Outriders

Outriders, a looter shooter released in 2021, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical presets. Based on the measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination, the system exhibits a wide performance envelope, ranging from highly playable at 1080p to challenging at 4K. The benchmark results provide a clear picture of where this specific hardware pairing excels and where its limitations become apparent, allowing for precise settings recommendations based on the user's display and performance targets.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for this combination of Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 indicates that the optimal preset is heavily dependent on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates substantial headroom, with the Low preset delivering an average of 218 FPS. However, the Medium preset offers a more balanced experience, achieving 158 FPS average, which is well above the standard 60 FPS threshold and provides a significant visual upgrade over Low. The High preset at 1080p still maintains a strong 119 FPS average, making it a viable option for users prioritizing visual fidelity on high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset, while producing 86 FPS on average, is the only setting at this resolution that might challenge a 144Hz display, but it remains perfectly playable on a standard 60Hz panel.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance curve becomes more telling. The Low preset yields an excellent 137 FPS average, while the Medium preset drops to 100 FPS, which is still very smooth. The High preset at this resolution produces a 75 FPS average, which is adequate for most gaming scenarios but begins to show the GPU's limits. Ultra at 1440p is the first setting where the experience becomes compromised, with an average of 54 FPS, dipping below the 60 FPS target that many consider the baseline for smooth gameplay. For a 1440p display, the Medium preset provides the best compromise between visual quality and performance, ensuring a consistently fluid experience without sacrificing the game's detail.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5050 is clearly overtaxed, and settings must be chosen with care. The Low preset is the only option that provides a comfortable margin, with an average of 72 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 52 FPS, which is below the ideal target but remains playable for those who prefer higher visual quality over absolute smoothness. The High preset at 4K yields only 39 FPS, while Ultra falls to 28 FPS, both of which are likely to feel sluggish in a fast-paced looter shooter. For a 4K display, the Low preset is the recommended choice to maintain a responsive and enjoyable experience, as the performance cost of higher settings is disproportionate to the visual gains at this resolution. The data suggests that the "best experience" per the measured rows is achieved by targeting the Medium preset at 1080p and 1440p, and the Low preset at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the primary determinant of performance in Outriders, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution and settings. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data shows it becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the higher memory pressure and pixel count cause average FPS to plummet. The GPU's core clocks, with a base of 2317 MHz and a boost of 2572 MHz, drive its 2560 shading units, but the raw compute power is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K with higher presets.

Benchmark results from the GPU show a Passmark G3D score of 17326, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. This indicates a mid-range performance level, which aligns with the measured FPS in Outriders. The GPU's nearest rivals, based on average score, include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which has a deltaPct of 1.6, meaning the RTX 5050 is about 1.6% slower. This close competition underscores that the RTX 5050 is positioned for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming, not for 4K Ultra settings. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the combination of resolution and settings like High and Ultra likely exceeds the comfortable VRAM allocation, contributing to the poor performance. The GPU's architectural features, such as its Blackwell 2.0 design and DirectX 12 Ultimate support, are present, but they do not compensate for the raw performance ceiling observed in the data.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset to use for a 1440p monitor with this hardware?

A: The data indicates that the Medium preset at 2560x1440 provides an average of 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 FPS. This offers the best balance of visual quality and smooth performance, as the High preset drops to 75 FPS and Ultra falls below 60 FPS.

Q: Can this combination handle 4K gaming in Outriders?

A: Yes, but only with significant compromises. At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average of 72 FPS, which is playable. The Medium preset averages 52 FPS, while High and Ultra average 39 and 28 FPS respectively, which are not recommended for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, in this game?

A: Based on the GPU benchmark scores, the RTX 5050 is 1.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT in average score. This suggests they have very similar performance characteristics, and the measured FPS in Outriders would likely be comparable between the two.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 218. This high frame rate suggests that the GPU is still the primary workload processor, but the CPU's 20 cores and 20 threads with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz are sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output, preventing a significant bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Medium and High presets at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset at 1080p averages 158 FPS, while the High preset averages 119 FPS. This represents a 39 FPS drop when moving from Medium to High, a 24.7% reduction, which is a substantial cost for the visual improvements.

