Outriders

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a combination that lands in the 972nd position out of 3710 tested combos in Outriders, placing it comfortably in the top quarter of all systems evaluated. This ranking reflects a pairing where the GPU's raw power is frequently held in check by a budget-oriented CPU, yet the overall experience remains highly playable across most settings. The data indicates a system that can handle the game's demanding environments but requires careful settings adjustment to achieve a perfectly smooth experience at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 972 out of 3710 tested configurations places it in the 74th percentile of all system pairings tested for Outriders. This is a strong showing, suggesting that the combination of the i3-12100F and RX 9070 XT is capable of delivering a well-above-average gaming experience in this title. The performance gap to the top systems is notable, but the sheer number of lower-ranked combinations underscores that this pairing is far from a compromise build.

When examining the individual components, the RX 9070 XT’s raw benchmark scores are impressive, but the CPU’s position in the overall hierarchy is more modest. The graphics card's percentile ranking against all GPUs is 55, while the processor sits at a 68th percentile against all CPUs. This discrepancy hints that the processor is the less dominant half of the pairing, a fact that becomes more apparent in the frame rate data at lower resolutions. The system’s overall rank suggests that while the GPU is a powerhouse, the CPU prevents the system from achieving the absolute top-tier frame rates seen with more powerful processors.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It features a 12 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, its multi-threaded performance is solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 7252. Single-thread performance is also respectable, scoring 1674 in Cinebench R23 and 1932 in Geekbench.

For Outriders, a looter shooter that relies on physics and AI calculations, the CPU's role is critical. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 212 FPS, which is likely a CPU-bound scenario where the GPU has ample headroom. However, the 4-core/8-thread configuration may struggle to maintain high minimum frame rates in chaotic combat scenarios with numerous enemies on screen. The processor's performance relative to its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-9500 (which it matches with a 0.3% delta) and the Intel Core 5 120UL (which is 0.7% faster), suggests it holds its own but does not offer a significant computational advantage over older or more power-efficient designs. This indicates that while the CPU is capable, it is not the primary driver of the high frame rates this system can achieve.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a high-end graphics card built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. It has a boost clock of 2970 MHz and a game clock of 2400 MHz. Its compute power is substantial, with 4096 shading units and a FP32 performance of 48.66 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 26795 in Passmark G3D and 7260 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, indicating a very powerful GPU.

In Outriders, the GPU is clearly the dominant component driving performance. The measured FPS data shows that the system can produce very high frame rates when the resolution is lowered, which is a classic sign of a strong GPU that is not being fully utilized. The card’s 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game’s textures, even at 4K Ultra settings. However, its performance relative to its nearest rivals is peculiar; the data shows it performs within 1% of the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570. This is an unusual finding, as those are much older, lower-tier cards. This discrepancy in the benchmark database likely reflects a difference in the test methodology or driver versions, as the RX 9070 XT's actual in-game performance, as shown in the measured FPS, is vastly superior. The GPU's role is to provide the raw pixel-pushing power, and the FPS data confirms it does so effectively.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates reveal a clear performance hierarchy based on resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. With Low settings, the average FPS is 212, which is extremely high. Moving to Medium settings reduces the average to 189 FPS, with a minimum of 160 and a maximum of 217. High settings yield an average of 170 FPS, while Ultra settings still produce a very smooth 133 FPS average. The system is never below the threshold of playability at this resolution, even on the most demanding preset.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but the scaling begins to show. Low settings average 182 FPS, Medium settings average 155 FPS (with a min of 132 and max of 178), and High settings average 116 FPS. Ultra settings drop the average to 84 FPS, which is still quite playable for a fast-paced game. The frame rates are high enough to take advantage of high refresh rate monitors at this resolution, though Ultra settings will require a 60Hz display for a fully stable experience.

At 3840x2160, the system starts to feel the pressure. Low settings average 111 FPS, which is still excellent for 4K. Medium settings average 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 93, which is smooth. High settings bring the average down to 61 FPS, which is right at the edge of a 60Hz display's refresh rate. Ultra settings, however, cause a significant drop to 44 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for a smooth experience. This data shows that the system is a 4K-capable machine, but only at lower to medium settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and tells a clear story about the system's bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system hits 212 FPS. At 4K Low, it drops to 111 FPS, a reduction of approximately 48%. This is a large drop, indicating that the GPU is being stressed much harder at higher resolutions. However, when looking at the Ultra preset, the drop is even more severe: from 133 FPS at 1080p to 44 FPS at 4K, a 67% reduction.

This scaling pattern points to the GPU being the primary limiting factor at 4K, especially with higher settings. The GPU is working at full capacity to render the additional pixels, and the CPU has enough headroom to keep up. Conversely, at 1080p with Low settings, the system is likely CPU-bound, as the frame rate of 212 FPS is high but not scaling as efficiently as the GPU's raw power would suggest. The fact that the FPS drops more steeply from 1440p to 4K than from 1080p to 1440p confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU, while not a top-tier performer, is sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p and 1440p, but the GPU's limitations at 4K are clearly exposed.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate.

For 1920x1080 users with high refresh rate monitors (144Hz or higher), the High preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 170 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors, ensuring a smooth and responsive experience. The Ultra preset, at 133 FPS, is also viable for 144Hz displays, but the High preset offers a better balance of visual fidelity and performance headroom.

For 2560x1440 users, the High preset is again the sweet spot, delivering an average of 116 FPS. This is ideal for 120Hz monitors, providing a fluid experience without the performance cost of Ultra settings. The Medium preset, at 155 FPS, is also an excellent choice for 144Hz displays, but the visual downgrade from High is noticeable. For those with a 60Hz display, the Ultra preset at 84 FPS is playable, but High is recommended for a more stable frame rate.

For 3840x2160 users, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 81 FPS, which is above the 60Hz threshold and provides a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. The High preset, at 61 FPS, is also acceptable, but it is dangerously close to the refresh rate limit and may cause stutters. The Low preset, at 111 FPS, is excellent for high refresh rate 4K monitors, but the visual sacrifices are significant. The Ultra preset should be avoided, as the 44 FPS average is below the playability threshold for this type of action game.

In summary, the data suggests that the High preset is the most versatile and generally recommended setting for this combination, offering a strong balance of visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions. Lower settings are only necessary for 4K gaming, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor.