Outriders

# Outriders with Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Outriders, with measured frame rates ranging from 245 FPS at 1080p Low to 32 FPS at 4K Ultra. This combination ranks 1391st out of 2913 tested combos for this title, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. The data indicates a system where the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the 24-core processor provides ample headroom at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 245 FPS at 1080p to 155 FPS at 1440p, then to 81 FPS at 4K. This represents a 36.7% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 47.7% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling suggests that at Low settings, the system is not purely GPU-bound at 1080p, as the jump to 1440p yields a relatively modest decline compared to what a fully GPU-limited scenario would produce.

At High settings, the scaling becomes more pronounced: 134 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 37.3% from 1080p to 1440p and 47.6% from 1440p to 4K, nearly identical to the Low setting pattern. This consistency indicates that the RTX 4060's rendering pipeline scales linearly with pixel count when settings remain constant, with no unexpected bottlenecks emerging at higher resolutions.

Medium settings show a slightly different pattern with measured minimum and maximum values: 178 FPS average (152-205 range) at 1080p, 112 FPS average (96-129 range) at 1440p, and 59 FPS average (50-68 range) at 4K. The 1440p to 4K drop of 47.3% aligns with the other settings, but the 1080p to 1440p reduction of 37.1% is marginally lower, suggesting that at Medium settings the CPU begins to contribute more significantly at 1080p, softening the resolution penalty.

Ultra settings produce the steepest curve: 97 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. The 37.1% drop from 1080p to 1440p matches the other settings, but the 47.5% decline from 1440p to 4K pushes the experience below playable thresholds. The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS indicates that the RTX 4060's 8 GB frame buffer and 128-bit memory interface become limiting factors when maximum quality is combined with 8.3 million pixels.

The overall pattern strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component across all resolutions. The consistent percentage reductions between resolutions—regardless of quality preset—demonstrate that the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is never the bottleneck in this title. The CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads at boost clocks up to 5.50 GHz provide sufficient headroom even at 1080p Low where 245 FPS is achieved.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory operates at 2125 MHz with 17 Gbps effective speed. The GPU's base clock is 1830 MHz with a boost clock of 2460 MHz, and it contains 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. The card also includes 24 ray tracing cores and 96 tensor cores, with a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s.

In Outriders, the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM capacity proves sufficient at 1080p and 1440p across all settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS suggests the memory subsystem is stressed at that configuration. The game's looter shooter genre typically features dense particle effects and numerous on-screen enemies, which can pressure both fill rate and memory bandwidth. The 128-bit bus width is a notable constraint, as it limits the effective bandwidth available for texture streaming and frame buffer operations at high resolutions.

The GPU's architectural capabilities align well with Outriders' requirements. The Ada Lovelace architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which the game can leverage for modern rendering features. The 96 tensor cores enable DLSS functionality, though the measured data does not include DLSS-enabled results. The 48 ROPs provide adequate pixel throughput for the game's visual style, which favors vibrant environments and particle effects over extreme geometric complexity.

At 1080p, the RTX 4060 demonstrates strong performance, with 245 FPS at Low and 97 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 60.4%, indicating that the GPU's compute resources scale well with increasing shader complexity. At 1440p, the range spans 155 FPS (Low) to 61 FPS (Ultra), a 60.6% difference. At 4K, the range narrows to 81 FPS (Low) to 32 FPS (Ultra), a 60.5% spread. This consistent percentage gap across resolutions suggests that the GPU's shading units are the primary determinant of performance, rather than memory bandwidth or ROP throughput.

The GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 236.2 GTexel/s texture rate provide ample compute for Outriders' visual effects. The measured results indicate that the card is well-matched to 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring reduced settings for playable frame rates. The 5 nm process node and 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die contribute to the card's efficiency, though the 115 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU rating suggest modest power requirements.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 3 nm process node. It features a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The processor includes 36 MB of shared L3 cache, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 192 KB of L1 cache per core. Memory support is dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s.

In Outriders, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates. The game's looter shooter mechanics involve numerous enemies, projectiles, and loot drops, all of which require CPU processing. The measured frame rates, particularly the 245 FPS result at 1080p Low, demonstrate that the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus can handle the game's single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads without becoming a bottleneck.

The processor's benchmark scores support its gaming capability. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253 and single-core score of 2439 indicate strong performance in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded scenarios. The PassMark single-thread score of 5068 confirms excellent per-core performance, which is critical for games like Outriders that may rely on a few primary threads for simulation and rendering setup.

The 24-core configuration provides substantial multi-threading headroom. The PassMark multi-thread score of 68574 and the Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 24461 reflect the processor's ability to handle background tasks while gaming, though Outriders itself may not utilize all 24 threads simultaneously. The CPU's percentile ranking of 96th among all tested CPUs places it in the top 4% of processors, indicating that it is a high-end part capable of supporting even the most demanding gaming workloads.

The nearest rivals to the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus in average benchmark score are the Intel Xeon 6520P (93786, 0% delta), AMD EPYC 4564P (95183, -1.5% delta), AMD EPYC 9175F (95615, -1.9% delta), and AMD EPYC 4565P (95764, -2.1% delta). These comparisons show that the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus performs nearly identically to a Xeon server processor and slightly behind several EPYC server parts, though these are all workstation-class chips rather than direct gaming competitors.

