Outriders

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 places at rank 1584 out of 2913 tested combos in Outriders. This positions the pairing in the lower-middle portion of the database, meaning roughly 54% of tested configurations deliver higher average frame rates in this specific title. The percentile standing reflects a combination that is competent but not exceptional for this game's demands.

Looking at the individual component percentiles provides context for this ranking. The CPU sits at the 85th percentile among all processors tested, indicating strong overall compute capability. The GPU, however, ranks at the 59th percentile among all graphics cards, which drags the combined result downward. In Outriders, the graphics card's percentile is the more influential factor, as the game's rendering workload tends to scale heavily with GPU throughput rather than CPU headroom.

The delta between the two components' standings — 26 percentile points — suggests a mild imbalance where the processor has more performance potential than the graphics card can utilize at higher settings. This becomes evident in the measured FPS data, where the combo's performance ceiling is consistently dictated by GPU-bound scenarios.

# GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 1700 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz and a boost clock reaching 2990 MHz. The memory operates at 2250 MHz, translating to 18 Gbps effective. These specifications place the card in a position where it can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming comfortably, but 4K pushes it to its limits.

In Outriders specifically, the GPU's 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs determine much of the rasterization performance. The card's pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s are moderate figures that explain the observed frame rates at higher resolutions. The 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 compute provides the raw shader throughput needed for the game's particle effects and environmental destruction, though the 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a constraint at 4K Ultra settings.

The GPU's benchmark averages reinforce its mid-range positioning. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322 and Passmark G3D score of 17631 both fall near the 59th percentile mark. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, scores 0.7% higher on average, placing these two cards in a virtual tie. The AMD Radeon R9 370X and RX 7700 trail by 1% each, showing that the RX 9060 sits in a tightly contested performance band.

For Outriders, the GPU's role becomes the primary bottleneck at 4K resolution. The measured data shows 4K High averaging 41 FPS and 4K Ultra dropping to 30 FPS, indicating that the card's compute and memory bandwidth are insufficient to maintain fluid frame rates at that resolution with higher quality presets. The 288.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a limiting factor when the fill rate demands increase at 4K.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF provides 12 cores and 20 threads, built on the Alder Lake architecture with a 10 nm process. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz boosts up to 5.00 GHz, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel interface. The 25 MB of shared L3 cache helps with game asset streaming, while the 80 KB L1 and 1.25 MB L2 per-core caches reduce latency for frequently accessed data.

This processor's benchmark results demonstrate strong multi-threaded capability. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and Geekbench multi-core score of 14367 both exceed what Outriders typically requires from a CPU. The single-thread performance is equally impressive, with Cinebench R23 single-core scoring 4071 and Passmark single-thread at 3984. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9282 and max-thread score of 9983 indicate that the CPU maintains high throughput even under heavy thread utilization.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database are all within 0.2% of its average benchmark score. The Intel Core i7-13700T scores 0.1% lower, the i5-13600T scores 0.2% higher, and the Core 5 213PE scores 0.2% lower. The i7-12700K matches at 0.2% higher. This clustering shows that the 12700KF is right at the edge of its performance tier, with no meaningful separation from its closest competitors.

In Outriders, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates. The 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded tasks like physics calculations and AI pathfinding execute quickly. The 20 threads handle background tasks and streaming without causing hitches. However, the measured FPS data reveals that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU can push frame rates well beyond what the GPU can deliver, with 1080p Low reaching 227 FPS average.

# FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in Outriders?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF with AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1584 out of 2913 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RX 9060's average benchmark score is 16014, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 16129. It outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 7700 by 1% and the Radeon Pro W5500 by 2.1%.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile standing among all processors?

A: The Core i7-12700KF sits at the 85th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 35365. Its closest rival, the i7-13700T, scores 35403, a negligible 0.1% difference.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: No. The CPU's high single-thread score of 4071 in Cinebench R23 and multi-thread score of 28838 indicate it has ample headroom. The GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, evidenced by 4K Ultra dropping to 30 FPS.

Q: What VRAM capacity does the GPU have, and does it matter?

A: The RX 9060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. This capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but can become a constraint at 4K with Ultra settings, where the average FPS falls to 30.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The CPU scores 1043 in 3DMark single-thread and 9983 in max-thread, showing strong scaling across cores. Its Passmark single-thread score of 3984 and multithread score of 34092 follow a similar pattern.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 227 FPS average, which drops to 144 FPS at 1440p Low and 75 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 52% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 48% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is nearly linear with pixel count, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint.

At High settings, the pattern continues but with lower absolute values. The 1080p High average of 124 FPS falls to 78 FPS at 1440p (37% drop) and 41 FPS at 4K (47% drop from 1440p). The diminishing returns at 4K suggest the GPU's memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s and 8 GB VRAM capacity are struggling with the increased texture and geometry load.

Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 165 FPS at 1080p, 104 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS at Medium settings also scales proportionally, with 141 FPS at 1080p, 89 FPS at 1440p, and 46 FPS at 4K. This consistency across presets confirms that the limiting component remains the GPU regardless of quality level.

Ultra settings exhibit the steepest degradation. The 1080p Ultra average of 90 FPS drops to 57 FPS at 1440p (37% reduction) and 30 FPS at 4K (47% reduction from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result falls below the 30 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for playable frame rates, making this configuration impractical for that resolution and settings combination.

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at each settings tier ranges from 73% at Low (227 to 75 FPS) to 67% at High (124 to 41 FPS). This relatively consistent percentage reduction across presets indicates that the GPU's compute and memory resources scale uniformly with resolution, without any single subsystem becoming disproportionately overloaded.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all settings presets deliver playable frame rates. The Low preset achieves 227 FPS, which suits competitive play, while High at 124 FPS provides a smooth experience with better visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 90 FPS remains fluid and is a viable choice for maximum quality.

At 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance with 104 FPS average and a minimum of 89 FPS. The High preset at 78 FPS is still playable, but the Ultra preset drops to 57 FPS, which may feel less responsive in fast-paced combat scenarios. The Low preset at 144 FPS is excellent for high refresh rate monitors but sacrifices visual quality.

For 4K, the recommendations become more restrictive. The Low preset at 75 FPS is the only option that maintains smooth gameplay, while Medium at 55 FPS is borderline acceptable. The High preset at 41 FPS and Ultra at 30 FPS fall below comfortable playability thresholds. Players targeting 4K should stick to Low or Medium settings with this hardware combination.

The data suggests that the sweet spot for this combo is 1440p Medium, delivering 104 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS. This configuration leverages the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth without exceeding their limits, while the CPU's 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures frame times remain consistent. For 1080p users, High settings at 124 FPS provide the best visual-to-performance ratio.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset averages 227 FPS, representing the absolute ceiling of what this pairing can produce. Medium settings reduce this to 165 FPS with a minimum of 141 FPS and maximum of 190 FPS. High settings average 124 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 90 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 137 FPS, demonstrating the significant impact of quality presets on this GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases notably. Low settings average 144 FPS, which is 63% of the 1080p Low result. Medium settings produce 104 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS and maximum of 120 FPS. High settings average 78 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 57 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium settings (89 FPS) stays above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating consistent frame pacing at this resolution and preset.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become pronounced. Low settings average 75 FPS, which is the only preset that maintains a playable frame rate. Medium settings average 55 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS, dipping below the 60 FPS target. High settings average 41 FPS, and Ultra settings average 30 FPS. The 4K Ultra result represents the worst-case scenario for this combo, with frame rates at the edge of playability.

The Medium settings tier provides the only preset with complete min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the range spans 141 to 190 FPS, a 49 FPS variance. At 1440p, the range narrows to 89 to 120 FPS, a 31 FPS variance. At 4K, the range tightens further to 46 to 63 FPS, a 17 FPS variance. This pattern shows that frame time consistency improves as resolution increases, even as absolute frame rates decline.