Outriders

# Outriders Performance Analysis: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a robust Outriders experience, ranking 1227th out of 3710 tested combos. This places the system comfortably in the upper third of all configurations, with benchmark data showing strong 1080p performance that scales predictably into 4K territory. The combination leverages a 6-core Zen 5 processor with 12 threads and an 8 GB Ampere graphics card, producing frame rates that range from a playable 36 FPS at 4K Ultra to a blistering 278 FPS at 1080p Low.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X operates with 6 cores and 12 threads, built on the Zen 5 architecture codenamed Granite Ridge. Its base clock of 3.90 GHz boosts up to 5.40 GHz, providing substantial single-thread headroom that matters for Outriders' game logic and physics calculations. The processor carries 32 MB of shared L3 cache, with 80 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 per core, ensuring rapid data access for frequently used game assets.

Benchmark scores confirm the CPU's balanced character. The Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 17528.5 points, paired with a single-core score of 2183.5, indicates strong parallel and serial performance. The Geekbench scores of 14438 multi-core and 2923 single-core reinforce this profile. The 3DMark suite shows scalability: 2456 points with 2 threads, climbing to 6726 with 8 threads, and reaching 7590 at maximum threads. This scaling pattern suggests the processor handles moderate thread loads efficiently, which aligns with Outriders' typical usage of fewer than 8 threads for gameplay.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 81 versus all CPUs places it above most processors on the market. Its average benchmark score of 29713 sits nearly identical to nearest rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (29656, delta 0.2%), AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (29868, delta -0.5%), and AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (29879, delta -0.6%). The close margins—all within 0.8%—indicate that the 9600X performs essentially on par with these alternatives in synthetic tests.

In Outriders, the CPU's single-thread strength likely prevents bottlenecks at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 278 FPS, a figure that would be constrained by any significant CPU limitation. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1253 and PassMark single-thread result of 4570 both suggest the processor can feed frames quickly enough to avoid holding back the RTX 3070 in most scenarios. However, the 6-core design means heavily threaded workloads beyond gaming might expose its limits, though Outriders itself does not appear to demand excessive core counts.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 employs the GA104 chip on Samsung's 8 nm process, packing 17,400 million transistors into a 392 mm² die. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit bus delivers 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for Outriders' textures at most settings. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1500 MHz with a boost of 1725 MHz, while memory operates at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

With 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, the RTX 3070 provides substantial raw compute. Its 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 317.4 GTexel/s texture rate handle Outriders' particle effects and environmental detail. The 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores offer additional capabilities, though Outriders does not heavily rely on ray tracing for its core experience.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 61 versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17208, places it slightly above mid-pack in the broader GPU landscape. Nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083, delta 0.7%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037, delta 1%), and AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019, delta 1.1%). The Tesla K40c trails at 17468 (delta -1.5%). These margins, ranging from 0.7% to 1.5%, show the RTX 3070 performs within a tight competitive band.

In Outriders, the 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a defining factor. At 4K Ultra settings, the system drops to 36 FPS, suggesting either VRAM exhaustion or compute limits at extreme settings. The drop from 1080p Ultra (109 FPS) to 4K Ultra (36 FPS) represents a 67% reduction, which exceeds the pixel count difference and hints at memory bandwidth or capacity constraints. Conversely, at 4K Low, the GPU sustains 92 FPS, demonstrating that when texture memory demands are reduced, the card remains capable at high resolutions.

FAQ

Q: How does this CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X scores 29713 on average, virtually identical to the Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (29656, 0.2% higher), Ryzen 7 7840H (29868, 0.5% lower), and Ryzen 7 5800XT (29879, 0.6% lower). All four processors are within 0.8% of each other.

Q: What is the GPU's competitive position based on its benchmark average?

A: The RTX 3070 averages 17208 points, sitting 0.7% above the RX 7600 XT (17083), 1% above the GTX 690 (17037), and 1.1% above the HD 7970M (17019). It trails the Tesla K40c by 1.5% (17468).

Q: What frame rate can players expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows 96 FPS average at 2560x1440 High settings. This represents a comfortable experience for most displays, with the system dropping to 69 FPS at Ultra and rising to 175 FPS at Low settings.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming in Outriders?

A: At 4K Ultra, performance falls to 36 FPS, while 4K High yields 50 FPS. The jump to 67 FPS at Medium and 92 FPS at Low suggests VRAM capacity or bandwidth becomes limiting at higher settings, as reducing texture quality dramatically improves performance.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 1227th out of 3710 tested combos, placing it in the upper third of all systems. This position reflects balanced CPU and GPU performance without either component drastically limiting the other.

Q: What are the CPU's 3DMark thread scaling characteristics?

A: The processor scores 2456 with 2 threads, 4649 with 4 threads, 6726 with 8 threads, and 7590 with 16 threads. The scaling from 8 to 16 threads is modest (12.8% improvement), indicating diminishing returns beyond 8 threads for this workload.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1227 out of 3710 tested configurations places it in the 67th percentile of all systems evaluated for Outriders. This positioning suggests the Ryzen 5 9600X and RTX 3070 pairing delivers above-average performance without reaching the top tier dominated by higher-end GPUs and more powerful processors.

