Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 pairing in Outriders delivers a split personality: at 1080p it’s a high-refresh monster, but at 4K Ultra it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong multi-threaded performance ensures it never becomes the bottleneck, even at lower settings where frame rates soar.

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

The Ryzen 7 7700 is an 8-core, 16-thread Zen 4 part with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. In Outriders, a looter shooter that relies on physics, enemy AI, and streaming assets, the core count helps maintain consistent frame pacing. The CPU's benchmark scores suggest it has ample headroom for this title: it posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29302 and a single-core score of 4136, which reflects strong per-thread performance. This is critical because Outriders’ engine scales well with multiple threads, but also needs high single-core speed for game logic.

The 7700’s 3DMark results reinforce the picture. Its 16-thread score of 8484 is nearly identical to its max-thread score of 8479, indicating that all 8 physical cores are being utilized effectively. The 2-thread score of 2043 is less than half of the 4-thread score of 3931, which suggests that the CPU’s performance scales linearly with core count. In practice, this means the 7700 will not hold back the RTX 3070 in Outriders, even at 1080p Low where the average FPS climbs to 249.8. At that point, the load shifts primarily to the GPU, but the CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frame times stable.

The CPU sits at the 91st percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 40468. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H, scores 40431 (0.1% higher), while the Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40712 (0.6% higher). The deltaPct values are all within a 1.2% band, meaning the 7700 is squarely in the middle of a tightly contested performance cluster. For Outriders, this level of CPU performance is effectively a non-factor: the GPU will dictate playable settings, not the processor.

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

The RTX 3070 is an Ampere-generation card with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1500 MHz, with a boost clock of 1725 MHz. The 8 GB framebuffer is the key constraint here. Outriders at 4K Ultra pushes the card to its limit, yielding only 38.8 FPS. This is not a bandwidth issue — the 448.0 GB/s should suffice — but rather a raw compute and VRAM capacity limitation. The card’s 5888 shading units and 96 ROPs are simply overwhelmed by the pixel count and texture detail at that preset.

The GPU’s benchmark profile shows it is a mid-pack performer in the current landscape, sitting at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs. Its PassMark G3D score of 22214 is respectable, but its nearest rivals are telling. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT scores 27985 (0.9% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 27956 (1.0% higher). The deltaPct values are small, but the RTX 3070 is at a slight disadvantage compared to these alternatives, which are themselves older or lower-tier parts. This explains why the card struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K High (48.3 FPS) and falls to 38.8 FPS at Ultra.

The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is also a limiting factor. At 1080p and 1440p, the card has enough memory to hold the textures, but at 4K, the larger framebuffer demands can cause the card to hit its memory ceiling. The data shows a sharp drop from 1440p High (94.2 FPS) to 4K High (48.3 FPS), a 45.9 FPS decline. This is a classic sign of a card that is running out of memory bandwidth and capacity simultaneously, rather than just raw compute.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 40-45% across all settings. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is even steeper, averaging around 50%. This non-linear decline is typical of a card that is hitting a memory bandwidth wall. At 1080p Low, the system produces 249.8 FPS, which is a CPU-bound territory, but the GPU still manages the load. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 38.8 FPS, a 211 FPS difference.

The limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. The CPU’s performance does not change with resolution, but the GPU’s workload scales with pixel count. The fact that the 7700’s 3DMark 16-thread score (8484) is nearly identical to its max-thread score (8479) suggests it has no trouble feeding the GPU at any resolution. The RTX 3070, however, shows a consistent performance degradation as resolution increases. For example, at Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 110.9 at 1080p to 67.1 at 1440p, then to 38.8 at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K is 28.3 FPS, which is a 42% reduction — the largest single-step drop in the dataset.

This indicates that 1440p is the effective sweet spot for this pairing. At 1440p High, the system achieves 94.2 FPS, which is smooth for a looter shooter. At 4K, the card is out of its depth, and the data suggests that even dropping to Low settings (90.9 FPS) is not enough to make 4K fully comfortable, as the High preset already dips below 50 FPS. The scaling pattern is consistent: the RTX 3070 is a 1080p and 1440p card, not a 4K card.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Outriders at 4K 60 FPS?

A: No. The highest 4K average FPS recorded is 90.9 at Low settings, but the High preset drops to 48.3 FPS, and Ultra falls to 38.8 FPS. The GPU lacks the compute and memory capacity to hit 60 FPS at 4K with any visual fidelity.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo?

