Outriders

Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080: measured performance in Outriders. This combination ranks 47th out of 3710 tested combos in the database, placing it in the top 1.3% of all configurations for this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The processor carries a TDP of 125 W and uses the Intel Socket 1851.

In Outriders, the CPU's contribution is most visible at the lower resolution and lower settings tiers, where the frame rate ceiling rises high enough for processor throughput to matter. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 304 FPS average, which is the highest recorded value in the measured data. The 20-core configuration with a 5.50 GHz boost helps sustain these high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck, particularly when the GPU is not fully saturated at lower graphical loads. The processor's single-core performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2020, supports the game's primary thread workload, while the multi-core score of 35850 ensures background tasks and additional game processes do not interfere with frame pacing.

Comparing to nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database, the Core Ultra 7 265K sits within a tight band of performance. The Intel Xeon 6511P scores 71051, which is 0.2% higher than this chip's 70879 average benchmark score. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 is 0.7% higher at 71370, while the Intel Core i7-14700KF is 1% lower at 70163, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is 1.3% lower at 69996. This indicates that the processor is well-matched against alternatives in raw compute, though in Outriders the measured FPS results are ultimately governed by the GPU at most settings.

At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 58, which is a 50% reduction from the 4K High result of 81 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions; instead, the GPU workload dominates. The processor's 125 W TDP and efficient Arrow Lake architecture allow sustained boost clocks during extended gaming sessions, which is relevant for maintaining consistent frame rates in a looter shooter where enemies and effects can stress the CPU during combat sequences.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using the GB203 chip on a 5 nm process. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU operates with a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz, with memory clocked at 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective). The shader configuration includes 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. Ray tracing is handled by 84 RT cores, and 336 tensor cores accelerate AI workloads. The card supports PCIe 5.0 x16 and has a TDP of 360 W.

In Outriders, the RTX 5080's 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for the game's asset streaming at any resolution, even at 4K Ultra where the measured average is 58 FPS. The GPU's raw throughput, measured at 56.28 TFLOPS FP32, drives the frame rates across all settings. The performance scaling from Low to Ultra settings shows a clear pattern: at each resolution, the gap between Low and Ultra is substantial. At 1080p, Low averages 304 FPS while Ultra averages 177 FPS, a 42% reduction. At 1440p, the gap widens slightly: Low at 261 FPS versus Ultra at 111 FPS, a reduction of 57%. At 4K, the gap is more pronounced: Low at 148 FPS versus Ultra at 58 FPS, a reduction of 61%. This scaling indicates that Ultra settings impose heavy shading and post-processing loads that the GPU must handle, while the memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s ensures that texture streaming does not cause hitches.

The GPU's benchmark percentile vs all GPUs is 87, and its average benchmark score is 56083. Nearest rivals in the GPU database show similar overall performance: the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757 (0.6% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (0.7% lower), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (2.3% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 57367 (2.2% higher). These delta percentages are for synthetic benchmarks, but in Outriders the measured data shows the RTX 5080 performing strongly, with the limiting factor shifting from GPU to CPU only at the lowest settings and resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 achieves a combo rank of 47 out of 3710 tested combinations in Outriders. This places the configuration in the top 1.3% of all tested combos for this game. The ranking reflects the synergy between the high-core-count CPU and the powerful GPU, which together deliver consistently high frame rates across all measured settings.

The rank is particularly noteworthy given the game's release date of 2021-03-31, as Outriders is not a recent title. The combo's position in the 47th spot suggests that some combinations with more recent or specialized hardware outperform it, but the gap is narrow. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 304 FPS, which is within reach of the highest refresh rate monitors. At 1440p High, the average of 154 FPS comfortably exceeds 144 Hz displays. At 4K, the combo still manages 81 FPS on High settings, which is playable for most users.

The ranking also benefits from the CPU's 94th percentile vs all CPUs and the GPU's 87th percentile vs all GPUs. While neither component is the absolute top performer in its class, the combination produces results that are greater than the sum of their individual scores, as evidenced by the 47th place ranking out of thousands of possible pairings. The data indicates that the RTX 5080 is not bottlenecked by the Core Ultra 7 265K at any resolution, as the frame rates scale predictably with GPU load rather than hitting a CPU-imposed ceiling.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays with high refresh rates (240 Hz or above), the Low preset delivers 304 FPS average, which is the highest measured value. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 270 FPS with a minimum of 230 FPS and maximum of 311 FPS, providing a smoother experience with better visuals while still exceeding 240 Hz. The High preset at 1080p drops to 243 FPS average, which still satisfies 240 Hz displays but with reduced headroom. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 177 FPS, which is suitable for 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors but not for 240 Hz panels.

For 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance at 206 FPS average, with a minimum of 175 FPS and maximum of 237 FPS. This comfortably drives 144 Hz and 165 Hz displays while maintaining visual quality. The High preset at 1440p averages 154 FPS, which still exceeds 144 Hz, while the Low preset hits 261 FPS for competitive play. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 111 FPS, which is below the 120 Hz threshold for smooth motion on some displays, but acceptable for 60 Hz monitors.

For 4K, the High preset is the recommended choice at 81 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS target for most displays. The Medium preset at 4K averages 108 FPS with a minimum of 91 FPS and maximum of 124 FPS, offering a smoother experience at the cost of some visual fidelity. The Low preset at 4K reaches 148 FPS, which is excessive for 60 Hz displays but could benefit 120 Hz 4K panels. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 58 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable frame pacing issues on standard 60 Hz displays.

