 FPS, and Ultra to 49 FPS. For 60+ FPS gameplay, Medium is the highest setting that achieves it, while Low provides a comfortable margin.

Q: How do the nearest rival CPUs compare to the Ryzen 5 5500?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19668, 0.4% higher than the Ryzen 5 5500's 19593. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 19617, 0.1% higher. The Intel Core i7-10700F scores 19499, 0.5% lower, and the Intel Core i5-11600KF scores 19723, 0.7% higher. These differences are negligible in practice.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience. At 1080p, Ultra settings average 134 FPS, which is above the 120 FPS threshold many competitive players prefer, so maximum quality is viable. However, the 17 FPS difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is not large, and High at 151 FPS provides a smoother experience with less GPU strain.

At 1440p, High settings at 130 FPS are the sweet spot. Ultra at 94 FPS is playable but the 36 FPS penalty over High is substantial, and the visual gains from Ultra are often subtle in fast-paced games. Medium at 144 FPS offers a 14 FPS improvement over High but with noticeably reduced graphical fidelity. Given that High averages 130 FPS with no reported minimum, it is the recommended preset for 1440p gaming.

At 4K, the choice depends on preference. Medium at 90 FPS is the highest setting that maintains a smooth 60+ FPS experience, with a minimum of 77 FPS providing a safety margin. High at 68 FPS is borderline, as the average is above 60 but frame dips could occur. Low at 124 FPS is overkill for most players, and Ultra at 49 FPS is not recommended for action gameplay. Medium is the best balance for 4K, offering a 22 FPS improvement over High while keeping visuals acceptable.

For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, 1080p Low at 189 FPS or 1440p Low at 162 FPS are the top choices. The data shows that Low settings at 1440p deliver higher frame rates than High settings at 1080p, so resolution scaling can be used to trade visual detail for performance. The Medium setting's minimum FPS values are also worth noting: 143 FPS at 1080p, 122 FPS at 1440p, and 77 FPS at 4K, all of which remain above playable thresholds.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. The GPU has 56 ray tracing cores and 224 tensor cores, with a base clock of 1980 MHz and boost clock of 2475 MHz. Memory consists of 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's FP32 performance is 35.48 TFLOPS, and it has a TDP of 220 W.

In Outriders, the GPU's role is dominant at all resolutions above 1080p Low. The 4K results show a clear GPU bottleneck, with the average FPS dropping from 124 at Low to 49 at Ultra. The 75 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is entirely GPU-driven, as the CPU workload does not change significantly with settings. The GPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it well above average, yet the 4K Ultra result of 49 FPS indicates that Outriders' Ultra preset is demanding even for this hardware.

The RTX 4070 SUPER's memory configuration of 12 GB GDDR6X with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the high frame rates at those resolutions. At 4K, the memory bandwidth becomes more critical, and the data shows that even with 12 GB of VRAM, the GPU struggles with Ultra settings. The 5 nm process and 35.8 billion transistors allow for high clock speeds, but the 192-bit memory bus limits bandwidth compared to wider bus designs.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, which scores 43262 in average benchmarks, just 0.1% higher than the RTX 4070 SUPER's 43223. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile scores 43268, 0.1% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667, 1% higher. These comparisons are based on synthetic benchmarks, but they suggest the RTX 4070 SUPER is positioned at the high end of its class. In Outriders, the GPU's performance at 1440p High (130 FPS) and 4K Medium (90 FPS) demonstrates its capability, while the 4K Ultra result of 49 FPS highlights its limitations at maximum quality with this resolution.