Outriders

# Outriders with Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti

The pairing of Intel's quad-core Alder Lake i3-12100F with NVIDIA's Ampere-based RTX 3070 Ti produces a looter-shooter experience that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset choice. Across the measured data for Outriders, this combo demonstrates a wide performance envelope, ranging from a highly playable 4K experience at Medium settings to a blistering 212 FPS average at 1080p Low. The data reveals a system where the GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and 608.3 GB/s bandwidth become the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s 4.30 GHz boost clock and 8 threads keep frame rates competitive at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 159 FPS at 1080p to 101 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 53 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 48% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling suggests that at 4K High, the RTX 3070 Ti is being pushed to its limits, as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p while the frame rate only drops to roughly one-third.

The Low preset scaling tells a similar story but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 212 FPS average, which drops to 182 FPS at 1440p and 96 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result being less than half of the 1080p Low result indicates that even with reduced graphical load, the GPU's raw throughput becomes the limiting factor at 4K. The Medium preset shows the tightest min/max ranges in the data, with 4K Medium producing a 60 FPS minimum and 81 FPS maximum, while 1080p Medium ranges from 160 to 217 FPS.

Ultra settings reveal the steepest performance cliff. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 38 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS minimum seen at 4K Medium. This indicates that the jump from Medium to Ultra at 4K more than halves the performance, suggesting the 8 GB VRAM buffer is being saturated or the shader complexity is overwhelming the 6144 shading units. The resolution scaling data points to the GPU as the dominant constraint across all presets, with the CPU maintaining sufficient headroom even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 200 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F brings 4 cores and 8 threads to this pairing, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture part, built on Intel's 10 nm process, shows solid single-threaded performance in synthetic benchmarks, scoring 1674 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 1932 in Geekbench single-core. The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide adequate data locality for game logic and physics calculations.

In Outriders, the CPU's role becomes most apparent at lower resolutions where GPU load is reduced. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 212 FPS, which is the highest measured average in the entire dataset. This suggests the i3-12100F's 4.30 GHz boost clock is sufficient to feed the RTX 3070 Ti at this resolution and settings level. The 3dmark 4-thread score of 2859 and 8-thread score of 4026 indicate that the CPU can handle multi-threaded workloads, though the 4-core/8-thread configuration may limit performance in more CPU-intensive scenarios.

However, the 1080p Medium result of 189 FPS average, which is lower than the 1080p Low result, indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck at these settings; the GPU is still the limiting factor. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13494, places it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-9500 with a 0.3% higher score and the Intel Core 3 N355 with a 0% delta, showing that this i3 is competitive with older 6-core parts in synthetic workloads. For Outriders specifically, the data shows no evidence of CPU-induced frame rate caps, as the 1080p Low result of 212 FPS exceeds typical refresh rate targets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring the GA104 chip with 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Its 8 GB of GDDR6X memory runs at 1188 MHz with a 256-bit bus, delivering 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock of 1770 MHz and base clock of 1575 MHz, combined with 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores, provide the raw compute power needed for modern looter-shooters. The FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS places this card in a strong position for 1440p gaming.

The measured data shows the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 38 FPS. This is a 67% reduction from the 4K Low average of 96 FPS, highlighting how dramatically preset quality affects the GPU's output. The 4K Medium result of 70 FPS average with a 60 FPS minimum shows that the GPU can maintain playable frame rates when settings are moderated. The VRAM capacity of 8 GB appears sufficient for Medium settings at 4K, but the Ultra preset's higher texture and shadow quality likely pushes memory usage to its limits, contributing to the severe performance drop.

The GPU's 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29945, places it in the upper mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile with a 0.1% higher score and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 with a 0.5% higher score, showing that this desktop 3070 Ti is closely matched with newer mobile parts. The PassMark G3D score of 23356 and DirectX 12 score of 91 indicate strong DirectX 12 performance, which is relevant for Outriders' modern rendering pipeline. The GPU's 267 mm length and dual-slot design make it a standard fit for most cases, while its 290 W TDP requires a 600 W suggested PSU.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 1324 out of 3710 tested combos for Outriders. This places it in the 64th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning roughly two-thirds of all combos tested perform worse in this game. The rank reflects the balance between a mid-range CPU and an upper-mid-range GPU, with the GPU's performance ceiling being the primary driver of the combo's position.