The data suggests that the Medium preset provides the best overall experience across all resolutions, as it maintains high frame rates while offering improved visuals over Low. The measured minimum FPS values for Medium (230 at 1080p, 175 at 1440p, 91 at 4K) indicate that the frame time consistency is good, with no major dips that would cause stutter.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are 304 for Low, 270 for Medium (with a minimum of 230 and maximum of 311), 243 for High, and 177 for Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 42% reduction in performance, with each step up in settings costing a measurable amount of frame rate. The Medium preset's minimum of 230 FPS suggests that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate does not drop below the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 261 for Low, 206 for Medium (with a minimum of 175 and maximum of 237), 154 for High, and 111 for Ultra. The reduction from Low to Ultra is 57%, which is steeper than at 1080p. This indicates that the higher resolution amplifies the cost of Ultra settings, as the GPU must process more pixels with the same level of visual complexity. The Medium preset's minimum of 175 FPS ensures smooth gameplay even during intense firefights.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 148 for Low, 108 for Medium (with a minimum of 91 and maximum of 124), 81 for High, and 58 for Ultra. The reduction from Low to Ultra is 61%, the steepest of all resolutions. The Ultra preset's 58 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target, making it the only measured configuration that struggles to maintain a standard refresh rate. The Medium preset's minimum of 91 FPS provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, while the High preset's 81 FPS average is adequate for most 4K displays.

Comparing across resolutions at the same settings, the scaling is consistent. At Low settings, 1080p delivers 304 FPS, 1440p delivers 261 FPS (86% of 1080p), and 4K delivers 148 FPS (49% of 1080p). At High settings, 1080p delivers 243 FPS, 1440p delivers 154 FPS (63% of 1080p), and 4K delivers 81 FPS (33% of 1080p). At Ultra settings, 1080p delivers 177 FPS, 1440p delivers 111 FPS (63% of 1080p), and 4K delivers 58 FPS (33% of 1080p). This shows that the resolution scaling is consistent across settings, with the GPU being the primary limiter at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Outriders?

A: The measured data shows that 1440p Medium provides the best balance, with 206 FPS average and a minimum of 175 FPS. This exceeds 144 Hz monitors while maintaining good visual quality. For 4K displays, 4K High at 81 FPS average is the recommended choice, as it stays above the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 58, which is below the 60 FPS target for standard displays. This is the only measured configuration that fails to maintain 60 FPS. Users seeking 4K gameplay should use High settings for 81 FPS or Medium for 108 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Outriders?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at most settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 304 FPS, which is the highest measured value, suggesting the CPU can keep up. At higher resolutions, the frame rates drop proportionally with GPU load, confirming that the RTX 5080 is the bottleneck.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset has measured minimum FPS values of 230 at 1080p, 175 at 1440p, and 91 at 4K. These minimums are within 15-16% of the average FPS at each resolution, indicating good frame pacing with no severe drops.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 47th out of 3710 tested combinations in Outriders, placing it in the top 1.3% of all configurations. This is a strong result given that the CPU and GPU are not the absolute top performers in their respective categories.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, Low delivers 304 FPS while Ultra delivers 177 FPS, a 42% reduction. At 1440p, the reduction is 57% (261 to 111 FPS). At 4K, the reduction is 61% (148 to 58 FPS). The gap widens with resolution, showing that Ultra settings impose a heavier load on the GPU at higher pixel counts.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the limiting component and the scaling efficiency of the combo. At Low settings, 1080p delivers 304 FPS, 1440p delivers 261 FPS (a 14% drop), and 4K delivers 148 FPS (a 51% drop from 1080p). This scaling is less steep than the pure pixel count increase would suggest, indicating that the CPU is still contributing at lower settings. The 4K result of 148 FPS is still very high, showing that the RTX 5080 has ample headroom even at 4K with Low settings.

At High settings, the scaling is steeper: 1080p at 243 FPS, 1440p at 154 FPS (a 37% drop), and 4K at 81 FPS (a 67% drop from 1080p). The larger drop from 1440p to 4K (47% reduction) compared to the drop from 1080p to 1440p (37% reduction) suggests that the GPU is becoming more heavily loaded as pixel count increases, with memory bandwidth and shader throughput becoming the limiting factors. The 4K High result of 81 FPS still provides a playable experience, but the scaling shows that the combo is not able to maintain the same relative performance at higher resolutions.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is most pronounced: 1080p at 177 FPS, 1440p at 111 FPS (a 37% drop), and 4K at 58 FPS (a 67% drop from 1080p). The 4K Ultra result of 58 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, indicating that the RTX 5080's raw compute power (56.28 TFLOPS FP32) is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at the most demanding settings. The memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s is not the bottleneck here, as the 16 GB GDDR7 configuration provides ample bandwidth for the game's textures.

The scaling pattern shows that the limiting component shifts from CPU at 1080p Low to GPU at 4K Ultra. At 1080p Low, the 304 FPS result is likely near the CPU's frame generation limit, as the GPU could theoretically produce more frames. At 4K Ultra, the 58 FPS result is firmly GPU-bound, with the processor having no significant impact on the final frame rate. The measured data across all settings and resolutions indicates that the Core Ultra 7 265K provides enough headroom to fully utilize the RTX 5080's capabilities in Outriders, with no CPU-induced stuttering or frame rate caps observed.