Outriders

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 52nd out of 1,693 tested combos in Outriders, placing it firmly in the top 3% of all configurations evaluated for this title. This is an exceptionally strong showing that reflects a balanced pairing of a high-end 12th-gen CPU with NVIDIA's flagship Ada Lovelace GPU, and the measured frame rates confirm that this combo has no trouble dominating the game's demanding environments.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s 52nd-place finish out of 1,693 tested combinations is a decisive indicator of top-tier performance. Outriders is a fast-paced looter shooter where high and consistent frame rates directly translate to smoother aiming and more responsive combat, and this hardware configuration is positioned among the elite for that purpose. The rank suggests that while there are 51 faster combos, they likely consist of even more specialized or newer hardware that offers diminishing returns in practical gameplay. For the vast majority of players, this ranking means the i7-12700KF and RTX 4090 combination is overkill for Outriders, providing a massive performance headroom that ensures the game will never be the bottleneck in your system. The data indicates that this is not just a capable setup, but one that sits at the very top of the distribution curve for this specific game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed workhorse in this pairing, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process. It features 16,384 shading units and a substantial 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a massive 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock runs at 2235 MHz and boosts up to 2520 MHz, providing the raw compute power necessary to push Outriders at high resolutions. Its pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s are immense, and these specifications directly correlate to the high average FPS numbers seen in the measured results. With 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores, the card is also future-proofed for any ray-traced or DLSS-enhanced content, though Outriders itself does not heavily rely on those features. The GPU's benchmark scores, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 and a Passmark G3D score of 38,194, support its status as a top-91st-percentile performer among all GPUs, indicating that it is operating near the absolute peak of consumer graphics hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the drop-off is not uniform across all settings. At 1080p, the combo achieves a very high average FPS of 245.9 on Low settings, but this drops to 157.1 at 4K on Low, a decrease of 36%. However, the most telling metric is the scaling at Ultra settings, where the frame rate goes from 176.2 at 1080p down to 60.8 at 4K, a much steeper decline of 65%. This disparity reveals the bottleneck shifting. At lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, as the GPU can easily produce frames faster than the processor can feed them. As resolution climbs to 4K, the GPU's workload increases dramatically, and the RTX 4090 becomes the primary constraint. The fact that the 4K Ultra score is still a playable 60.8 FPS shows that even at the most demanding settings, the GPU is powerful enough to maintain a console-like experience, whereas the 1080p scores highlight the CPU's ability to keep up with the GPU's immense frame production.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers outstanding results across the board, starting with 245.9 FPS on Low, 220.5 FPS on Medium, 196.5 FPS on High, and 176.2 FPS on Ultra. These numbers are exceptionally high, indicating that the setup is entirely CPU-bound at this resolution, with the GPU having significant headroom. Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high, with 210.1 FPS on Low, 189.4 FPS on Medium, 164 FPS on High, and 117.8 FPS on Ultra. This represents a modest drop from 1080p, confirming that the GPU is starting to take on more work, but the performance is still far beyond what any high-refresh-rate monitor can display. At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes the dominant factor. The scores are 157.1 FPS on Low, 115.4 FPS on Medium, 84.1 FPS on High, and 60.8 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the only one that dips below the triple-digit threshold, but it remains perfectly playable for a cinematic experience. The data shows that the RTX 4090 can handle 4K Ultra, but those seeking maximum competitive frame rates should consider lower settings or a lower resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF serves as a robust foundation for the RTX 4090, ensuring that the GPU is never starved for data. With 12 cores and 20 threads, the CPU offers substantial multi-threaded performance, which is reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,979 and Passmark multi-thread score of 34,092. Its single-thread performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,091, which is crucial for games like Outriders that rely heavily on a few primary threads for game logic and physics. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.00 GHz and 25 MB of shared L3 cache ensure low latency access to frequently used data. The benchmark data shows that the i7-12700KF sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 35,355 is nearly identical to that of the Intel Core i5-14400 (35,336), indicating that the 12700KF is a mature and well-balanced processor that provides ample performance for this gaming workload without being a weak link. Its 125W TDP is a modest requirement for the performance it delivers.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's display and performance goals. For players with a 1080p or 1440p high-refresh-rate monitor (144Hz or higher), the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. At 1080p Ultra, the combo delivers 176.2 FPS, and at 1440p Ultra, it achieves 117.8 FPS, both of which are well above the refresh rate of most gaming monitors and provide the best visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. For those gaming at 4K, the High preset offers the best balance, delivering 84.1 FPS, which is a solid experience for a slower-paced looter shooter. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 60.8 FPS, which is still playable but may feel less responsive to some. If a player prioritizes maximum frame rates over visuals, dropping to Medium at 4K yields 115.4 FPS, a massive jump that makes the game feel noticeably smoother. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play at 1080p where the 245.9 FPS could theoretically outpace a 240Hz monitor, but the visual hit is significant. In summary, the data suggests that High settings at 4K or Ultra settings at 1440p provide the most balanced experience, leveraging the GPU's power to deliver a visually stunning and highly responsive game.