A: 1440p. The High preset at 1440p produces 94.2 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p, the system can exceed 200 FPS at Medium (201.9 FPS), but 1440p offers a better balance of visual quality and smoothness.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 7700 a bottleneck for the RTX 3070 in Outriders?

A: No. The CPU’s 16-thread performance (8484 in 3DMark) and single-core score (4136 in Cinebench R23) are more than sufficient. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 249.8 FPS, which is near the practical limit for most displays, indicating the GPU is the primary limiter.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its closest rivals in raw performance?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 28238. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT scores 27985 (0.9% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 27956 (1.0% higher). The differences are minimal, making these cards effectively interchangeable in terms of raw compute.

Q: Will lowering settings from Ultra to High significantly improve frame rates at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 1440p, Ultra produces 67.1 FPS, while High produces 94.2 FPS — a 27.1 FPS improvement. The jump from High to Medium is even larger, going to 128.3 FPS, but High offers the best visual-to-performance trade-off.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 3070 enough for Outriders?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, yes. The card maintains playable frame rates at those resolutions. At 4K, however, the 8 GB framebuffer appears to be a limiting factor, as the card’s performance drops disproportionately compared to the resolution increase.

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

At 1920x1080, the RTX 3070 is clearly in its element. The Low preset delivers an average of 249.8 FPS, while Medium drops to 201.9 FPS. High is still very fast at 154.2 FPS, and even Ultra holds at 110.9 FPS. The scaling is linear and smooth, with no sudden cliffs. The system is capable of driving high-refresh monitors at this resolution, and the CPU’s performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core 29302) ensures there is no frame pacing stutter.

At 2560x1440, the numbers start to show the GPU’s limits. Low produces 174.6 FPS, Medium 128.3 FPS, and High 94.2 FPS. Ultra drops to 67.1 FPS, which is still playable but begins to approach the threshold where motion clarity suffers. The gap between High and Ultra is 27.1 FPS, which is larger than the gap between Medium and High (34.1 FPS). This suggests that Ultra settings at 1440p are disproportionately heavy on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the card is overmatched. Low produces 90.9 FPS, Medium 68.6 FPS, High 48.3 FPS, and Ultra 38.8 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 20.3 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 9.5 FPS. Notably, the gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 22.3 FPS, which is smaller than the gap at 1440p (46.3 FPS). This indicates that the card is hitting a memory bandwidth ceiling, where additional settings have diminishing returns because the GPU is already starved for data.

The data set shows no min or max FPS values, so the analysis is based purely on averages. The overall combo rank is 614 out of 1693 combinations, placing it in the top 36% of tested systems. This is a solid mid-tier position, but it means the system is not optimized for the most demanding presets.

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

For the best experience at 1080p, the Medium preset at 201.9 FPS is the clear winner. It offers a substantial improvement over Low (249.8 FPS) in visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds any 1440p or 4K option. High at 154.2 FPS is also excellent, but Medium provides the highest FPS-to-visual-quality ratio without sacrificing fluidity.

At 1440p, the High preset at 94.2 FPS is the recommended choice. It delivers a smooth, responsive experience that is close to the 100 FPS mark, and the visual upgrade from Medium (128.3 FPS) is noticeable. Ultra at 67.1 FPS is playable, but the 27.1 FPS drop from High is too steep for the marginal visual gains. Low at 174.6 FPS is an option for competitive play, but it sacrifices too much environmental detail for a looter shooter where visual feedback matters.

At 4K, the situation is more nuanced. The Medium preset at 68.6 FPS is the only setting that approaches a playable frame rate, though it is still below the 60 FPS threshold. Low at 90.9 FPS is smoother, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. High (48.3 FPS) and Ultra (38.8 FPS) are not recommended for anything but screenshots. For 4K, the data suggests that Low is the only practical choice if you want a responsive game, but the system is better served by dropping to 1440p High.

Overall, the best combination of visual fidelity and performance is 1440p High. It yields 94.2 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target, and the RTX 3070’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient at this resolution. For players with 1080p monitors, Medium at 201.9 FPS is the sweet spot, offering a fluid experience that takes full advantage of high-refresh displays. The system’s 614th rank out of 1693 combinations confirms it is a capable, but not top-tier, setup for Outriders.