Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a top-tier Outriders experience, ranking 27th out of 2,913 tested combos. This places the pairing in the top 1% of all configurations, a position driven by the GPU’s immense rasterization power and the CPU’s strong single-thread performance. The measured frame rates show that this combo can push 4K Ultra at 62 FPS average, but the most compelling results appear at 1440p High, where the average hits 165 FPS. The data indicates that the RTX 4090 is the dominant performance driver, while the Ryzen 7 9850X3D provides sufficient headroom to avoid bottlenecking even at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, explains the scaling behavior, and answers common questions about this specific hardware pairing in Outriders.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 27th out of 2,913 tested combinations in Outriders, which is a strong result that places it in the 99th percentile of all systems. This rank reflects the synergy between the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, where both components contribute meaningfully to the final frame rates. The CPU’s benchmark scores support its role: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22,807 and a single-core score of 2,228, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4,704. These numbers indicate that the processor can feed the GPU efficiently, a requirement for high-refresh-rate gaming. The RTX 4090, meanwhile, posts a PassMark G3D score of 38,194 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223, confirming its position as a top-tier graphics card.

Relative to its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D sits in a tight cluster. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M scores 58,323 (0.1% higher), the Intel Xeon w5-2545 scores 58,504 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58,115 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 scores 58,826 (0.7% higher). These deltas are minuscule, meaning the 9850X3D’s overall average benchmark score of 58,386 is essentially on par with those rivals. For gaming, this translates to negligible differences in CPU-bound scenarios; the real differentiator is the GPU. The RTX 4090’s nearest rivals show a similar pattern: the Intel Arc Pro A60 scores 60,326 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60,140 (0.3% lower), the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61,896 (2.5% higher), and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58,657 (2.9% lower). The 4090’s average benchmark score of 60,347 puts it slightly below the W6600M in synthetic tests, but in Outriders, the measured FPS tells the real story.

The combo rank of 27 out of 2,913 is particularly notable because it outranks many configurations that might use faster CPUs or higher-tier GPUs in other games. In Outriders, the data shows that the RTX 4090’s raw throughput—backed by 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs—is the primary driver. The CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads with a 96 MB shared L3 cache ensure that draw calls and physics calculations do not hold back the GPU. For context, the CPU’s percentile vs all CPUs is 92, meaning it outperforms 92% of tested processors, while the GPU’s percentile vs all GPUs is 88. Both are high, but the CPU’s slightly higher percentile suggests it is less of a limiting factor. The result is a system that delivers high average FPS across all tested presets, with the only sub-60 result appearing at 4K Ultra, where the average is 62 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience across different resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 292 FPS, Medium produces 259 FPS, High reaches 233 FPS, and Ultra drops to 188 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial—104 FPS—but even Ultra remains far above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 1080p shows a minimum FPS of 220 and a maximum of 298, indicating smooth frame pacing with no severe dips. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, the Low preset at 292 FPS is the best choice, as it maximizes frame rate with minimal visual compromise. However, for most users, the High preset at 233 FPS offers an excellent balance, providing significantly better visual fidelity while still delivering frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most 1440p or 1080p displays.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. Low produces 250 FPS, Medium 219 FPS, High 165 FPS, and Ultra 119 FPS. Here, the Medium preset stands out with a minimum FPS of 187 and a maximum of 252, making it the most stable option in terms of frame consistency. The High preset at 165 FPS is still excellent, but the drop from Medium is 54 FPS, which might be noticeable on a 240 Hz monitor. For a 1440p 165 Hz display, the High preset is ideal, as it matches the refresh rate almost exactly. Ultra at 119 FPS is playable and visually impressive, but the 46 FPS drop from High suggests diminishing returns—the visual uplift from High to Ultra is often subtle, while the performance cost is significant. The data recommends Medium or High at 1440p, depending on whether frame rate or visual quality takes priority.

