Outriders

The pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 in Outriders represents a stark contrast in component tiers, yet the benchmark data reveals a surprisingly coherent performance profile. The 4-core, 8-thread processor from Intel's Alder Lake-S architecture provides the foundation, while the 24 GB Ada Lovelace GPU drives the rendering output. This analysis breaks down how each component contributes to the measured frames per second (FPS) across three resolutions and four quality presets, and where this specific combination stands among the 1,693 tested combos for this title.

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

The Intel Core i3-12100F operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz across its 4 physical cores and 8 threads. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. The processor’s benchmark scores indicate a strong single-threaded capability relative to its multi-threaded output, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 893 and a passmark_single_thread score of 3444. The multi-threaded results show a ceiling at 4 threads: 3dmark_4_threads scores 2859, while 3dmark_8_threads scores 4026 and 3dmark_max_threads scores 4023, suggesting that additional threads beyond 8 provide no meaningful gain. This is consistent with a 4-core design where the 8 threads are fully utilized.

In the context of Outriders, the data suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 63.5, while at 1920x1080 with Low settings, it reaches 212.3. The spread between resolutions at the same settings is significant: at Low settings, the jump from 1080p (212.3 FPS) to 1440p (184.1 FPS) is 28.2 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K (148.5 FPS) is another 35.6 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU’s 4 cores are likely being taxed to their limits, as the GPU has headroom to render more frames but the processor cannot feed it faster. At 4K, the GPU workload increases, and the CPU bottleneck becomes less pronounced. The processor’s percentileVsAllCpus score of 72 places it above average, but its nearest rival comparison shows it is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (deltaPct of -0.1) and slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U (deltaPct of 0.4). This indicates that despite having only 4 cores, the i3-12100F’s clock speed and architecture allow it to compete with much higher-core-count parts in this game’s specific workload.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant force in this pairing, built on the AD102 chip with a 5 nm process from TSMC. It carries 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 2235 MHz with a boost clock of 2520 MHz, and its memory runs at 1313 MHz, translating to 21 Gbps effective. With 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, the RTX 4090 is designed for extreme throughput, and its passmark_g3d score of 38194 reflects that. The GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus score of 91 is high, but its nearest rivals are data-center and workstation cards: the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (deltaPct of -0.4), NVIDIA Tesla P40 (deltaPct of 0.5), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (deltaPct of -0.9), and NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (deltaPct of -1.3). These comparisons show the RTX 4090 sits in a performance band alongside professional compute cards, though its gaming-oriented architecture is what matters here.

In Outriders, the GPU’s role is clearly visible in the resolution scaling. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 212.3, which is the highest recorded. Moving to Ultra at the same resolution drops the average to 151.6, a reduction of 60.7 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset still delivers 121.5 FPS, while High settings yield 146 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset falls to 63.5 FPS, which is the lowest average in the dataset. This pattern shows the RTX 4090’s raw compute power is sufficient to push high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K Ultra, the demands of the game’s rendering pipeline begin to exceed what even this GPU can sustain at high averages. The 24 GB VRAM is unlikely to be a constraint at any of these settings, as the data shows no anomalies suggesting memory capacity limits, only typical scaling based on resolution and quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average is 212.3 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: The 3dmark_max_threads score is 4023, while 3dmark_single_thread is 893, indicating the multi-threaded score is roughly 4.5 times higher, which aligns with the 4-core, 8-thread configuration.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo drop below 70 FPS?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 63.5, which is the only measured row below 70 FPS.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 184.1 FPS, while Ultra produces 121.5 FPS, a difference of 62.6 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4090’s benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 4090 has an avgBenchmarkScore of 66473, which is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla T4’s score of 66733, according to the deltaPct of -0.4.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combos for Outriders?

