Outriders

# Outriders: Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers strong frame rates across all tested resolutions in Outriders, but the data reveals a system that behaves differently depending on the settings preset chosen. The measured results show a clear progression from CPU-limited scenarios at lower resolutions to GPU-bound situations at 4K, with the Ultra preset creating the most demanding conditions across the board.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming on this combo?

A: Medium is the only preset at 3840x2160 that provides both an average FPS above 100 (103) and recorded minimum/maximum frames (88 and 119), making it the most balanced option. High runs at 77 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 56 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its nearest rival in GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209 in the average benchmark, which is essentially tied with the RTX 4080 (54,247, deltaPct -0.1). It sits 1.1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X and 2.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance relative to its multi-thread score?

A: The Core Ultra 5 225 achieves 3,655 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 25,891 in multi-core. The single-thread result places it among top-tier desktop parts, while the multi-thread score reflects its 10 cores and 10 threads configuration.

Q: Does this combo maintain playable frame rates at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the 2560x1440 Ultra preset produces an average of 107 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. This is significantly higher than the 4K Ultra result of 56 FPS.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from Ultra to Low at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 272 FPS average compared to 169 FPS at Ultra, representing a 103 FPS improvement. Medium sits between at 242 FPS, while High reaches 218 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 111th out of 2,913 tested combos for Outriders, placing it in the top 4% of all tested system configurations.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock of 2295 MHz and boost clock of 2550 MHz provide the raw processing capability needed for Outriders' demanding visuals. With 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, the card is well-suited for high-resolution rendering.

The memory configuration becomes particularly relevant at 4K resolution, where the 16 GB frame buffer prevents capacity-related bottlenecks. The 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 compute performance allows the GPU to handle the game's particle effects and physics calculations without strain. The 80 RT cores are present but Outriders does not heavily utilize ray tracing, meaning the traditional rasterization throughput is the primary factor in the measured results.

The GPU's performance percentile of 86 places it above most installed graphics cards, and its benchmark scores show consistent strength across different test types. The PassMark G3D score of 34,245 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 260,075 indicate strong DirectX 12 and Vulkan performance, which aligns with Outriders' modern rendering API requirements. The 816.0 GTexel/s texture rate ensures that high-resolution textures load and stream efficiently, while the 285.6 GPixel/s pixel rate supports high fill rates at demanding resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for the optimal settings preset based on resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets produce playable results, but the Medium preset stands out with a 242 FPS average and recorded minimum of 206 FPS and maximum of 278 FPS. This consistency suggests Medium is the sweet spot for competitive play, as it maintains high frame rates while providing better visual quality than Low's 272 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset again demonstrates the best balance, delivering 197 FPS average with minimum and maximum of 168 and 227 respectively. The High preset at 148 FPS remains smooth, while Ultra at 107 FPS is still perfectly playable for those prioritizing visual fidelity. Low at 233 FPS offers the highest refresh rate potential for esports-style play.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation shifts decisively to Medium. The 103 FPS average with 88 FPS minimum ensures consistent performance, while High at 77 FPS may cause noticeable frame pacing issues on high refresh rate displays. Ultra at 56 FPS dips below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay, making it only suitable for cinematic experiences. The data indicates that Medium at 4K provides the best combination of visual quality and performance headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 111th out of 2,913 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the top 3.8% of all configurations. This position reflects the strength of both components, though the ranking is influenced by the fact that many higher-ranked combos likely pair the RTX 4080 SUPER with more powerful CPUs. The 10-core processor provides adequate feeding for the GPU, but the data suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU becomes the limiting factor.

The GPU's benchmark position shows it performing nearly identically to the standard RTX 4080, with a deltaPct of -0.1%. This means the SUPER variant's additional performance is minimal in synthetic tests, yet the measured FPS results demonstrate that the card handles Outriders efficiently across all settings. The CPU's percentile of 85 among all processors indicates solid overall performance, though its nearest rival comparisons show it trailing the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D by 0.2% and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 by 0.4%.

