Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 pairing presents an interesting study in bottleneck dynamics within Outriders. The CPU is a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 3 part based on the Cezanne architecture, running on the AM4 socket with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. It has a 16 MB L3 cache and a 65 W TDP, making it a solid mid-range processor. The RTX 4080, conversely, is a high-end Ada Lovelace GPU with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, boasting a boost clock of 2505 MHz and a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This pairing is inherently unbalanced on paper, and the measured FPS data in this game confirms a significant CPU limitation at lower resolutions, while the GPU takes over as the primary driver at 4K.

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

The Ryzen 5 5500’s specifications suggest it is a capable gaming CPU, but its performance in Outriders is clearly the limiting factor in many scenarios. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it has enough parallelism for modern games, but its single-thread performance and overall throughput are what determine its fate in this title. The benchmark data for the CPU shows a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 and a single-core score of 2319. In the 3DMark suite, it scores 5386 in the 16-thread test and 836 in the single-thread test. These numbers place it in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19593, indicating it is a competent but not top-tier processor.

When looking at its nearest rivals, the data shows it trades blows with other mid-range chips. It is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, with a negligible deltaPct of -0.1. It is also very close to the Intel Core i5-12500, trailing by only 0.4%, and the Intel Core i5-11600KF, trailing by 0.7%. Interestingly, it is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-10700F. This suggests that in a CPU-bound scenario, the 5500 performs in line with these other six-core and eight-core parts. However, the FPS data in Outriders shows that this level of performance is not enough to keep up with the RTX 4080 at 1080p.

The game’s dependence on the CPU is most evident when comparing the performance deltas across resolutions. At 1080p with High settings, the average FPS is 151. Moving to 1440p High, the average FPS only drops to 130, a relatively small decrease. This indicates that the CPU is still the primary constraint at 1080p, as the GPU has headroom to spare. The fact that the frame rate does not scale linearly with the number of pixels rendered suggests the CPU is holding back the GPU. The Ryzen 5 5500’s clock speeds of 3.60 GHz base and 4.20 GHz boost are decent, but they are not exceptional for the high-refresh-rate gaming that the RTX 4080 is designed for. The data strongly suggests that this processor, while a good value in its own right, is a mismatch for this GPU in a game like Outriders where the CPU has to process a lot of game logic and physics. The CPU’s performance is the ceiling for the entire system at lower resolutions.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a behemoth of a graphics card, and its role in Outriders becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 256-bit memory bus, it has ample bandwidth and capacity for high-resolution textures and effects. Its boost clock of 2505 MHz is high, and its 9728 shading units provide immense compute power. The card’s raw performance is reflected in its benchmarks, with a Passmark G3D score of 34457 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 263779. It sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247, placing it firmly in the enthusiast tier.

In terms of its nearest rivals, the data shows that the RTX 4080 is essentially tied with the RTX 4080 SUPER, with a deltaPct of 0.1. It is also slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, with a deltaPct of -1.1, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, with a deltaPct of -2.6. This indicates that the 4080 is at the top of its class. The GPU’s influence on the Outriders FPS is most clearly seen at 4K resolution. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 78. This is a significant drop from the 130 FPS seen at 1440p High, showing that the GPU is now the primary bottleneck.

The GPU’s 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 56. This is likely due to the increased computational load of the Ultra preset, not a lack of memory. The RTX 4080’s architecture, with its 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores, also provides features that could be leveraged in the game, but the measured data does not specify if ray tracing or DLSS is enabled. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a GPU that is powerful enough to push high frame rates at lower resolutions, but it is ultimately held back by the CPU until the resolution is high enough to make the GPU the limiting factor. The card’s high texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s are clearly being underutilized at 1080p due to the CPU constraint.

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

The resolution scaling of the measured FPS data provides a clear narrative about where the bottleneck lies in this system. The performance deltas are not uniform, which is a classic sign of a CPU-GPU imbalance. At Low settings, the FPS at 1080p is 189, at 1440p it is 162, and at 4K it is 131. This is a relatively mild drop of 14% from 1080p to 1440p and another 19% from 1440p to 4K. This pattern suggests that even at Low settings, which are typically the least demanding on the GPU, the CPU is still a significant factor. The frame rate does not climb as high as the RTX 4080 would likely be capable of on its own, indicating a CPU cap.

At High settings, the scaling is more pronounced. The FPS goes from 151 at 1080p, to 130 at 1440p, and then to 78 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is a massive 40%, which is a clear indicator that the GPU is now the limiting factor. The RTX 4080 is being fully utilized at 4K, and the CPU is no longer holding it back. This transition point, where the bottleneck shifts from the CPU to the GPU, is the key takeaway. At 1080p and 1440p High, the Ryzen 5 5500 is the bottleneck. At 4K High, the RTX 4080 is the bottleneck.

