Outriders

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a potent combination for Outriders, a looter shooter from 2021. The benchmark data shows this pairing handles the game with significant headroom, but the relationship between resolution, settings, and frame rate reveals where the bottlenecks truly lie. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to help you decide how to configure the game for your specific display and performance goals.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about the limiting component. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 197.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 127.9 FPS, a reduction of 69.4 FPS. Stepping up to 4K High yields 69.2 FPS, which is roughly half of the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution increases, while the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions.

The data becomes even more telling when examining Low settings. At 1080p Low, the system hits 243.2 FPS, which is likely near the practical ceiling for this engine. At 1440p Low, it still achieves 209.8 FPS, but by 4K Low, it falls to 124 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is only 33.4 FPS, whereas the gap between 1440p and 4K is 85.8 FPS. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is keeping pace, but the GPU's workload at 4K becomes the dominant factor.

The scaling from Medium to Ultra at each resolution reinforces this. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 93.4 FPS (243.2 to 149.8). At 1440p, that spread is 114 FPS (209.8 to 95.8). At 4K, the spread is 72.9 FPS (124 to 51.1). The narrowing spread at 4K indicates that even the most demanding settings cannot overcome the GPU's raw throughput limit at that resolution. For high-refresh 1080p or 1440p displays, the CPU is doing its job; for 4K, the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

In Outriders specifically, this configuration ranks 178th out of 1693 tested combos. That places it in the top 11% of all systems tested, which is a strong showing for a mid-range-to-high-end pairing. The rank reflects the balance between the i7-12700KF's 12 cores and 20 threads and the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 35355, which puts it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-14400, which scores 35336, a delta of just 0.1%. This means the i7-12700KF is statistically tied with a newer mid-range chip in synthetic tests, though the i7 has a higher core count. In gaming workloads like Outriders, the difference between these two is negligible. The i7-12700KF also edges out the Intel Core i9-12900HX by 0.2% (35289) and the Intel Core i5-13600T by 0.3% (35256).

For the GPU, the RTX 4070 SUPER has an average score of 42576, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA RTX A6000, which scores 42653, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE is also close at 42723, a -0.3% delta. These are marginal differences in synthetic benchmarks, and in real-world Outriders performance, the 4070 SUPER's architecture and memory bandwidth are what matter. The combo rank of 178 out of 1693 suggests that while individual components are strong, the pairing is not at the absolute top tier, likely because the CPU is not the absolute fastest available.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER's specifications directly influence the measured frame rates. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This is sufficient for Outriders at all tested settings, as the game does not appear to be memory-constrained based on the smooth scaling between settings. The GPU's 7168 shading units and 80 ROPs handle the game's rendering efficiently.

Clock speeds are also relevant. The base clock is 1980 MHz, with a boost clock of 2475 MHz. The memory runs at 1313 MHz, which translates to 21 Gbps effective. These clocks are consistent with the Ada Lovelace architecture, which prioritizes efficiency and high boost frequencies. The GPU's 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a key metric for raw compute, and it shows in the 4K High result of 69.2 FPS, which is playable but not at high refresh rates.

The GPU's pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s are high enough to avoid being bottlenecks at 1080p and 1440p. However, at 4K Ultra, the 51.1 FPS average indicates the GPU is fully saturated. The 220W TDP and 550W suggested PSU are reasonable for this class of card, and the dual-slot design with a 16-pin connector is standard. The GPU's production status is end-of-life, but that does not diminish its current performance in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound or engine-limited at lower settings. Low settings produce 243.2 FPS, Medium drops to 221 FPS, High to 197.3 FPS, and Ultra to 149.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 93.4 FPS, which is substantial but still leaves all settings above 144 FPS, making 144Hz displays viable even at Ultra.

At 1440p, the GPU begins to assert itself. Low settings yield 209.8 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. Medium delivers 172.4 FPS, High drops to 127.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 95.8 FPS. The step from Medium to High is 44.5 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 32.1 FPS. For a 1440p 144Hz monitor, High settings are the sweet spot, as they stay above the refresh rate threshold. Ultra is playable but dips below 100 FPS.

At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck. Low settings achieve 124 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K. Medium drops to 93 FPS, High to 69.2 FPS, and Ultra to 51.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 72.9 FPS, which is less than the 1080p spread. This indicates that the GPU's raw compute power is the limiting factor, not the settings themselves. For 4K gaming, High settings provide a stable 60+ FPS experience, while Ultra requires a tolerance for frame rates in the 50s.

FAQ

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Outriders?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At High settings, it averages 69.2 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. At Ultra, it drops to 51.1 FPS, which is playable but not smooth for fast-paced action. Low settings yield 124 FPS, so there is flexibility depending on your preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate.

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play?

A: 1080p Low settings provide 243.2 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh monitors. Even at 1080p Ultra, the system maintains 149.8 FPS, so you do not have to sacrifice much visual quality to stay above 144 FPS.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 4070 SUPER's closest GPU rival?

A: The GPU's average score is 42576, which is 0.2% behind the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42653) and 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42723). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU at any resolution?

A: At 1080p Low, the 243.2 FPS result suggests the CPU is near its limit, but it is not causing a significant bottleneck. At 1440p and above, the GPU is the clear limiting factor, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling.

Q: What settings should I use for a 144Hz 1440p monitor?

A: High settings average 127.9 FPS, which is slightly below 144 FPS but still smooth. Medium settings at 172.4 FPS would be the safe choice to stay above the refresh rate consistently.

Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM cause any issues in Outriders?

A: No. The benchmark data shows no anomalies that would indicate VRAM limitations. The frame rates scale predictably with settings, suggesting the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth and 12 GB capacity are sufficient for this title at all tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations

The ideal settings depend entirely on your target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p users with high-refresh displays, Ultra settings at 149.8 FPS are the best choice, as they deliver the highest visual quality while still exceeding 144 FPS. If you have a 240Hz monitor, dropping to High at 197.3 FPS or Medium at 221 FPS will maximize smoothness without a major visual penalty.

For 1440p, High settings at 127.9 FPS strike the best balance between image quality and performance. This keeps you above 120 FPS, which is smooth for most players. Ultra at 95.8 FPS is acceptable if you prioritize visuals over frame rate, but the 32.1 FPS drop from High to Ultra is a steep cost for marginal improvements. Medium at 172.4 FPS is the choice for competitive players who want the highest frame rate possible without dropping to Low.

For 4K, High settings at 69.2 FPS are the recommended sweet spot. This is comfortably above 60 FPS and provides a good level of detail. Ultra at 51.1 FPS is not recommended for action-heavy sequences, as the frame rate dips into the low 50s. Medium at 93 FPS is an option if you want higher frame rates at 4K, but the visual difference between Medium and High in a looter shooter is often worth the 23.8 FPS cost. Low at 124 FPS is viable for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, even at 4K.