The overall combo ranking of 111 suggests that while this system is powerful, there is room for improvement by pairing the GPU with a higher-tier processor. However, for Outriders specifically, the gameplay experience at 1440p and 4K is excellent, as the GPU carries most of the rendering load at these resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 provides 10 cores and 10 threads, running at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boosting up to 4.90 GHz. This Arrow Lake-S architecture processor uses a 3 nm process from TSMC and features 20 MB of shared L3 cache, along with 192 KB L1 and 3 MB L2 per core. The 65 W TDP keeps thermals manageable, and the 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth via dual-channel DDR5 support ensures the CPU can feed data to the GPU efficiently.

In Outriders, the CPU's role varies significantly by resolution. At 1080p, the CPU's performance becomes more critical, as the GPU can render frames faster than the processor can prepare them. The measured FPS at Low settings (272) approaches the CPU's practical limit for this game, with the 10-core configuration handling the game's AI, physics, and draw call processing. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25,891 and single-core score of 3,655 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is beneficial for games that rely on a few primary threads.

The PassMark results further illuminate the CPU's characteristics. The multithread score of 30,459 and single-thread score of 4,412 show balanced performance across both metrics. The data compression score of 302,811 and integer math score of 65,345 demonstrate the CPU's efficiency in general-purpose computing, while the floating-point math score of 92,038 supports physics calculations in games. The CPU's inability to be overclocked (multiplier unlocked: false) means the stock performance is what users get, but the 4.90 GHz boost clock provides ample single-thread speed.

At 4K resolution, the CPU becomes less of a bottleneck, as the GPU's rendering workload dominates. The 77 FPS at 4K High versus 148 FPS at 1440p High shows a performance drop that is primarily GPU-related, with the CPU maintaining adequate frame preparation. The 10 threads may limit performance in heavily threaded scenes, but Outriders' engine appears to scale well within this configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear hierarchy across presets. Low settings produce the highest average at 272 FPS, followed by Medium at 242 FPS with a minimum of 206 and maximum of 278. High settings reach 218 FPS average, while Ultra delivers 169 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 103 FPS, indicating that the game's ultra settings introduce significant GPU load even at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably. Low settings achieve 233 FPS, Medium delivers 197 FPS with minimum and maximum of 168 and 227, High reaches 148 FPS, and Ultra drops to 107 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by approximately 14-28% depending on the preset, with Ultra showing the largest relative drop due to increased pixel count and texture detail.

At 3840x2160, the FPS figures reflect the GPU's limits. Medium is the standout with 103 FPS average (88 minimum, 119 maximum), followed by Low at 142 FPS, High at 77 FPS, and Ultra at 56 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded for Medium (88) shows that the GPU maintains playable performance even during demanding scenes, while Ultra's 56 FPS average suggests it should be avoided for smooth gameplay.

The pattern across all resolutions shows that Medium settings consistently provide the best minimum FPS headroom, with recorded minimums of 206 at 1080p, 168 at 1440p, and 88 at 4K. This consistency makes Medium the most reliable preset for maintaining smooth performance during intense combat sequences.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the system's bottleneck characteristics. At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 242 at 1080p to 197 at 1440p (a 19% reduction) and then to 103 at 4K (a 57% reduction from 1440p). This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases, with the CPU's role diminishing.

At Low settings, the scaling shows a similar trend: 272 FPS at 1080p, 233 at 1440p (14% drop), and 142 at 4K (39% drop from 1440p). The smaller percentage drop at lower settings suggests that the CPU begins to limit performance at 1080p with Low settings, as the GPU can render frames faster than the CPU can provide data.

The High preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 218 FPS at 1080p, 148 at 1440p (32% drop), and 77 at 4K (48% drop from 1440p). This steeper decline indicates that High settings introduce GPU-intensive effects that compound with resolution increases. Ultra settings follow a similar pattern but with lower absolute values: 169, 107, and 56 FPS respectively.

The data clearly shows that at 1080p, the Core Ultra 5 225's 10 cores become a limiting factor, especially at Low settings where the GPU is underutilized. At 4K, the RTX 4080 SUPER's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint, with the CPU providing adequate performance. The 4K Medium result of 103 FPS represents the best balance, as this resolution and settings combination keeps both components sufficiently loaded without either becoming a severe bottleneck.