Outriders

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

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread Raptor Lake-S part with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its architecture uses a 10 nm process from Intel, and the chip carries 30 MB of shared L3 cache, with 2 MB of L2 per core and 80 KB of L1 per core. This is a desktop-class processor on the Intel Socket 1700 platform, supporting both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus.

In the context of Outriders, the CPU's high single-thread performance matters more than its raw core count, given that the game's engine typically relies on a limited number of heavily loaded threads. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and the Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2312 indicate strong per-core throughput, which helps maintain consistent frame pacing in combat-heavy scenes. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2262 and 4-thread score of 4469 further confirm that the processor excels in low-thread-count workloads, a pattern that aligns with how looter shooters like Outriders distribute game logic and physics.

Looking at multi-threaded performance, the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 and the 3DMark max-thread score of 12412 show that the i7-13700K is not lacking in parallel capability. This becomes relevant when Outriders spawns numerous enemies and applies damage calculations simultaneously, but the measured FPS data across all resolutions and settings indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in most configurations. The CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads ensure that it will rarely be the limiting factor, even at lower resolutions where frame rates climb above 180 FPS.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 93 versus all CPUs places it in the upper tier of available processors, with an average benchmark score of 47282. Its nearest rivals show extremely tight margins: the Core i7-13700KF scores 47334 (0.1% higher), the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 47131 (0.3% lower), and the Core i9-12900F scores 47081 (0.4% lower). These sub-1% deltas mean that for gaming purposes, the i7-13700K is effectively interchangeable with its closest competitors in terms of CPU-bound performance. The Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 at 47527 is 0.5% faster on average, but again, this difference would not manifest as a meaningful FPS gap in Outriders.

The processor's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier indicate headroom for overclocking, though the benchmark data reflects stock behavior. For Outriders specifically, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with frames efficiently; the data shows that even at 1080p Low, where the average FPS reaches 188.8, the combination does not appear to hit a CPU ceiling that would cause frame drops.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip, fabricated on a 7 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1626 MHz, a game clock of 2044 MHz, and a boost clock of 2491 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). Its 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units provide a compute throughput of 8.928 TFLOPS FP32.

In Outriders, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the 128-bit memory bus becomes a constraint at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data confirms this: at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 26.7, which is barely playable, while at 4K High it reaches 33.3. The GPU's 69th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25235, places it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals are extremely close: the AMD Radeon 890M scores 25246 (0.0% delta), the RX 580 2048SP scores 25287 (0.2% higher), the RX 6700M scores 25180 (0.2% lower), and the RTX 3060 Ti scores 25120 (0.5% lower). This clustering suggests that the RX 6600's performance profile is well understood and that Outriders' results are representative of its class.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1492 indicate modern API readiness, which matters for Outriders' use of DX12 features. The passmark G3D score of 15096 and the Geekbench OpenCL score of 73130 provide additional context for compute-heavy scenes, though the game's rendering workload is primarily rasterization-based. The GPU's 132 W TDP and dual-slot design are modest, but the performance data shows that at 1440p High, the average FPS of 68.2 is solid, while 1080p High hits 103.2 FPS.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution reveals the GPU's scaling behavior. At 1080p, Low produces 188.8 FPS versus 73 FPS at Ultra, a ratio of roughly 2.6x. At 1440p, the same comparison yields 120.9 versus 49.2 FPS (2.5x), and at 4K it is 63.9 versus 26.7 FPS (2.4x). This consistent scaling factor indicates that the GPU is the dominant constraint across all tested settings, with the CPU providing ample headroom.

# FAQ

Q: How does the Core i7-13700K compare to its closest rival, the Core i7-13700KF?

A: The i7-13700KF has an average benchmark score of 47334, which is 0.1% higher than the i7-13700K's 47282. This difference is negligible for Outriders, as both CPUs would produce virtually identical frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios.

Q: Is the RX 6600's 8 GB VRAM enough for Outriders at 4K?

A: The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 26.7, and at 4K High it is 33.3. While 8 GB can technically load the game's assets, the performance is below playable thresholds, suggesting that VRAM capacity is not the primary limitation — the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are the bottlenecks.

Q: What is the best resolution and setting combination for this hardware?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 103.2, which is smooth for most displays. For higher refresh rates, 1080p Low delivers 188.8 FPS, while 1440p Low achieves 120.9 FPS. At 1440p High, the 68.2 FPS average is acceptable for 60 Hz monitors but may not satisfy 120 Hz users.

