Outriders

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14400F sits at the heart of this configuration, a 10-core, 16-thread Raptor Lake-R part with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This is a desktop segment processor built on Intel's 10 nm process, and its 20 MB of shared L3 cache gives it room to work with modern game engines. Given that the CPU's percentile rank against all CPUs is 88, it is comfortably positioned above the majority of processors in the database, which matters for a looter shooter like Outriders where hordes of enemies and particle effects can hammer the processor.

Comparing the i5-14400F to its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database, the data shows a virtual tie at the top. Its average benchmark score of 32508 nearly exactly matches the Intel Core i7-12800H’s 32513, with a deltaPct of 0. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 trails by 0.2%, while the Intel Core i7-13705H and AMD Ryzen 7 250 are each 0.2% ahead. The practical takeaway is that this CPU is not a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios at reasonable settings; its single-core performance, measured at 3093 in Cinebench R23 single-core, is strong enough to keep frame pacing consistent.

In the context of Outriders, the CPU's role becomes clearer when examining the measured FPS at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 189.6 FPS average, which is far above the refresh rates of most monitors. The fact that performance scales so high at low settings indicates the CPU is feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher settings. The 16 threads are more than sufficient for the game’s multi-threaded workload, and the 65 W TDP suggests efficient sustained operation. The data implies that, unless players push extremely high refresh rates at 1080p with low settings, the CPU will not be the limiting factor in this pairing.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the other half of this duo, a Turing-architecture GPU with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 1365 MHz, boosting to 1680 MHz, while the memory operates at an effective 14 Gbps. With 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, the RTX 2060 also brings 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores to the table, though ray tracing is unlikely to be a focus in Outriders given the performance demands. The GPU’s percentile rank against all GPUs is 58, which places it in the middle of the pack, and its average benchmark score of 16074.

Looking at nearest rivals, the RTX 2060 is closely matched with the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, which scores 15996 and is 0.5% behind. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700 both score 16351, putting them 1.7% ahead, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails by 1.8% at 15786. This tight grouping indicates that the RTX 2060 is a competent mid-range card, but its 6 GB VRAM is a potential concern for high-resolution textures. In Outriders, the GPU does most of the heavy lifting at higher settings, and the data reflects that: at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 24, a clear sign the GPU is saturated.

The memory bandwidth and VRAM capacity directly influence the resolution scaling seen in the measured data. At 1080p, the GPU can push 102.8 FPS on High settings, but at 4K High, that number falls to 36.9 FPS. The 6 GB frame buffer is likely filling up at 4K, forcing the card to work harder on memory compression and asset streaming. For a game like Outriders, which features dense environments with many on-screen elements, the GPU is the dominant component in determining playability at higher resolutions.

# Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling, but with nuances that point to the CPU’s strength. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 189.6 FPS, which is an exceptionally high number that only a capable CPU could feed. Moving from 1080p Low to 1440p Low drops the average to 121 FPS, a reduction of roughly 36%. Then, from 1440p Low to 4K Low, the average falls to 59.5 FPS, another 51% drop. The FPS halving from 1440p to 4K is a classic sign that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck, as the rendering workload quadruples in pixel count.

On High settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The average FPS goes from 102.8 at 1080p to 65.1 at 1440p, a 37% decrease, and then down to 36.9 at 4K, a 43% drop from 1440p. The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests the CPU is not limiting performance at any resolution; if it were, we would see the FPS deltas shrink at higher resolutions as the GPU takes longer per frame. Instead, the data shows a smooth, predictable decline in FPS as resolution increases, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

The Ultra preset tells a similar story but with a steeper cliff. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 76.8 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p Ultra, that falls to 49.1 FPS, a 36% drop. At 4K Ultra, the average is 24 FPS, which is nearly unplayable for a fast-paced shooter. The fact that the 4K Ultra number is exactly half of the 1440p Ultra number (49.1 to 24) is striking — it suggests the GPU is hitting a hard limit around 24 FPS at that workload. The CPU’s 10 cores and 16 threads are clearly not the constraint, as evidenced by the high FPS at 1080p Low, so the RTX 2060’s raw compute and memory bandwidth are what determine the ceiling.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Outriders, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 achieves a combo rank of 1344 out of 1693 tested combos. That places it in the lower 21% of all configurations, which is surprising given the CPU’s strength. The i5-14400F is a top-tier processor by percentile (88th), but the RTX 2060’s mid-range standing (58th percentile) drags the overall combo down. The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing, and the combo rank reflects that imbalance.

