Outriders

# Outriders Performance Analysis: Intel Core i7-13700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

This combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 3rd out of 3,710 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the top 0.1% of all configurations analyzed. The benchmark data shows this pairing delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the system demonstrating particular strength at 1440p where it achieves over 250 FPS even on High settings. The measured results reveal a configuration that appears well-balanced between CPU and GPU capabilities, though the data suggests the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 3 out of 3,710 tested configurations places this system at the 99.9th percentile of all combinations analyzed for Outriders. This top-tier ranking is consistent with the raw performance numbers: at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 633 FPS, which represents the highest measured value in the entire dataset for this game. The ranking reflects not just peak performance but sustained capability across all settings presets, as even the most demanding Ultra preset at 4K produces 82 FPS, which remains comfortably playable.

The CPU component, the Intel Core i7-13700K, sits in the 89th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 46,881. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, scores 46,971, placing the Intel chip just 0.2% behind. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 trails by 0.3%, while the Intel Xeon w3-2535 and AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX both sit 0.5% behind. This tight clustering indicates the i7-13700K delivers performance squarely in the upper echelon of processors, with no single rival holding a decisive advantage in general compute benchmarks.

For the GPU, the RTX 3080 Ti ranks in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 41,187. Its nearest rivals show a similar pattern of close competition: the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40,870 (0.8% behind), while the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB scores 41,707 (1.2% ahead). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 trails by 2% with a score of 40,377. This positioning suggests the RTX 3080 Ti, despite being from an older generation, remains highly competitive in raw compute performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data reveals a clear hierarchy across the four settings presets, with each step up in quality costing a significant portion of frame rate. At 1080p, the progression from Low to Medium to High to Ultra yields average FPS values of 633, 501, 398, and 249 respectively. This represents a 61% drop from Low to Ultra, but even the lowest Ultra figure remains far above the refresh rate of typical gaming monitors.

At 1440p, the pattern continues with Low at 400 FPS, Medium at 316 FPS, High at 251 FPS, and Ultra at 157 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution delivers the first sub-200 FPS result, but 157 FPS still exceeds the capabilities of most high-refresh displays. The 4K results show the most dramatic scaling: Low produces 209 FPS, Medium 165 FPS, High 131 FPS, and Ultra drops to 82 FPS. This Ultra 4K figure, while still playable, represents the first instance where the system dips below 100 FPS.

For the best experience per the measured rows, the High preset at 1440p emerges as the optimal balance. It delivers 251 FPS average, which exceeds the refresh rate of all but the most extreme gaming monitors, while providing substantially better visual quality than Low or Medium. The High preset at 4K (131 FPS) also represents a strong choice for users prioritizing resolution over maximum frame rates, as it maintains smooth gameplay while leveraging the full 4K output. The Ultra preset appears best reserved for 1080p or 1440p usage, where the visual quality gains come without sacrificing the high frame rates this system can otherwise produce.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important information about which component limits performance at each resolution. At Low settings, the system produces 633 FPS at 1080p, 400 FPS at 1440p, and 209 FPS at 4K. This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 48% drop from 1440p to 4K. The increasingly severe scaling at higher resolutions points to the GPU becoming the dominant bottleneck as pixel count rises.

The Medium preset shows a similar pattern with 501 FPS at 1080p, 316 FPS at 1440p, and 165 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 37% and 48% respectively, nearly identical to Low settings. High settings tell the same story: 398 FPS at 1080p, 251 FPS at 1440p, and 131 FPS at 4K, with drops of 37% and 48%. The consistency of these scaling ratios across all three presets indicates that resolution scaling behavior is largely independent of the settings preset chosen.