At 3840x2160, the results become more constrained. Low averages 158 FPS, Medium 115 FPS, High 86 FPS, and Ultra 62 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum FPS of 97 and a maximum of 132, which is the only preset at this resolution with reported frame variance. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS is just above the 60 FPS console-standard threshold, but it leaves no headroom for demanding scenes. For a smooth 4K experience, the Medium preset is the recommendation, as it delivers 115 FPS average with the lowest minimum recorded (97 FPS) among the 4K presets. High at 86 FPS is also viable for 60 Hz displays, but Medium provides better frame consistency. Low at 158 FPS at 4K is an outlier—it suggests that the game’s Low preset reduces GPU load dramatically, but the visual quality is likely too compromised for most 4K display owners. The best overall experience, balancing visual fidelity and performance, is the High preset at 1440p, which achieves 165 FPS average and benefits from the GPU’s 24 GB of VRAM.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the limiting component in this combo. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 233 at 1080p to 165 at 1440p to 86 at 4K. This represents a 29% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 48% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, which indicates that the RTX 4090 becomes more strained as resolution increases, while the CPU’s role diminishes. At 1080p Low, the average is 292 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s practical limit for Outriders—the Ryzen 7 9850X3D’s single-core performance (Cinebench R15 single-core score of 343, PassMark single-thread score of 4,704) supports high frame rates, but the game engine imposes a ceiling. At 4K Low, the average drops to 158 FPS, a 46% reduction, which is a larger relative drop than the High preset’s 63% reduction from 1080p to 4K (233 to 86 FPS). This suggests that at Low settings, the GPU is less utilized, and the bottleneck shifts more toward the CPU, but the 9850X3D still manages to deliver 158 FPS at 4K.

The scaling from Medium to Ultra at each resolution further clarifies the GPU-bound nature. At 1080p, Medium yields 259 FPS and Ultra 188 FPS, a drop of 27%. At 1440p, Medium yields 219 FPS and Ultra 119 FPS, a drop of 46%. At 4K, Medium yields 115 FPS and Ultra 62 FPS, a drop of 46%. The consistent 46% drop at 1440p and 4K indicates that the GPU’s shading and texture units are the limiting factor when moving from Medium to Ultra, as the increased visual effects (likely shadows, reflections, and post-processing) scale with resolution. The smaller 27% drop at 1080p suggests that the CPU begins to intervene, preventing the GPU from fully saturating its resources. In short, the RTX 4090 is the primary bottleneck at 4K and 1440p, while the Ryzen 7 9850X3D becomes co-limiting at 1080p, especially at lower presets.

The 4K to 1440p ratio for High settings is 86/165 = 0.52, meaning 4K delivers just over half the FPS of 1440p. For Medium, the ratio is 115/219 = 0.53, and for Ultra, it’s 62/119 = 0.52. These ratios are nearly identical, confirming that the GPU’s workload scales predictably with pixel count. For Low, the ratio is 158/250 = 0.63, which is higher, indicating that at Low settings, the GPU is less stressed, and other factors (CPU, memory bandwidth) play a larger role. The RTX 4090’s 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth and 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM are sufficient to avoid memory bottlenecks; the scaling is purely compute-bound. This data leads to the conclusion that for 4K gaming, the Medium preset offers the best balance of frame rate and visual quality, while 1440p High is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 292 FPS, with no reported minimum or maximum, indicating that the frame rate is consistently high. Medium averages 259 FPS, with a minimum of 220 and a maximum of 298—this range suggests some scene-dependent variance, but the minimum remains well above 200 FPS. High averages 233 FPS, a 26 FPS drop from Medium, which is modest given the visual improvements. Ultra averages 188 FPS, which is still far above the 144 Hz threshold, making it viable for high-refresh-rate gaming. The data shows that at 1080p, even Ultra does not stress the RTX 4090 to its limits, as the average FPS remains above the refresh rate of most monitors. The CPU’s role here is more pronounced, but the 9850X3D’s high single-thread score ensures that frame times remain low.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows a clear step down. Low averages 250 FPS, dropping 42 FPS from 1080p Low. Medium averages 219 FPS, with a minimum of 187 and a maximum of 252—the minimum is still above 144 Hz, making this preset suitable for high-refresh 1440p displays. High averages 165 FPS, which is exactly the refresh rate of many 1440p monitors, providing a perfectly synced experience without V-Sync artifacts. Ultra averages 119 FPS, which is below 144 Hz but still smooth for most players. The 46 FPS gap between High and Ultra at 1440p is more pronounced than at 1080p (where the gap was 45 FPS), but the relative drop is similar. The Medium preset’s minimum of 187 FPS is the most consistent among the 1440p options, making it the recommended choice for competitive players who need stable frame times.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limits become apparent. Low averages 158 FPS, which is surprising for 4K—it indicates that the Low preset significantly reduces the rendering load. Medium averages 115 FPS, with a minimum of 97 and a maximum of 132, providing a playable experience with some headroom. High averages 86 FPS, which is smooth on a 60 Hz or 75 Hz display but may cause noticeable tearing on higher refresh screens. Ultra averages 62 FPS, the lowest result in the entire dataset, and it hovers just above the 60 FPS standard. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K is 24 FPS, which is substantial, and the visual difference may not justify the performance cost. The data suggests that 4K Ultra is only viable for players who prioritize maximum visual fidelity over frame rate consistency. For most 4K users, Medium or High will provide a better experience, with Medium offering the highest minimum FPS of 97.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the clear performance leader in this combo, and its specifications explain the measured results. The GPU is built on the AD102 chip with an Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. It has 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores, which are not directly utilized in Outriders’ standard rendering but contribute to the overall processing capability. The base clock is 2,235 MHz, boosting to 2,520 MHz, and the memory runs at 1,313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective speed. The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Outriders’ texture-heavy environments. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 82.58 TFLOPS, and its texture rate is 1,290.2 GTexel/s, both of which are massive figures that enable the high frame rates seen in the data.