The CPU's 3 nm process node and 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die contribute to its efficiency, while the 115.2 GB/s memory bandwidth supports high frame rates by ensuring data can be fed to the GPU quickly. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 CPU lanes provides ample bandwidth for the RTX 4060, though the GPU itself uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which is sufficient for this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo in Outriders?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 245 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. Medium settings deliver 178 FPS at 1080p, while High and Ultra produce 134 FPS and 97 FPS respectively at the same resolution.

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

A: At 4K, the combo achieves 81 FPS on Low settings, 59 FPS on Medium, and 44 FPS on High. Ultra settings drop to 32 FPS, which is below typical playability thresholds. For smooth 4K gameplay, Low or Medium settings are recommended.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Outriders?

A: The combo ranks 1391st out of 2913 tested combinations, placing it in the 52nd percentile of all tested systems for this game. This indicates above-median performance, though not top-tier.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Outriders?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting component across all resolutions and settings. The consistent percentage drops in frame rates as resolution increases—regardless of quality preset—show that the RTX 4060 is the primary constraint, while the 24-core CPU provides sufficient headroom.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p with high refresh rate monitors?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 155 FPS, which suits 144Hz monitors. Medium settings deliver 112 FPS, High produces 84 FPS, and Ultra yields 61 FPS. For consistent 144Hz performance, Low settings are required.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2% delta), AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% delta), AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, 0.5% delta), and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17509, 0.7% delta). These results show the RTX 4060 sits in a competitive mid-range position.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combo ranks 1391st out of 2913 tested combinations for Outriders, placing it in the 47.8th percentile from the bottom or the 52.2nd percentile from the top. This ranking indicates that the system performs better than roughly half of all tested configurations for this game, though it is not among the top performers.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 96th among all tested CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's percentile ranking of 61st among all tested GPUs. This disparity confirms that the RTX 4060 is the weaker component in this pairing, and the combo's overall ranking is constrained by the GPU's mid-range positioning. The CPU's exceptional benchmark scores—including a PassMark multi-thread score of 68574 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253—place it in the top 4% of processors, while the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 19545 places it in the 61st percentile.

The combo's rank of 1391 out of 2913 suggests that many other systems with stronger GPUs outperform this configuration in Outriders, despite the CPU's high-end status. The data implies that upgrading the GPU would yield substantial performance gains in this title, while the CPU provides minimal bottleneck. The measured FPS results at 1080p Low (245 FPS) demonstrate that the CPU can drive frame rates far beyond what the GPU can deliver at higher settings, confirming that the GPU is the binding constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following average frame rates: Low settings produce 245 FPS, Medium produces 178 FPS with a minimum of 152 FPS and maximum of 205 FPS, High produces 134 FPS, and Ultra produces 97 FPS. The 1080p results span a wide range, from well above any standard refresh rate at Low to comfortably above 60 FPS at Ultra. The Medium setting's frame time consistency, indicated by the 152-205 FPS range, shows minor variance that would be imperceptible to most users.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low at 155 FPS, Medium at 112 FPS with a range of 96-129 FPS, High at 84 FPS, and Ultra at 61 FPS. The 1440p results show that Low and Medium settings can drive high refresh rate monitors, while High and Ultra remain playable on 60Hz displays. The Medium range of 96-129 FPS demonstrates acceptable frame pacing for a looter shooter, where consistent performance is important during combat scenarios.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates drop to: Low at 81 FPS, Medium at 59 FPS with a range of 50-68 FPS, High at 44 FPS, and Ultra at 32 FPS. The 4K results show that only Low settings achieve consistently smooth performance, while Medium hovers near the 60 FPS threshold. High and Ultra are below playable thresholds for most users, with Ultra dipping into the low 30s where motion fluidity degrades noticeably.

The progression across resolutions follows a consistent pattern: Low settings maintain playable frame rates at all resolutions, Medium becomes marginal at 4K, and High and Ultra are only viable at 1080p and 1440p. The data shows that the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p at all settings, but 4K requires reduced quality to remain within acceptable performance bounds.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the data supports using Ultra settings, which deliver 97 FPS average. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maximizing visual quality. Users with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors may prefer High settings at 134 FPS, which offers a 38.1% frame rate increase over Ultra while still maintaining high visual fidelity. The 1080p Low setting at 245 FPS is only relevant for competitive play or for users with 240Hz displays who prioritize frame rate over visuals.

For 1440p gaming, Medium settings at 112 FPS offer the best balance between visual quality and performance, providing smooth gameplay on high refresh rate displays. High settings at 84 FPS remain viable for 60Hz monitors and provide improved visual fidelity, while Ultra at 61 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold but may experience occasional dips during intense combat. Low at 155 FPS is recommended for users with 144Hz displays who prioritize smoothness, though the visual compromise is significant.

For 4K gaming, the data recommends Low settings at 81 FPS as the only configuration that provides consistently smooth performance. Medium at 59 FPS is marginally below 60 FPS and may be acceptable for users who tolerate slight frame rate fluctuations, though the 50 FPS minimum could cause noticeable stutter during heavy action sequences. High at 44 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are not recommended for 4K, as they fall below playability thresholds for a fast-paced looter shooter.

The overall recommendation across all resolutions is to prioritize Medium settings at 1080p and 1440p, as this preset delivers the best combination of visual quality and frame rate consistency. The measured Medium ranges (152-205 FPS at 1080p, 96-129 FPS at 1440p) demonstrate minimal frame time variance, which is critical for maintaining smooth gameplay during Outriders' combat encounters. For users with high refresh rate displays, Low settings at 1080p or 1440p provide the highest frame rates, while users with 60Hz displays can comfortably use High or Ultra at 1080p and 1440p.