When we look at the measured FPS at 1080p High, the combo produces 102.8 FPS, which is decent but not exceptional. Many combos with more powerful GPUs will easily exceed that number, pushing the rank higher. The 4K Ultra result of 24 FPS is well below the 60 FPS target that many games aim for, which further explains the low combo rank. The rank of 1344 indicates that this configuration is not optimized for high-end gaming experiences, but rather for entry-level 1080p play or medium settings at 1440p.

The combination’s ranking is not a reflection of the CPU’s capability, but rather a statement about the GPU’s limitations in this specific game. The RTX 2060’s nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark all have similar average scores, so we are not looking at a uniquely weak card. Instead, it is a balanced mid-range GPU that cannot keep up with the demands of Outriders at high resolutions. The combo rank of 1344 out of 1693 suggests that, for players who want to push beyond 1080p, this setup will struggle, but for 1080p gaming, it is adequate.

# Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Examining the measured FPS across all settings and resolutions, the data points to 1080p Medium as the sweet spot for this combo. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 134.3, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs about 31 FPS (from 134.3 to 102.8), which is a significant drop for what is likely a modest visual improvement in a game like Outriders. Ultra at 1080p yields 76.8 FPS, which is still playable but starts to approach the lower end of what is comfortable for a looter shooter with fast action.

At 1440p, the best option is Low, which produces 121 FPS average. This is an excellent result for a 1440p experience, and it suggests that players with 1440p monitors can enjoy a smooth game if they are willing to sacrifice visual fidelity. Medium at 1440p drops to 87.6 FPS, which is still good, but High brings it down to 65.1 FPS, which is borderline. Ultra at 1440p is not recommended, as the 49.1 FPS average falls below 60 and could feel choppy in intense combat.

For 4K gaming, the data is less encouraging. The only playable option is Low, which averages 59.5 FPS — just under the 60 FPS target but acceptable for a slower-paced experience. Medium at 4K drops to 43.8 FPS, and High falls to 36.9 FPS. Ultra at 4K is effectively unplayable at 24 FPS. The recommendation is clear: if you must play at 4K, stick to Low settings; otherwise, 1080p Medium or 1440p Low are the best balances of performance and visual quality based on the measured data.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 in Outriders is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 189.6 FPS, followed by Medium at 134.3 FPS, High at 102.8 FPS, and Ultra at 76.8 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with each settings tier costing roughly 30-40 FPS on average.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 121 FPS average, which is a 36% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium at 1440p comes in at 87.6 FPS, High at 65.1 FPS, and Ultra at 49.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 71.9 FPS, showing that the GPU’s workload scales significantly with settings at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the results are the most constrained. Low settings produce 59.5 FPS average, Medium drops to 43.8 FPS, High falls to 36.9 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 24 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 35.5 FPS, which is smaller in absolute terms than at lower resolutions, but the relative impact is severe — Ultra is less than half the FPS of Low. Across all resolutions, the data shows a consistent pattern: the GPU is the primary constraint, and settings adjustments have a larger impact at higher resolutions.

# FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F a bottleneck for the RTX 2060 in Outriders?

A: The data suggests no. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 189.6 FPS, which is well above what the GPU can sustain at higher settings, indicating the CPU is feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them.

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

A: Based on measured FPS, 1080p is the optimal resolution, with Medium settings yielding 134.3 FPS average. At 1440p, Low settings are the best option at 121 FPS, while 4K is only playable on Low at 59.5 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074, which is 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996) and 1.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15786). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700 by 1.7% (both at 16351).

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, but barely. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 76.8, which is above the 60 FPS threshold but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. Medium at 134.3 FPS is a safer choice for consistent performance.

Q: What does the combo rank of 1344 out of 1693 mean for gaming?

A: It places this configuration in the lower 21% of tested combos for Outriders, reflecting the GPU’s mid-range standing. The CPU is strong, but the RTX 2060 limits overall performance, especially at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU’s performance comparable to its nearest rivals?

A: Yes. The i5-14400F’s average benchmark score of 32508 is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-12800H (32513, 0% delta), and it is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446) and 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 250 (32584).