Outriders

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

The Intel Core i7-12700KF pairs a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake design with a 3.60 GHz base clock and a 5.00 GHz boost clock. This hybrid architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process, delivers a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838 and a single-core score of 4,071 — numbers that place it at the 85th percentile among all CPUs tested. The 25 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support give it substantial headroom for feeding a graphics card, but the question here is whether that headroom matters for a looter shooter like Outriders.

Looking at the benchmark data, the 12700KF's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T (avg score 35,403, delta -0.1%) and the Intel Core i5-13600T (avg score 35,305, delta 0.2%). The i7-12700K sits at 35,287, a mere 0.2% behind. These tightly clustered scores suggest that at the CPU level, the 12700KF is competitive with modern lower-power variants, but none of these processors would be the limiting factor in a GPU-bound title.

In Outriders specifically, the measured FPS data shows a pattern that points squarely at the GPU as the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 110 FPS, which drops to 60 FPS at High and 43 FPS at Ultra. If the CPU were struggling, we would expect to see a plateau at higher settings where the CPU cannot push more frames regardless of GPU load. Instead, the frame rate scales almost perfectly with graphics settings — a hallmark of GPU limitation. The 12 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for a game that does not demand extreme CPU throughput, and the 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures that even single-threaded game logic runs with minimal latency.

The PassMark multi-thread score of 34,092 and the 3DMark max-threads score of 9,983 reinforce that this CPU has ample compute headroom. In a looter shooter with many on-screen enemies and particle effects, the CPU must handle game logic and entity updates, but the data suggests the 12700KF is not the constraining component at any resolution or settings level tested. The fact that 1080p Low hits 110 FPS while 4K Low drops to 36 FPS is a clear indication that the CPU can deliver high frame rates when the GPU is not overburdened.

The CPU's 3DMark 2-thread score of 2,065 and 4-thread score of 4,011 indicate strong low-thread performance, which is relevant for games that rely on a few heavily loaded threads. Outriders, like many Unreal Engine titles, typically uses multiple threads but does not scale perfectly to 20 threads. The 12700KF's balanced architecture — with performance cores handling critical tasks and efficiency cores managing background work — is well-suited to this workload, even if the measured results show the GPU dominating the performance landscape.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a Polaris 20 part built on 14 nm with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock of 1257 MHz and boost clock of 1340 MHz drive 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The GPU's passmark G3D score of 8,813 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,005 place it at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs — a mid-pack position that hints at its performance ceiling.

The nearest GPU rivals are instructive: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (avg score 12,940, delta -0.1%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (avg score 12,986, delta -0.4%) are essentially tied with the RX 580's average benchmark score of 12,928. This means the RX 580, while dated, still operates in the same performance class as these more recent options in synthetic benchmarks. However, the measured FPS in Outriders tells a more nuanced story.

At 1080p Low, the RX 580 delivers 110 FPS, but this drops dramatically as settings increase: 80 FPS at Medium, 60 FPS at High, and 43 FPS at Ultra. The step from Medium to High (80 to 60 FPS) and High to Ultra (60 to 43 FPS) shows the GPU struggling with the increasing shader complexity. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K Ultra, the combination of pixel count and texture demands overwhelms the GPU, resulting in just 14 FPS.

The RX 580's memory clock of 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective) provides enough bandwidth for 1080p gaming, but the 256-bit bus width, while respectable, cannot compensate for the GPU's aging compute capabilities. The FP32 throughput of 6.175 TFLOPS is modest by modern standards, and the 14 nm process means the GPU runs at 185 W TDP — a power draw that is high for its performance level.

In Outriders, the GPU role is clearly dominant. The measured FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K (110 to 36 FPS at Low, 60 to 20 FPS at High) shows a consistent pattern of GPU-bound behavior. The only exception is at 4K Ultra, where the 14 FPS result indicates the GPU is completely overwhelmed. The RX 580's 32 ROPs limit pixel fill rate, and the 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate is insufficient for 4K resolutions at high settings. The texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s is similarly constrained, making high-resolution texture work challenging.

