Outriders

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a decisively GPU-bound experience in Outriders, with frame rates scaling almost entirely with resolution and graphics preset. The data confirms this combination is a high-refresh-rate 1080p machine and a capable 1440p performer, while 4K Ultra demands more than the 8 GB frame buffer can comfortably provide.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep, predictable drop as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-limited workload. At 1080p High, the combo averages 153.8 FPS, but moving to 1440p High reduces that to 93.8 FPS—a 39% decrease. Pushing to 4K High yields 50.9 FPS, which is another 46% drop from the 1440p figure. This consistent halving of performance with each resolution step indicates that the RTX 3070's rendering pipeline, not the CPU, is the limiting factor.

The pattern holds across all settings. At Low, the frame rate goes from 244.9 FPS at 1080p to 174.8 FPS at 1440p and finally to 93.6 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is still above 60 FPS, showing that the GPU has enough raw throughput to handle the pixel count when graphical load is reduced. However, the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is stark: 93.6 FPS versus 37.2 FPS. This 2.5x spread reveals that the game's Ultra preset, likely through heavy shading and texture effects, overwhelms the GPU's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 20.31 TFLOPS compute.

At 1080p, the scaling from Low to Ultra is 244.9 FPS down to 109.8 FPS, a 55% reduction. The fact that even 1080p Ultra cannot reach 144 FPS suggests that Outriders' Ultra settings impose a heavy cost that no resolution can fully hide. The data indicates that for smooth 4K gameplay, users must stay at Medium or below, as 4K Medium delivers 67.4 FPS while 4K High drops to 50.9 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Outriders?

A: 1440p is the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo produces 93.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. 1080p is overkill for most displays, with 153.8 FPS at High, while 4K requires dropping to Medium (67.4 FPS) to stay playable.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 28238, placing it 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti. It trails the AMD FirePro S7150 by 0.6% and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X by 1.1%, though those are workstation or older mobile parts.

Q: Is the Core i5-12600KF holding back the GPU in this game?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23444 and a single-core score of 3309, are far above what Outriders requires. The FPS scaling with resolution proves the bottleneck is the GPU, not the processor.

Q: What settings should I use for a 4K display?

A: Medium is the highest playable preset, yielding 67.4 FPS. High drops to 50.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 37.2 FPS, both of which are below the 60 FPS target for smooth action.

Q: Does the CPU's 10-core/16-thread configuration matter for this game?

A: The data suggests it does not limit performance. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7956 and max-thread score of 7952 indicate strong multi-threading, but Outriders' frame rates are dictated by GPU load, as seen in the resolution scaling.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: It ranks 622nd out of 1693 tested combos, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all configurations for Outriders performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the primary driver of Outriders' frame rates, and its 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is the defining constraint at high resolutions. The GPU's boost clock of 1725 MHz and base clock of 1500 MHz, combined with 5888 shading units, deliver a measured Passmark G3D score of 22214 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 11195. These figures place the card in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a liability at 4K Ultra. The 37.2 FPS result is not just a compute limitation—it reflects the memory subsystem struggling to feed the renderer. At 1080p, the same Ultra preset achieves 109.8 FPS, which shows the GPU's compute power is sufficient when the memory footprint is smaller. The data points to a clear conclusion: the RTX 3070 is a 1440p-class card for Outriders, with 4K requiring settings reductions to stay within VRAM and bandwidth limits.

The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, posts an average score just 0.9% lower, but the RTX 3070's advantage in raw compute (20.31 TFLOPS FP32) and memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s versus typical 256-bit designs) manifests in the measured FPS results. The card's 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are not directly relevant to Outriders' rasterized workload, but they contribute to the overall architectural efficiency seen in the benchmark scores.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 622 out of 1693 tested configurations places it in the upper-middle tier of Outriders performance. This ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU, as the i5-12600KF scores in the 84th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 3070 sits in the 72nd percentile among GPUs. The combination is well-matched, with the CPU's benchmark average of 27827 nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 27829 (0% delta).

The GPU's average benchmark score of 28238 is within 1% of its nearest rivals, indicating that the RTX 3070 is a stable, mid-tier performer. The 622nd rank out of 1693 suggests that while this combo is not a top-tier enthusiast setup, it outperforms roughly 63% of all tested systems in this specific game. The data supports the conclusion that the pairing is optimized for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with the rank reflecting its strong but not exceptional standing.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p displays, the High preset at 153.8 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it clears the 144 Hz refresh rate threshold. The Ultra preset at 109.8 FPS is still playable but sacrifices 29% of the frame rate for marginal visual gains. Low at 244.9 FPS is unnecessary unless chasing maximum refresh rates on 240 Hz panels.

At 1440p, High at 93.8 FPS is the recommended choice, staying above 90 FPS for smooth gameplay. Medium at 125 FPS is viable for competitive play, while Ultra at 70.7 FPS remains above 60 FPS but approaches the limit of smooth motion. Low at 174.8 FPS is overkill for most 1440p monitors.

For 4K, Medium at 67.4 FPS is the only playable preset that maintains a 60 FPS floor. High at 50.9 FPS and Ultra at 37.2 FPS are below acceptable thresholds for fast-paced action. Low at 93.6 FPS offers a high frame rate but sacrifices too much visual fidelity for the resolution. The data clearly indicates that 4K requires Medium settings for this combo.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates range from 244.9 FPS at Low to 200.9 FPS at Medium, 153.8 FPS at High, and 109.8 FPS at Ultra. The step from Low to Medium is a 18% drop, Medium to High is a 23% drop, and High to Ultra is a 29% drop, showing that each preset level imposes a consistent tax on the GPU.

At 2560x1440, Low delivers 174.8 FPS, Medium 125 FPS, High 93.8 FPS, and Ultra 70.7 FPS. The relative gaps are similar to 1080p, but the absolute values confirm that 1440p Ultra is the edge of playability. The transition from High to Ultra at 1440p is a 25% reduction, which is the largest penalty among the preset steps.

At 3840x2160, Low produces 93.6 FPS, Medium 67.4 FPS, High 50.9 FPS, and Ultra 37.2 FPS. The Ultra result is less than half of the High figure, indicating a severe performance cliff. The data shows that 4K Ultra is effectively unplayable for this combo, while 4K Medium is the maximum playable setting.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF contributes little to Outriders' frame rate bottleneck, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz, provide ample headroom. Its benchmark scores—including a Passmark multithread score of 27575 and a single-thread score of 3925—place it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs.

The nearest CPU rivals are the Intel Core i9-10900K (average score 27829, 0% delta), the Intel Core i5-12600K (27851, -0.1%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (27872, -0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-13700H (27716, 0.4%). All are within 0.4% of the i5-12600KF, showing that the CPU is competitively positioned for gaming workloads. However, in Outriders, the CPU's role is secondary; the FPS drops from 153.8 at 1080p High to 93.8 at 1440p High are entirely attributable to the GPU's workload.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory ensure that it does not starve the GPU with data. The 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 platform provide a stable base, but the benchmark results show that the processor is not a limiting factor in this title. For users seeking higher frame rates, upgrading the GPU would yield far greater returns than any CPU change.