Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a wide performance envelope in Outriders, scaling from highly playable at 1080p to borderline at 4K Ultra. The measured data shows that this combination ranks 608th out of 1693 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of systems for this title. The RTX 3070, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, proves to be the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the 12-core, 24-thread Ryzen 9 7900X provides ample headroom to push frame rates at lower settings. This analysis breaks down exactly what you can expect from this pairing across resolutions and presets.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, revealing a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 150.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 96.4 FPS at 2560x1440, a 36% reduction, and then to 50.9 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 47% drop. This pattern indicates that the RTX 3070’s 8 GB memory buffer and GA104 chip are working progressively harder as pixel count rises, while the Ryzen 9 7900X’s 4.70 GHz base and 5.60 GHz boost clocks are rarely the limiting factor.

At Low settings, the scaling curve is even more dramatic. The 1920x1080 result of 260.1 FPS dwarfs the 4K result of 91.3 FPS, a 65% performance loss. This suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than it can render, but at 4K, the GPU’s raw throughput becomes the sole bottleneck. The Medium preset shows a similar relative drop, from 200.9 FPS at 1080p to 65.5 FPS at 4K, which is a 67% decrease.

The Ultra preset is where the resolution scaling becomes punishing. At 1080p, the combo still manages 109.9 FPS, but at 1440p it drops to 66.3 FPS, and at 4K it collapses to 36.1 FPS. This 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Ultra underscores that the RTX 3070’s 1725 MHz boost clock and 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are insufficient for 4K Ultra in this game, regardless of the CPU’s strength. The data demonstrates that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this pairing if you want to maintain fluid motion, while 1080p is where the combo’s full potential is realized.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K gaming, the data shows that High settings at 50.9 FPS is the only viable option, though it is marginal for a smooth experience. Dropping to Medium yields 65.5 FPS, which is a 29% improvement over High and provides a much more comfortable frame rate. Low settings at 91.3 FPS are playable but sacrifice visual fidelity significantly. Ultra at 36.1 FPS is not recommended for serious play, as it falls below the threshold for responsive action in a looter shooter. The measured rows suggest that Medium is the sweet spot for 4K on this hardware.

At 1440p, the choices are better. High settings deliver 96.4 FPS, which is excellent for most players. Medium at 127.2 FPS is even smoother, and Low at 176.9 FPS approaches the refresh rate of many high-end monitors. Ultra at 66.3 FPS is playable, but the drop from High is steep. Given that High is only 24% slower than Medium but likely looks noticeably better, High is the recommended preset for 1440p, offering a strong balance of visual quality and performance.

At 1080p, the combo is overpowered for most presets. Low settings hit 260.1 FPS, which is beyond the refresh rate of all but the most extreme esports displays. Medium at 200.9 FPS is still far above 144Hz, and High at 150.6 FPS is perfectly smooth. Ultra at 109.9 FPS is the only setting that dips below 120 FPS, but it remains fully playable. For 1080p, High is the best recommendation, as it provides a 37% performance uplift over Ultra while likely offering near-identical visual clarity at that resolution. The data indicates that the CPU and GPU combo has no trouble at 1080p, so you can prioritize visual fidelity without sacrificing frame rate.

GPU Role

The RTX 3070’s specifications directly explain the measured results. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 256-bit bus providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p but struggles with the memory demands of 4K Ultra. The 5888 shading units and 184 texture mapping units are ample for this game, but the 96 ROPs are likely the bottleneck at high pixel counts. The boost clock of 1725 MHz is modest by modern standards, yet it sustains solid performance in Outriders, which appears to be well-optimized for Ampere architecture.

The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3162 and Passmark G3D score of 22214 place it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, confirming it as a mid-to-high-range part. Its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks include the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, which scores 0.9% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, which is 1% higher. This close grouping suggests that the RTX 3070 is competitive with those cards in general compute, but in Outriders specifically, the 8 GB frame buffer is the deciding factor at 4K. The 14 Gbps effective memory speed is fast, but it cannot compensate for the sheer volume of data required at 3840x2160 Ultra.

The data shows that the GPU’s role shifts from being fully utilized at 4K to being partially idle at 1080p Low, where the CPU’s 24 threads and 64 MB of L3 cache can generate frames faster than the GPU can render them. This is a classic sign of a balanced pairing, but the balance tips toward GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The RTX 3070’s 220 W TDP and dual-slot design are consistent with its performance class, and the 550 W suggested PSU is adequate for this system.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 608th out of 1693 tested combinations in Outriders, placing it in the 64th percentile of all tested systems. This is a strong showing, especially considering that the RTX 3070 is now end-of-life and the Ryzen 9 7900X is a high-end CPU from the 7000 series. The rank indicates that this pairing outperforms roughly two-thirds of all tested combos in this game, which is impressive given the GPU’s age.

The CPU’s benchmark data helps contextualize this rank. The Ryzen 9 7900X scores 43695 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6168 in single-core, with an average benchmark score of 50556, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, which is 0.1% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT, which is 0.4% faster. This means the CPU is not holding back the GPU in Outriders, as it has more than enough computational headroom for this title.

The GPU’s rank is lower, at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, are within 1% of its aggregate score. This suggests that the RTX 3070 is the limiting factor in this combo’s overall rank, but it still delivers playable frame rates in Outriders at most settings. The 608th rank out of 1693 combos is a solid result, but it also shows that there is room for a GPU upgrade to push this system higher in the rankings.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra in Outriders?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 36.1 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. You would need to drop to Medium settings to get 65.5 FPS at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 at High settings delivers 96.4 FPS, which is an excellent balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p, High settings hit 150.6 FPS, which is also great, but 1440p is the sweet spot for this GPU.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its closest rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 3070’s aggregate benchmark score is 28238, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT scores 27985 (0.9% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 27956 (1% higher). These are all within 1% of each other in general performance.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 7900X a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. The measured 1080p Low result of 260.1 FPS shows that the CPU can feed the GPU far more frames than it can render, so the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution tested.

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

A: At 2560x1440, High settings deliver 96.4 FPS, while Ultra delivers 66.3 FPS. This is a 31% performance drop, making High the better choice for a stable frame rate.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, 1080p delivers 200.9 FPS while 4K delivers 65.5 FPS. This means 1080p is approximately 207% faster than 4K at this preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings average 260.1 FPS, Medium averages 200.9 FPS, High averages 150.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 109.9 FPS. All presets are fully playable, with even Ultra staying above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the numbers remain strong. Low settings average 176.9 FPS, Medium averages 127.2 FPS, High averages 96.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 66.3 FPS. High is the recommended preset here, as it stays above 90 FPS while offering good visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle. Low settings average 91.3 FPS, which is playable, while Medium averages 65.5 FPS, which is acceptable. High averages 50.9 FPS, which is borderline, and Ultra averages 36.1 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The data clearly shows that 4K requires a settings drop to Medium or Low for this GPU to maintain a consistent frame rate.

The pattern across all resolutions is that Low settings provide roughly double the frame rate of Ultra. At 1080p, that is 260.1 FPS versus 109.9 FPS; at 1440p, it is 176.9 FPS versus 66.3 FPS; and at 4K, it is 91.3 FPS versus 36.1 FPS. This consistent ratio indicates that the RTX 3070’s performance scaling is linear with pixel count, and the CPU does not introduce any non-linear bottlenecks. For the best experience, target 1440p High for a great balance, or 1080p Ultra if you want maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing playability.