Outriders

The benchmark data for Outriders with the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions, yet capable of delivering very high frame rates at 1080p. The measured results across four settings presets and three resolutions provide a clear picture of where this combo excels and where it falls short.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 demonstrates a classic GPU-bound scenario, particularly at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 90.4 FPS at 1080p to 59.5 FPS at 1440p, then falls sharply to 28.6 FPS at 4K. This represents a 68% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GTX 1070's rendering capabilities are the primary limiting factor once pixel count increases significantly.

The scaling pattern at Low settings tells a different story. The system achieves 171.4 FPS at 1080p, 108.2 FPS at 1440p, and 55.4 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 49%. This steeper decline at higher resolutions under Low settings suggests that even when graphical effects are minimized, the sheer pixel throughput required at 4K overwhelms the GPU's 256-bit memory bus and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth.

Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 123.9 FPS at 1080p, 78.5 FPS at 1440p, and 39.7 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p reduction is 37%, and the 1440p to 4K reduction is 49%. Ultra settings produce the lowest absolute numbers, with 64.1 FPS at 1080p, 41.9 FPS at 1440p, and 20.8 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below playable thresholds, showing that this combination cannot handle maximum quality at 4K.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution above 1080p. The consistent frame rate drops between resolutions, regardless of settings, point directly to the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth as the limiting factors. At 1080p, however, the CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient to keep frame rates high, as evidenced by the 171.4 FPS Low result.

GPU Role

The GTX 1070 operates with a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz, built on the Pascal architecture with a 16 nm process. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory runs at 2002 MHz, providing a memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. These specifications directly correlate with the observed performance in Outriders.

The GPU's 1920 shading units and 64 ROPs handle the game's rendering workload, but the 4K results show that these resources are insufficient for smooth gameplay at that resolution. The pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s are the metrics that govern how quickly the card can fill the screen. At 3840x2160, the demand for pixel throughput exceeds what the card can deliver, resulting in the 28.6 FPS High and 20.8 FPS Ultra readings.

The FP32 performance of 6.463 TFLOPS provides context for the GPU's compute capabilities. In Outriders, a looter shooter that relies on particle effects and on-screen action, this compute power is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but falls short at 4K. The GPU's percentile ranking of 51 against all GPUs places it in the middle of the pack, which aligns with its observed mid-range performance in this title.

The memory subsystem is particularly relevant at higher resolutions. The 256-bit bus width and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K the bandwidth becomes a limiting factor. This is evident in the disproportionate performance drop between 1440p and 4K compared to the drop between 1080p and 1440p across all settings presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i3-12100F and GTX 1070 ranks 1432 out of 1693 tested combos in Outriders. This places the system in the lower percentile of configurations, reflecting the GPU's age and mid-range positioning. The CPU, however, performs above its class in synthetic benchmarks, with an average benchmark score of 13516 and a percentile ranking of 72 against all CPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which scores 13534 with a deltaPct of -0.1%, and the Intel Core i7-1250U, which scores 13462 with a deltaPct of 0.4%. This indicates that the i3-12100F's processing power is competitive with much more expensive and higher-core-count processors in general compute tasks, though this advantage does not translate to higher frame rates in Outriders due to GPU limitations.

The GPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 at 12241 with a deltaPct of 0.7%, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER at 12504 with a deltaPct of -1.4%. The GTX 1070's avgBenchmarkScore of 12331 places it slightly above the Quadro K4200 but below the GTX 1650 SUPER, positioning it as a mid-tier graphics solution that is now several generations old.

The combo rank of 1432 out of 1693 suggests that most other tested combinations deliver better performance in Outriders. This is not surprising given that the GTX 1070 is end-of-life and the CPU, while capable, is a budget quad-core part. The ranking reflects the overall system performance rather than any single component's capability.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset delivers the best experience for this combination. At 1920x1080, the High preset achieves 90.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset reaches 123.9 FPS, offering a significant performance headroom for competitive play. The Low preset hits 171.4 FPS, which is beneficial for players with high refresh rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the High preset produces 59.5 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset delivers 78.5 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Low preset reaches 108.2 FPS, making it the best option for 1440p gaming if maximum frame rates are desired. The Ultra preset at 41.9 FPS is not recommended for 1440p.

The 3840x2160 results are generally poor. The Low preset at 55.4 FPS is the only playable option, and even this is marginal. The Medium preset at 39.7 FPS and High preset at 28.6 FPS are below acceptable thresholds for most players. The Ultra preset at 20.8 FPS is unplayable.

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 offers the optimal balance between visual quality and performance, delivering 123.9 FPS. For players prioritizing visual fidelity, the High preset at 1080p still provides 90.4 FPS, which is smooth and visually appealing. At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it maintains 78.5 FPS while offering better image quality than Low.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Outriders at 4K?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 55.4 FPS, which is playable but not optimal. The Medium preset drops to 39.7 FPS, and High falls to 28.6 FPS. Ultra is unplayable at 20.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The 1920x1080 resolution yields the highest frame rates, with Low at 171.4 FPS, Medium at 123.9 FPS, and High at 90.4 FPS. These are all well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13516, which is 0.1% below the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX and 0.4% above the Intel Core i7-1250U.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks in the 51st percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12331.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best experience at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers 78.5 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance for this resolution.

Q: Is the Ultra preset viable at any resolution?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra achieves 64.1 FPS, which is playable. At 2560x1440, Ultra drops to 41.9 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls to 20.8 FPS, making it not viable at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F provides 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture processor has a 12 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The CPU's single-thread performance is particularly strong, with a 3dmark single-thread score of 893 and a cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681.

In Outriders, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The 4-core, 8-thread configuration is sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 1080p, as evidenced by the 171.4 FPS Low result. The CPU's boost clock of 4.30 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks, which are common in game engines, are handled efficiently.

The CPU's multicore performance is also adequate, with a cinebench R23 multicore score of 11912 and a 3dmark 8-thread score of 4026. These scores indicate that the processor can handle the multithreaded aspects of Outriders' engine without becoming a bottleneck. The CPU's percentile ranking of 72 against all CPUs confirms that it performs better than the majority of processors in general computing tasks.

The processor's TDP of 58 W and 10 nm process node make it an efficient choice, but this efficiency does not compensate for the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this system, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution changes. The GPU's 150 W TDP and end-of-life production status are more significant contributors to the system's overall performance profile in Outriders.