Outriders

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a 16-core, 32-thread mobile processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Strix Halo). It operates with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 55 W TDP. The chip features 64 MB of shared L3 cache, with 80 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 per core, and supports quad-channel LPDDR5X memory with a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. This is a high-end mobile part, sitting at the 95th percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 77,740.

In Outriders, the CPU’s role is substantial but secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 257 FPS average, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates. However, the game’s engine does exhibit sensitivity to CPU performance in lower-resolution scenarios. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395’s single-thread performance is strong—Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,044 and Geekbench single-core of 2,464—which is critical for a game that relies on draw call processing and physics updates. Multi-threaded scores are equally impressive: Cinebench R23 multi-core at 35,314, Geekbench multi-core at 20,992, and Passmark multithread at 54,934.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX and the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P in average benchmark score, and 2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX. It trails the Intel Core i9-14900K by 1.7%. These small deltas indicate that, for Outriders, the CPU is not a bottleneck when paired with the RTX 4080, as even the slightly slower rivals would likely produce similar frame rates in this title.

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FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 fast enough for Outriders at high frame rates?

A: Yes. The data shows the combo achieves 257 FPS average at 1080p Low and 169 FPS at 1080p High, indicating the CPU can sustain very high frame rates in this game without becoming a limiting factor.

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

A: The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has an average benchmark score of 77,740, which is 1.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX and AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P, and 2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX. It is 1.7% lower than the Intel Core i9-14900K.

Q: What is the CPU’s single-thread performance, and why does it matter?

A: Single-thread performance is represented by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,044 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4,147. This matters for Outriders because the game’s core game logic and rendering thread benefit from high single-core throughput, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not saturated.

Q: Does the CPU have enough cache for gaming?

A: The CPU has 64 MB of shared L3 cache, which is substantial. This large cache helps reduce memory latency and improves performance in scenarios where the same data is accessed repeatedly, such as game asset streaming and physics calculations.

Q: How does the CPU perform in multi-threaded workloads relevant to Outriders?

A: The CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,314 and a Passmark multithread score of 54,934. While Outriders may not fully utilize all 32 threads, this headroom ensures stable performance during background tasks or when the game spawns numerous AI entities.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: No. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 40, while at 4K Low it is 102. The large gap between settings indicates the GPU is the primary constraint at this resolution, not the CPU.

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How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 663rd out of 2,913 tested combos in Outriders. This puts it in the top 22.8% of all combinations tested, which is a strong showing given the wide range of hardware configurations in the database. The rank reflects the balance between a high-end CPU and a high-end GPU, resulting in consistently high frame rates across most settings.

At 1080p, this combo delivers average FPS ranging from 122 (Ultra) to 257 (Low), which places it well above the median for most tested systems. At 1440p, the averages are 77 (Ultra) to 196 (Low), still excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 4K, the averages drop to 40 (Ultra) to 102 (Low), which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. The rank of 663 indicates that while this combo is powerful, there are many other configurations—likely with more expensive desktop GPUs or CPUs—that achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 4K Ultra.

The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver well over 100 FPS on High settings. At 4K, users may need to lower settings to Medium (74 FPS) to maintain smooth gameplay. The combo’s rank is driven by the GPU’s performance at higher resolutions, while the CPU ensures the system never feels CPU-bound in this title.

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Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). All values are average FPS unless otherwise noted, with min and max FPS provided for Medium settings.

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 257 FPS average
• Medium: 226 FPS average, with min 192 and max 260
• High: 169 FPS average
• Ultra: 122 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 196 FPS average
• Medium: 142 FPS average, with min 121 and max 164
• High: 107 FPS average
• Ultra: 77 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 102 FPS average
• Medium: 74 FPS average, with min 63 and max 86
• High: 56 FPS average
• Ultra: 40 FPS average

The pattern is consistent: each step up in settings reduces FPS significantly, and each resolution increase also cuts performance. From 1080p Low to 4K Low, the average FPS drops from 257 to 102, a 60% reduction. From 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra, the drop is from 122 to 40, a 67% reduction. The Medium preset at each resolution shows the most complete data, with min and max values that indicate frame time consistency.

