Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics within Outriders. The data reveals a system where a top-tier 92nd percentile CPU is harnessed to a mid-range 58th percentile GPU, and the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings tell a clear story about where the performance ceiling truly lies.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K in Outriders shows a predictable but steep decline, clearly identifying the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves a robust 189 FPS average. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops this to 119 FPS, a 37% reduction. Pushing further to 4K at Low settings yields 62 FPS, which is just 33% of the 1080p performance. This scaling pattern is a textbook example of pixel-count pressure overwhelming the GPU's 6 GB memory buffer and 192-bit bus.

The trend becomes even more pronounced at higher graphical presets. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 103 FPS at 1080p, to 65 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 34 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result represents a 67% loss compared to 1080p High. This indicates that while the CPU can easily feed frames at lower resolutions, the RTX 2060's raw fillrate and shading power simply cannot sustain the increased pixel workload as resolution climbs.

The most telling data point is the Ultra preset. At 1080p, the combo manages 74 FPS, but this falls to 47 FPS at 1440p and a nearly unplayable 24 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra score is exactly one-third of the 1080p Ultra score, suggesting a linear scaling relationship that points to pure GPU compute limits. Since the CPU's performance is relatively constant across these resolutions, the data implies that the RTX 2060's 6.451 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 201.6 GTexel/s texture rate are the definitive constraints.

It is importantly the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 115 FPS (189 vs 74). At 4K, this gap shrinks to 38 FPS (62 vs 24). This compression suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing settings cannot fully compensate for the pixel count, whereas at 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to benefit significantly from lighter settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database for Outriders, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 2257 out of 2913 tested combos. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems, which is a surprising result given the CPU's pedigree. The percentile rank of the CPU alone is 92, yet the combo's position in this game indicates that the RTX 2060 drags the overall experience down substantially.

The ranking suggests that in Outriders, the GPU is the dominant factor in determining the combo's position. The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M and Intel Core i9-14900, with scores within 0.5% of the 9850X3D. However, these comparisons are irrelevant for gaming performance when the GPU is the bottleneck. The data shows that the combo's rank is more indicative of the GPU's capabilities than the CPU's.

The 2257th position out of 2913 combos means that roughly 77% of tested systems outperform this pairing in Outriders. This is a critical insight: despite having a flagship-class CPU, the user is getting a mid-pack gaming experience in this title. The data implies that any combo with a more powerful GPU, even with a significantly weaker CPU, would likely rank higher in this game due to the GPU-bound nature of the workload.

The gap between the CPU's 92nd percentile standing and the combo's 77th percentile ranking highlights a significant mismatch. This suggests that for Outriders specifically, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D's 8 cores and 16 threads are largely underutilized, and the system's performance is being held back by the RTX 2060's 48 ROPs and 1920 shading units.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card is adequate for 1080p gaming but struggles at higher resolutions. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, translating to 14 Gbps effective, which is typical for this generation but insufficient for the demands of 4K textures in a looter shooter.

The GPU's boost clock of 1680 MHz and base clock of 1365 MHz are standard for the TU106 chip, built on a 12 nm process. The card's 6.451 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 80.64 GPixel/s pixel rate directly correlate with the measured frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the 24 FPS average suggests the GPU is entirely saturated, with no headroom for additional effects or higher resolutions.

The benchmark results show a consistent pattern: the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 14111 and its 58th percentile ranking among all GPUs align with the measured gaming performance. The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 and AMD Radeon 680M, with scores within 0.1% difference. However, these rivals do not have the same feature set, as the RTX 2060 includes 30 RT Cores and 240 Tensor Cores, which may help in other titles but do not appear to provide a significant advantage in Outriders based on the measured FPS.