Q: Why does the Ultra preset perform so poorly at 4K?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages only 28 FPS. This is due to the combination of the high pixel count and the demanding graphical effects, which overwhelm the RTX 5050's 8 GB of VRAM and its raw compute capabilities, resulting in a frame rate that is not suitable for smooth gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset leads with an average of 218 FPS. The Medium preset follows with 158 FPS (minimum 135, maximum 182), and the High preset achieves 119 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces an average of 86 FPS, which is still a playable frame rate but shows the scaling cost of the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 137 FPS, a significant drop from 1080p but still very high. The Medium preset averages 100 FPS (minimum 85, maximum 115), while the High preset drops to 75 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and marks the point where the GPU starts to struggle with higher settings.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 72 FPS, which is the only setting that provides a comfortable experience. The Medium preset averages 52 FPS (minimum 44, maximum 60), which is borderline. The High preset drops to 39 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages a mere 28 FPS. These numbers illustrate the steep performance penalty of 4K rendering with this GPU, making it clear that only the lowest settings are viable for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 119 at 1920x1080 to 75 at 2560x1440, a 37% reduction. Moving to 3840x2160, the FPS drops to 39, which is a 67% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 5050's processing power and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, as the workload increases quadratically with resolution.

The scaling is even more pronounced at the Medium preset. Starting at 158 FPS at 1080p, it drops to 100 FPS at 1440p (a 36.7% reduction) and then to 52 FPS at 4K (a 67.1% reduction from 1080p). This consistent pattern across different presets confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, provides ample headroom, as evidenced by the high frame rates at lower resolutions. The data suggests that the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is not a limiting factor; instead, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050's 8 GB of VRAM and its 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to handle the demands of 4K rendering with high-quality settings, leading to the severe FPS drops observed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 plays a supporting role in Outriders, providing the computational foundation for the GPU to operate. With 20 cores and 20 threads, a base clock of 2.40 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, the CPU has ample processing power for this game. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 42216 in multi-core and 5960 in single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. This high benchmark performance suggests that it can easily handle the game's logic, AI, and physics calculations without being a bottleneck.

The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 4464P, have an average score that is 0.3% higher, indicating that the Ultra 7 265 is competitively positioned. The Passmark single-thread score of 4689 further reinforces its strong per-core performance, which is crucial for gaming. In the measured FPS data, the lack of a CPU bottleneck is evident at 1080p Low, where the system achieves 218 FPS, a frame rate that would be difficult to reach if the CPU were struggling. The CPU's memory support for DDR5 and dual-channel configuration provides a 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth, which ensures that data can be fed to the GPU efficiently. Overall, the data indicates that the CPU is more than capable of supporting the GPU's output, and its performance is not a limiting factor in Outriders.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination ranks 1715 out of 2913 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the 41st percentile of all systems. This ranking reflects a mid-to-low tier position, primarily driven by the GPU's performance ceiling. While the CPU is a high-end part, as evidenced by its 93rd percentile ranking, the GPU's 66th percentile standing drags the overall combo down in a game that is heavily GPU-bound.

This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows the combo performing admirably at 1080p but struggling at 4K. The combo's position in the lower half of the database suggests that while it is a capable system for 1080p gaming, it is not designed for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, have a 1.6% higher benchmark score, which explains why the combo does not rank higher. The data suggests that this pairing is best suited for gamers with 1080p or entry-level 1440p displays, where it can provide a smooth and enjoyable experience. The high rank of the CPU, however, ensures that the system will not be CPU-limited in Outriders, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of performance. This ranking analysis provides a clear context for the measured FPS, indicating that the system's performance is exactly what would be expected from a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU.