Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers a robust Outriders experience, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. The measured data shows this pairing is capable of high refresh rate gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, while maintaining playable frame rates at 4K. The following analysis breaks down the specific numbers, component roles, and optimal configurations based solely on the provided dataset.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset to use for a balance of visual quality and frame rate at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 149 FPS, which is 41 FPS higher than the Ultra preset's 108 FPS and only 49 FPS lower than the Low preset's 246 FPS. This makes High the optimal choice for maintaining high visual fidelity without sacrificing the smoothness needed for a fast-paced looter shooter.

Q: How much of a frame rate penalty does enabling Ultra settings incur at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 56 FPS, which is a 22 FPS drop from the High preset's 78 FPS. This represents a 28% reduction in average frame rate, making Ultra less suitable for 4K unless a lower frame rate is acceptable.

Q: Does the RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM become a bottleneck at any tested resolution?

A: The data does not indicate any VRAM-related performance limits. The average frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, suggesting that the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient for all tested configurations in Outriders, as there are no anomalous dips or stalls in the numbers.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 255 FPS, while the High preset averages 229 FPS. The difference is 26 FPS, or approximately 10%, favoring the Medium preset. Both provide exceptionally high frame rates, well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Outriders?

A: The combination ranks 107th out of 3710 tested combos, placing it in the top 3% of all configurations. This indicates that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and RTX 4080 pairing is among the more capable setups for this game.

Q: Is the frame rate at 4K with High settings sufficient for a smooth experience?

A: The average of 78 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is above the 60 FPS threshold commonly associated with smooth gameplay. While not as high as the 1440p results, it provides a playable and fluid experience for most users.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the High preset offers the best overall experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, High provides 229 FPS, which is only 26 FPS less than Medium but visually superior. At 1440p, High hits 149 FPS, striking a strong balance between detail and speed. At 4K, High is the only preset besides Low that maintains an average above 60 FPS, delivering 78 FPS.

Ultra settings are only recommended for users prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate. At 1080p, Ultra still achieves 170 FPS, which is very playable. However, at 1440p, the frame rate drops to 108 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 56 FPS, which may feel less responsive in combat. Medium settings are a viable alternative for users seeking higher frame rates than High, offering 255 FPS at 1080p and 198 FPS at 1440p, but with a noticeable reduction in graphical detail.

Low settings are not recommended for this hardware combination, as they provide only marginal performance gains over Medium at the cost of significant visual quality. For example, at 1440p, Low (246 FPS) is only 48 FPS faster than Medium (198 FPS), a difference that is unlikely to be perceptible on most displays. The optimal path is to use High for a premium experience, or Medium for those who prioritize maximum smoothness.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the primary driver of frame rate in Outriders, given its role in rendering the game's graphics. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s, which is ample for the textures and assets at all tested resolutions. The boost clock of 2505 MHz and 9728 shading units contribute to the high raw performance observed in the benchmarks.

The GPU's influence is most evident when comparing settings at the same resolution. For instance, moving from High to Ultra at 4K reduces the average frame rate from 78 FPS to 56 FPS, a 22 FPS drop. This scaling is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where increased pixel and shader complexity directly impacts performance. Conversely, the GPU's power is such that it can push frame rates to 287 FPS at 1080p on Low settings, showing its capability to handle less demanding loads with ease.

The RTX 4080's architecture, built on the Ada Lovelace design, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for a modern title like Outriders. The data shows that the GPU is not a limiting factor until the resolution is raised to 4K with Ultra settings, where it averages 56 FPS. This suggests that the GPU has enough headroom for high refresh rate gaming at 1440p and below, making it a strong match for the CPU in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination ranks 107th out of 3710 tested combos for Outriders. This places it in the top 2.9% of all configurations, indicating a high-performance pairing. This ranking is a relative measure of the combo's overall capability in this specific game, taking into account the combined strengths of both components.

Given that the RTX 4080 sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, a top-tier ranking is expected. The combo's position at 107 suggests that there are 106 other combinations that deliver higher average frame rates, likely involving more powerful GPUs or CPUs that edge out this specific pairing in Outriders. However, the absolute numbers show that this is a very capable setup, with no resolution or settings combination yielding an unplayable average frame rate.

The ranking also highlights the balance of this pairing. Neither component appears to significantly bottleneck the other, as the performance scales smoothly with both resolution and settings changes. This equilibrium is a key factor in achieving such a high rank, as a mismatched pair would likely see diminished returns in one direction or the other.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D plays a supporting role in Outriders, providing the processing power needed to feed the RTX 4080. With 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, the CPU has substantial multi-threaded capability, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737. Its 128 MB of L3 cache is a notable feature that can help with game logic and asset streaming.

The CPU's performance is more relevant at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is less burdened. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 287 FPS. At this level, the CPU must work harder to keep up with the GPU's rendering speed. The single-thread performance, shown by a Geekbench single-core score of 3041, is critical here, as game engines often rely on a few fast cores for simulation and draw call submission.

However, the data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in most scenarios. The frame rate drops are consistent with GPU load when increasing resolution or settings. For example, at 1440p High, the average is 149 FPS, and at 4K High, it is 78 FPS. This 71 FPS drop is typical of a GPU-limited workload, suggesting the CPU has ample headroom to support the GPU across all tested configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all presets. Low averages 287 FPS, Medium averages 255 FPS with a minimum of 217 and maximum of 293, High averages 229 FPS, and Ultra averages 170 FPS. These numbers indicate that the setup is capable of driving high refresh rate monitors at 1080p without any difficulty.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows a clear step down. Low averages 246 FPS, Medium averages 198 FPS with a minimum of 169 and maximum of 228, High averages 149 FPS, and Ultra averages 108 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is significant, with a drop of 41 FPS on Low and 80 FPS on Ultra, reflecting the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more moderate. Low averages 143 FPS, Medium averages 104 FPS with a minimum of 88 and maximum of 119, High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 56 FPS. The jump from 1440p to 4K results in a further reduction, with the High preset losing 71 FPS and the Ultra preset losing 52 FPS. These numbers show that 4K gaming is possible, but the higher presets require users to accept lower frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and consistent pattern of frame rate reduction as resolution increases. From 1080p to 1440p, the average frame rate drops by approximately 15% on Low, 22% on Medium, 35% on High, and 36% on Ultra. From 1440p to 4K, the drops are more pronounced: 42% on Low, 47% on Medium, 48% on High, and 48% on Ultra.

This scaling behavior is indicative of a GPU-bound workload. The percentage drop is larger at higher resolutions and settings, which aligns with the GPU having to render more pixels and apply more complex effects. The consistent reduction across all presets confirms that the RTX 4080 is the limiting component in this pairing, as the CPU's workload does not scale as dramatically with resolution.

The transition from 1080p to 4K on High settings sees the frame rate drop from 229 FPS to 78 FPS, a 66% reduction. This is a substantial decrease, but it is expected for a 4x increase in pixel count. The fact that the combo still maintains an average above 60 FPS at 4K High highlights the strength of the RTX 4080, while the steep drops at Ultra settings across all resolutions suggest that users should stick to High for a smoother experience.