Outriders

# Outriders with Intel Core i5-12600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

This combination delivers strong 1080p and 1440p performance in Outriders, but the step to 4K reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario where even a high-end RTX 5070 cannot maintain triple-digit frame rates on the Ultra preset. The measured data shows a system that excels at high-refresh 1440p gaming, with the CPU proving more than adequate for this looter shooter at every resolution tested.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K tells a definitive story about which component limits performance in Outriders. At 1080p with Low settings, the combination produces 242 FPS average, which drops to 207 FPS at 1440p and then to 119 FPS at 4K. That represents a 51% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the graphics card is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern becomes more pronounced as settings increase. With High settings, the system delivers 193 FPS at 1080p, 124 FPS at 1440p, and only 65 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K alone is 48%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36%. This accelerating degradation with resolution is classic GPU-bound behavior, where the RTX 5070's compute and memory bandwidth are increasingly stretched.

At Medium settings, the measured data includes minimum and maximum frame times, providing additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 215 FPS with a minimum of 183 FPS and maximum of 247 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average falls to 166 FPS with a range of 141 to 191 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS. The minimum frame rates at each resolution stay within 15-18% of the average, suggesting reasonably consistent frame pacing even as the GPU load increases.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic resolution scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 142 FPS, which is still very playable. At 1440p Ultra, this falls to 90 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it collapses to 47 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is less than half of the 1080p Ultra result, and the 47 FPS average would be problematic for smooth gameplay on a high-refresh display.

The data indicates that the Intel Core i5-12600KF is not the limiting factor at any resolution. The 1080p Low result of 242 FPS is well above what most displays can show, and even at 4K, the CPU is clearly capable of feeding the GPU adequately. The bottleneck is unambiguously the graphics card at 4K, and this is consistent with the GPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs and its 12 GB of VRAM.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Outriders at 4K smoothly?

A: At 4K Medium, the average frame rate is 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, which is playable on a 60 Hz or 75 Hz display. At 4K High, the average drops to 65 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 47 FPS. For consistent 60+ FPS at 4K, Medium settings are the practical ceiling.

Q: What is the best resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors?

A: At 1440p High, the system produces 124 FPS average, and at 1440p Medium, it reaches 166 FPS with a minimum of 141 FPS. For 144 Hz or 165 Hz displays, 1440p Medium or High settings are the optimal choices, as they comfortably exceed 120 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU in this game?

A: No, the data does not indicate CPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 242 FPS, and even at 1080p Ultra, it maintains 142 FPS. The frame rate scaling with resolution follows a pattern consistent with GPU-bound performance throughout.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40377, placing it 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100. It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 by 1.2% and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile by 2%.

Q: What frame rates can I expect with Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the measured average FPS is 142. This is well above 60 FPS and suitable for most gaming scenarios, though it is notably lower than the 215 FPS average at Medium settings.

Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM cause any issues at 4K?

A: The measured data does not indicate VRAM-related problems. At 4K Ultra, the system still achieves 47 FPS average, and at 4K Medium, it reaches 87 FPS. The 12 GB GDDR7 memory with 672.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for this game at all tested settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the dominant performance driver in Outriders, as evidenced by the resolution scaling patterns. This GPU features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus with 672.0 GB/s bandwidth, which supports the high texture and geometry loads typical of a looter shooter at 4K. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed, and the GPU operates at a base clock of 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial: 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores provide additional headroom for ray tracing and AI features, though Outriders' measured results do not specifically isolate these workloads. The FP32 throughput of 30.87 TFLOPS and texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s indicate strong raw performance that translates into the high frame rates seen at 1080p and 1440p.

