Outriders

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a strong, albeit GPU-bound, experience in Outriders. The data shows a system that excels at high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming but begins to strain at 4K, particularly with Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, the role of each component, and how this combination ranks against the broader field of tested hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic case of GPU limitation taking over as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 290.3 FPS, but this drops to 213.4 FPS at 1440p and further to 111.1 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU has ample headroom, and the graphics card becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises.

The drop from 1080p to 4K is steep across all settings. With High settings, the average frame rate falls from 183.2 FPS at 1080p to 58.8 FPS at 4K, a reduction of roughly 68%. For Medium settings, the drop is from 246.3 FPS to 81.6 FPS, and for Ultra, it goes from 135.2 FPS to 44.9 FPS. The percentage decline is consistent, suggesting that the RTX 4070’s rendering throughput is the limiting factor at 4K, regardless of the visual complexity.

The most telling data point is the difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the spread is 155.1 FPS (from 290.3 to 135.2), which shows a wide performance window. At 4K, that spread narrows to 66.2 FPS (from 111.1 to 44.9). This compression at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is saturated; even reducing settings to Low cannot overcome the raw pixel-pushing demands at 3840x2160. The system is clearly optimized for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can fully exploit high refresh rates, while 4K gaming requires significant settings compromises to maintain smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. Its substantial 128 MB of shared L3 cache is a key feature for gaming performance. In Outriders, the CPU's role is to feed frames to the GPU, and the data suggests it performs this task exceptionally well.

At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 290.3 FPS, a figure that is unlikely to be constrained by the processor. The CPU’s single-thread performance, indicated by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1292 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 8430, is clearly sufficient to drive high frame rates. The 16 cores and 32 threads provide massive multi-threaded headroom, but Outriders is not a title that scales perfectly with core count; the high boost clock and large cache are more relevant for this genre.

The benchmark results show that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this configuration. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is 44.9, the processor has more than enough capability to handle the game's logic and draw calls. The data indicates a balanced pairing for 1440p, but the GPU is the definitive limiting component at 4K. The CPU's architecture, with its 4 nm process and 16,630 million transistors, ensures it will not hold back the RTX 4070 in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and RTX 4070 ranks at position 204 out of 1693 tested combos in Outriders. This places it in the top 12% of all configurations, a strong result for a mid-to-high-end pairing. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU’s leading-edge performance and the GPU’s solid 1440p capabilities.

The CPU itself is a top-tier performer, with a percentile ranking of 96 versus all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 71660 places it slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 (deltaPct of 0.9) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (deltaPct of 1.8), but slightly behind the Intel Xeon 6517P (deltaPct of -1.9) and the Intel Core i7-14700KF (deltaPct of 2.2). This shows that the 9950X3D is at the very top of the CPU performance stack.

The GPU, however, is a more mid-range contender. The RTX 4070 has a percentile ranking of 81 versus all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 37283 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (deltaPct of -0.6) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A (deltaPct of -1.9), and it is slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M (deltaPct of 2.5). The fact that the combo ranks 204th, rather than higher, is almost entirely due to the GPU's relative position in the performance hierarchy. A stronger GPU would push this combo much higher in the rankings, as the CPU is clearly not a limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. Low settings yield 290.3 FPS, Medium produces 246.3 FPS, High reaches 183.2 FPS, and Ultra still manages a very playable 135.2 FPS. All of these figures are well above the typical 60 FPS target, and the Ultra setting is high enough for most high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance remains excellent. Low settings deliver 213.4 FPS, which is still above the 144Hz mark. Medium settings produce 152.3 FPS, High drops to 115.6 FPS, and Ultra settles at 83.5 FPS. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for the RTX 4070, offering a great balance between image quality and frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle. Low settings are the only option that provides a high-refresh-rate experience at 111.1 FPS. Medium settings yield 81.6 FPS, which is playable but not optimal for competitive play. High settings drop to 58.8 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings are the most demanding, producing only 44.9 FPS, which is not ideal for a fast-paced looter shooter. The data clearly shows that 4K Ultra is beyond the capabilities of this GPU for a consistently smooth experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its base clock is 1920 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz. The GPU has 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs, which directly influence its pixel-pushing power.

The GPU's role in Outriders is to render the game's visuals, and the data shows that it is the primary determinant of performance at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to allow the CPU to drive very high frame rates. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's fill rate and compute capabilities become the limiting factor. The 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, and it does not appear to be a constraint at 4K in this title, as the frame rate drops are more consistent with raw compute limits than memory capacity issues.

The GPU's performance percentile of 81 places it in the upper tier, but its nearest rivals include the RX Vega 56 and the MX570 A, which are older or lower-tier parts. This indicates that while the RTX 4070 is a capable card, it is not a top-tier 4K powerhouse. The boost clock of 2475 MHz helps at lower resolutions, but the 192-bit memory bus and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth may restrict performance in bandwidth-sensitive scenes at 4K. The data suggests that the RTX 4070 is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates with high settings.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Outriders?*

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 is the optimal resolution. It delivers 115.6 FPS on High settings and 152.3 FPS on Medium, providing a strong balance between visual fidelity and frame rate. At 1080p, performance is higher but less necessary, while 4K causes a significant drop in frame rates.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Outriders?*

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K with High settings, the average FPS is 58.8, which is just below the 60 FPS target. For a smoother experience, players would need to use Medium settings (81.6 FPS) or Low settings (111.1 FPS). Ultra settings at 4K produce only 44.9 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9950X3D has an average benchmark score of 71660. It is 0.9% faster than the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 and 1.8% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X. It is 1.9% slower than the Intel Xeon 6517P and 2.2% slower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the system reaches 290.3 FPS on Low settings, showing the CPU is not limiting. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases to 4K (111.1 FPS on Low), indicating the RTX 4070 is the limiting component.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 213.4 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 83.5 FPS. This is a difference of 129.9 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding on the GPU.

Q: How does the GPU rank against other tested graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4070 has a percentile ranking of 81 versus all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 37283 is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 and 1.9% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A. It is 2.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5300M.