Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 produces a wide performance envelope in Outriders, ranging from a playable 38 FPS at 4K High to a fluid 212 FPS at 1080p Low. The benchmark data reveals a system where the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the substantial CPU headroom allows for exceptional performance at lower graphical loads. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, component roles, and context against other tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 212 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that figure to 134 FPS, a reduction of approximately 37%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 70 FPS, which is a further 48% decrease from the 1440p result. This steep decline across Low settings strongly indicates that the rendering workload is scaling with pixel count, a classic sign that the GPU is the limiting factor even at the lowest quality preset.

The scaling behavior is consistent across other settings as well. For Medium settings, the averages are 154 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K. High settings yield 116 FPS at 1080p, 73 FPS at 1440p, and 38 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce 84 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. In every single settings tier, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, and the drop from 1440p to 4K is even more pronounced. For instance, at High settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p costs 43 FPS, while moving from 1440p to 4K costs another 35 FPS.

This pattern tells a clear story: the RTX 5060's performance is heavily dependent on the number of pixels being processed. The 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS is barely above a slideshow, while 4K Low at 70 FPS is only smooth enough for less demanding play. The data suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for high-refresh-rate gameplay, while 1080p allows the system to stretch its legs completely. The fact that the FPS does not plateau at any resolution indicates that the GPU is consistently saturated; if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see the FPS stagnate or even out at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do.

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. This is a high-end mobile part, and its benchmark scores confirm its position. In Cinebench R23, it scores 42713 points in multi-core and 6030 points in single-core. The PassMark multithread score is 51405, and the single-thread score is 3907. These numbers place the CPU in the 95th percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating that it is far more powerful than the vast majority of processors on the market.

In the context of Outriders, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, physics calculations, and game logic. The data shows that the Ryzen 9 8945HX is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, where GPU load is minimized, the system hits 212 FPS. This high frame rate is a direct result of the CPU's strong single-core performance, which is crucial for maintaining high minimum frame rates and avoiding stutters in CPU-bound scenarios. The single-core score of 6030 in Cinebench R23 suggests that the processor has ample headroom to handle the game's main thread even at extreme frame rates.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals further underscores its capability. Its average benchmark score of 76212 is within 0.1% of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, and it is 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. It trails the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX by the same margin. These are all extremely close scores, indicating that the Ryzen 9 8945HX is at the very top of the CPU performance hierarchy. Given this level of CPU power, the observed FPS drops across resolutions are almost certainly attributable to the GPU, not the processor. The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample data throughput for a game like Outriders, ensuring that the GPU is never starved for data.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in Outriders?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 212 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is the system capable of 4K gaming in Outriders?

A: Yes, but performance varies significantly by settings. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 70, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it drops to 51 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 38 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting is not viable for smooth gameplay, with an average of only 28 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. It is 0.3% slower than the AMD Radeon 860M and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550, and 0.8% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary. It is 1.2% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT.

Q: Which resolution provides the best balance of frame rate and visual quality?

A: Based on the data, 2560x1440 with High settings offers an average of 73 FPS, which is a good balance between the higher visual fidelity of High settings and a frame rate that is smooth for most players. The 1440p Medium setting achieves 97 FPS for a more competitive edge.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The data strongly suggests the GPU is the bottleneck. The FPS scales inversely with resolution, meaning that as the pixel count increases, performance drops proportionally. The CPU, being in the 95th percentile of all processors, shows no signs of being a limiting factor, especially given its high single-thread and multi-thread benchmark scores.

Q: What is the frame time variance like at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system produced a minimum FPS of 83 and a maximum FPS of 112, with an average of 97. This indicates a frame time variance of roughly 29 FPS between the minimum and maximum, which is a moderate range suggesting some occasional spikes in rendering load.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across twelve distinct configurations.