From 1080p to 4K, the GPU's role shifts from being partially idle to fully saturated. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 242 FPS, which is likely beyond what the CPU can sustain in many scenarios, but the GPU still has plenty of headroom. By 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, delivering only 47 FPS. This is consistent with the GPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, which places it in the upper tier but not at the absolute top.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its position. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 5077, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it achieves 178923. The PassMark G3D score of 29137 and GPU Compute score of 15787 further indicate strong performance. However, the nearest rival comparisons show that the RTX 5070 is closely matched with several other GPUs, with deltas ranging from -1.2% to +2% against its nearest competitors.

For Outriders specifically, the GPU's 12 GB VRAM appears adequate even at 4K Ultra, where the game still runs at 47 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s likely helps maintain playable frame rates at 4K Medium, where the average is 87 FPS. At 1440p, the GPU is powerful enough to push well above 120 FPS on most settings, making it an excellent match for high-refresh monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 566th out of 3710 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the top 15.3% of all tested systems. This rank reflects the overall performance across all resolutions and settings, with the system showing particular strength at 1080p and 1440p while being more modest at 4K.

The CPU's contribution to this ranking is solid but not exceptional. The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, which places it in the 79th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are extremely close: the Intel Core i9-10900K is 0.3% faster, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is 0.3% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE is 0.3% slower. This clustering indicates that the CPU is competitive with other high-end processors from its generation.

The GPU's contribution is similarly strong but not dominant. The RTX 5070's average benchmark score of 40377 places it in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are also tightly grouped, with the AMD Radeon Pro 580 just 0.1% ahead and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 0.8% ahead. The NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile trails by 2%, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 leads by 1.2%.

The combo rank of 566 out of 3710 indicates that this system outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations in Outriders. This is expected given that both the CPU and GPU rank in the upper 80th percentiles of their respective categories. The system's ability to maintain above 60 FPS at 4K Medium and exceed 140 FPS at 1080p Ultra demonstrates a well-balanced pairing that is well-suited for this game's demands.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the High preset at 193 FPS average provides an excellent balance between visual quality and performance, while Ultra at 142 FPS is still very playable. The Medium preset at 215 FPS is the best choice for competitive play or very high refresh rate displays, though the visual trade-offs may not be worth it for most users.

At 1440p, the High preset at 124 FPS is the recommended choice for most players, as it comfortably exceeds 60 FPS and approaches the refresh rate of many gaming monitors. The Medium preset at 166 FPS is better suited for 144 Hz or 165 Hz displays, offering a significant frame rate boost at the cost of some visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 90 FPS is viable but represents a substantial performance hit for marginal visual gains.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset at 87 FPS is the best option, providing smooth gameplay on 60 Hz or 75 Hz monitors. The High preset at 65 FPS is also playable but may show occasional dips below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 47 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider the minimum for comfortable gaming.

The measured minimum frame rates provide additional guidance. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 74 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS and indicates consistent performance. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 141 FPS ensures no drops below 140 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh displays. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 183 FPS means the system never drops below 180 FPS, which is exceptional for competitive play.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 242 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 215 FPS with a minimum of 183 FPS and maximum of 247 FPS. The High preset averages 193 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 142 FPS. This progression shows a 100 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p, with the largest single drop occurring between High and Ultra at 51 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show more variation between settings. The Low preset averages 207 FPS, which is still extremely high. The Medium preset averages 166 FPS with a minimum of 141 FPS and maximum of 191 FPS. The High preset averages 124 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 90 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 117 FPS, with the Medium to High transition showing the largest drop of 42 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system's performance becomes more constrained, particularly at higher settings. The Low preset averages 119 FPS, which is still playable on most displays. The Medium preset averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS. The High preset averages 65 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 47 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 72 FPS, with the Medium to High transition showing a 22 FPS drop and the High to Ultra transition showing an 18 FPS drop.

The minimum frame rate data is only available for Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the minimum of 183 FPS represents 85% of the average, indicating tight frame pacing. At 1440p, the minimum of 141 FPS is also 85% of the average. At 4K, the minimum of 74 FPS is also 85% of the average. This consistent ratio suggests that the system maintains stable performance regardless of resolution, with no unexpected frame drops.