Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 pairing in Outriders presents a clear picture of a processor far outpacing its graphics counterpart. The data shows a combination that ranks 1395th out of 1693 tested combos, placing it in the lower third of the database. This is a system where the GPU dictates the experience, and the settings you choose are paramount to achieving playable frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 2060 is the limiting factor in this pairing. The sweet spot for this combination is the Medium preset at 1920x1080, delivering an average of 135.7 FPS. This provides a high-refresh-rate experience without pushing the GPU to its absolute limits. At the same resolution, the High preset is still very playable at 102.7 FPS, making it a viable choice for those prioritizing visual fidelity over maximum frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset offers a solid 84.5 FPS average, which is a good balance for competitive play on a 1440p monitor. The High preset at this resolution drops to 65 FPS, which remains smooth but begins to show the GPU's strain. For 4K gaming (3840x2160), the data suggests that the Low preset is the only realistic option for fluid gameplay, yielding an average of 61 FPS. The High preset at 4K falls to 34.9 FPS, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this GPU. At 1920x1080, it achieves 72.1 FPS, but the cost of moving up to 1440p is severe, dropping to 46.5 FPS. At 4K, the Ultra preset becomes unplayable at 23.4 FPS. The performance jump from Ultra to High at 1080p is a significant 30.6 FPS gain, making the High preset a far more sensible choice for daily play. The measured data strongly suggests that players should start with the Medium preset and adjust from there, as it offers the best combination of frame rate and visual quality across all tested resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, is the primary determinant of performance in this benchmark set. The data shows a clear scaling pattern tied to resolution. The GPU's 336.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth and boost clock of 1680 MHz are clearly being stressed as resolution increases. The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings results in a 37.7 FPS drop (from 102.7 to 65.0). This indicates that the 6 GB frame buffer and memory bandwidth are becoming saturated.

The GPU's performance percentile sits at 58th among all tested GPUs, and its benchmark scores show it as a mid-range part. The compute score of 5488 in Passmark and the DirectX 12 score of 53 in Passmark highlight its Turing-architecture capabilities, but also its limitations in modern titles. In Outriders, the RTX 2060's 6 GB of VRAM is likely the bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings, as the game appears to demand more memory than the card can efficiently provide. The 34.9 FPS result at 4K High versus the 61 FPS at 4K Low demonstrates that the card's raw compute power is insufficient for high-fidelity 4K, but it can handle lower settings at that resolution. The GPU is the star of the show only in the sense that it's the component holding the system back, and its Turing architecture with 1920 shading units and 30 RT cores is showing its age in a demanding looter shooter.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an exceptionally powerful processor that is not being fully utilized in this configuration. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, its processing power is far beyond what the RTX 2060 can feed it in Outriders. The CPU's multi-threaded performance is exceptional, as shown by its Cinebench R23 score of 31588, but this headroom is irrelevant when the GPU is the limiting factor. The processor's 5.50 GHz boost clock and 32 MB of L3 cache ensure that it will never be a source of frame rate stuttering or drops in this scenario.

The CPU's benchmark percentile of 89th among all CPUs, alongside an average benchmark score of 36029, places it in the top tier of processors. However, the game's performance is not scaling with this power. The data shows that the combination's rank in the game (1395th of 1693) is far below what the CPU's individual standing would suggest. This is a classic example of a CPU bottleneck being the inverse—the CPU is so fast that it is waiting on the GPU. The Ryzen 7 9700X's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14500HX, has a nearly identical average score (35940 vs 36029), but neither would show a meaningful difference in this game due to the GPU constraint. The processor's role here is to provide a stable, high-performance foundation that will not introduce any frame pacing issues, ensuring that the GPU is the sole source of performance variance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9700X and RTX 2060 ranks 1395th out of 1693 tested combos in Outriders. This places it in the bottom 20% of all tested pairings, which is a stark contrast to the individual component rankings. The CPU is in the 89th percentile, while the GPU is only in the 58th percentile. The data clearly shows that this pairing is unbalanced for this specific game. The high rank number (1395) indicates that most other CPU/GPU combinations in the database outperform this one in Outriders.

This ranking is not a reflection of a weak CPU, but rather of a GPU that is significantly outclassed by its partner. The RTX 2060 is an end-of-life product, and its performance is now a bottleneck for modern processors. The data suggests that users with this CPU should pair it with a more powerful GPU to unlock its full potential. The combo's rank is dragged down by the GPU's inability to keep pace with the CPU's capabilities, resulting in a system that performs far below the sum of its parts. This is a critical insight for anyone considering this pairing: the CPU is a future-proof investment, but the GPU will need an upgrade to realize the system's potential in demanding titles like Outriders.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Outriders at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at the Low preset, where it achieves an average of 61 FPS. At Medium settings, the frame rate drops to 43.9 FPS, and at High or Ultra, it falls below 35 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At this resolution, the Medium and High presets deliver 135.7 and 102.7 FPS respectively, providing the best balance of visual quality and performance. 2560x1440 is also viable with the Medium preset at 84.5 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using?

A: The Ultra preset is not recommended. At 1920x1080, it achieves 72.1 FPS, but the performance penalty is severe. Moving to 1440p drops it to 46.5 FPS, and at 4K it becomes unplayable at 23.4 FPS. The High preset offers a much better performance-to-quality ratio.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 9700X is a top-tier processor, but the RTX 2060 holds the system back. The low combo rank (1395th of 1693) compared to the CPU's high individual percentile (89th) confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck.

Q: How does this combo compare to other pairings?

A: The combination ranks in the bottom 20% of all tested combos. This is primarily due to the GPU's performance, which ranks in the 58th percentile. The CPU is so powerful that it is essentially waiting for the GPU, resulting in a system that underperforms its potential.

Q: What settings should I use for a competitive advantage?

A: For the highest frame rates, the Low preset at 1920x1080 yields 187.7 FPS. For a balance of competitive performance and visual clarity, the Medium preset at 1920x1080, with 135.7 FPS, is the recommended choice for most players.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. The most striking result is the low-end performance at 4K, where the Ultra preset averages just 23.4 FPS, making it a slideshow. The Low preset at 4K is the only playable option there, hitting exactly 61 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the experience is more manageable. The Low preset provides a high refresh rate experience at 118.9 FPS. Medium is the most balanced option at 84.5 FPS, while High remains smooth at 65 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is marginal at 46.5 FPS.

The 1920x1080 resolution shows the full potential and limitations of the RTX 2060. The Low preset hits an impressive 187.7 FPS, demonstrating that the CPU can push very high frame rates when the GPU load is low. Medium is the sweet spot at 135.7 FPS, and High is still excellent at 102.7 FPS. The Ultra preset, at 72.1 FPS, is the only setting at this resolution that shows significant strain. The data across all resolutions clearly illustrates a linear scaling of performance with settings, with the GPU's limitations becoming more pronounced as resolution increases.