The 6 GB memory capacity is particularly notable. At 1080p, the card achieves playable frame rates across all settings, from 74 FPS at Ultra to 189 FPS at Low. However, at 1440p and 4K, the memory bandwidth and capacity become limiting factors. The 4K Low result of 62 FPS versus the 1440p Low of 119 FPS indicates that the card's bandwidth is being stretched thin, as the pixel fill rate cannot keep up with the increased resolution demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 189 FPS, Medium achieves 137 FPS with a range of 117 to 158, High reaches 103 FPS, and Ultra drops to 74 FPS. These numbers indicate that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, as even the highest preset maintains a comfortable frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are substantial. Low settings yield 119 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS with a range of 74 to 99, High produces 65 FPS, and Ultra falls to 47 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum of 74 FPS, which is still playable, but the Ultra preset's 47 FPS average suggests a less smooth experience. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is 70 FPS, while at Ultra it is 27 FPS, indicating that the GPU's compute units are the limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playability. Low settings average 62 FPS, Medium drops to 45 FPS with a range of 38 to 52, High yields 34 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 24 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 38 FPS is below the 40 FPS threshold that many players consider acceptable, and the Ultra preset's 24 FPS average is clearly unplayable for a fast-paced looter shooter.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution increase halves the available performance at the same settings. From 1080p to 4K at High settings, the frame rate drops from 103 to 34 FPS, a 67% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 189 to 62 FPS, a 67% reduction as well. This consistency indicates that the GPU's scaling is linear with pixel count, confirming that the RTX 2060 is the sole determinant of performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best performance setting for 1080p gaming?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 103 FPS average, which is a good balance. However, the Ultra preset still achieves 74 FPS, making it viable for players who prioritize visual quality over the higher frame rates offered by Low (189 FPS) or Medium (137 FPS).

Q: Can this combo run Outriders at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K Low, the combo averages 62 FPS, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it drops to 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players. The 4K High (34 FPS) and Ultra (24 FPS) presets are not recommended for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the RTX 2060's memory capacity affect performance?

A: The 6 GB VRAM with 336.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K the memory becomes a limiting factor. The 4K Low result of 62 FPS versus the 1080p Low of 189 FPS indicates that the memory bandwidth is saturated at higher resolutions, contributing to the significant performance drop.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9850X3D being fully utilized in Outriders?

A: The data suggests no. The CPU's 92nd percentile ranking and 8 cores with 16 threads are not the bottleneck, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling with resolution. The combo's rank of 2257 out of 2913 indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, leaving the CPU's capabilities underused.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 119 FPS while Ultra produces 47 FPS, a difference of 72 FPS. This large gap indicates that the GPU's shading units and ROPs are heavily taxed by the higher graphical preset, making Low the only setting that achieves a high refresh rate at this resolution.

Q: Does the GPU's performance match its synthetic benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060's PassMark G3D score of 14111 and 58th percentile ranking align with the measured results. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 680M, has a similar synthetic score, but the RTX 2060's dedicated VRAM and higher fill rate provide better gaming performance in Outriders, as evidenced by the 1080p results.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience in Outriders with this combo, the data suggests a resolution-dependent strategy. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers an excellent balance, delivering 137 FPS average with a minimum of 117 FPS. This provides a smooth, high-refresh experience while maintaining visual fidelity. The High preset at 103 FPS is also viable, and even Ultra at 74 FPS is playable for those who want maximum visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that achieves a high refresh rate, with 119 FPS average. The Medium preset drops to 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, which is still acceptable for most players. The High preset at 65 FPS is borderline, while Ultra at 47 FPS is not recommended for fast-paced gameplay. Given the data, Medium at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot, offering a significant visual improvement over Low while maintaining a playable frame rate.

For 3840x2160, the options are limited. The Low preset at 62 FPS is the most playable, while Medium at 45 FPS is playable but with a minimum of 38 FPS that may cause stutters. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended due to frame rates below 35 FPS. Players who prioritize 4K should use Low settings, while those who value higher frame rates should consider dropping to 1440p Medium.

Overall, the data indicates that the Medium preset is the most balanced across all resolutions. It provides a consistent frame rate that is playable at 1080p (137 FPS), 1440p (87 FPS), and 4K (45 FPS). The Low preset is the fallback for 4K and high-refresh 1440p, while Ultra should only be used at 1080p if the player accepts the 74 FPS compromise.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D's role in Outriders is minimal based on the measured data. With 8 cores and 16 threads running at a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's processing demands. The 96 MB of shared L3 cache and 4 nm TSMC process node provide ample headroom for gaming workloads.

The CPU's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22807 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4704, place it in the top tier of processors. However, the game's performance does not scale with these capabilities, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate drops with resolution increases. This indicates that Outriders is heavily GPU-bound, and the CPU's 92nd percentile ranking does not translate to a high combo rank.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is sufficient for the game, and the PCIe Gen 5 interface provides ample bandwidth for the GPU. The CPU's 120 W TDP and 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die ensure efficient operation, but these factors do not influence the gaming results.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios. At 1080p Low, the 189 FPS average suggests the CPU can feed frames well above 144 Hz, and the drop to 62 FPS at 4K Low is entirely due to GPU constraints. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900, have similar synthetic scores, but this does not matter for Outriders because the GPU is the bottleneck. In essence, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a high-end processor that is being held back by a mid-range GPU, resulting in a combo that underperforms relative to the CPU's potential.