Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 pairing delivers a dominant performance in Outriders, ranking in the top 1% of tested combinations. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at 4K, but exhibits a surprising CPU limitation at lower resolutions that prevents the flagship GPU from reaching its full potential. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates to show exactly where this combo excels and where it leaves performance on the table.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a classic curve, but with a notable flattening at the top end that signals a CPU bottleneck. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 232 FPS at 1080p to 168 FPS at 1440p, a 27.6% reduction. Moving to 4K, the average falls to 88 FPS, which is a 47.6% drop from the 1440p result and a 62.1% drop from 1080p. This steep decline at 4K is expected, as the GPU is working significantly harder to render four times the pixels.

However, the scaling pattern at lower resolutions reveals an important characteristic of this pairing. At Low settings, the jump from 1080p to 1440p is only from 290 FPS to 249 FPS, a 14.1% decrease. This is a much smaller relative drop than what would be seen in a purely GPU-bound scenario, where the pixel count increase would typically cause a more proportional performance hit. The data suggests that at 1080p with Low settings, the CPU is the limiting factor, as the RTX 5090 is capable of far more than 290 FPS in this title, but the Ryzen 7 9700F cannot feed it data fast enough.

The gap between resolutions narrows significantly when looking at the Ultra preset. Here, the 1080p average is 193 FPS, dropping to 122 FPS at 1440p (a 36.8% decrease) and then to 64 FPS at 4K (a 47.5% decrease from 1440p). The Ultra preset places a much heavier load on the GPU, which helps to mask the CPU limitation seen at lower settings. The data indicates that to see the full potential of the RTX 5090, users should play at 4K with higher settings, where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck and the CPU has more time to prepare frames.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory help to ensure that the 16 threads are well-fed, but the benchmark data in Outriders suggests that its single-thread performance is the key factor in this game. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4691 is a strong indicator of its capability in this area.

The CPU's role becomes clear when examining the 1080p Low and Medium results. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 290, while at 1080p Medium it is 258. The difference between these two settings is only 32 FPS, despite the increased graphical load of the Medium preset. This small delta suggests that the CPU is struggling to keep up with the GPU's frame generation at these settings. The 1080p High result of 232 FPS is still very high, but the scaling from Low to High is less than expected, further confirming a CPU bottleneck at the lowest resolutions.

The CPU's performance ceiling is evident when comparing its benchmark scores to its rivals. The Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996, which places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, scores 70163, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the AMD chip is essentially on par with it. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, with a score of 69515, is 0.7% behind. This puts the 9700F in elite company, but the data from Outriders shows that even a top-tier CPU can be a limiting factor when paired with the fastest GPU available at lower resolutions. The 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for a looter shooter like Outriders, but the per-core speed seems to be the primary differentiator in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a behemoth of a graphics card, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2407 MHz and 21760 shading units contribute to its raw compute power, which is reflected in its PassMark G3D score of 39650. This places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs.

In Outriders, the GPU's role is dominant at 4K, where its immense fill rate and memory bandwidth are fully utilized. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 64, while at 4K High it is 88, and at 4K Medium it is 117. The scaling from Medium to High is a 24.8% increase, and from High to Ultra is a 27.3% decrease. This shows that the card is highly sensitive to the graphical settings at this resolution, with the Ultra preset proving to be a significant load even for the flagship.

The GPU's memory capacity is a major asset in this game. With 32 GB of VRAM, the RTX 5090 is unlikely to ever hit a memory capacity limit, even at 4K with Ultra textures. The memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s also ensures that the GPU can quickly stream textures and geometry, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in a fast-paced game like Outriders. The GPU's performance at 1440p is also exceptional, with an average of 249 FPS at Low settings, but this is where the CPU bottleneck becomes apparent, preventing the card from reaching even higher frame rates. The data shows that the RTX 5090 is a card that is best paired with a CPU that can match its raw speed, and even then, only at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 21st out of 2913 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the top 0.7% of all systems. This is an exceptional ranking, but notably, it is not the absolute top, which suggests that other CPU-GPU pairings can extract slightly more performance from the game.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions. While the combo is incredibly fast, it is likely that systems with a faster CPU, such as a higher-clocked Intel processor, could achieve higher average FPS at 1080p and 1440p. The fact that the combo ranks 21st, rather than 1st, indicates that the Ryzen 7 9700F, despite its strong performance, is holding back the RTX 5090 in some scenarios.

This is a system that is tailor-made for 4K gaming. At 4K, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, and the combo's ranking would likely be much higher if only those results were considered. The data suggests that this pairing is a top-tier choice for gamers who prioritize high-resolution gaming with maximum settings. The 64 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a very playable frame rate, and the 88 FPS average at 4K High is excellent for a game like Outriders. The ranking reflects the raw power of both components, but the subtle performance ceiling imposed by the CPU is a key takeaway for anyone looking to build a similar system.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings to use with this combo in Outriders?*

A: The data suggests that 4K with High settings is the sweet spot, yielding an average of 88 FPS. This resolution and setting combination fully utilizes the GPU, avoiding the CPU bottleneck seen at lower resolutions while still providing a high frame rate.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700F a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 in this game?

A: Yes, the data indicates a CPU bottleneck at 1080p with Low and Medium settings. The average FPS at 1080p Low is 290, which is high, but the scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is only a 14.1% drop, suggesting the CPU is limiting the GPU's potential at these settings.

*Q: How does the RTX 5090's memory affect its performance in Outriders?*

A: The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory with 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth ensures that the GPU never runs out of memory or bandwidth, even at 4K with Ultra settings. This allows for consistent frame rates without stuttering due to texture streaming.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 21st out of 2913 tested combinations, placing it in the top 0.7% of all systems. This is a very high ranking, but not the absolute highest, likely due to the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1440p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 221, while at 4K Medium, it is 117. This is a 47.1% reduction in frame rate, showing the significant load increase that 4K places on the GPU.

*Q: Is the CPU's 8-core, 16-thread configuration sufficient for Outriders?*

A: Yes, the data shows that the CPU is not limited by its core or thread count at higher resolutions. The bottleneck at 1080p is more likely related to single-thread performance, as the CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4691 is strong but not the absolute highest.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table provides the exact measured average frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination in Outriders:

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|-------------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 64 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | High | 88 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 117 | 100 | 135 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 161 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 122 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 168 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 221 | 188 | 254 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 249 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 193 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 232 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 258 | 219 | 297 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 290 | - | - |

The data shows a clear progression: the highest average frame rate of 290 FPS is achieved at 1080p with Low settings, while the lowest average of 64 FPS occurs at 4K with Ultra settings. The Medium settings at each resolution consistently provide a balanced experience, with the 4K Medium result of 117 FPS being particularly notable for its smoothness, as evidenced by the minimum and maximum frame times of 100 and 135 FPS, respectively. This breakdown confirms that the combo is a powerhouse capable of delivering high refresh rates at 1440p and solid 4K performance, with the only caveat being the CPU's influence on lower-resolution, lower-settings scenarios.