Outriders

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 in Outriders presents a striking imbalance. The CPU is a high-end desktop part with deep multi-threading capability, while the GPU is an integrated-class solution with performance that lands near the bottom of the database. The benchmark data shows this combo producing playable frame rates only at 1080p with low settings, and struggling severely at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured results, the role each component plays, and how the pairing ranks against all other tested combinations.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It operates on a base clock of 3.60 GHz and can boost up to 5.00 GHz. This is a desktop-class chip from the Core 12th Gen series, built on Intel's 10 nm process node, with a TDP of 125 W. It has a 25 MB shared L3 cache, along with 80 KB of L1 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. The processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, but in this configuration, the GPU uses system shared memory, which means memory bandwidth is "System Dependent."

Benchmark results for the CPU show strong synthetic performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 19784 points in multi-core and 1850.5 points in single-core. Geekbench results are similarly robust: 15790 in multi-core and 2308 in single-core. The 3DMark tests show a scaling pattern from 2065 in the 2-thread test to 9979 in the max-thread test, indicating that the chip scales well with additional threads. PassMark multi-thread score is 34404, with a single-thread score of 4013. The processor's percentile vs all CPUs is 84, meaning it outperforms 84% of CPUs in the database.

In the context of Outriders, the CPU is not the bottleneck. The game is a looter shooter that relies more on GPU throughput for rendering. The i7-12700K has far more processing power than needed for the frame rates seen here. For example, at 1080p Low, the combo hits 115 FPS, which is the highest measured average in the entire dataset. At that point, the CPU is clearly feeding the GPU adequately. The data suggests that the CPU's performance headroom is vast; the limiting factor is entirely on the graphics side. The nearest rivals to the i7-12700K have nearly identical average scores: the Intel Core i5-13600T is -0.1% different, the Intel Core i7-12700KF is -0.2%, the Intel Core i7-13700T is -0.3%, and the Intel Core 5 213PE is -0.4%. In short, the CPU is a non-issue for this game, and any frame rate limitation is attributable to the GPU.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is a stark contrast to the CPU. It is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and the Panther Lake chip, built on a 3 nm process node. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Critically, its memory is "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM, and its memory bandwidth is "System Dependent." This is an integrated graphics part (IGP) with a TDP of 80 W and a slot width of "IGP." The shading units total 1536, with 48 TMUs and 24 ROPs. It also has 12 ray tracing cores. Its theoretical performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16.

The GPU's benchmark data is sparse but telling. The only 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1482. The percentile vs all GPUs is just 9, meaning it outperforms only 9% of GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster), and GeForce GT 710 (2.7% faster). This puts the Arc B390 in the same performance tier as decade-old entry-level graphics hardware.

In Outriders, this GPU is the dominant constraint. The measured FPS scales inversely with resolution and settings, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 15 FPS average. At 1080p Low, it reaches 115 FPS. This behavior shows that the GPU is being saturated at higher loads. The lack of dedicated VRAM and reliance on shared system memory likely compounds the issue at higher resolutions, as the memory bandwidth becomes a further limiting factor. The GPU's low pixel rate (60.00 GPixel/s) and texture rate (120.0 GTexel/s) are simply insufficient for demanding gaming workloads at high resolutions.

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

The resolution scaling data is clear: performance drops sharply as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 115. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 72 FPS, a 37.4% reduction. At 4K Low, the average is 38 FPS, which is a 67.0% reduction from 1080p Low. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. A CPU-bound scenario would show minimal FPS changes across resolutions, but here the frame rate nearly halves at each step up.

The same pattern holds for High settings. At 1080p High, the average is 63 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 40 FPS (a 36.5% drop). At 4K High, it is 21 FPS (a 66.7% drop from 1080p). Medium settings show a similar trend: 83 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most demanding: 45 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p, and 15 FPS at 4K.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p reduces FPS by about 36-37% across all settings, while the jump from 1440p to 4K reduces FPS by about 47-48% more. This is consistent with the pixel count increase. The GPU is running out of throughput and memory bandwidth as resolution increases. The data strongly suggests that the i7-12700K has no trouble feeding the GPU at any of these resolutions; the FPS drops are entirely attributable to the Arc B390's limited capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 115 FPS. Medium settings drop to an average of 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. High settings produce an average of 63 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding at this resolution, with an average of 45 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades noticeably. Low settings average 72 FPS. Medium settings average 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS. High settings average 40 FPS. Ultra settings drop to an average of 29 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 38 FPS. Medium settings average 28 FPS, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 32 FPS. High settings average 21 FPS. Ultra settings plummet to an average of 15 FPS.

The min and max FPS data is only provided for Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range is 71-96 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 45-61 FPS. At 4K Medium, it is 23-32 FPS. This limited data suggests that frame pacing is relatively consistent, with no severe stuttering, but the variance is wider at lower resolutions where the GPU is less saturated. For a smoother experience, the only reasonable options are 1080p Low or Medium. At 1440p, even Low settings only hit 72 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for a competitive shooter. At 4K, no settings provide a playable experience, with the highest average being 38 FPS at Low.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo's rank in Outriders is 2582 out of 2913 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 11.4% of all combos tested for this game. The rank reflects the overall average performance across all resolutions and settings, weighted by the data collected. Given that the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile globally, it is no surprise that this combo ranks poorly in the game-specific dataset.

The gap between the CPU and GPU performance is the key takeaway. The i7-12700K is a top-tier CPU, ranking in the 84th percentile, while the Arc B390 is a bottom-tier GPU, ranking in the 9th percentile. This mismatch creates a combo that is heavily GPU-bound. The 2582nd rank out of 2913 indicates that most other combinations, even those with weaker CPUs, will outperform this one if they have a stronger GPU. The data shows that for Outriders, the GPU is the single most important factor, and this combo's graphics solution is inadequate for anything beyond 1080p gaming at low-to-medium settings.

FAQ

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

A: The best measured result is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, producing an average of 115 FPS. For a balance of quality and performance, 1080p Medium at 83 FPS average is also viable. At 1440p, only Low settings (72 FPS) approach a smooth experience.

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so significantly from 1080p to 4K?

A: The data shows a consistent drop of roughly 36-37% from 1080p to 1440p and another 47-48% from 1440p to 4K. This is a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern, indicating that the Intel Arc B390 lacks the pixel throughput and memory bandwidth to handle higher resolutions.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K holding back the Arc B390 in this game?

A: No. The CPU benchmark scores are very high (e.g., 19784 in Cinebench R23 multi-core), and the FPS drops across resolutions align with GPU limitations. The CPU is not the bottleneck; the GPU's 9th percentile ranking (relative to all GPUs) is the limiting factor.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: In the single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Arc B390 scores 1482. The nearest rivals are all slightly faster: the GeForce GT 520MX is 1.3% faster, GeForce 800M is 1.5% faster, GeForce GT 625 OEM is 2.5% faster, and GeForce GT 710 is 2.7% faster.

Q: What kind of FPS can I expect at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 15 FPS. This is not playable. Even at 4K Low, the average is only 38 FPS, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience.

Q: Does the combo rank well against other tested combos in Outriders?

A: No. The combo ranks 2582 out of 2913 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11.4%. This is primarily due to the GPU's low performance percentile (9th) compared to the CPU's high percentile (84th).