Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 represents a study in contrasting generational strengths. The CPU, a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 5 part, is a modern powerhouse, while the GPU, a Turing-based RTX 2060, is an end-of-life product from an earlier era. The benchmark data for Outriders reveals how this combination handles the game's demands, with the CPU’s high single-thread performance and the GPU’s older architecture creating a clear division of labor. The measured frames per second across resolutions and settings show a system that is versatile, yet ultimately constrained by its graphics card at higher visual loads.

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

The Ryzen 5 9600X is built on the 4 nm process with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This high boost speed, combined with a substantial 32 MB of shared L3 cache, provides the kind of rapid instruction throughput that a looter shooter like Outriders benefits from, particularly when processing game logic and physics for multiple enemies on screen. Its 6 cores and 12 threads are a standard configuration for modern gaming, and the data suggests they are more than adequate for Outriders at lower settings where the frame rate is high.

Looking at the CPU’s synthetic benchmarks, its single-thread performance is a standout. For instance, it scores 3,603 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4,570 in Passmark single-thread. These scores indicate that the 9600X can handle the primary game thread with significant headroom. In contrast, its multi-threaded scores, like 25,525 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, are strong for a 6-core part but are not the primary driver in this game. The data implies that at 1080p with Low settings, where the CPU must feed frames at an average of 187 FPS, a slower processor would likely become the bottleneck, but this one keeps pace.

However, the CPU’s role diminishes as the resolution and settings increase. The benchmark results show a precipitous drop in frame rates at 4K Ultra, falling to 22.9 FPS. This indicates that the game’s rendering load has shifted almost entirely to the GPU. The CPU’s powerful cores are still ready, but they are waiting on the graphics card to produce each frame. The data suggests that the Ryzen 5 9600X provides a stable and powerful foundation, but the gaming experience in Outriders is largely dictated by the GPU’s ability to keep up, not the CPU's.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the benchmark database, this specific configuration of the Ryzen 5 9600X and RTX 2060 is ranked 1351 out of 1693 tested combinations for Outriders. This places it in the lower 20th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking is a stark reflection of the RTX 2060’s age, despite the modern CPU. The CPU itself, in a general CPU benchmark percentile, sits at the 85th percentile of all CPUs, showing it is a high-performing part. The GPU, however, only reaches the 58th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 16,074 places it in close competition with older Radeon Pro parts.

The deltaPct values for the CPU’s nearest rivals show how tightly grouped the 9600X is with its competition. It is just 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13490F and 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 230, while being 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS. This indicates that the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo’s overall rank. The low overall rank is instead a direct consequence of the GPU’s performance tier. The data strongly suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, it is paired with a GPU that significantly limits the combined system's standing in a demanding title like Outriders. This pairing represents a bottleneck, but not from the CPU.

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 the system scales with resolution. At 1080p High settings, the system averages 102.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 67.7 FPS, a decrease of roughly 34%. At 4K High, the average FPS plummets to 34.5, a further significant reduction of about 49%. This pattern of scaling is a classic sign of a GPU-limited system. The CPU is capable of producing a high number of frames, but the GPU’s rendering throughput is the limiting factor as the pixel count increases.

The story becomes even clearer when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system hits an average of 187 FPS. At 1440p Low, it still manages 117 FPS. But at 4K Low, it falls to 65 FPS. Even with the graphical load reduced, the 4K resolution still overwhelms the RTX 2060. This suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth (336.0 GB/s) and raw compute power are simply not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K, regardless of the visual complexity. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is steep, but the jump to 4K shows the GPU hitting a hard performance wall, confirming that the RTX 2060 is the primary constraint on this system's gaming performance.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution to play Outriders with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: Based on the average FPS data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system can consistently achieve high frame rates. At 1080p with High settings, it averages 102.3 FPS, which is a playable level for a fast-paced looter shooter.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 9600X compare to its closest rivals in processing power?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X is nearly identical in performance to its closest rivals. It is 0.3% faster than the Intel Core i5-13490F and the AMD Ryzen 5 230, and only 0.4% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, showing a very tight performance cluster.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU more responsible for the system's overall benchmark rank in Outriders?

A: The GPU is the primary factor. The CPU ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU only reaches the 58th percentile. The system's overall rank of 1351 out of 1693 combos is dragged down by the RTX 2060's performance level.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 117 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 44.4 FPS. This represents a significant performance cost for the highest visual quality settings.

Q: Does the RTX 2060 have enough video memory for 4K gaming in Outriders?

A: The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system averages only 22.9 FPS. While this is not a direct measure of memory capacity, the 6 GB of VRAM and the low frame rate suggest that the GPU is not well-suited for 4K gaming, as the performance is severely compromised.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is an older Turing architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process. It features a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz, with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus. This configuration provides a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. While these specifications were respectable at its release, they are now dated, and the benchmark results in Outriders reflect this. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 16,074 puts it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, showing it is now a mid-to-low-tier performer.

The RTX 2060’s role in Outriders is to render the game's environments and effects. Its 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are present, but the game’s performance is more dependent on its standard shading units (1920) and texture mapping units (120). The data shows that at 1080p Low, the GPU can push out an average of 187 FPS, but this drops to 76.3 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This shows that the GPU has enough raw power for low-fidelity 1080p gaming, but it struggles with the increased shading and texture loads of higher presets. The 6 GB of VRAM appears to be sufficient for 1080p, but the low frame rates at 4K Ultra (22.9 FPS) suggest that the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are overwhelmed by the data requirements of that resolution.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides a clear set of trade-offs for each preset. At 1080p, the High preset offers a strong balance with an average of 102.3 FPS, which is ideal for responsive gameplay. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 76.3 FPS, which is still playable but sacrifices some smoothness for marginal visual gains. The Low preset at 1080p, with an average of 187 FPS, offers maximum smoothness but likely at a significant visual cost. For a game like Outriders, where reaction time matters, the High preset at 1080p is the most balanced choice.

At 1440p, the situation changes. The High preset averages 67.7 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset averages 85.4 FPS, making it a better choice for maintaining fluidity at this resolution. The Low preset at 1440p averages 117 FPS, providing the best performance but with reduced visual fidelity. At 4K, the system struggles across all presets. The High preset averages 34.5 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 47.8 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 4K averages 65 FPS, which is the only 4K option that approaches playability, but still requires significant visual compromises. Therefore, the data recommends 1080p High as the best overall experience, with 1440p Medium as a viable alternative for users with 1440p monitors.

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

1920x1080

• Ultra: The average frame rate is 76.3 FPS.
• High: The average frame rate is 102.3 FPS.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 137.8 FPS.
• Low: The average frame rate is 187 FPS.

2560x1440

• Ultra: The average frame rate is 44.4 FPS.
• High: The average frame rate is 67.7 FPS.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 85.4 FPS.
• Low: The average frame rate is 117 FPS.

3840x2160

• Ultra: The average frame rate is 22.9 FPS.
• High: The average frame rate is 34.5 FPS.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 47.8 FPS.
• Low: The average frame rate is 65 FPS.

The data shows a clear hierarchy of performance. The 1080p Low result of 187 FPS is the highest recorded, demonstrating the system's peak frame generation capability. The 4K Ultra result of 22.9 FPS is the lowest, showing the limits of the RTX 2060. The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent performance penalty, but the magnitude of the penalty is much larger at 4K, where the Ultra preset is less than half the frame rate of the Low preset. This breakdown quantifies the GPU-bound nature of the system at higher resolutions and settings.