Outriders

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a highly playable Outriders experience at 1080p and 1440p, but the data clearly shows that 4K resolution is beyond the RTX 5050’s practical comfort zone for this title. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s substantial core and thread count ensures it is never the limiting factor in the measured results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data paints a clear picture of how this combo scales across resolutions. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 119 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 75 FPS, a reduction of 44 FPS. The jump to 4K at High settings yields just 39 FPS, which is a further drop of 36 FPS from the 1440p result. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 5050 is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, with the i7-13700K providing ample headroom.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution is particularly telling. At 1080p, the spread from Low (218 FPS) to Ultra (86 FPS) is a massive 132 FPS. This demonstrates that the GPU’s pixel throughput and shading capabilities are heavily taxed by the higher-quality presets. At 4K, the same settings spread from Low (72 FPS) to Ultra (28 FPS) is 44 FPS, showing that even on Low settings, the resolution itself imposes a significant load that the RTX 5050 cannot fully overcome.

The incremental steps between presets reveal a non-linear scaling. At 1440p, Medium (100 FPS) sits 25 FPS below Low (137 FPS), while High (75 FPS) is another 25 FPS lower. Ultra (54 FPS) then drops 21 FPS from High. This consistent degradation suggests that each preset tier adds a substantial amount of graphical work, likely from increased texture detail, shadow complexity, and post-processing effects, all of which directly impact the GPU’s fill rate and shader execution.

The data indicates that the RTX 5050 is the definitive limiting component at 4K. The 39 FPS average at High settings is below the 60 FPS target that most players consider smooth, and the 28 FPS at Ultra is nearly unplayable. The 72 FPS at 4K Low, however, shows the GPU is capable of rendering the frame buffer at that resolution, but only with significantly reduced graphical fidelity. This is a classic sign of a GPU that is overmatched by the pixel count, rather than a CPU that is failing to feed it data.

In contrast, the 1080p and 1440p results show a much healthier balance. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset (86 FPS) remains comfortably above 60 FPS, indicating that the combo has enough performance to handle the game’s highest settings at this resolution. The 1440p Medium result (100 FPS) is also strong, suggesting that this resolution is the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and frame rate with this hardware.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a single-core score of 2116. The CPU’s percentile ranking of 89 indicates it outperforms the vast majority of CPUs in the database. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, has an average score that is only 0.2% different, showing that the i7-13700K is at the top tier of desktop processors for general compute tasks.

For Outriders, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data shows that this is not a bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 218 FPS, which is an extremely high frame rate. This indicates that the CPU can process the game’s simulation and render commands fast enough to keep up with the GPU’s output at that resolution. The high single-thread performance, evidenced by the 2116 Cinebench R23 score, is crucial for games that rely on a primary game thread.

The 3DMark scores further contextualize the CPU’s capability. The 3dmark_max_threads score of 12412 demonstrates strong multi-threaded scaling, while the 3dmark_single_thread score of 1136 shows excellent per-core performance. These results suggest that the i7-13700K can handle both heavily threaded scenes and those that are more dependent on a single core’s speed.

The fact that the FPS does not improve dramatically when moving to the lowest settings at 1080p (218 FPS vs. 119 FPS at High) is more a reflection of GPU load than CPU limits. The CPU has the headroom to render far more frames than the GPU can produce at higher settings. The data does not show any scenario where the CPU is the limiting factor, as the FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings changes that primarily affect GPU load.

The CPU’s 30 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are also relevant. While the FACT PACK does not include specific game benchmarks for these aspects, the overall compute scores indicate a platform that is more than capable of sustaining the frame rates seen in the measured data. The i7-13700K is simply not the weak link in this pairing for Outriders.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1715 out of 2913 tested combos in Outriders. This places it in the bottom 41% of all configurations tested for this game. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the strength of the individual components, but it is a direct result of the GPU’s performance class. The RTX 5050, while a capable card, is positioned in the lower mid-range of the GPU hierarchy.

The GPU’s percentile rank of 66 indicates it performs better than 66% of all GPUs in the database. However, the CPU’s percentile rank of 89 is significantly higher. This mismatch in performance tiers is why the combo’s overall rank is not higher. The CPU is a top-tier part, but the GPU is holding it back in a game like Outriders, which is graphically demanding.

The combo’s rank is likely influenced by the fact that many other tested configurations use higher-end GPUs, such as the RTX 4070 or RTX 4080, paired with CPUs like the i7-13700K. These combinations would push higher frame rates and thus rank higher. The 1715th place suggests that while this combo is playable, it is not competitive with systems that pair the same CPU with a more powerful graphics card.