The Ultra preset shows slightly different scaling: 249 FPS at 1080p, 157 FPS at 1440p, and 82 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 48%. The fact that Ultra follows the same proportional pattern as the other presets suggests that even at maximum quality settings, the GPU remains the primary constraint at 4K. The very high frame rates at 1080p, particularly the 633 FPS Low result, indicate that the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering capacity becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 633 FPS, which is the single highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 501 FPS with a minimum of 426 FPS and maximum of 577 FPS, showing a narrow range that suggests consistent performance. High settings drop to 398 FPS average, while Ultra settings still manage 249 FPS. The spread from 633 to 249 FPS across the four presets demonstrates the significant impact of quality settings on performance, even at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. Low settings produce 400 FPS, Medium 316 FPS with a range of 269 to 364 FPS, High 251 FPS, and Ultra 157 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 269 FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains frame rates well above what most displays can show. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 61% reduction in performance, mirroring the scaling observed at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the performance impact of the higher resolution becomes more pronounced. Low settings still deliver 209 FPS, which is a respectable figure for 4K gaming. Medium settings produce 165 FPS with a range of 141 to 190 FPS, High settings 131 FPS, and Ultra settings 82 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K represents the only configuration in the dataset that drops below 100 FPS, but even this figure remains playable for most gaming scenarios. The Medium preset's minimum of 141 FPS at 4K suggests that this setting provides a good balance for users who want smooth 4K gameplay with enhanced visual quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve the highest frame rates?

A: The 1080p resolution produces the highest frame rates across all settings, with Low settings reaching 633 FPS and High settings still delivering 398 FPS. However, at 1440p High settings, the system achieves 251 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most displays while providing better visual clarity.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a playable experience at 4K?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 82 FPS. This is lower than the other presets at this resolution but remains above the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered the minimum for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: Across all settings presets, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistently 37%. For example, High settings drop from 398 FPS to 251 FPS, and Medium settings drop from 501 FPS to 316 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-13700K compare to its nearest rival?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46,881, which is just 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 5900's score of 46,971. The difference is negligible, placing these processors at essentially the same performance level.

Q: What is the significance of the Medium preset's minimum FPS values?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum FPS values. At 1080p the minimum is 426 FPS, at 1440p it is 269 FPS, and at 4K it is 141 FPS. These values indicate that even in the most demanding moments, the system maintains high frame rates.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more likely to limit performance at 4K?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are substantial (48% from 1440p to 4K), and the CPU's high benchmark scores indicate it has ample headroom to process game logic at these resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K features 16 cores and 24 threads, running at a base clock of 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This configuration, based on the Raptor Lake architecture and manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process, provides substantial multi-threaded capability. The CPU's benchmark results demonstrate its strength: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 30,745, while the single-core score is 2,116. PassMark multithread testing yields 45,887, and Geekbench multicore reaches 19,429.

The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache contribute to its ability to handle the varied workloads present in Outriders, a looter shooter that features both intense combat scenarios and large open environments. The 3DMark tests show scaling from 1,136 in single-thread to 12,412 in max-threads, indicating the processor effectively utilizes its multiple cores when the workload allows. The 16-core, 24-thread configuration provides headroom for background tasks and future game optimizations that may better utilize additional threads.

At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 633 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with frames faster than the GPU can render them. The consistent 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p across all settings presets indicates that the CPU maintains its performance advantage regardless of the GPU load. The CPU's percentile ranking of 89 among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 46,881, places it in the upper tier of available CPUs, though its nearest rivals show it is not decisively ahead of the competition.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip, manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. The GPU contains 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 45.1 million per square millimeter. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory operates across a 384-bit bus, providing 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 render output units deliver the raw processing power needed for high-resolution gaming.

The GPU's clock speeds are 1,365 MHz base and 1,665 MHz boost, with memory running at 19 Gbps effective. These specifications translate to 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, 186.5 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 532.8 GTexel/s texture rate. The 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores provide hardware acceleration for ray tracing and DLSS features, though the measured FPS data does not specifically test these features. The GPU's benchmark results include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,077 and a PassMark G3D score of 26,896.

The GPU's role as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions is evident from the measured FPS data. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 82 FPS, which represents a 67% drop from the 249 FPS achieved at 1080p Ultra. The GPU's 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's requirements, as no VRAM-related performance anomalies appear in the data. The RTX 3080 Ti's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,187, positions it as a high-end graphics card even when compared to newer models, though its nearest rivals show close competition in raw compute benchmarks.