Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a playable but heavily resolution-dependent experience in Outriders. Benchmark data shows the combination is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong multi-threaded performance ensures high frame rates at 1080p. The measured FPS across four settings and three resolutions reveals a system that excels in lower-resolution scenarios but struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K, particularly with high visual fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and clearly indicates that the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting component in this pairing. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 176 at 1920x1080 to 111 at 2560x1440, a 37% reduction, and then to 58 at 3840x2160, a further 48% drop. This steep decline with each resolution step is the classic signature of a GPU bottleneck, where the render resolution directly dictates performance.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at higher settings. With High settings, the transition from 1080p (96 FPS) to 1440p (61 FPS) represents a 36% loss, and moving to 4K (32 FPS) cuts the frame rate by another 48%. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic degradation: 70 FPS at 1080p, 44 FPS at 1440p, and just 23 FPS at 4K. The fact that the 4K Ultra result is nearly one-third of the 1080p Low result (23 vs 176 FPS) underscores that pixel throughput is the dominant constraint.

Data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor in this scaling analysis. The Ryzen 7 7700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, maintains a consistent performance headroom. At 1080p Low, where the GPU load is lightest, the system reaches 176 FPS, but the CPU’s capabilities are not fully taxed, as evidenced by the smooth scaling curve. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions, but the consistent gains from 1440p to 1080p indicate the GPU is still able to respond to reduced resolution.

The measured data shows that the system is balanced for 1440p gaming but becomes increasingly GPU-bound at 4K. The 1440p Medium result of 81 FPS (with a minimum of 69 FPS) suggests a reasonable compromise, while the 4K results across all settings point to a need for reduced resolution or aggressive upscaling to achieve playable frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with High settings delivers 61 FPS average, while 1920x1080 with High settings achieves 96 FPS. At 4K, only the Low preset reaches above 60 FPS with 58 average, which is borderline. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, 1440p High or 1080p Ultra (70 FPS) are the highest quality options that meet this threshold.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of performance cost?

A: The Ultra preset exacts a significant performance penalty across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Ultra (70 FPS) is 27% slower than High (96 FPS). At 2560x1440, the gap widens to 28% (44 vs 61 FPS). The most severe drop is at 3840x2160, where Ultra (23 FPS) is 28% slower than High (32 FPS), indicating that the Ultra preset heavily taxes the GPU.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck for this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is nearly linear with resolution changes, which is a clear sign of GPU limitation. The Ryzen 7 7700X’s high multi-thread score (19088 in Cinebench R23) and 16 threads suggest it has ample headroom to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the high 176 FPS at 1080p Low.

Q: What is the lowest playable setting at 4K for this combo?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers an average of 58 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that approaches a playable 60 FPS target. The Medium preset drops to 42 FPS (with a minimum of 36 FPS), and High falls to 32 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting is not viable at 23 FPS.

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

A: The combo ranks 2329 out of 2913 tested combinations in Outriders, placing it in the lower 20% of all configurations. This rank reflects the GPU’s mid-tier performance in the context of this specific game, despite the CPU’s strong benchmark scores.

Q: What is the maximum FPS achievable with this setup?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 176, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The maximum FPS recorded across all tests is 148, which occurs at 1080p Medium settings, indicating that the Low preset’s average is not capped by the CPU but by the game’s engine or the GPU’s minimum frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

For a balanced experience, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the standout choice. The data shows an 81 FPS average with a minimum of 69 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without the visual degradation of Low. This setting provides a 33% performance buffer over High (61 FPS) while still maintaining a solid frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset (128 FPS, min 109) is recommended over High (96 FPS) for users preferring higher refresh rates, as the visual difference is often less noticeable at lower resolutions.

For users with 4K displays, the Low preset (58 FPS) is the only viable option for playable performance. The Medium preset at 42 FPS is a compromise, but the minimum of 36 FPS suggests potential stutter during intense scenes. The High (32 FPS) and Ultra (23 FPS) presets at 4K are not recommended due to frame rates well below the 60 FPS threshold.