At Medium settings, the pattern continues. The FPS is 168 at 1080p, 144 at 1440p, and 104 at 4K. Again, the drop from 1440p to 4K is significant, at 28%, confirming the GPU’s dominance at that resolution. The Ultra settings show the most extreme scaling, with FPS dropping from 134 at 1080p to 108 at 1440p, and then to 56 at 4K. The 48% drop from 1440p to 4K Ultra highlights the immense computational load of the Ultra preset. The data clearly shows that the system is CPU-bound at 1080p and 1440p, and GPU-bound at 4K. The RTX 4080 is powerful enough to handle high refresh rates at 1440p, but the CPU prevents it from reaching its full potential there.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 189 avg FPS
• Medium: 168 avg FPS (min 143, max 193)
• High: 151 avg FPS
• Ultra: 134 avg FPS

At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound. The difference between Low and Ultra is 55 FPS, which is a 29% drop. This shows that while the GPU is capable of rendering these frames, the CPU is unable to feed it data fast enough to push the frame rate higher. Even at Low settings, the 189 FPS average is likely not the maximum potential of the RTX 4080.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 162 avg FPS
• Medium: 144 avg FPS (min 122, max 166)
• High: 130 avg FPS
• Ultra: 108 avg FPS

At 1440p, the system is still primarily CPU-bound, though the gap begins to close. The FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p is 14% at Low, 14% at Medium, 14% at High, and 19% at Ultra. This shows that the CPU is still the limiting factor, as the frame rate is not scaling down proportionally with the increase in pixel count, which would be expected if the GPU were the bottleneck.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 131 avg FPS
• Medium: 104 avg FPS (min 88, max 119)
• High: 78 avg FPS
• Ultra: 56 avg FPS

At 4K, the system is clearly GPU-bound. The FPS drops are much more significant when moving from 1440p to 4K, with a 19% drop at Low, 28% at Medium, 40% at High, and 48% at Ultra. This is the expected behavior when the GPU is fully saturated. The RTX 4080 is now the primary bottleneck, and the CPU has enough headroom to keep up.

FAQ

*Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 in Outriders?*

A: Yes. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p and 1440p, the frame rate is largely consistent across settings, indicating the CPU is limiting performance. The FPS drops significantly when moving to 4K, which is where the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this CPU-GPU combo for a high refresh rate experience?

A: The data shows that 1440p is a balanced choice. At High settings, it achieves 130 FPS, which is a good balance. While 1080p offers higher frame rates, the CPU prevents the GPU from being fully utilized. 4K is more demanding on the GPU, with High settings dropping to 78 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rivals in terms of overall benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4080 is essentially tied with the RTX 4080 SUPER, with a deltaPct of 0.1. It is also slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, with deltaPct values of -1.1 and -2.6 respectively.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile and how does it compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 is in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 19593. It is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (deltaPct -0.1) and the Intel Core i5-12500 (deltaPct -0.4), and it is slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-10700F (deltaPct 0.5).

*Q: Does the RTX 4080 have enough VRAM for Outriders at 4K?*

A: Yes. The card has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory. The performance drop at 4K from High to Ultra settings (from 78 to 56 FPS) is more likely due to the increased computational demands of the Ultra preset rather than a lack of VRAM capacity.

Q: Which settings preset shows the smallest performance gap between 1080p and 1440p?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS is 189 at 1080p and 162 at 1440p, a drop of 27 FPS. At High settings, the drop is 21 FPS (from 151 to 130). The gap is similar across presets, but Low shows the smallest percentage drop, indicating the CPU bottleneck is most pronounced at these settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware combination depend heavily on your target resolution and refresh rate. The data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate.

For 1080p, the system is CPU-bound. Therefore, the best experience is to crank the settings up to Ultra, as the 134 FPS average is still very high, and the CPU is the limiting factor, not the GPU. You are getting the Ultra visuals for a relatively small performance cost compared to High. The 17 FPS drop from High to Ultra is a worthwhile trade for the improved image quality since the CPU is the bottleneck anyway.

For 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot. It delivers a very smooth 130 FPS average, which is ideal for high refresh rate monitors. While Ultra is playable at 108 FPS, the move to High ensures a more consistently high frame rate. The Medium preset offers a slight boost to 144 FPS, but the visual downgrade from High is not worth the extra 14 FPS, especially since the CPU is still the primary constraint at this resolution.

For 4K, the system becomes GPU-bound. The Medium preset is the best choice for a balanced experience, providing 104 FPS. The High preset drops to 78 FPS, which is still playable but not as fluid. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 56 FPS, which may not be acceptable for fast-paced action. Medium offers the best compromise between visual quality and performance at 4K, as the GPU is now the bottleneck and the settings have a direct impact on frame rate.

In summary, the recommendation is to use Ultra at 1080p, High at 1440p, and Medium at 4K. This will provide the best frame rate experience while taking advantage of the hardware's capabilities. The data clearly shows that this system is a 1440p powerhouse, and the CPU prevents it from being a high-refresh-rate 1080p champion.