Outriders

Intel Core i7-12700KF and Intel Arc B580 form a combination that lands in the 2733rd position out of 3710 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The pairing of a high-end 12th Gen desktop processor with a mid-range Battlemage GPU produces a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card in this looter shooter, as the measured frame rates across resolutions demonstrate a clear GPU-bound profile. The data indicates that the Arc B580 delivers playable performance at 1080p and 1440p on medium to high settings, but struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K, where the CPU’s headroom becomes irrelevant.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This Alder Lake-S processor, built on Intel’s 10 nm process, is designed for high multithreaded throughput, as evidenced by its benchmark scores: 28,838 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 11,211 in Cinebench R20 multicore. Single-thread performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,071 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2,255. These results place the CPU in the 85th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 35,365. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T (deltaPct -0.1) and the Intel Core i5-13600T (deltaPct 0.2), indicating that the 12700KF sits squarely within the performance envelope of similarly tiered processors.

In Outriders, the CPU’s role is largely to feed the GPU with enough data to avoid becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 200 FPS average, which suggests the CPU can handle the game’s draw calls and physics calculations without breaking a sweat. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9,282 and max-thread score of 9,983 indicate strong parallel processing capability, which is useful for the game’s enemy AI and particle effects. However, the benchmark results show that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combination; even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is clearly overwhelmed, the frame rate drops to 26 FPS average, but this is a GPU limitation rather than a CPU one. The processor’s 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample memory bandwidth for the game’s streaming assets, but the data does not show any CPU-bound scenarios where the i7-12700KF would struggle.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is the primary performance driver in this configuration, and the measured FPS data shows its capabilities and limitations clearly. This Battlemage-generation GPU, built on TSMC’s 5 nm process, features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s boost clock is 2,670 MHz, and it has 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units. Its FP32 compute performance is rated at 13.67 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6. The GPU’s average benchmark score is 23,021, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (deltaPct -0.2) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (deltaPct 0.6), which gives context for its raw compute power.

In Outriders, the Arc B580 shows a pattern of scaling that is typical for a mid-range GPU. At 1080p Low, it achieves 200 FPS average, which is excellent for competitive play. Moving to Medium settings at 1080p drops the average to 145 FPS, with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 167 FPS. High settings at 1080p yield 109 FPS average, while Ultra settings reduce performance to 79 FPS average. At 1440p, the GPU still manages respectable numbers: 126 FPS at Low, 92 FPS at Medium (with min 78, max 105), 69 FPS at High, and 50 FPS at Ultra. The picture changes dramatically at 4K, where the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources become insufficient. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 66, but this drops to 48 at Medium (min 41, max 55), 36 at High, and a mere 26 at Ultra. These numbers indicate that the Arc B580 is capable of 1080p and 1440p gaming at high refresh rates, but 4K gaming is only viable on Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not consistently smooth.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this CPU-GPU combination. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 145 FPS and a minimum of 124 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience for most players. High settings at 1080p still deliver 109 FPS average, which is acceptable, but the jump from Medium to High reduces performance by 36 FPS, which is a significant drop for marginal visual gains. Ultra settings at 1080p should be avoided, as the 79 FPS average is playable but not optimal for high-refresh-rate monitors, and the performance loss compared to Medium is substantial.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is again the sweet spot, delivering 92 FPS average with a minimum of 78 FPS. This is sufficient for a smooth gaming experience on most 1440p displays. High settings at 1440p produce 69 FPS average, which is acceptable but may experience occasional dips below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. Low settings at 1440p yield 126 FPS average, but the visual quality compromise is likely not worth the extra frame rate for most players. Ultra settings at 1440p should be avoided, as the 50 FPS average is below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action.

At 4K, the data suggests that only Low settings are viable, with an average of 66 FPS. Medium settings at 4K drop to 48 FPS, which is borderline playable but will suffer from stuttering in intense combat. High and Ultra settings at 4K are not recommended, with averages of 36 FPS and 26 FPS respectively, which are too low for a responsive looter shooter experience. For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p provides the highest frame rates while maintaining decent visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and Intel Arc B580 combination ranks 2733rd out of 3710 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the 26th percentile of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU’s performance ceiling, as the CPU is a high-end part that would not normally be paired with a mid-range graphics card. The combo’s average FPS across all settings and resolutions is heavily weighted by the 4K results, which drag down the overall ranking. At 1080p, the combo performs admirably, but the 4K results are poor enough to significantly impact the ranking. The data shows that this pairing is better suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can compete with more balanced configurations. The GPU’s percentile rank of 68 indicates that it is above average, but the CPU’s percentile rank of 85 suggests that the processor is overqualified for the GPU’s capabilities, leading to an inefficient pairing that does not maximize the system’s potential.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Outriders?

A: The highest average FPS is 200, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: At what resolution and settings does this combo first drop below 60 FPS average?

A: At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 50, which is the first configuration below 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, even Medium settings only reach 48 FPS average.

Q: How does the Arc B580 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 2080, in benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23,021, which is 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080’s score of 22,895, according to the deltaPct data.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo at 1080p Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 124, with a maximum of 167 and an average of 145.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU become the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the average FPS drops to 26 at 3840x2160 Ultra, while the CPU’s strong multithreaded performance (Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28,838) suggests it is not the bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 200, while at 4K Low, the average FPS is 66, representing a 67% reduction in frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of this combo’s performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 200 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 145 FPS, with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 167 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings at 1080p reduce the average to 109 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 79 FPS. These numbers show a clear linear scaling with settings, where each step up in quality costs approximately 30-40 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 126 FPS, which is still very playable. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 92 FPS, with a minimum of 78 FPS and a maximum of 105 FPS, which is suitable for most gaming scenarios. High settings at 1440p average 69 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 50 FPS, which is below the ideal range for fast-paced action. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 76 FPS drop, which is proportionally similar to the 1080p scaling.

At 3840x2160, the performance degrades significantly. The Low preset averages 66 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. The Medium preset averages 48 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS, indicating inconsistent performance. High settings at 4K average 36 FPS, and Ultra settings average 26 FPS. These numbers demonstrate that the Arc B580’s 12 GB of VRAM and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-quality 4K gaming in Outriders.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear GPU-bound system. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 200 at 1080p to 126 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 66 at 4K (a 67% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that has limited memory bandwidth and compute resources. The 1440p to 4K drop is particularly steep, with a 48% reduction in FPS, which indicates that the GPU is hitting a memory bandwidth wall at higher resolutions. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s textures, but the 192-bit bus and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth become the limiting factor.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 145 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p (a 37% drop), and 48 FPS at 4K (a 67% drop from 1080p). The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (41 FPS) is particularly low, suggesting that the GPU struggles with memory-intensive scenes. At High and Ultra settings, the scaling is even more severe, with 4K performance dropping to 25-33% of 1080p performance. This pattern indicates that the CPU has ample headroom to handle the increased resolution, as the frame rate drops are entirely attributable to the GPU’s rendering capabilities. The i7-12700KF’s strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,071) ensures that it is not a bottleneck even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is working at its maximum capacity. The data conclusively shows that the Arc B580 is the limiting component in this combination, and the CPU’s performance is more than adequate for any resolution and settings combination tested.