Q: How does the RX 6600 stack up against the RTX 3060 Ti in this game?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has an average benchmark score of 25120, which is 0.5% lower than the RX 6600's 25235. This suggests that in Outriders, the two GPUs would perform nearly identically, with the RX 6600 having a marginal edge in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Does the i7-13700K bottleneck the RX 6600 in Outriders?

A: The FPS scaling across settings indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 188.8 is high, but the CPU's single-thread score of 1136 in 3DMark and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5505 ensure it can keep up. No evidence of a CPU bottleneck appears in the measured data.

Q: What does the combo's rank of 1338 out of 1693 combos mean?

A: This rank places the i7-13700K + RX 6600 combination in the 21st percentile of tested combos for Outriders. It indicates that while the CPU is high-end (93rd percentile), the GPU's mid-range position (69th percentile) pulls the overall gaming performance down relative to combos with stronger graphics cards.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 6600 deliver the following average frame rates: Low settings produce 188.8 FPS, Medium settings produce 134.9 FPS, High settings produce 103.2 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 73 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decrease, with Ultra being 61% slower than Low. At 1080p, even the Ultra setting remains playable on standard 60 Hz displays, and the Low/Medium settings are well suited for 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are: Low at 120.9, Medium at 84.9, High at 68.2, and Ultra at 49.2. The step from Low to Medium represents a 30% reduction in frame rate, while High to Ultra drops by 28%. At this resolution, Ultra falls below 60 FPS, making High the recommended setting for a 60 Hz target. The 1440p Low result of 120.9 FPS is competitive for esports-style play, though Outriders is not a competitive title.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 63.9, Medium at 47.9, High at 33.3, and Ultra at 26.7. Only the Low setting achieves a playable frame rate above 60 FPS, and even that is marginal. Medium dips below 48 FPS, which is noticeable in a fast-paced looter shooter. The 4K data clearly shows that this GPU is not designed for 4K gaming in Outriders, as the gap between Low and Ultra is severe (37.2 FPS difference). Across all resolutions, the delta between Low and Ultra settings is remarkably consistent in relative terms: approximately 2.5x at 1080p, 2.5x at 1440p, and 2.4x at 4K, confirming that settings scaling follows a predictable pattern.

The absence of min and max FPS data in the measured results means that frame time consistency cannot be directly assessed, but the average FPS figures provide a reliable baseline for expected performance. For users with 1080p 144 Hz monitors, Medium settings (134.9 FPS) offer the best balance of visual quality and smoothness. For 1440p 60 Hz displays, High settings (68.2 FPS) are appropriate, while 4K users should stick to Low (63.9 FPS) for playable performance.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 1338 out of 1693 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the bottom 21% of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the GPU, which sits at the 69th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is at the 93rd percentile. The disparity between the two components means that the combo's gaming performance is heavily constrained by the RX 6600, and the i7-13700K's capabilities are largely underutilized in this title.

To contextualize the ranking, consider that the CPU alone outperforms 93% of all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 47282. The GPU, meanwhile, outperforms only 69% of all tested GPUs, with an average score of 25235. The combo's rank falls between these two percentiles, skewing closer to the GPU's position because Outriders is a GPU-bound game at most settings. The data shows that the CPU's nearest rivals (i7-13700KF, EPYC 4364P, i9-12900F) all have average scores within 0.5% of the i7-13700K, meaning the choice among these CPUs would not meaningfully alter the combo's rank in Outriders.

Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals (Radeon 890M, RX 580 2048SP, RX 6700M, RTX 3060 Ti) are all within 0.5% of the RX 6600's average score, so swapping to any of these would yield a comparable rank. The combo's position at 1338 out of 1693 suggests that there are 355 tested combinations that perform worse, which includes systems with weaker CPUs and GPUs. However, the vast majority of higher-ranked combos likely pair the i7-13700K with a more powerful GPU, as the CPU's high percentile leaves room for significant GPU upgrades before hitting a bottleneck.

In practical terms, this rank means that users seeking higher FPS in Outriders should prioritize a GPU upgrade over a CPU upgrade, as the current limiting factor is clearly the graphics card. Conversely, the CPU's strong single-thread and multi-thread scores indicate that it can support future GPU upgrades without becoming a bottleneck. The combo's overall performance is coherent — it delivers solid 1080p and 1440p gameplay at medium-to-high settings — but its rank reflects the inherent imbalance of pairing a top-tier processor with a mid-range graphics card.