Outriders

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a robust 1080p experience in Outriders, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. The data shows a clear split: at 1080p, the quad-core processor keeps up with the mid-range graphics card, but at 4K, the GPU's workload dominates and frames fall accordingly. This combo ranks in the 48th percentile of tested configurations, a middle-of-the-pack standing that reflects balanced but not class-leading hardware. The following sections break down the role of each component, the scaling behavior, and measured performance figures.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from Intel's Alder Lake-S family, built on a 10 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boosts to 4.30 GHz. For a game like Outriders, which is a looter shooter that relies on physics, AI, and particle effects, the CPU's job is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game state updates. The 8 threads help avoid bottlenecks when multiple enemies or effects are on screen, though the core count is modest by modern standards.

The CPU's cache hierarchy is relevant: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. This amount of L3 is adequate for a quad-core, but in dense combat scenarios, the CPU may need to fetch from memory more often than a larger cache design, which can have a slight impact on frame pacing. However, the boost clock of 4.30 GHz is strong for a quad-core, and single-thread performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 single-core at 1674 points, suggests that the CPU can handle Outriders' main simulation thread with a smoothness.

In the 3DMark tests, the CPU scores 4,051 in the 16-thread test and 893 in the single-thread test. The 8-thread score of 4,026 is close to the 16-thread score, indicating that the CPU's performance scales well up to 8 threads but plateaus beyond that. Outriders, like many modern games, benefits from more than 4 cores, but the 8 threads mean the CPU can handle the game's background tasks without becoming a significant bottleneck at 1080p. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i3-12100F's average benchmark score of 13,494 is nearly identical to the Intel Core 3 N355 (13,492, 0% delta) and slightly higher than the Core i5-9500 (13,452, 0.3% delta). This puts it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs tested. The interesting part is that the i3-12100F is only 1.1% faster than the lower-power Core i7-1250U (13,351) in general compute, highlighting that the i3 is a solid but not exceptional performer.

The CPU's 4-core, 8-thread configuration has a direct effect on Outriders' frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the framerate of 212 FPS suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck in low-detail scenarios, as the GPU can keep up with the demand. However, at Ultra settings, the framerate drops to 100 FPS, which indicates that the CPU's ability to handle the increased draw calls and physics calculations may limit the GPU's output. The data suggests that the i3-12100F is sufficient for high-refresh-rate 1080p, but it may not be enough to push beyond the 200 FPS mark in all scenarios. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking against all CPUs confirms it is a mid-range part, not a high-end gaming chip, but its single-thread strength keeps it from being a weak link.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is based on the Ampere architecture and the GA104 chip, built on an 8 nm process. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 4,864 shader units and 152 texture mapping units (TMUs), with a base clock of 1,410 MHz and a boost clock of 1,665 MHz. The memory runs at 1,750 MHz, or 14 Gbps effective. This memory bandwidth and capacity are key for a looter shooter like Outriders, which has large, open environments with many objects and effects.

The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p in Outriders, and it manages 4K without exceeding the memory limit, as the framerate data shows. At 1080p with Low settings, the GPU reaches 212 FPS, indicating that the 3060 Ti is not the limiting factor at this resolution and quality level. The GPU's average benchmark score of 16,129 places it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, and it is closely matched with rivals: the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is only 0.7% higher, the Radeon Pro 5600M is 1.4% lower, the Radeon RX 5700 XT is 1.4% lower, and the Radeon R9 370X is 1.7% lower. This means the 3060 Ti sits in a tight performance band, with no dominant rival.

The GPU's role becomes more significant at higher resolutions. At 2560x1440, the GPU is likely the primary bottleneck, as the CPU's performance is not the main limiting factor. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting component, as the framerate drops to 46 FPS at High settings. The GPU's 16.20 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 133.2 GTexel/s texture fill rate are good but not exceptional, and the 8 GB VRAM is the minimum for 4K gaming. The GPU's compute performance is also shown in the Passmark G3D score of 20,349, which is a good indicator of its overall gaming performance. The RTX 3060 Ti's performance in Outriders is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, it can only handle Medium settings at 61 FPS, which is playable but not a high refresh rate. This suggests that the GPU is the main limiting factor at 4K, while the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at that resolution.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS shows a clear pattern of scaling across resolutions. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 139, which drops to 88 at 1440p High, and then to 46 at 4K High. This is a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 48% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe than from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a bottleneck as resolution increases.

At Low settings, the framerate at 1080p is 212 FPS, which drops to 161 at 1440p, and then to 84 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24%, while from 1440p to 4K is 48%. The scaling is more consistent, but the absolute numbers are higher. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is relatively small (24%), suggesting that the CPU is still able to feed the GPU enough frames at this resolution. However, at 4K, the GPU is clearly the limit, as the framerate at Low settings is only 84 FPS, which is a 60% drop from 1080p.

The Medium settings show a similar pattern: 1080p at 185 FPS, 1440p at 117, and 4K at 61. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%. This indicates that the GPU is the main factor beyond 1080p. The Ultra settings are the most demanding: 1080p at 100, 1440p at 63, and 4K at 33. The drop is 37% and 48% again, consistent with the other settings. This data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU can still keep up.

The scaling behavior is typical of a balanced system where the GPU is the limit at higher resolutions. The 3060 Ti's 8 GB VRAM and 448 GB/s of bandwidth are enough for Outriders, but the GPU's raw compute power is not sufficient for 4K Ultra. The data suggests that for a 4K experience, the user would need to lower settings, as the GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS at High or even Medium at 4K. The scaling shows that the CPU is not a major bottleneck at any resolution, but the GPU is the limiting factor above 1080p.

