Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a fascinating dataset in Outriders, revealing a system where the GPU is almost certainly the primary bottleneck. The measured FPS numbers show a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the rate of that decline offers specific insights into where the system's limits lie. The data suggests this combo is well-balanced for high-refresh 1080p gaming, but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with higher presets.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking trend in the measured data is the steep performance cliff when moving from 1440p to 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 71 FPS at 2560x1440 to just 37 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 47.9% reduction in performance for a 2.25x increase in pixel count. The scaling is nearly linear with pixel count, which strongly indicates the system is fully GPU-limited at these resolutions. The RTX 2060 SUPER simply runs out of pixel-pushing capability as the render target grows.

The 1080p to 1440p transition tells a different story. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 113 at 1920x1080 to 71 at 2560x1440, a 37.2% decrease. This is less severe than the pixel-count increase would suggest (2.25x), hinting that at 1080p, the CPU might be starting to play a more significant role. The Ryzen 9 5950X with its 16 cores and 32 threads is powerful, but the data implies that even this high-end processor can become a limiting factor at very high frame rates.

The Low settings preset provides the clearest view of the CPU ceiling. At 1920x1080 Low, the system achieves 207 FPS average. At 1440p Low, it still manages 131 FPS. However, at 4K Low, the average collapses to 68 FPS. The gap between 1080p Low (207 FPS) and 1440p Low (131 FPS) is a 36.7% drop, which closely mirrors the High settings behavior. This consistency across presets suggests the GPU is the dominant constraint even at lower graphical loads, with the CPU headroom only becoming apparent at the very highest frame rates in 1080p.

Ultra settings reveal the most punishing scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 81 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Ultra yields 51 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 4K Ultra, the system falls to 27 FPS average, which is a 66.7% drop from 1440p Ultra. This non-linear collapse at 4K Ultra indicates the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are completely saturated, with the 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth likely being strained by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical features.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the best experience across all settings, with averages ranging from 81 FPS at Ultra to 207 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, the system remains playable with averages between 51 FPS (Ultra) and 131 FPS (Low). The 3840x2160 resolution is only viable at Low settings, where it achieves 68 FPS average, while High and Ultra dip to 37 FPS and 27 FPS respectively.

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

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The measured frame rates suggest that at 4K Ultra, the combination of high resolution and maximum settings likely exceeds comfortable VRAM usage, contributing to the 27 FPS average. The 1440p Medium results (95 FPS average, with minimum of 81 FPS) indicate the memory subsystem handles moderate loads well.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 5950X bottlenecking the RTX 2060 SUPER?

A: The benchmark results indicate the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 207 FPS average, which is high but not extreme. The CPU's single-thread score of 944 in 3dmark and 1614 in Cinebench R23 suggest it has ample headroom. The GPU's 62nd percentile ranking versus all GPUs, compared to the CPU's 91st percentile, confirms the GPU is the weaker link.

Q: What settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers 95 FPS average with a minimum of 81 FPS and maximum of 109 FPS. This provides a smooth experience while maintaining reasonable visual fidelity. High settings at 1440p achieve 71 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 51 FPS. Medium appears to be the sweet spot for this resolution.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations in Outriders?

A: This specific combination ranks 2514 out of 3710 tested combos in the game. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance distribution. The ranking suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher frame rates, likely due to the RTX 2060 SUPER's mid-range positioning.

Q: Can the RTX 2060 SUPER handle 4K gaming in Outriders?

A: The measured data shows that 4K gaming is only practical at Low settings, where the system averages 68 FPS. At Medium, the average drops to 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS, which is borderline playable. High and Ultra settings at 4K produce averages of 37 FPS and 27 FPS respectively, which are too low for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER achieves a rank of 2514 out of 3710 tested combos in Outriders. This places it in the 32nd percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly two-thirds of tested systems outperform it in this specific game. The ranking is somewhat surprising given the CPU's strength, but it makes sense when considering the GPU's limitations.

The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 18093 places it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, 0.4% faster) and AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, 0.5% faster). The deltaPct values are all within 1.6% of the RTX 2060 SUPER's score, indicating it sits in a very tightly clustered performance tier. This mid-range GPU positioning directly explains why the combo ranks in the lower half of all tested systems.

The CPU side tells a different story. The Ryzen 9 5950X's average benchmark score of 51947 places it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (52073, 0.2% faster), AMD EPYC 8124P (52121, 0.3% faster), and Intel Core i9-13900F (51730, 0.4% slower). This top-tier CPU performance is essentially wasted in this pairing for Outriders, as the GPU cannot keep up with the processor's capabilities.

