Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combo presents a specific performance profile in Outriders, defined by a strong processor and a mid-range mobile GPU. The measured data shows that this pairing is heavily influenced by resolution and graphics settings, with the CPU providing ample headroom for the GPU to work within its limits. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results to explain what you can expect from this combination.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and clearly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 98 FPS, which is a very playable figure for a looter shooter. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset, the average FPS drops to 62, a 36% decrease that still maintains smooth gameplay. However, the jump to 4K at High settings is punishing, with the average FPS falling to 32, which is a 67% reduction from the 1080p result and sits below the threshold for comfortable play on many displays.

The scaling pattern across all settings shows a consistent trend: the GPU’s rendering load grows exponentially with pixel count. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p sees a substantial drop from 180 FPS to 114 FPS, and then to 59 FPS at 4K. This indicates that even when graphical features are minimized, the sheer number of pixels at 4K overwhelms the RTX 5050’s 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus. The data suggests that 1080p and 1440p are the practical resolutions for this combo, while 4K is only viable for players who can accept significant compromises in visual quality or frame rate.

The relationship between resolution and FPS reveals that the system is well-balanced at 1440p, where the CPU can still feed the GPU enough frames to hit 62 FPS on High. At 1080p, the CPU’s strength becomes more apparent, as the 180 FPS Low result shows the GPU is being pushed to its limits, but the frame rate remains high enough to take advantage of high-refresh-rate monitors. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the RTX 5050’s 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 320.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at this resolution, regardless of the Ryzen 9 8945HX’s capabilities.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. In Outriders, a title that typically does not scale perfectly with massive core counts, this CPU provides far more processing power than the game requires. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not the limiting factor in any of the measured configurations. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed, the combo achieves 180 FPS, indicating that the CPU can handle frame generation at very high rates without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU’s performance in synthetic benchmarks reinforces its strength. It scores 42,713 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6,030 points in single-core, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. This raw power translates to consistent frame pacing in Outriders, even in busy combat scenarios with multiple enemies and particle effects. The 64 MB of L3 cache helps with data access, reducing latency for game logic and physics calculations, which is beneficial for maintaining stable frame times.

For this combo, the CPU’s role is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of data. The data shows that at 1080p High, the combo achieves 98 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 71 FPS. The difference between these settings is purely GPU-driven, as the CPU has ample headroom to handle the increased draw calls and game state updates. The Ryzen 9 8945HX’s performance is so far beyond what Outriders needs that it effectively future-proofs the system for other demanding tasks, but for this specific game, it is not a limiting component.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the defining component in this combo, and its specifications directly explain the measured frame rates. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, the GPU has a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. This is a moderate amount of bandwidth for a modern GPU, and it becomes a constraint at higher resolutions and settings where texture data demands increase. The GPU’s 2,560 shading units and 32 ROPs are responsible for pixel output, and the 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate shows its theoretical maximum fill rate.

At 1080p, the RTX 5050 performs admirably. The jump from Low to Medium settings reduces the average FPS from 180 to 131, and High drops it to 98. The gap between Medium and High is 33 FPS, indicating that High settings introduce significant shader and lighting complexity that taxes the GPU. Ultra settings further reduce performance to 71 FPS, a 28% drop from High, showing that the highest preset includes effects that are disproportionately expensive for this GPU’s compute capabilities.

The GPU’s limitations become clear at 4K. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 43, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS, showing that the frame rate is inconsistent and often dips below playable levels. At 4K High, the average drops to 32 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 23 FPS. These results indicate that the 8 GB VRAM is likely being saturated at 4K with High and Ultra settings, causing texture streaming and memory swapping that further degrades performance. The RTX 5050 is designed for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming, and the data confirms that 4K is not a realistic target for this GPU in Outriders.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best balance of visual quality and performance is achieved at 1440p with High settings, which yields an average of 62 FPS. This provides a solid, smooth experience that is well-suited for the fast-paced action of Outriders. For players who prioritize higher frame rates, 1080p with High settings produces 98 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. The 1080p Medium setting offers 131 FPS, which is a good choice for those who want a smoother experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.

At 4K, the data suggests that Low settings are the only viable option, with an average of 59 FPS. This is playable but requires accepting significantly reduced visual quality. The 4K Medium setting at 43 FPS is borderline, and the minimum of 37 FPS suggests that it will be noticeable in intense scenes. The 4K High and Ultra settings are not recommended, as they produce average FPS in the 23-32 range, which is too low for a responsive looter shooter. For most users, the optimal configuration is 1440p High, as it offers the best combination of detail and playability without requiring a compromise in resolution.

The Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer across all resolutions, and the data shows that it provides diminishing returns for the performance cost. At 1080p, the difference between High and Ultra is 27 FPS, and at 1440p, it is 17 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset includes settings like high-quality shadows and ambient occlusion that are particularly demanding on the RTX 5050. Sticking with the High preset is the most efficient choice for this GPU, as it preserves most of the visual enhancements while maintaining a significantly higher frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Outriders, this combo is ranked 2,314 out of 2,913, placing it in the lower half of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the RTX 5050’s position in the GPU hierarchy, as the processor is more than capable but the graphics card holds the system back. The combo’s percentile ranking for the GPU is 66, meaning it performs better than 66% of all GPUs, but the measured FPS in Outriders indicates that the game is demanding enough to expose the GPU’s limitations.

Comparing the GPU to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5050 is closely matched with the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, which has an average score 0.6% higher. It is also 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT and 1.6% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile. These small differences suggest that the RTX 5050 offers a similar level of raw performance to these older or lower-tier cards, which is consistent with its 66th percentile ranking. The CPU, in contrast, is in the 95th percentile, showing a significant mismatch between the two components in terms of overall performance class.

This ranking indicates that the combo is not a high-end gaming machine, but it is also not a low-end one. For a 1080p gaming experience, this combo performs well, but the rank suggests that many other tested systems with faster GPUs will offer substantially higher frame rates in Outriders. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this ranking, and upgrading the GPU would provide a much larger performance boost than changing the processor.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Outriders at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which produces an average of 59 FPS. Medium settings at 4K yield an average of 43 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS, which may be too inconsistent for some players. High and Ultra settings at 4K are not recommended, as they produce averages of 32 FPS and 23 FPS, respectively.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for a smooth experience?

A: The data indicates that 1440p with High settings is the best choice, delivering an average of 62 FPS. If you prefer higher frame rates, 1080p with High settings provides 98 FPS, and 1080p Medium provides 131 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions above 1080p. The CPU’s performance is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 66th percentile. At 4K, the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of raw performance?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5050 is 0.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, 1.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, and 1.6% faster than the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile. These differences are small, indicating similar levels of raw compute performance.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the High preset produces an average of 98 FPS, while the Ultra preset produces 71 FPS. This is a 27 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset includes effects that are very demanding on the RTX 5050.

Q: Is this combo ranked well compared to other tested systems in Outriders?

A: No, this combo is ranked 2,314 out of 2,913 tested systems. This places it in the lower half of the database, indicating that many other combinations offer higher performance in this game. The CPU’s high percentile ranking does not compensate for the GPU’s lower performance class.