At 1080p Medium, the min FPS of 192 is still above the 144 Hz refresh rate of many gaming monitors, meaning the combo can sustain high refresh rates without dipping below that threshold. At 1440p Medium, the min FPS of 121 is close to the 120 Hz mark, making it suitable for high-refresh 1440p displays. At 4K Medium, the min FPS of 63 suggests occasional dips below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable on a 60 Hz display but still playable.

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Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals where the bottleneck lies. For the High settings preset, the average FPS goes from 169 (1080p) to 107 (1440p) to 56 (4K). This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 48% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is roughly linear with pixel count, which is typical for GPU-bound scenarios.

For the Low settings preset, the FPS goes from 257 (1080p) to 196 (1440p) to 102 (4K). The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%. The smaller drop at 1440p Low suggests that at this setting, the CPU is beginning to limit performance, as the GPU is not fully saturated. At 4K Low, the GPU becomes the limiting factor again, as the resolution increase demands more pixel throughput.

The Ultra preset shows the largest relative drops: from 122 (1080p) to 77 (1440p) to 40 (4K). The 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and the 48% drop from 1440p to 4K mirror the High preset, indicating that at higher settings, the GPU is consistently the bottleneck across all resolutions.

This behavior indicates that the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 provides ample CPU headroom for Outriders, even at 1080p Low where the GPU is producing 257 FPS. The limiting component is the RTX 4080, particularly at 4K where the GPU’s pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become constraining. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient for all settings, but the 716.8 GB/s bandwidth is taxed at 4K Ultra.

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Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1080p, the High preset (169 FPS) offers a balanced experience, but the Ultra preset (122 FPS) is also viable for users with 120 Hz or 144 Hz displays. The Medium preset (226 FPS) is excessive for most monitors, though it would benefit users with 240 Hz displays. The Low preset (257 FPS) is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is prioritized over visual fidelity.

For 1440p, the High preset (107 FPS) is the best choice for a 100-144 Hz monitor, as it provides high visual quality while staying above 100 FPS. The Medium preset (142 FPS) is better suited for 144 Hz displays, but the visual difference between Medium and High may be noticeable. The Ultra preset (77 FPS) is only recommended for users with 75 Hz or 60 Hz displays who prioritize image quality. The Low preset (196 FPS) is overkill for most 1440p monitors.

For 4K, the Medium preset (74 FPS) is the recommended choice, as it provides a smooth experience on 60 Hz displays with a min FPS of 63. The High preset (56 FPS) may be acceptable for slower-paced exploration, but the average FPS is below 60. The Ultra preset (40 FPS) is not recommended for gameplay, as frame rates this low can impact responsiveness in a looter shooter. The Low preset (102 FPS) is playable but sacrifices too much visual quality for a 4K display.

Overall, the Medium preset at each resolution provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, with the High preset being a strong alternative for 1080p and 1440p users with high-refresh-rate monitors.

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GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring the AD103 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process. It has 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, along with 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2,205 MHz and a boost clock of 2,505 MHz, with a TDP of 320 W. It is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 716.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU’s raw compute capabilities include 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s.

In Outriders, the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates at 4K and higher settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo averages 40 FPS, which is a clear sign of GPU limitation given that the same CPU can drive 122 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the demand for texture and shader data increases significantly, and the frame rate drops accordingly.

The RTX 4080’s benchmark scores reflect its high-end positioning. It has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,567 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 263,779. Its Passmark G3D score of 34,457 places it at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,247. Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 is 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER, but 1.1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X and 2.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB. Interestingly, the integrated Radeon 8060S in the same CPU is 2.7% ahead in average score, though this does not translate to gaming performance.

The GPU’s 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Outriders, which is a 2021 title that does not require excessive memory. The game’s highest settings at 4K do not appear to exceed the available VRAM, as the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (40 FPS) is consistent with GPU compute limits rather than memory capacity issues. The RTX 4080’s 76 RT cores are not heavily utilized in Outriders, as the game does not feature ray tracing as a core mechanic, but they do contribute to overall shader performance.

The GPU’s role in this combo is to provide the bulk of rendering power, particularly at higher resolutions. The CPU ensures that the GPU is fed with enough data to maintain high frame rates, and the measured FPS data confirms that the RTX 4080 is the limiting factor at 4K. At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU has enough headroom to deliver frame rates well above 100 FPS on High settings, making this combo ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming at those resolutions.