Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B390 pairing in Outriders presents a striking study in component imbalance. The CPU is a high-end desktop part, while the GPU is an integrated-class solution, and the benchmark data shows a clear and consistent bottleneck. This analysis examines how the 12-core processor’s capabilities are left largely untapped by the graphics solution, and what that means for playability across different settings and resolutions.

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

The Ryzen 9 7900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It belongs to the 7000 series, uses the AMD Socket AM5, and is built on a 5 nm process. Its 64 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide a substantial foundation for any workload. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29300 and a single-core score of 2016.5, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 53288 puts it nearly on par with the AMD EPYC 7313P, which scores 53206 (a delta of 0.2%), and slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon 634, which scores 52974 (a delta of 0.6%).

However, the data from Outriders suggests that the game is not leveraging this processing power. The frame rates are uniformly low, even at 1080p Low, which is a resolution and setting combination where a CPU of this caliber should easily push well over 100 FPS in most titles. The 1080p Low setting yields an average of 115 FPS, which is the highest score recorded, but the pattern across other settings indicates the CPU is not the limiting factor. The game’s engine appears to be heavily reliant on the GPU for rendering, and the massive processing headroom of the 7900X is simply not being utilized. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10972 and the max-thread score of 12536 further demonstrate the CPU’s multi-threaded strength, but this strength does not translate into higher frame rates in Outriders when paired with this specific GPU. The processor’s high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2617, is also irrelevant here, as the bottleneck lies elsewhere.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo in Outriders?*

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 115 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the performance at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: The average frame rate at 3840x2160 Ultra drops to 15 FPS, which is a significant reduction from the 45 FPS average at 1920x1080 Ultra. This represents a 66.7% decrease in average performance when moving up to 4K.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most consistent performance, as indicated by the min and max FPS data?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 provides the most consistent data, with an average of 83 FPS, a minimum of 71 FPS, and a maximum of 96 FPS. This shows a tighter range of 25 FPS compared to other recorded settings.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390 a discrete graphics card?

A: No, the data indicates it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), with its memory type and bus width listed as "System Shared," and its bus interface is "IGP."

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 rank among all tested GPUs?

A: The GPU is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463, making the Arc B390 1.3% faster.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average frame rate is 40 FPS.

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

The performance scaling across resolutions is the clearest indicator of the system’s bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 115. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops this to 72 FPS, a decrease of 37.4%. The jump to 3840x2160 Low yields an average of 38 FPS, a further 47.2% reduction from the 1440p figure. This pattern of substantial FPS loss with increased resolution is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the frame rates to remain relatively stable as resolution increases, since the CPU workload per frame doesn't change significantly with pixel count. Instead, the data shows that doubling the pixel count from 1080p to 4K (approximately 4x the pixels) results in a massive performance drop. For instance, on High settings, the 1080p average is 63 FPS, which falls to 40 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 21 FPS at 4K. This steep decline indicates that the Intel Arc B390, with its 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs, is being saturated by the increasing rendering load. The GPU’s pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions in Outriders. The data strongly suggests that the graphics processor, not the Ryzen 9 7900X, is the component holding back performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand context of all tested hardware combinations for Outriders, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2582 out of 2913 combos. This places it in the bottom 11.4% of all systems tested, which is a poor result given the strength of the CPU. The high percentile ranking of the processor (91st) is completely negated by the GPU's low standing (9th percentile). The combo's overall ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU's performance, as the game is clearly rendering-bound.

The data implies that the CPU is not the determining factor for this combo's rank. If it were, the system would likely score much higher, as the 7900X is a top-tier processor. Instead, the low FPS figures across all settings and resolutions drag the combo down to a rank that is more consistent with the GPU's standalone benchmark performance. The Intel Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 is just 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710's score of 1443, its slowest listed rival. This suggests that the gaming experience in Outriders will be similar to that of a system using a very basic, entry-level GPU, regardless of the powerful CPU paired with it.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual quality and playability is found at the Low settings preset. At 1920x1080 Low, the system achieves an average of 115 FPS, which is the only setting and resolution combination that provides a frame rate suitable for smooth, responsive gameplay. While the Medium preset at 1080p offers a higher visual fidelity with an average of 83 FPS, the data for this preset shows a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. This 25 FPS variance suggests potential for noticeable frame drops, although the average is still within a playable range.

For users with a 2560x1440 monitor, the Low preset is the only viable option, providing an average of 72 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution drops to an average of 53 FPS, which may be acceptable for some, but it is on the edge of smoothness. At 4K, no setting provides a playable experience. The highest 4K average is 38 FPS at Low settings, which is below the threshold for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The Ultra preset at any resolution is not recommended, as it yields an average of 45 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p, and a slideshow-like 15 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that to get the best experience from this combo, one must prioritize frame rate over graphical detail by using the Low preset, particularly at 1080p.

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

At 1920x1080, the measurements show a clear performance hierarchy. The Low preset delivers an average of 115 FPS. The Medium preset yields an average of 83 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 63 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of 45 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates decrease across all settings. The Low preset averages 72 FPS. The Medium preset averages 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS. The High preset averages 40 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 29 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes severely limited. The Low preset is the highest performer with an average of 38 FPS. The Medium preset averages 28 FPS, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 32 FPS. The High preset averages 21 FPS. The Ultra preset brings up the rear with an average of 15 FPS. The data shows a consistent and significant drop in performance at each higher resolution, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of this configuration.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Critically, its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and instead uses a portion of the system's main memory. Its memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means it is constrained by the performance of the system's DDR5 RAM. The GPU has a TDP of 80 W and is classified as an IGP, which explains its limited capabilities.

The GPU's benchmark results are very low. It scored 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This score is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX's score of 1463, a legacy mobile GPU. The data strongly indicates that the Arc B390 is not designed for demanding gaming workloads like Outriders. The 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs are likely insufficient for the game's rendering requirements, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The performance figures, such as the 15 FPS average at 4K Ultra, directly reflect the GPU's inability to handle the pixel and texture processing load. The shared memory architecture, where bandwidth is "System Dependent," further compounds the issue, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access, likely causing additional performance penalties in a game that is already heavily GPU-limited.