Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 pairing delivers a highly capable Outriders experience, with performance that scales predictably from exceptional 1080p frame rates to a playable 4K experience only at lower settings. The data shows this combo ranks in the 49th percentile (867 out of 1693 tested combinations), indicating a balanced mid-to-upper tier setup that prioritizes high refresh rate gaming at mainstream resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, with the most dramatic drop occurring between 1440p and 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 134.9 FPS at 1080p to 84.7 FPS at 1440p, a 37% reduction, but then drops sharply to 41.4 FPS at 4K, representing a 51% loss from the 1440p figure. This pattern strongly indicates that the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface become the limiting factor at 4K, where pixel throughput demands exceed what the GPU can sustain.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution further confirms this analysis. At 1080p, the gap between Low (242.8 FPS) and Ultra (93.4 FPS) is a massive 149.4 FPS, showing the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU even at maximum settings. However, at 4K, the same settings range produces only 82.7 FPS at Low versus 31.5 FPS at Ultra, a 51.2 FPS spread. This compression of the performance envelope at higher resolutions is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 4060's compute and memory bandwidth are saturated regardless of the graphics preset.

The 1440p results demonstrate the sweet spot for this combination. Medium settings hit 113 FPS, High achieves 84.7 FPS, and even Ultra maintains a respectable 60.9 FPS. This suggests that at 1440p, the system transitions from CPU-bound at low settings to GPU-bound at ultra, but neither component becomes a severe bottleneck. The data shows the 4K Low result of 82.7 FPS is actually higher than the 1440p Ultra result of 60.9 FPS, which is counterintuitive but reveals that settings have a greater impact on performance than resolution alone within this GPU's capability range.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 7700X brings substantial processing power to Outriders, with 8 cores and 16 threads running at a base clock of 4.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This Zen 4 architecture processor, built on TSMC's 5 nm process, delivers strong multi-threaded performance with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30325 and a single-core score of 4281. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide the kind of data throughput that keeps a looter shooter's many simultaneous entity calculations running smoothly.

The benchmark data indicates the 7700X is never the primary constraint in Outriders. At 1080p Low, the system produces 242.8 FPS, which is close to the practical ceiling for many displays and demonstrates the CPU's ability to feed the RTX 4060 with minimal overhead. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 8859 and 8-thread score of 7057 show consistent scaling across thread counts, meaning the game's workload, which typically uses multiple cores for physics and AI, is well-served by this processor.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 89 among all tested processors places it well above the GPU's 66th percentile, confirming that the processor has more headroom than the graphics card. The nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13500 with a 0.4% higher average score and the Intel Core i7-12800HX at 0.5% higher, but the 7700X edges out the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H by 0.8%. These margins are negligible in real-world gaming, meaning the 7700X is competitive with the best mid-range options available.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060 is the defining component in this pairing, and its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is the primary factor limiting 4K performance. The GPU's Ada Lovelace architecture with 3072 shading units and 24 RT cores runs at a base clock of 1830 MHz and boost of 2460 MHz, producing 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The 48 ROPs and 96 TMUs give it a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s, which are modest figures for 4K workloads.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 66 among all tested graphics cards places it below the CPU's standing, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.6% lower average score) and the Intel Arc B580 (0.7% higher). This clustering around the RTX 4060's performance level suggests it sits at a competitive but not dominant position in the graphics hierarchy. The PassMark G3D score of 19545 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2302 reflect this mid-range positioning.

The memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s is clearly insufficient for 4K Ultra settings, where the 31.5 FPS result indicates severe memory pressure. Even at 4K Low, the 82.7 FPS shows the GPU can perform well when texture and shader complexity are reduced, but the 128-bit bus limits the data throughput needed for high-resolution textures. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for 1080p and 1440p with all settings, but at 4K, the combination of capacity and bandwidth becomes the bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 4060 delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low produces 242.8 FPS, Medium achieves 176.5 FPS, High reaches 134.9 FPS, and Ultra still maintains 93.4 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the GPU is the limiting factor only at the highest settings, while the CPU has enough headroom to push frame rates well beyond 200 FPS at lower presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's limitations. Low settings yield 152.5 FPS, Medium drops to 113 FPS, High manages 84.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 60.9 FPS. The 1440p High result of 84.7 FPS is particularly notable as it represents a smooth experience for most high-refresh monitors, while Ultra still clears the 60 FPS threshold for standard displays.

At 3840x2160, the results are more mixed. Low settings produce 82.7 FPS, which is playable, while Medium drops to 61 FPS, barely maintaining a 60 FPS target. High falls to 41.4 FPS, and Ultra delivers just 31.5 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced looter shooter. The 4K results clearly show that this GPU is not designed for maximum settings at this resolution, but it can handle 4K at low-to-medium presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Ryzen 7 7700X and RTX 4060 ranks 867th out of 1693 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the upper-middle portion of the database. This rank reflects the balanced nature of the pairing, where the CPU's strong performance (89th percentile) is offset by the GPU's more modest standing (66th percentile). The 826 combos that rank higher likely feature more powerful graphics cards that can better utilize high-end CPUs at 4K resolution.

The rank is more favorable when considering the system's 1080p and 1440p performance, where the data shows this combo outperforms many configurations with stronger GPUs but weaker CPUs. The high frame rates at lower resolutions suggest that for gamers targeting 1080p or 1440p with high refresh rates, this combination punches above its overall ranking. The fact that this is measured data, not synthetic estimates, adds confidence to the interpretation that the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor in most scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Outriders?

A: The data shows 1440p provides the best balance of quality and performance, with High settings achieving 84.7 FPS and Ultra maintaining 60.9 FPS, both suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Outriders?

A: Yes, but only at lower presets. The measured results show 4K Low produces 82.7 FPS and Medium achieves 61 FPS, while High (41.4 FPS) and Ultra (31.5 FPS) fall below playable thresholds.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 66th percentile, combined with the sharp FPS drops from 1440p to 4K, confirms the RTX 4060 limits performance.

Q: How does this combo compare to similar systems?

A: It ranks 867th out of 1693 combos, placing it in the 49th percentile. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, scores 0.6% lower on average, while the Intel Arc B580 scores 0.7% higher.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average is 93.4 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. At 1080p High, the system delivers 134.9 FPS, and at Low it reaches 242.8 FPS.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause problems?

A: At 4K Ultra, the 31.5 FPS result suggests memory capacity or bandwidth limitations. At 1080p and 1440p, all settings perform well, indicating 8 GB is sufficient for those resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For 1440p displays, the High preset at 84.7 FPS offers the best experience, providing a substantial visual upgrade over Medium's 113 FPS while remaining well above the 60 FPS threshold. Gamers with 144Hz monitors should consider Medium settings to fully utilize their display's refresh rate, as the 113 FPS result is significantly smoother than High's 84.7 FPS.

At 1080p, Ultra settings at 93.4 FPS are recommended for the best visual quality, as the frame rate remains high enough for a responsive experience. For competitive play, Low settings at 242.8 FPS provide the maximum responsiveness, though Medium at 176.5 FPS offers a better balance of visuals and speed.

For 4K, the Low preset at 82.7 FPS is the only setting that provides a fully smooth experience, while Medium at 61 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay. High and Ultra should be avoided at this resolution, as the 41.4 FPS and 31.5 FPS results are below playable thresholds for a looter shooter that requires quick reactions. The data clearly indicates that this system is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p, where it delivers excellent performance across all settings.