At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. With Low settings, it averages 212 FPS. Medium settings reduce the average to 154 FPS, with a minimum of 131 FPS and a maximum of 177 FPS. High settings produce an average of 116 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still manages an average of 84 FPS. This makes 1080p an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate monitors, as even the Ultra preset remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the GPU's workload. Low settings average 134 FPS. Medium settings drop to an average of 97 FPS, with a range of 83 to 112 FPS. High settings yield an average of 73 FPS. Ultra settings fall to an average of 53 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this hardware, offering a good mix of visual quality and performance, particularly at Medium and High presets which stay above the 60 FPS mark.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly under heavy load. Low settings are the only preset to provide a consistently playable experience, with an average of 70 FPS. Medium settings average 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 and a maximum of 58 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 38 FPS. Ultra settings are the least playable, with an average of just 28 FPS. The data shows that 4K gaming is only viable when the graphical settings are reduced to Low, and even then, the frame rate is not ideal for fast-paced action.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the primary driver of the FPS results in this benchmark. It is a mobile GPU based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 3840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. The GPU has a base clock of 2280 MHz and a boost clock of 2497 MHz. Memory is provided by 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s.

The GPU's role in Outriders is to handle the heavy lifting of rendering geometry, textures, and post-processing effects. The measured data shows that the RTX 5060's performance is heavily influenced by both resolution and settings. The 8 GB of VRAM is a notable factor; at 4K Ultra, the game likely requires more than 8 GB of memory for textures, which can contribute to the low 28 FPS average. The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is substantial for a mobile part, but it is still a limiting factor at the highest resolutions.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5060 has an average score of 26331, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its PassMark G3D score is 20891, and its DirectX 12 score is 77. These numbers are modest compared to its CPU counterpart, which sits in the 95th percentile. The GPU's closest rivals are not high-end desktop parts; it is within 0.3% of the AMD Radeon 860M and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550, and within 0.8% of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary. It is 1.2% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT. This positioning reinforces that the RTX 5060 is a mid-range part, and its performance in Outriders is consistent with that classification. The GPU's 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is sufficient for smooth 1080p gaming, but it is stretched thin at 4K, where the pixel count quadruples the workload compared to 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data offers clear guidance on the optimal settings for different priorities. For players seeking the highest possible frame rate, 1920x1080 with Low settings delivers an average of 212 FPS. This is ideal for competitive play where response time is paramount. For a balance of visual fidelity and performance, 2560x1440 with Medium settings is a strong choice, providing an average of 97 FPS and a minimum of 83 FPS. This setup ensures smooth gameplay while still looking significantly better than Low.

If a player prefers higher visual quality over raw frame rate, 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is a solid option, averaging 84 FPS. This is a playable frame rate with the game's highest visual preset at a standard resolution. For those with a 1440p monitor who want better visuals, the High preset at 2560x1440 averages 73 FPS, which is still smooth for most players. The data indicates that 4K is not recommended for this hardware. Even at Low settings, the average of 70 FPS is borderline, and any increase in quality leads to a significant drop. The 4K Medium preset at 51 FPS is playable but may feel less fluid, while 4K High and Ultra are not recommended for a good experience.

The best overall experience, per the data, is likely the 2560x1440 Medium preset. It offers a high average frame rate of 97 FPS, a minimum of 83 FPS that prevents major stutters, and a maximum of 112 FPS. This configuration leverages the CPU's strength to keep the frame rate high while giving the GPU a moderate load that it can handle without crashing below 60 FPS. The alternative of 1080p High at 116 FPS provides a similar average but with lower image clarity. The 1440p Medium setting appears to be the sweet spot for this specific hardware combination.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Outriders, this configuration of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1849th out of 2913 total tested combinations. This places the combo in the lower-middle portion of the ranking, at roughly the 63rd percentile. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the high performance of the CPU, but it is heavily dragged down by the GPU's mid-range standing.

The CPU, being in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, is not the limiting factor in this ranking. Its benchmark scores are comparable to top-tier desktop processors like the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. However, the GPU's 72nd percentile ranking, combined with its modest 8 GB of VRAM, restricts the overall performance in a game like Outriders that scales heavily with resolution. The combo's rank of 1849 suggests that many other tested combinations, likely featuring more powerful GPUs, achieve higher average frame rates in this game.

The data implies that this combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the RTX 5060 can keep up with the CPU's capabilities. However, for 4K gaming, the system falls behind many other combinations due to the GPU's limitations. The combo's overall rank is a reflection of the GPU being the bottleneck; the CPU is providing a world-class foundation, but the graphics card is holding back the system's full potential in Outriders. For players with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, this setup is more than sufficient, but it is not a top-tier performer for the most demanding resolutions.