At 1080p, the framerate across all settings is above 100 FPS, indicating that the CPU and GPU are well-matched. At 1440p, the GPU is the limit, but the CPU still has headroom. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, and the CPU's role becomes secondary. The data indicates that for the best experience, the user should target 1080p or 1440p, where the GPU can deliver high FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F with the RTX 3060 Ti combination ranks 1,771 out of 3,710 tested combinations in Outriders. This puts it in the 47.7th percentile, meaning it performs better than roughly half of the other combos but worse than the top half. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. The CPU is in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, so the combo is slightly CPU-heavy. This is a mid-range setup that can handle most gaming scenarios but is not a high-end combination.

The rank is influenced by the fact that the GPU is not a top-tier 4K card, and the CPU is a budget quad-core. The combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 1080p, the combo can deliver high frame rates, as seen in the data. At 1440p, it can still handle High and Medium settings at good frame rates. At 4K, it is not sufficient for Ultra, but can handle Low and Medium at playable rates. The rank of 1,771 out of 3,710 is a median, which is expected for a mid-range setup.

The rank is also influenced by the fact that the CPU is not a high-end model. The i3-12100F is a 4-core chip, which may limit performance in more CPU-bound scenarios. However, in Outriders, the CPU's performance is adequate, and the GPU is the main limit. The combo is a good choice for gamers who want a balance between CPU and GPU without spending on the highest-end parts. The rank of 1,771 is a good result for the price point, but the exact value is not considered here.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is divided by resolution and settings. All figures are average FPS unless noted.

1920x1080:

• Low: 212 FPS
• Medium: 185 FPS (min 157, max 213)
• High: 139 FPS
• Ultra: 100 FPS

At 1080p, the framerate is high across all settings. The drop from Low to Medium is 27 FPS, from Medium to High is 46 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 39 FPS. The scaling is not linear, with the biggest drop between Medium and High. This suggests that the High preset adds a significant GPU load, but the CPU can still handle it.

2560x1440:

• Low: 161 FPS
• Medium: 117 FPS (min 99, max 134)
• High: 88 FPS
• Ultra: 63 FPS

At 1440p, the framerate drops. The drop from Low to Medium is 44 FPS, from Medium to High is 29 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 25 FPS. The scaling is more consistent, with each setting adding a similar amount of GPU load. The GPU is the bottleneck, and the CPU is not a concern.

3840x2160:

• Low: 84 FPS
• Medium: 61 FPS (min 52, max 70)
• High: 46 FPS
• Ultra: 33 FPS

At 4K, the framerate is much lower. The drop from Low to Medium is 23 FPS, from Medium to High is 15 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 13 FPS. The scaling is less severe than at 1440p, indicating the GPU is saturated. The 4K resolution is very demanding, and the GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS at High settings. Only Low and Medium can achieve 60 FPS, with Low at 84 FPS and Medium at 61 FPS.

The data shows that the GPU is the main limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU is not the bottleneck, as the CPU can supply enough frames. At 1440p, the GPU is the bottleneck, but the framerate is still acceptable. At 4K, the GPU is severely limited, and only Low/Medium settings are playable.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the best settings depend on the target resolution and frame rate.

• 1080p: For 1080p, the High setting at 139 FPS is a good balance, it provides a smooth experience. Ultra at 100 FPS is also playable, but the improvement in visuals may not be worth the 28% frame drop. If the player has a 144Hz monitor, High is the best choice, as it provides a high frame rate. For a 240Hz monitor, Low at 212 FPS is the only option that can keep up. Medium at 185 FPS is also a good choice for high refresh.

• 1440p: At 1440p, the Medium setting at 117 FPS is the best choice for a high refresh experience, as it is above 100 FPS. High at 88 FPS is a good choice for a 90Hz monitor, but it is not as smooth. Ultra at 63 FPS is playable, but the frame rate is lower. For a 60Hz monitor, Ultra is fine, but for a 144Hz monitor, Medium is the best pick. The data shows a clear trade-off between quality and performance.

• 4K: At 4K, the Medium setting at 61 FPS is the best choice for a 60Hz monitor, as it provides a smooth frame rate. Low at 84 FPS is also good, but the visual quality is lower. High at 46 FPS and Ultra at 33 FPS are not recommended for a 60Hz display, as they can cause stutter. For a 120Hz 4K monitor, the GPU cannot keep up, so the player should use Medium for the best experience.

The best experience per the measured data is the Medium setting at 1440p or 1080p, depending on the monitor. Medium offers a good balance between quality and performance, with a frame rate above 100 FPS at 1440p and 185 FPS at 1080p. For 4K, Medium is the only setting that reaches 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average frame rate is 139 FPS at 1080p with High settings.

Q: Can the RTX 3060 Ti handle 4K in Outriders?

A: At 4K, the GPU can only achieve 60 FPS at Medium settings (61 FPS). At High and Ultra, the frame rates are 46 and 33 FPS, respectively, making them not ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1440p?

A: The CPU is not a major bottleneck at 1440p; the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rates at 1440p are 161 FPS (Low), 117 (Medium), 88 (High), and 63 (Ultra), which are all above 60 FPS except for the Ultra setting.

Q: What is the best setting for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The Medium setting at 1440p is the best for a 144Hz monitor, as it delivers 117 FPS, which is close to the refresh rate. High at 88 FPS would be a lower frame rate, and Ultra at 63 FPS is too low for 144Hz.

Q: How does the i3-12100F perform in Outriders?

A: The i3-12100F has a 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs. In Outriders, its performance is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, as the frame rates are not CPU-limited at those resolutions.

Q: What is the drop in frame rate from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: The frame rate drops from 139 FPS at 1080p to 88 FPS at 1440p, a 37% decrease, indicating the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1440p.