The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile (91) and GPU's lower percentile (62) creates an imbalanced system. The rank of 2514 out of 3710 reflects this imbalance, showing that while the CPU is excellent, the overall gaming performance is constrained by the GPU. Users with this combo would likely see significant improvements from upgrading the GPU while keeping the same CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its strongest performance. Low settings produce an average of 207 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth for competitive play. Medium settings achieve 150 FPS average, with a minimum of 128 FPS and maximum of 173 FPS, providing a very consistent experience. High settings deliver 113 FPS average, still well above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings drop to 81 FPS average, which remains playable but shows the impact of maximum graphical features.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases noticeably but remains respectable. Low settings average 131 FPS, which is still excellent for high-refresh monitors. Medium settings produce 95 FPS average, with a minimum of 81 FPS and maximum of 109 FPS, offering a smooth experience with some headroom for dips. High settings achieve 71 FPS average, which is acceptable for most players. Ultra settings drop to 51 FPS average, which is playable but may feel less smooth during intense combat sequences.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. Low settings average 68 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings produce 50 FPS average, with a minimum of 42 FPS and maximum of 57 FPS, showing significant frame time variance. High settings drop to 37 FPS average, which is below the generally accepted 60 FPS target. Ultra settings produce just 27 FPS average, making the game feel sluggish and unresponsive.

The Medium preset data is notable for including minimum and maximum FPS values, which are absent for other presets. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 128 FPS and maximum of 173 FPS show a range of 45 FPS, indicating some frame time variance. At 1440p Medium, the range is 28 FPS (81 to 109), suggesting more consistent performance. At 4K Medium, the range is 15 FPS (42 to 57), which shows tighter frame times but at a lower average.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear limiting factor in this system for Outriders. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes strained at 4K. The GPU's core specifications include 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with a base clock of 1470 MHz and boost clock of 1650 MHz.

The benchmark results show the GPU's strengths and weaknesses. Its 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2011 and Passmark G3D score of 16462 indicate solid mid-range performance. The Passmark DirectX 12 score of 61 is notably lower than the DirectX 11 score of 130, which could explain why Outriders, running on modern APIs, shows the performance characteristics observed in the measured FPS data.

The GPU's 62nd percentile ranking versus all GPUs places it firmly in the mid-range category. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, 0.4% faster) and AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, 0.5% faster), showing it sits in a tightly contested performance tier. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is sufficient for 1080p gaming but insufficient for demanding 4K scenarios.

The measured FPS data suggests the GPU's memory bandwidth is a critical constraint at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra (27 FPS average), the GPU is likely hitting its memory bandwidth limit, as the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot feed the rendering pipeline fast enough for 8.3 million pixels. The 12 nm process node and 175 W TDP also indicate older technology compared to newer GPUs, which affects efficiency and thermal headroom.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset (113 FPS average) provides an excellent balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset (81 FPS average) is also viable if maximum visual fidelity is desired, as it remains above 60 FPS. The Medium preset (150 FPS average) is the best choice for competitive play where higher frame rates are prioritized.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset (95 FPS average) is the recommended choice. It provides a smooth experience with a minimum of 81 FPS, ensuring no significant drops during gameplay. The High preset (71 FPS average) is acceptable for players who prefer better visuals, but the lower frame rate may cause some stutter in busy scenes. The Ultra preset (51 FPS average) is too demanding for consistent play at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset (68 FPS average) is the only recommended option. The Medium preset (50 FPS average) may be playable for some, but the minimum of 42 FPS indicates noticeable drops. The High preset (37 FPS average) and Ultra preset (27 FPS average) are not recommended for a playable experience.

The data suggests that users should prioritize the Medium preset when seeking a balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset consistently provides higher minimum FPS values (128 at 1080p, 81 at 1440p, 42 at 4K) compared to other presets, indicating more stable frame times. This stability is crucial for a looter shooter where combat encounters can be intense and unpredictable.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a top-tier processor that far exceeds the requirements of the RTX 2060 SUPER in this pairing. Its 16 cores and 32 threads on the Zen 3 architecture provide exceptional multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 26017 and a Geekbench multicore score of 15233. The CPU's 3.40 GHz base clock and 4.90 GHz boost clock ensure responsive single-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1614.

The CPU's benchmark data shows it operates in a completely different performance tier than the GPU. Its 91st percentile ranking versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 51947, places it among the best processors available. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (52073, 0.2% faster) and AMD EPYC 8124P (52121, 0.3% faster), showing it competes with the latest server and mobile processors.

In Outriders, the CPU's role appears to be providing sufficient headroom for the GPU to operate without processor-induced bottlenecks. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low (207 FPS average), the system achieves very high frame rates, suggesting the CPU can handle massive draw calls and game logic without issue. The 3dmark 16-thread score of 10810 and max-thread score of 11597 indicate excellent multi-threaded scaling, which is beneficial for games that offload physics and AI calculations to the CPU.

However, the CPU's power is largely untapped in this configuration. The GPU's 62nd percentile ranking means the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot fully utilize the Ryzen 9 5950X's capabilities in most scenarios. The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS average is a clear indication that the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU. Users with this combo could potentially upgrade to a much more powerful GPU without needing to replace the CPU, as the 5950X has significant performance headroom.