The combo's ranking is influenced by the CPU's mid-tier standing and the GPU's upper-mid-tier standing. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs is slightly lower than the GPU's 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs, suggesting that the CPU may hold back the GPU in some scenarios. However, the measured FPS data shows no clear CPU bottleneck, as the 1080p Low result of 212 FPS is well above typical 144Hz refresh rates. The combo's rank of 1324 out of 3710 indicates that there are many combos with more powerful CPUs that achieve higher frame rates, likely at 1080p where CPU headroom becomes more relevant.

The nearest rival comparisons for each component provide context for the combo's performance. The CPU's closest rival, the Intel Core i5-9500, scores 0.3% higher on average, while the GPU's closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, scores 0.1% higher. These small deltas suggest that the combo's performance is well-balanced, with neither component being significantly outperformed by its direct competitors. The rank of 1324 out of 3710 combos means that this pairing sits comfortably in the upper half of all tested configurations, making it a viable option for 1440p gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce a 212 FPS average, which is the single highest measured average in the dataset. Medium settings follow at 189 FPS average, with a minimum of 160 FPS and maximum of 217 FPS. High settings drop to 159 FPS average, while Ultra settings produce 115 FPS average. These numbers show that at 1080p, all presets are playable, with even Ultra maintaining a frame rate above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally with the increased pixel count. Low settings yield 182 FPS average, Medium produces 134 FPS average with a 114 FPS minimum and 154 FPS maximum, High drops to 101 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 73 FPS average. The 1440p data shows that Medium and High presets are ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, while Ultra remains playable at 73 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 109 FPS, indicating that the GPU's performance headroom allows for significant quality adjustments.

At 3840x2160, the combo's performance becomes more constrained. Low settings produce 96 FPS average, Medium yields 70 FPS average with a 60 FPS minimum and 81 FPS maximum, High drops to 53 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 38 FPS average. The 4K Medium result is notable for maintaining a minimum above 60 FPS, making it the only 4K preset that guarantees a smooth experience. The 4K High and Ultra results fall below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that these settings are only suitable for 30Hz displays or for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate. The 4K Low result of 96 FPS shows that the GPU can handle 4K when graphical load is minimized, though the 8 GB VRAM capacity may limit texture quality at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings at 115 FPS average provide the best visual experience while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds 100 FPS, making this the recommended preset for maximum quality without sacrificing smoothness. For players with 144Hz displays, Medium settings at 189 FPS average (with a 160 FPS minimum) provide the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, as the minimum stays above the 144Hz threshold.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings at 134 FPS average (with a 114 FPS minimum) are the safest recommendation for high-refresh-rate displays, as the minimum remains above 114 FPS. High settings at 101 FPS average are also viable for 100Hz displays, but the Medium preset offers a larger safety margin. Ultra settings at 73 FPS average are playable but may not fully utilize 120Hz or higher refresh rate monitors. Low settings at 182 FPS average are excessive for most displays and offer diminishing returns in competitive advantage.

At 3840x2160, Medium settings at 70 FPS average (with a 60 FPS minimum) are the clear recommendation, as this is the only 4K preset that maintains a minimum above 60 FPS. This provides a smooth, consistent experience that is suitable for most displays. Low settings at 96 FPS average offer a higher frame rate but with reduced visual quality, making them a secondary option for players who prioritize frame rate over detail. High and Ultra settings at 53 FPS and 38 FPS averages, respectively, are not recommended for 4K gaming, as they fall below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable stuttering or input lag.

For the best overall experience, the data suggests that 1440p Medium settings provide the ideal balance of visual quality and performance, delivering 134 FPS average with a 114 FPS minimum. This configuration leverages the GPU's 608.3 GB/s bandwidth and 6144 shading units effectively while maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The 1080p Ultra preset at 115 FPS average is the best choice for players who prioritize visual fidelity, while 4K Medium at 70 FPS average is the only viable option for 4K displays.