The data indicates that the combo’s performance is entirely consistent with its component parts. The CPU is not a drag on the system, but the GPU’s performance ceiling is what limits the overall result. The rank of 1715 of 2913 is a clear indicator that the RTX 5050 is the deciding factor in this system’s ability to run Outriders at high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo’s performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 218 FPS, Medium produces 158 FPS with a minimum of 135 and maximum of 182, High produces 119 FPS, and Ultra produces 86 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the combo is capable of delivering excellent performance even at the highest settings, with the Ultra preset still comfortably above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops but remains respectable. Low settings yield 137 FPS, Medium produces 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 and maximum of 115, High produces 75 FPS, and Ultra produces 54 FPS. The 1440p results show that this resolution is a viable option for high-refresh-rate monitors, provided the user is willing to use Medium or High settings. The Ultra preset at 1440p dips below 60 FPS, which may be a concern for those seeking a consistently smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. Low settings produce 72 FPS, Medium produces 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 60, High produces 39 FPS, and Ultra produces just 28 FPS. These figures clearly indicate that 4K gaming is not a strength for this combo. The Medium preset is the only one that comes close to 60 FPS, but its minimum of 44 FPS suggests there will be noticeable stutters.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the difference between Medium and High is substantial at every resolution. At 1080p, the gap is 39 FPS (158 to 119). At 1440p, the gap is 25 FPS (100 to 75). At 4K, the gap is 13 FPS (52 to 39). This suggests that the High preset introduces a significant performance cost, likely from more complex lighting and shadow effects, that the RTX 5050 cannot efficiently handle.

The minimum FPS values for the Medium preset are notably lower than the average, with a 13 FPS drop at 1080p (135 min vs 158 avg) and a 15 FPS drop at 1440p (85 min vs 100 avg). This indicates that the game has moments of intense graphical load that can cause frame time spikes. The 4K Medium minimum of 44 FPS versus a 52 FPS average shows that even the most stable preset at that resolution has inconsistent frame pacing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the key component in determining this system’s gaming performance. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, the GPU has a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a significant factor in the 4K results, as the higher resolution requires more memory bandwidth to feed the rendering pipeline. The 8 GB capacity is also a potential limitation for high-resolution textures.

The GPU’s clocks are set at a base of 2317 MHz and a boost of 2572 MHz. The shading units, 2560 in total, are responsible for the bulk of the pixel and vertex processing. The card’s FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS gives a measure of its raw compute power. These specifications place the RTX 5050 in the lower mid-range tier, which is confirmed by its average benchmark score of 21035 and its percentile rank of 66.

The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, which has a deltaPct of -0.6%, and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which has a deltaPct of 1.6%. This means the RTX 5050 performs within a 2% band of these cards in the average benchmark score. This positioning is critical for understanding the Outriders results, as it shows the GPU is not a high-end part but rather a solid mainstream offering.

The measured FPS data directly reflects the GPU’s capabilities. The 218 FPS at 1080p Low shows that the GPU can handle simple rendering tasks at high speed. However, the dramatic drop to 39 FPS at 4K High demonstrates that the GPU’s pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are severely taxed when the resolution increases. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a contributing factor, as 4K textures and effects can easily exceed this capacity, forcing the GPU to swap data in and out of system memory.

The RTX 5050’s performance in this game is consistent with its position in the benchmark hierarchy. It is not a card designed for 4K gaming, and the data confirms this. The GPU’s strength lies in 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates with appropriate settings. For Outriders, this means the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at 4K, while at lower resolutions, it provides a playable experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is perfectly viable, producing an average of 86 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the best visual quality the game has to offer. The High preset at 1080p, with 119 FPS, is also an excellent choice for users with high-refresh-rate monitors who prioritize frame rate over maximum fidelity.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS, which ensures a smooth experience even during intense combat scenes. The High preset at 1440p, at 75 FPS, is also playable, but the 25 FPS drop from Medium suggests that the visual improvements are not worth the performance cost for most users. The Ultra preset at 1440p, at 54 FPS, is below the 60 FPS target and should be avoided for consistent smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the data shows that this combo is not suited for high-quality 4K gaming. The Low preset, at 72 FPS, is the only option that provides a consistently playable frame rate. The Medium preset at 4K, at 52 FPS average, is borderline, but its minimum of 44 FPS indicates significant frame dips that could be noticeable. Users who insist on 4K should stick to the Low preset or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p.

The best overall experience is achieved at 1440p with Medium settings. This configuration provides a strong balance of visual quality and performance, with an average FPS of 100 and a minimum of 85, ensuring a fluid and responsive gameplay experience. The 1080p Ultra setting is also excellent for those who value visual fidelity above all else and are using a 1080p monitor. The data strongly suggests avoiding the 4K Ultra and 4K High presets, as the frame rates fall to 28 and 39 FPS respectively, which are not conducive to an enjoyable looter shooter experience.