The VRAM capacity of 24 GB is a key factor at 4K resolutions. Outriders, as a looter shooter with dense environments and numerous particle effects, can consume significant memory at Ultra settings. The fact that the 4K Ultra preset still achieves 62 FPS average suggests that the 24 GB buffer prevents any memory-related stutters or asset streaming issues. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s ensures that texture fetches do not bottleneck the shading units, even at 4K with High settings. The measured FPS at 4K Medium (115 FPS) shows that the GPU has ample headroom when settings are reduced, further confirming that the 4090 is not memory-limited. The PassMark G3D score of 38,194 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 271,631 corroborate the GPU’s strong compute performance, which translates directly to Outriders’ DX12 rendering path.

The GPU’s role is also evident in the scaling behavior. At 1080p, the average FPS across all presets ranges from 188 to 292, which is a 104 FPS spread. At 4K, the spread is from 62 to 158, a 96 FPS spread. The narrower spread at 4K indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, as increasing settings from Low to Ultra has a proportionally larger impact on frame rate. The RTX 4090’s 450 W TDP and triple-slot design are necessary to sustain these clocks, and the data shows that the GPU is capable of delivering high frame rates without thermal throttling, as evidenced by the consistent FPS across multiple presets. The GPU’s percentile vs all GPUs is 88, which is lower than the CPU’s 92 percentile, but in Outriders, the GPU’s raw performance is what drives the combo’s rank of 27.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 delivers an average FPS of 115, with a minimum of 97 and a maximum of 132. This provides a smooth experience with frame rates well above 60 FPS. The High preset at 86 FPS is also viable for 60 Hz displays, but the Medium preset’s higher minimum FPS ensures more consistent performance.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 292 FPS, which is the highest recorded result. This suggests the CPU, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4,704, is near its limit, as the GPU could potentially render more frames if the CPU could feed them faster. However, the 1080p Ultra preset still achieves 188 FPS, indicating that the bottleneck is not severe.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 27th out of 2,913 tested combinations, placing it in the top 1%. This rank is driven by the RTX 4090’s high FPS across all resolutions and the Ryzen 7 9850X3D’s strong CPU performance, which prevents bottlenecking in most scenarios.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 165 FPS, while Ultra averages 119 FPS. This is a difference of 46 FPS, with Ultra providing improved visual effects but at a significant performance cost. For a 144 Hz monitor, High is the better choice.

Q: Is 24 GB of VRAM necessary for Outriders?

A: The RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth. The 4K Ultra preset averages 62 FPS, which indicates that the VRAM is sufficient to handle the game’s highest settings without memory-related issues. The GPU’s memory bandwidth ensures smooth texture streaming even at 4K.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for any preset?

A: The lowest minimum FPS is 97, recorded at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This is the only preset in the dataset with a reported minimum below 100 FPS, and it remains above the 60 FPS standard, confirming the combo’s ability to maintain playable frame rates even in demanding scenes.