Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Outriders, with 4K remaining viable for high-refresh-rate monitors only at lower presets. The data shows a clear progression where the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck as resolution increases, while the 16-core CPU provides ample headroom even at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 215.3 FPS, but this drops to 183.3 FPS at 1440p and further to 108.4 FPS at 4K. The performance falloff from 1080p to 4K represents a 49.6% reduction in average FPS, which is substantial but expected for a game like Outriders that relies heavily on pixel throughput.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher settings. With Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 131.9 FPS at 1080p to 85.6 FPS at 1440p, then to 46.9 FPS at 4K. This 64.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Ultra indicates that the RTX 4070’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are being stressed heavily at 4K Ultra. The 192-bit memory bus becomes a limiting factor, as the data shows the GPU’s texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at this resolution.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 83.4 FPS (215.3 vs 131.9). At 4K, the difference grows to 61.5 FPS (108.4 vs 46.9). This confirms that the GPU is the primary limiting component at 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 944) helps maintain high frame rates even at Low settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Outriders at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 108.4. At Medium settings, it drops to 82.6 FPS, and at High it falls to 62.8 FPS, which is still above 60. Ultra settings at 4K are not viable for 60 FPS gameplay, averaging just 46.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate monitors?

A: At 1080p, the combo exceeds 170 FPS on High settings (171.2 FPS) and reaches 215.3 FPS on Low. At 1440p, High settings still deliver 114.3 FPS, making it suitable for 144Hz displays. For 4K, only Low settings approach high refresh rates.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 5950X perform in CPU-heavy scenarios?

A: The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 38607 and single-core score of 5450 indicate strong performance. Its 16 cores and 32 threads, with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, ensure Outriders never becomes CPU-bound, even at 1080p Low where frame rates are highest.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 442nd out of 1693 tested combinations in Outriders, placing it in the top 26.1% of all tested systems. This is a strong result, especially considering the game’s demanding nature.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 sufficient for Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 131.9, which is smooth. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 85.6 FPS, still playable. At 4K Ultra, the 46.9 FPS average makes it borderline, so Ultra is best reserved for 1080p or 1440p.

Q: How does the CPU’s architecture affect gaming performance?

A: The Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer) with a 64 MB L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (51.2 GB/s bandwidth) provides fast access to game data. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 10810 shows robust multi-threaded capability, though Outriders primarily benefits from the high single-core performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on a 7 nm process. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz provide excellent single-thread performance, which is critical for Outriders. The 3dmark_single_thread score of 944 and Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2289 confirm that this CPU can feed the RTX 4070 effectively at lower resolutions.

The CPU’s 64 MB L3 cache and dual-channel memory controller with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth help reduce latency in game logic. The PassMark multithread score of 45424 and 3dmark_max_threads score of 11597 indicate that even in heavily threaded scenarios, the CPU has headroom. However, the data shows that in Outriders, the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, where the GPU load is lowest, the combo still achieves 215.3 FPS, suggesting the CPU can handle frame rates well above typical monitor refresh rates.

The CPU’s percentile ranking of 93 vs all CPUs places it among the top processors. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, scores nearly identically (49166 avg vs 49062), with a deltaPct of -0.2%. This means the 5950X is statistically tied with a much newer, lower-core-count chip, highlighting that Outriders does not heavily reward the extra cores. The 3dmark_2_threads score of 1856 and 4_threads score of 3595 show strong scaling for the first few cores, which is what matters most for this game.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data strongly favors High settings at 1440p. The average FPS of 114.3 at 1440p High is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a significant visual upgrade over Low settings. At 1080p, High settings deliver 171.2 FPS, which is excellent for 165Hz or 240Hz monitors, and the jump from Medium (189.1 FPS) to High (171.2 FPS) costs only 17.9 FPS while offering noticeable visual improvements.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low settings at 1080p (215.3 FPS) or 1440p (183.3 FPS) are the best options. The data shows that Low settings at 1440p still look acceptable while offering a 60% performance boost over High settings at the same resolution. Medium settings provide a middle ground, with 189.1 FPS at 1080p and 154.5 FPS at 1440p, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often less pronounced than the performance gap.

Ultra settings are only recommended for 1080p gaming, where the 131.9 FPS average is still smooth. At 1440p, the 85.6 FPS average is playable but may not satisfy users with 144Hz displays. At 4K, Ultra should be avoided entirely, as the 46.9 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target. The data suggests that High settings at 4K (62.8 FPS) are the highest preset that maintains playable frame rates at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 442nd out of 1693 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the 73.9th percentile. This is a strong result for a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU from the previous generation. The ranking reflects the balance between the RTX 4070’s capability and the 5950X’s strong single-thread performance.

The GPU’s percentile ranking of 81 vs all GPUs is slightly lower than the CPU’s 93 percentile, indicating that the CPU is relatively more powerful than the GPU. This means the RTX 4070 is the limiting component in this pairing, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, scores nearly identically (37507 vs 37283, deltaPct -0.6%), but the RTX 4070 offers modern features like DirectX 12 Ultimate support and 46 RT cores, which the older card lacks.

The combo’s rank of 442 suggests that there are 441 other configurations that perform better, likely featuring higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4080 or 4090. However, the data shows that this pairing is well-suited for 1440p gaming, where it outperforms most other tested combos in the same price class. The rank also indicates that the 5950X’s extra cores do not provide a significant advantage in Outriders, as the game is primarily GPU-bound over 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following average FPS across presets: Low 215.3 FPS, Medium 189.1 FPS, High 171.2 FPS, and Ultra 131.9 FPS. The spread of 83.4 FPS between Low and Ultra shows that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution, but the CPU is still capable of pushing frame rates above 200 FPS at Low settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected: Low 183.3 FPS, Medium 154.5 FPS, High 114.3 FPS, and Ultra 85.6 FPS. The High preset at 1440p is the sweet spot, as it maintains a 114.3 FPS average while offering substantial visual improvements over Low. The drop from High to Ultra at 1440p is 28.7 FPS, which is a 25.1% performance penalty for marginal visual gains.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4070 begins to show its limits: Low 108.4 FPS, Medium 82.6 FPS, High 62.8 FPS, and Ultra 46.9 FPS. The 4K Low preset is the only one that comfortably exceeds 100 FPS, while High barely maintains 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is not playable for most users, as the 46.9 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS target. The data shows that the RTX 4070’s 192-bit memory bus is the primary constraint at 4K, as the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient for the high memory demands of Ultra settings.