A: The combo ranks 181st out of 1,693 tested combos, placing it in the top 11% of all configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings, providing a complete picture of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 151.6 (Ultra) to 212.3 (Low). The Medium preset delivers 190.9 FPS, and High delivers 170.6 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a reduction of 21.4 FPS, from Medium to High is 20.3 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 19.0 FPS. This shows a nearly linear decrease in performance as quality increases, with each preset costing roughly 20 FPS at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the averages are lower but still high: Low runs at 184.1 FPS, Medium at 159.8 FPS, High at 146 FPS, and Ultra at 121.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 24.3 FPS, between Medium and High is 13.8 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 24.5 FPS. The scaling is less uniform here, with the Medium-to-High step being smaller, suggesting that certain graphical effects have a more pronounced impact at this resolution. Compared to 1080p, the resolution increase costs 28.2 FPS at Low (from 212.3 to 184.1), 31.1 FPS at Medium (from 190.9 to 159.8), 24.6 FPS at High (from 170.6 to 146), and 30.1 FPS at Ultra (from 151.6 to 121.5).

At 3840x2160, the averages drop significantly. Low settings yield 148.5 FPS, Medium 113.5 FPS, High 84.7 FPS, and Ultra 63.5 FPS. The gaps between settings are larger: Low to Medium is 35.0 FPS, Medium to High is 28.8 FPS, and High to Ultra is 21.2 FPS. Moving from 1440p to 4K costs 35.6 FPS at Low (from 184.1 to 148.5), 46.3 FPS at Medium (from 159.8 to 113.5), 61.3 FPS at High (from 146 to 84.7), and 58.0 FPS at Ultra (from 121.5 to 63.5). The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo is still playable but at a much lower frame rate, while at 1080p Low, it reaches refresh rates suitable for high-speed displays.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 181st out of 1,693 tested combinations for Outriders, placing it in the top 10.7% of all configurations. This rank is notable given the CPU’s modest 4-core design, which might suggest a lower placement. However, the RTX 4090’s dominance in GPU-bound scenarios, particularly at higher resolutions, lifts the overall performance. The CPU’s percentileVsAllCpus score of 72 indicates it outperforms 72% of all CPUs, and its nearest rival comparison shows it is statistically tied with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (deltaPct of -0.1), which is a workstation-class processor with many more cores. This suggests that Outriders does not heavily tax the CPU beyond a few threads, allowing the i3-12100F to perform at a level comparable to much more expensive parts.

The GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus score of 91 is higher than the CPU’s, and its nearest rivals are all professional cards, not gaming GPUs. This indicates that the RTX 4090 is a top-tier consumer part that sits at the edge of the performance spectrum. The combination of a 91st-percentile GPU with a 72nd-percentile CPU results in a rank of 181, which is higher than the CPU percentile alone would suggest. This is because the GPU’s contribution to FPS in Outriders is substantial, especially at 1440p and 4K where the CPU bottleneck is less severe. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more of a limiting factor, but the overall rank reflects the average performance across all measured rows, which includes the high-FPS scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 212.3 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 190.9 FPS is also viable, offering a balance between visual quality and speed. High and Ultra at 170.6 and 151.6 FPS, respectively, are still very smooth and provide better visuals, making them suitable for most players.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields 184.1 FPS, which is excellent for fast-paced action. Medium at 159.8 FPS is a strong recommendation for those wanting better graphics without sacrificing fluidity. High at 146 FPS is also a good choice, while Ultra at 121.5 FPS remains above the 120 FPS threshold, making it playable on 120 Hz displays. For 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. Low at 148.5 FPS is the only setting that exceeds 144 FPS, making it the best option for high-refresh 4K monitors. Medium at 113.5 FPS and High at 84.7 FPS are acceptable for 60-120 Hz displays, but Ultra at 63.5 FPS is the only setting that dips below 70 FPS, which may be too low for some players. The data suggests that for a consistent experience across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the best compromise, as it never drops below 113.5 FPS and provides a noticeable visual improvement over Low. For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low is the clear choice, while those with 1440p monitors can comfortably use High.