The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's 81st percentile standing and the GPU's 61st percentile. The GPU, while competent, does not match the CPU's relative strength, meaning the RTX 3070 likely acts as the primary constraint in demanding scenarios. This is evident in the performance scaling: the system achieves excellent 1080p results but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing sits in a position where it outperforms systems with weaker GPUs but falls behind those with RTX 3080-class or better graphics cards. The data indicates that upgrading the GPU would yield more significant gains than upgrading the CPU, given the processor's stronger relative standing.

The rank also implies that Outriders, as a looter shooter, benefits from the CPU's strong single-thread performance while being less dependent on extreme multi-core capabilities. The 9600X's 6 cores handle the game's requirements without becoming a bottleneck, allowing the GPU to reach its full potential within its own performance envelope.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system's performance scales across resolutions, highlighting where the bottleneck shifts. At 1080p High, the system produces 152 FPS; at 1440p High, it drops to 96 FPS (a 36.8% reduction); and at 4K High, it falls to 50 FPS (a 47.9% reduction from 1440p). These scaling factors suggest the GPU becomes progressively more limiting as resolution increases.

At Low settings, the scaling is more dramatic: 278 FPS at 1080p drops to 175 FPS at 1440p (37% reduction) and then to 92 FPS at 4K (47.4% reduction). This pattern indicates that at Low settings, where CPU overhead is minimal, the GPU's raw throughput dictates performance. The consistent ~48% drop from 1440p to 4K across settings aligns with the pixel count increase from 3.7 million to 8.3 million pixels (a 124% increase), suggesting the GPU's fill rate is the limiting factor.

At Ultra settings, the scaling becomes more pronounced: 109 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p (36.7% drop), and 36 FPS at 4K (47.8% drop). The 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS indicates the system struggles with the combination of high-resolution rendering and maximum graphical features, likely due to the 8 GB VRAM capacity being exceeded or the GPU's shading units being overwhelmed.

The Medium settings row provides the only min/max data: at 1080p, average 202 FPS with min 172 and max 232; at 1440p, average 128 FPS with min 108 and max 147; at 4K, average 67 FPS with min 57 and max 77. These ranges show variance of approximately 28-30% between minimum and maximum, suggesting frame pacing remains consistent across resolutions at this setting.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest performance. Low settings produce 278 FPS average, Medium reaches 202 FPS (172 min, 232 max), High achieves 152 FPS, and Ultra drops to 109 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 60.8% performance reduction, indicating that graphical settings have a substantial impact at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance scales down proportionally. Low settings yield 175 FPS, Medium averages 128 FPS (108 min, 147 max), High maintains 96 FPS, and Ultra falls to 69 FPS. The Ultra setting at 1440p aligns closely with what would be considered the threshold for smooth gameplay, while Low settings provide ample headroom for high refresh rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the system's limits become apparent. Low settings still achieve 92 FPS, Medium averages 67 FPS (57 min, 77 max), High drops to 50 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 36 FPS. The 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS target, making it unsuitable for competitive play, though the Medium setting at 67 FPS offers a viable 4K experience.

The data shows a consistent pattern: Medium settings provide a balanced experience across all resolutions, with 202 FPS at 1080p, 128 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K. High settings offer better visual quality but cost 24.8% performance at 1080p (152 vs 202), 25% at 1440p (96 vs 128), and 25.4% at 4K (50 vs 67) compared to Medium.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, Medium settings offer the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium provides 202 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most gaming monitors, while at 1440p it maintains 128 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS standard. Even at 4K, Medium achieves 67 FPS, making it the only setting that reaches playable frame rates at that resolution without significant compromises.

For players prioritizing visual fidelity over raw performance, High settings at 1440p deliver 96 FPS, which remains smooth for most gaming scenarios. The step from Medium to High costs roughly 25% performance but likely provides noticeable improvements in texture detail and shadow quality. However, at 4K, High settings drop to 50 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering or input lag in fast-paced combat.

Ultra settings are only recommended for 1080p gaming, where the system still produces 109 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra's 69 FPS approaches playability but may struggle during intense action sequences with numerous enemies and particle effects. At 4K, Ultra's 36 FPS falls below acceptable thresholds for a looter shooter requiring quick reactions.

Low settings, while providing the highest frame rates (278 FPS at 1080p, 175 FPS at 1440p, 92 FPS at 4K), sacrifice visual quality that may impact gameplay readability, such as enemy visibility in darker environments. The 4K Low result of 92 FPS demonstrates that the GPU can handle high resolutions when texture memory pressure is reduced, making this a viable option for players prioritizing frame rate above all else.

The optimal configuration depends on the display's native resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p/144Hz displays, High settings provide an excellent balance with 152 FPS. For 1440p/144Hz panels, Medium at 128 FPS offers the best combination of smoothness and visual detail. For 4K/60Hz televisions, Medium at 67 FPS is the recommended choice, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining reasonable graphical quality.