Outriders

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D brings 8 cores and 16 threads to this pairing, running on the Zen 5 Granite Ridge architecture at a 4.70 GHz base clock and 5.60 GHz boost. That clock headroom is substantial for a 120 W TDP part, and the 96 MB shared L3 cache is the kind of capacity that can absorb repetitive data patterns common in looter shooters like Outriders. The CPU sits in the 92nd percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 58386 — a figure that puts it within 0.1% of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14900, while trailing the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 by 0.7% and the Intel Xeon w5-2545 by 0.2%.

What does that mean for Outriders specifically? The game's measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings suggest that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor here. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 245 FPS average — a number so high that even a lesser processor would likely keep up. The more telling data point is the scaling pattern from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, which shows a consistent drop as resolution increases. That behavior is classic GPU-bound performance. The CPU's single-thread score of 4704 in PassMark and Cinebench R23 single-core result of 2228 point to strong per-core performance, which matters for game logic and draw call processing, but Outriders appears to lean heavily on the graphics card once the render load climbs.

The 8-core, 16-thread configuration with DDR5 dual-channel memory support at 89.6 GB/s bandwidth gives the system ample headroom for background tasks and streaming assets. The 4 nm process from TSMC, with 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die, explains how this chip sustains high clocks without exceeding its 120 W envelope. For Outriders, where enemy density and particle effects can spike CPU demand, the 96 MB L3 cache likely helps maintain consistent frame pacing. The benchmark results show no anomalous dips at lower resolutions that would indicate CPU stalls — 245 FPS at 1080p Low and 155 FPS at 1440p Low are both high enough to suggest the processor is delivering frames as fast as the GPU can render them.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the other half of this pairing, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. Its 272.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 2460 MHz boost clock are modest by modern standards, but the card's 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs reflects its mid-range positioning. The GPU's average benchmark score of 17639 places it within 0.2% of the AMD Radeon HD 7790 and 0.3% of the AMD Radeon 780M, while running 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 560 and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 460. Those are tight margins, indicating the RTX 4060 sits in a crowded performance band.

In Outriders, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 32 FPS average — a steep drop from the 97 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is worth scrutinizing here. Outriders at 4K with High or Ultra settings can easily exceed 8 GB of video memory usage, which would force the card to spill into system RAM. The measured data shows 44 FPS at 4K High and 32 FPS at 4K Ultra, while dropping to Low settings at 4K yields 81 FPS. That 49 FPS swing between Ultra and Low at 4K suggests the GPU is struggling with both compute load and memory pressure at the highest settings.

The RTX 4060's 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 236.2 GTexel/s texture rate provide the raw throughput for Outriders' visual effects, but the 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB frame buffer create a bottleneck at higher resolutions. The card's 115 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU indicate an efficient design, yet efficiency doesn't overcome capacity limits. At 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to deliver 134 FPS on High and 97 FPS on Ultra — both playable numbers. The pattern across all measured rows shows the RTX 4060 is best suited to 1080p or 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for lower settings or players willing to accept sub-60 FPS averages.

# Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data tells a clear story about scaling behavior. Starting at 1080p High, the combo delivers 134 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 84 FPS — a 37% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 44 FPS, which is a 67% drop from the 1080p figure. This pattern is textbook GPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect smaller percentage drops as resolution increases, because the processor's work load stays relatively constant while the GPU's render load grows.

Looking at Low settings tells a similar story. At 1080p Low, the system hits 245 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 155 FPS — a 37% reduction. At 4K Low, it falls to 81 FPS, a 67% drop from 1080p. The consistency of these percentage drops across different settings is striking. Both High and Low presets show roughly the same scaling curve, which strongly indicates that the RTX 4060's rendering capability is the dominant factor. The CPU's performance headroom is sufficient at all resolutions; otherwise we would see the gap between 1080p and 1440p narrow as the GPU load increases.

Medium settings provide additional insight through their min/max FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the range is 152-205 FPS with a 178 average. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 96-129 FPS with a 112 average. At 4K Medium, the range is 50-68 FPS with a 59 average. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is becoming more consistently saturated, leaving less variance in frame delivery. The 4K Medium result of 59 FPS is notable because it's the only 4K setting that comes close to a 60 FPS target, and it does so with a minimum of 50 FPS that could cause noticeable stutter in fast-paced combat.

The scaling data also reveals the cost of Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 97 FPS — a 28% drop from High. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 61 FPS, a 27% drop from High. At 4K Ultra, it hits 32 FPS, a 27% drop from High. The consistent percentage penalty for Ultra across resolutions indicates that the extra effects and draw distances tax the GPU proportionally, regardless of resolution. This uniformity reinforces the conclusion that the RTX 4060 is the constraining component, with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D providing ample headroom throughout.

# Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the Outriders experience with this hardware combo. For players targeting 60 FPS as a baseline, the only 4K option that achieves it is Medium, which delivers 59 FPS average with a 50 FPS minimum. That's borderline, and the 50 FPS floor could feel inconsistent during intense encounters. At 4K, High produces 44 FPS and Ultra drops to 32 FPS — both below the 60 FPS threshold and likely to feel sluggish in a game that rewards fast reflexes.

At 1440p, the picture improves considerably. Medium delivers 112 FPS average with a 96 FPS minimum, which is comfortably above 60 FPS and provides smooth gameplay. High achieves 84 FPS, still well above the threshold. Ultra produces 61 FPS average, which technically meets 60 FPS but leaves little margin for demanding scenes. For 1440p, Medium or High are the sweet spots, with the choice depending on whether visual fidelity or frame rate consistency matters more. The 96 FPS minimum at Medium suggests this preset maintains good frame pacing even under load.