The RX 580's DirectX 12 support (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3 are modern enough for Outriders, but the underlying GCN architecture is not optimized for the draw call overhead that modern engines generate. The PassMark DirectX 12 score of 43 (compared to 60 for DirectX 11 and 124 for DirectX 9) reveals that the GPU performs relatively worse in DX12 workloads, which could explain some of the performance degradation at higher settings in Outriders.

# FAQ

Q: Why does the combo achieve 110 FPS at 1080p Low but only 43 FPS at 1080p Ultra?

A: The 67 FPS drop (from 110 to 43) across settings at the same resolution is entirely attributable to the GPU. The RX 580's compute resources (2,304 shading units) and memory bandwidth (256.0 GB/s) are progressively more taxed as settings increase, while the CPU has ample headroom — its 3DMark max-threads score of 9,983 indicates it could push higher frame rates if the GPU allowed.

Q: Is the Core i7-12700KF or the Radeon RX 580 the limiting factor in Outriders?

A: The data is unambiguous: the GPU is the bottleneck. At every resolution, the FPS scales linearly with graphics settings, and the CPU's 85th percentile ranking (with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838) far exceeds what this game requires. The GPU's 53rd percentile ranking and its PassMark G3D score of 8,813 are the more relevant metrics.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 580's average benchmark score of 12,928 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12,940, delta -0.1%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (12,986, delta -0.4%). This indicates the RX 580 performs at a similar level to these GPUs in general benchmarks, though Outriders-specific results may vary.

Q: Can the combo handle 1440p gaming in Outriders?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 1440p Medium, the combo achieves 51 FPS (with min/max of 43/58), which is playable. At 1440p High, it drops to 38 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 27 FPS. For a smooth experience, Medium settings at 1440p are the realistic ceiling for this GPU.

Q: Why is the 4K Ultra result so low at 14 FPS?

A: The 4K Ultra setting requires the RX 580 to process 8.3 million pixels per frame while also handling the highest texture and shader complexity. The GPU's 32 ROPs and 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate simply cannot keep up, resulting in a 14 FPS average — a 96 FPS drop from the 1080p Low result of 110 FPS.

Q: What does the min/max FPS data at Medium settings reveal?

A: At 1080p Medium, the min/max range is 68-92 FPS (average 80), and at 1440p Medium it is 43-58 FPS (average 51). The roughly 30% spread between min and max FPS in both cases suggests the GPU experiences occasional frame dips, likely during heavy combat effects, but the overall experience remains consistent.

# How This Combo Ranks

The Core i7-12700KF + RX 580 combo ranks 3,377 out of 3,710 tested combinations in Outriders, placing it in the bottom 9% of all system pairings. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's age and performance ceiling, not the CPU's capabilities. The CPU alone sits at the 85th percentile among all processors, while the GPU is at the 53rd percentile — a significant mismatch that drags the combo down.

The ranking context becomes clearer when considering the GPU's nearest rivals. The RX 580's average benchmark score of 12,928 is nearly identical to the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12,940) and GTX 1660 SUPER (12,986), yet these GPUs are often paired with weaker CPUs in laptop or budget desktop builds. In this combo, the 12700KF is overkill for the GPU's capabilities, but the pairing still produces playable results at 1080p and 1440p.

The 3,377th rank out of 3,710 means that 333 combos perform worse. Given that the RX 580 is an end-of-life product originally released in 2017, its inclusion in a modern benchmark database reflects its continued presence in existing systems. The combo's rank would likely improve significantly if paired with a mid-range GPU from the last few years, but as configured, the RX 580 holds back what is otherwise a high-end CPU.

The measured FPS data supports this ranking. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 110 FPS, which is respectable, but at 1080p Ultra it falls to 43 FPS — a result that many modern GPU pairings would exceed by a wide margin. The 4K results (14-36 FPS across settings) are below playable thresholds, which further depresses the combo's ranking in a game that scales heavily with GPU performance.

# Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU-bound nature of this combo with striking clarity. At Low settings, the frame rate declines from 110 FPS at 1080p to 70 FPS at 1440p (a 36% drop) and then to 36 FPS at 4K (a 67% drop from 1080p). At High settings, the progression is 60 → 38 → 20 FPS, representing a 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

These scaling patterns are consistent with a GPU that is limited by pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. The RX 580's 256.0 GB/s bandwidth and 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient for 4K workloads. The resolution scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a more pronounced drop (70 → 36 FPS at Low, a 49% decrease) than from 1080p to 1440p (110 → 70 FPS, a 36% decrease), indicating that the GPU's resource constraints become increasingly acute as pixel count rises.

The fact that the CPU does not bottleneck at any resolution is confirmed by the scaling behavior. If the CPU were the limiter, we would see similar FPS at 1080p and 1440p, with the GPU becoming the bottleneck only at 4K. Instead, FPS drops at every resolution step, even at Low settings where CPU load is relatively higher. The 5.00 GHz boost clock and 12-core design provide more than enough processing power to keep up with the GPU at all tested configurations.

The implication for gamers is that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p playable at Medium settings. The 4K results are uniformly below acceptable thresholds, with even Low settings (36 FPS) barely approaching playability, and Medium (26 FPS), High (20 FPS), and Ultra (14 FPS) falling well short.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 110 FPS average
• Medium: 80 FPS average (min 68, max 92)
• High: 60 FPS average
• Ultra: 43 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 70 FPS average
• Medium: 51 FPS average (min 43, max 58)
• High: 38 FPS average
• Ultra: 27 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 36 FPS average
• Medium: 26 FPS average (min 23, max 30)
• High: 20 FPS average
• Ultra: 14 FPS average

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each settings tier costs roughly 20-30% performance at a given resolution. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium costs 30 FPS (110 → 80), Medium to High costs 20 FPS (80 → 60), and High to Ultra costs 17 FPS (60 → 43). Similar proportional drops occur at 1440p and 4K, indicating that the GPU's architecture responds predictably to increasing shader and texture complexity.

The min/max FPS data at Medium settings shows that the combo maintains reasonable frame consistency. At 1080p, the 68-92 FPS range (average 80) means most frames fall within a 24 FPS window. At 1440p, the 43-58 FPS range (average 51) shows a tighter 15 FPS spread, suggesting better frame pacing at lower absolute frame rates. At 4K, the 23-30 FPS range (average 26) is narrow but low enough to be problematic for gameplay.

The 4K Ultra result of 14 FPS is the worst-case scenario, likely producing a slideshow-like experience. Even the 4K Low result of 36 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that most gamers consider smooth, making 4K effectively unplayable with this combo regardless of settings.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience balances visual quality with playable frame rates. At 1080p, Medium settings (80 FPS average) offer the best compromise: a 30 FPS improvement over High (60 FPS) while retaining most visual fidelity. The min/max range of 68-92 FPS ensures that frame drops during combat remain above the 60 FPS threshold most of the time.

For gamers prioritizing smoothness at 1080p, Low settings (110 FPS) provide a significant competitive advantage in a looter shooter where fast reactions matter. The jump from Medium to Low is 30 FPS (80 → 110), which is substantial. However, the visual sacrifices at Low may reduce the game's atmospheric qualities, which are central to the Outriders experience.

At 1440p, Medium settings (51 FPS average) are the only viable option for a playable experience. High (38 FPS) and Ultra (27 FPS) fall below the 40 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for action games, while Low (70 FPS) sacrifices too much visual detail. The 43-58 FPS min/max range at 1440p Medium indicates that brief dips to 43 FPS may occur, but the average of 51 FPS is acceptable for a game that is not a competitive shooter.

At 4K, no settings configuration produces a satisfactory result. Even Low (36 FPS) is marginal, and Medium (26 FPS) falls below playable thresholds. Gamers with 4K displays should either reduce resolution to 1440p or accept that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in Outriders.

The overall recommendation is to play at 1080p Medium for the best balance of visuals and performance, or 1080p Low if frame rate is the top priority. At 1440p, Medium is the only sensible choice. The Ultra preset is never recommended, as it costs 37 FPS over High at 1080p (60 → 43) with minimal visual gains, and the performance penalty is even more severe at higher resolutions.