Outriders

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 in Outriders presents a study in asymmetric performance. The data indicates a system where the CPU’s substantial headroom is consistently capped by the GPU’s output, particularly at higher resolutions. While the 13700K offers 16 cores, 24 threads, and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, the benchmark results across all settings and resolutions show that the RTX 2060 becomes the definitive limiting factor, making this combo rank 1392 out of 1693 tested combinations.

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

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a high-end desktop processor built on the Raptor Lake architecture, featuring 16 cores and 24 threads. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, which can boost up to 5.40 GHz, providing a massive amount of multi-threaded capability, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000. In Outriders, a looter shooter that relies on rapid-fire enemy spawning and physics, this CPU has more than enough processing power to handle game logic and draw calls.

However, the measured FPS data reveals that this CPU power is largely underutilized. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 185.6 FPS, which is high but not indicative of a CPU bottleneck, as the GPU is still capable of pushing those frames. The disparity becomes clearer when analyzing the scaling with resolution. The RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus, struggles to maintain frame rates as pixel count increases. The CPU’s single-thread performance, scoring 5505 in Cinebench R23 single-core, is sufficient to keep up with the GPU’s output even at lower resolutions. The data suggests that the 13700K is never the primary constraint; its role is to provide a stable platform that allows the GPU to be the sole determinant of performance, which is a common and desirable trait for high-refresh-rate gaming, though it doesn't rescue the combo from lower-tier rankings.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a 60+ FPS average?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 is the highest resolution where a 60+ FPS average is achievable. With High settings at this resolution, the combo produces 66.3 FPS. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only yield 61.3 FPS, making 1440p the optimal target for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its closest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074, which is 0.5% above the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996) and 1.8% above the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15786). It sits 1.7% below both the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and AMD Radeon Pro 5700, which each score 16351.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 73.3. Given the CPU’s high performance (Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000), it is not the limiting factor. The significant drop from Low (185.6 FPS) to Ultra (73.3 FPS) at the same resolution is attributable to the increased graphical load on the GPU.

Q: What is the overall ranking of this specific combination in Outriders?

A: The combo of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 1392 out of 1693 tested combinations in the game’s database. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems.

Q: How many frames per second are lost when moving from 1440p High to 4K High?

A: Moving from 2560x1440 High (66.3 FPS) to 3840x2160 High (33 FPS) results in a loss of 33.3 FPS. This represents a 50.2% reduction in performance, highlighting the GPU's inability to handle the 4K pixel count.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling pattern in the measured data is a textbook example of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces 185.6 FPS. When resolution increases to 2560x1440, that number drops to 115.8 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls further to 61.3 FPS. This consistent and steep decline—a 66.9% drop from 1080p to 4K—demonstrates that the rendering workload is overwhelming the RTX 2060.

The behavior is consistent across all settings. For instance, at High settings, the frame rate goes from 104.6 FPS at 1080p to 66.3 FPS at 1440p and then to 33 FPS at 4K. The halving of performance from 1440p to 4K is a clear indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions, where the CPU’s maximum frame output would be reached. Instead, the FPS scales inversely with resolution, which means the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth (336.0 GB/s) are the primary constraints. The data shows that the i7-13700K is more than capable of feeding the GPU, but the RTX 2060 cannot keep up with the demands of higher pixel counts.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For a balanced experience, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the clear winner. It delivers an average of 66.3 FPS, which is above the standard 60 FPS threshold for smooth play, while still offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings. The Medium preset at this resolution yields 84.6 FPS, but the jump to High is more visually impactful than the extra 18 FPS are necessary, especially since High maintains a playable frame rate.

At 1920x1080, High settings are also recommended, producing 104.6 FPS. This provides a high refresh-rate experience without the performance cost of Ultra, which drops to 73.3 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution for this combo. At 1080p it only achieves 73.3 FPS, and at 1440p it falls to 49.6 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. At 4K, Ultra is unplayable at 22.4 FPS. Therefore, High settings offer the best compromise between visual fidelity and performance across the board, with Low settings reserved for maximum frame rates (185.6 FPS at 1080p) when competitive play is prioritized over graphics.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This combination of an Intel Core i7-13700K and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 1392 out of 1693 tested combos in Outriders. This ranking places it in the bottom 18% of all tested systems, which is a poor result for a CPU that otherwise sits in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. The data indicates a severe mismatch in capability.

The CPU’s nearest rivals—the Intel Core i7-13700KF (avg score 47334, delta -0.1%), AMD EPYC 4364P (47131, delta 0.3%), and Intel Core i9-12900F (47081, delta 0.4%)—all perform nearly identically in synthetic benchmarks. However, in this game, the GPU’s performance is the deciding factor. The RTX 2060, which is in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, holds the entire system back. The rank of 1392 is a direct consequence of the GPU’s limitations, not the CPU’s. The data shows that the high-end processor is effectively wasted in this pairing for Outriders, as the GPU cannot translate the CPU’s potential into higher frame rates, especially at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for every configuration tested.

• 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Low: 185.6 FPS
• Medium: 136.6 FPS
• High: 104.6 FPS
• Ultra: 73.3 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p)
• Low: 115.8 FPS
• Medium: 84.6 FPS
• High: 66.3 FPS
• Ultra: 49.6 FPS

• 3840x2160 (4K)
• Low: 61.3 FPS
• Medium: 43.8 FPS
• High: 33 FPS
• Ultra: 22.4 FPS

These numbers show a clear pattern. At 1080p, even the most demanding settings are playable, with the Low preset offering a very high refresh rate. At 1440p, the system is playable on Medium and High, but Ultra dips below 50 FPS. At 4K, the system is only playable on Low, and even then, it is right at the 60 FPS margin. The frame rate drops are consistent and predictable, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of the system.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the definitive bottleneck in this system. Based on the Turing architecture, it features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1365 MHz, with a boost clock of 1680 MHz. While these specs were capable for 1080p gaming at launch, the data shows they are insufficient for Outriders at higher resolutions.

The performance metrics are telling. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 6.451 TFLOPS, and it has 1920 shading units. In Outriders, the GPU’s limited memory bandwidth and compute power are immediately evident. The frame rate at 4K Ultra (22.4 FPS) is nearly unplayable, and even at 1440p Ultra, it cannot maintain 50 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p (185.6 to 73.3 FPS) shows that the GPU’s rendering pipelines are saturated by the game’s effects. The RTX 2060’s performance percentile of 58% versus all GPUs is reflected in these results. With an average benchmark score of 16074, it sits just above the AMD Radeon RX 7600S and below the Radeon Pro 5700, but in Outriders, the 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit bus limit its ability to handle the game’s texture-heavy environments at high resolutions. The data clearly shows that for this game, the GPU is the single point of failure, preventing the powerful CPU from delivering a top-tier experience.