The Ultra preset is generally not advised for this combo. The performance penalty is substantial: 27% slower than High at 1080p, 28% slower at 1440p, and 28% slower at 4K. Given that the GPU’s benchmark percentile is 65, the hardware is not positioned to handle the extra load of Ultra settings in this title. The sweet spot is Medium at any resolution, balancing visual quality with playable frame rates, or High at 1440p for those prioritizing fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2329 out of 2913 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the 20th percentile of all configurations. This rank is significantly lower than the CPU’s individual percentile (85th) and the GPU’s percentile (65th), indicating that the game’s performance is not well suited to this pairing. The rank suggests that many other CPU-GPU combinations achieve higher FPS in this specific title.

The GPU’s nearest rivals provide context for this rank. The Intel Arc B570’s average benchmark score of 20556 is within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.1% of the Intel Arc A750 (20582). However, these benchmark scores do not translate directly to Outriders performance, as the combo rank demonstrates that the B570’s architecture may have specific limitations in this game. The fact that the B570 outperforms the Arc A750 in synthetic benchmarks (by 0.1%) but still ranks low in-game suggests that Outriders may favor other GPU architectures.

The CPU’s rank is more favorable. The Ryzen 7 7700X’s average benchmark score of 35909 places it just 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (35802) and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core 7 250H (35728). This indicates that the CPU is a strong performer, but its capabilities are not fully utilized in Outriders due to the GPU bottleneck. The combo’s overall rank of 2329 is therefore driven by the GPU’s limitations rather than the CPU’s.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a high-performance processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 4 architecture. Its benchmark scores are impressive: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19088 and a single-core score of 1987, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 12451. These numbers place the CPU in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. The 5.40 GHz boost clock and 4.50 GHz base clock further support its capability.

In Outriders, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured FPS data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 176 FPS, which is a high frame rate that requires significant CPU throughput. The fact that the frame rate scales consistently with resolution changes indicates the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s demands. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 8859 and max-thread score of 8852 show that the CPU maintains performance across all threads, which is beneficial for games that utilize multiple cores.

The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB per core L2 cache provide ample memory bandwidth for game data. The 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth of the DDR5 dual-channel configuration further supports high frame rates. However, the data shows that even with this powerful CPU, the GPU limits performance at higher resolutions. The 4K results (23-58 FPS) are far below what the CPU could potentially support, reinforcing that the CPU is waiting on the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 176 FPS average, followed by Medium at 128 FPS (min 109, max 148), High at 96 FPS, and Ultra at 70 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 48 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 26 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset is particularly demanding.

At 2560x1440, the results scale down proportionally. Low delivers 111 FPS average, Medium 81 FPS (min 69, max 93), High 61 FPS, and Ultra 44 FPS. The 1440p Medium result is the most balanced, with a minimum of 69 FPS ensuring smooth gameplay. The 1440p High result (61 FPS) is right at the threshold for playable, while Ultra (44 FPS) is below the ideal target.

At 3840x2160, performance drops significantly. Low is the only setting above 50 FPS at 58 FPS average. Medium drops to 42 FPS (min 36, max 49), High falls to 32 FPS, and Ultra is unplayable at 23 FPS. The 4K results show that the GPU is severely taxed, with the frame rate dropping by roughly 50% for each step up in settings. The 4K Medium minimum of 36 FPS indicates potential frame pacing issues during high-intensity scenes.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a mid-range GPU with 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz, with a 150 W TDP. The GPU’s benchmark scores show a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 83514, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. The 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 performance is solid for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

In Outriders, the GPU is the primary determinant of performance. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU can deliver high frame rates (96 FPS at High, 176 FPS at Low), but at 4K, it struggles even with Low settings (58 FPS). The 10 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s textures, but the 160-bit memory bus and 380 GB/s bandwidth may limit performance at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth becomes critical.

The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, has a near-identical average benchmark score (20534 vs 20556), yet this combo ranks poorly in Outriders. This suggests that the Arc B570’s driver optimization or architecture may not be fully leveraged by this game. The GPU’s 80 ROPs and 144 TMUs provide a texture fill rate of 360 GTexel/s, but the pixel rate of 200 GPixel/s may be the limiting factor at 4K, where pixel throughput is paramount. The 4K Ultra result of 23 FPS, which is 28% lower than High, indicates that the GPU’s compute resources are exhausted by the Ultra preset’s additional effects.