At 1080p, all settings are playable. Low hits 245 FPS, Medium achieves 178 FPS with a 152 FPS minimum, High reaches 134 FPS, and Ultra still manages 97 FPS. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, Low or Medium would maximize frame rates. For visual quality, Ultra at 97 FPS is still smooth and offers the best image quality. The 1080p Medium result with its 152-205 FPS range is particularly interesting — it suggests the game is well-optimized for this resolution on the RTX 4060.

The data implies that the best overall experience depends on the display. For 4K displays, Medium is the only viable preset, and even then the 50 FPS minimum is a risk. For 1440p, High offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with 84 FPS average. For 1080p, Medium or High both provide excellent experiences, with High offering better visuals at 134 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p and 4K appears to be a trap for this GPU, delivering frame rates that are too low for a fast-paced looter shooter.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 1391st out of 2913 tested combos in Outriders. That places it in the 47.7th percentile — almost exactly the median of all tested systems. This ranking is surprising at first glance, given the CPU's strong 92nd percentile standing and the GPU's respectable 61st percentile. The data suggests that the RTX 4060's mid-range positioning drags the overall combo down, despite the processor's excellent performance.

The gap between the CPU's percentile (92) and the combo's percentile (47.7) is telling. It indicates that Outriders is heavily GPU-bound for this pairing, and the processor's capabilities are largely underutilized. A system with a weaker CPU but a stronger GPU would likely rank higher in this game, assuming the CPU could keep up with the GPU's frame delivery. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D's 8 cores and 16 threads are overkill for Outriders' demands, as evidenced by the fact that the combo's FPS numbers align closely with what the RTX 4060 alone can produce.

The ranking also reflects the competitive landscape of the 2913 tested combos. Being in the middle of the pack means that many systems with different hardware configurations outperform this pairing in Outriders. The 4K results, in particular, likely drag the ranking down — a 32 FPS average at 4K Ultra is well below what higher-tier GPUs can achieve. Even at 1080p, the 245 FPS Low result is strong but not exceptional, as many GPUs with higher memory bandwidth can exceed that figure.

For players considering this combo, the ranking suggests it's a balanced mid-range system that handles Outriders adequately at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles at 4K. The CPU's power is largely untapped in this game, meaning future games with heavier CPU demands could see the Ryzen 7 9850X3D shine, while the RTX 4060 will remain the limiting factor.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings levels, providing a comprehensive view of the combo's performance.

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 245 FPS average
• Medium: 178 FPS average, 152 FPS minimum, 205 FPS maximum
• High: 134 FPS average
• Ultra: 97 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 155 FPS average
• Medium: 112 FPS average, 96 FPS minimum, 129 FPS maximum
• High: 84 FPS average
• Ultra: 61 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 81 FPS average
• Medium: 59 FPS average, 50 FPS minimum, 68 FPS maximum
• High: 44 FPS average
• Ultra: 32 FPS average

The min/max data for Medium settings at each resolution provides insight into frame consistency. At 1080p, the 152 FPS minimum and 205 FPS maximum represent a 35% spread from the average, indicating good frame pacing with occasional spikes. At 1440p, the 96 FPS minimum and 129 FPS maximum show a tighter 15% spread, suggesting more consistent performance as the GPU approaches its capacity. At 4K, the 50 FPS minimum and 68 FPS maximum represent a 15% spread from the 59 FPS average, but the absolute values are low enough that the variation is more noticeable in gameplay.

The pattern across all settings and resolutions shows diminishing returns as quality increases. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 67 FPS, from Medium to High costs 44 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 37 FPS. At 4K, the same transitions cost 22 FPS, 15 FPS, and 12 FPS respectively. This compression at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck, with each settings increase adding less performance impact because the render load is already near the card's limit.

# FAQ

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

A: At 1080p, all settings deliver playable frame rates, with the lowest preset at 245 FPS and Ultra at 97 FPS. At 1440p, Medium and High provide the best balance, with 112 FPS and 84 FPS respectively. At 4K, only Medium achieves near-60 FPS at 59 FPS average.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Outriders?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting component. The FPS drops by roughly 37% from 1080p to 1440p and another 48% from 1440p to 4K at both High and Low settings, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's 92nd percentile ranking far exceeds the combo's 47.7th percentile ranking in this game.

Q: What are the exact FPS figures at 4K Medium?

A: At 4K Medium, the combo delivers 59 FPS average, with a 50 FPS minimum and 68 FPS maximum. This is the only 4K setting that comes close to a 60 FPS target, but the 50 FPS floor could cause noticeable dips during intense scenes.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 is within 0.2% of the AMD Radeon HD 7790 and 0.3% of the AMD Radeon 780M, while running 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 560 and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 460.

Q: What settings should I use at 1440p for the best experience?

A: At 1440p, High settings deliver 84 FPS average, which is well above 60 FPS and provides good visual quality. Medium achieves 112 FPS with a 96 FPS minimum, making it the better choice if frame rate consistency is a priority. Ultra drops to 61 FPS, leaving little headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1391st out of 2913 tested combinations in Outriders, placing it in the 47.7th percentile. This is near the median, reflecting the RTX 4060's mid-range performance while the Ryzen 7 9850X3D's capabilities remain largely underutilized in this GPU-bound game.