Outriders

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination delivers exceptional performance in Outriders, ranking in the 90th percentile of all tested combos. The data shows a pairing where the GPU is the dominant performance driver at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-threaded performance ensures high frame rates at lower settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to provide a clear picture of what this hardware can achieve.

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

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This configuration provides a strong balance for gaming, where single-thread performance is often the primary driver. In the CPU benchmarks, the i5-14600K scores 2064 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4270 in Passmark single-thread, placing it in the 90th percentile against all CPUs. These scores indicate that the processor has ample headroom to feed the RTX 5090, especially in scenarios where the game's engine relies on a few heavily loaded threads.

The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 20 threads also contribute to consistent performance in Outriders, a looter shooter that can spawn numerous enemies and particle effects. The measured FPS data supports this, showing that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 263 FPS on average, which is a scenario where CPU overhead is typically the limiting factor. The fact that the frame rate scales to 226 FPS at 1440p Low and 161 FPS at 4K Low indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck even at lower resolutions; the GPU is still able to render frames at a very high rate.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14600K's average benchmark score of 48618 is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, -0.2% delta) and the AMD EPYC 4345P (48470, +0.3% delta). This suggests that in a gaming context, the i5-14600K offers similar computational throughput to these server-class chips, but with the advantage of higher boost clocks that benefit latency-sensitive workloads like game logic. The data reveals that the CPU is not a weak link in this combination; instead, it provides a stable foundation for the RTX 5090 to deliver its full potential across all tested settings.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo in Outriders?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 263 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only setting where the frame rate exceeds 260 FPS, showing the absolute ceiling for this pairing.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's performance compare to its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB with a score of 79605, which is 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.1% behind, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% ahead, indicating tight competition at the top of the GPU benchmark charts.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the average FPS drops significantly compared to 1440p. For example, at High settings, the frame rate falls from 168 FPS at 1440p to 88 FPS at 4K, a reduction of roughly 48%. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU's performance headroom is less relevant when the GPU is handling a much larger pixel count.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields 263 FPS average, while the Ultra preset drops to 187 FPS average. This represents a 76 FPS difference, or about 29% lower performance when moving from Low to Ultra. The Medium preset sits between these at 234 FPS, showing a clear performance hierarchy across settings.

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

A: The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 90th out of 3710 tested combos in Outriders. This places it in the top 2.4% of all tested configurations, indicating that it is a high-performing setup for this game.

Q: What is the only setting that shows a minimum FPS below 100?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 100, while the average is 117 FPS. This is the only measured row in the entire dataset where the minimum FPS is at or below 100. All other settings and resolutions maintain minimums above 100 FPS, though most rows do not report a minimum FPS value.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling across resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 263 at 1080p to 226 at 1440p, and then to 161 at 4K. This represents a 14% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 29% decrease from 1440p to 4K. The overall reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 39%, which is substantial but still leaves the game playable at high frame rates.

At High settings, the scaling is more pronounced. The average FPS is 211 at 1080p, 168 at 1440p, and 88 at 4K. This shows a 20% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 48% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 58%, indicating that the GPU becomes increasingly strained as the resolution increases. This is a typical pattern for a GPU-intensive title, where the RTX 5090's raw rasterization power is the primary factor at higher resolutions.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p, the average FPS is 187, which drops to 122 at 1440p, and then to 64 at 4K. The decrease from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%. The overall reduction from 1080p to 4K is 66%, which is the largest percentage drop across all settings. This suggests that Ultra settings introduce additional GPU workload (likely through higher-quality shadows, textures, and post-processing effects) that disproportionately impacts performance at higher resolutions.

The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions above 1080p. At 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance allows the RTX 5090 to reach frame rates above 250 FPS on Low settings, but even then, the GPU is still the primary bottleneck. The consistent pattern of FPS drops with increasing resolution confirms that the RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are being fully utilized, but the sheer pixel count at 4K overwhelms even this powerful GPU in Outriders.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance. At 1440p, Medium delivers an average of 201 FPS with a minimum of 171 FPS and a maximum of 231 FPS. This is a smooth experience that takes full advantage of high refresh rate monitors while maintaining a 30 FPS margin above the High preset's 168 FPS average at the same resolution. The minimum FPS of 171 ensures that even in demanding combat scenarios, the frame rate stays above 150 FPS, which is ideal for responsive gameplay.

At 4K, the Medium preset yields 117 FPS average, with a minimum of 100 FPS and a maximum of 135 FPS. While this is lower than the 1440p result, it still provides a playable experience for 4K displays. The High preset at 4K drops to 88 FPS average, which is closer to the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for single-player games, but the Medium preset's 117 FPS average offers a more comfortable margin. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only option that falls below 70 FPS, averaging just 64 FPS, which is not recommended for a responsive looter shooter.

For competitive play, the Low preset is the best choice. At 1080p, it achieves 263 FPS average, and at 1440p it still maintains 226 FPS average. This high frame rate reduces input latency and provides the smoothest possible experience for fast-paced encounters. However, the visual quality is significantly reduced, so players who prioritize graphics over competitive advantage should opt for Medium instead. The data clearly shows that Medium is the sweet spot across all resolutions, offering a substantial improvement over Low in visual fidelity while keeping frame rates well above 100 FPS in most cases.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 90th out of 3710 tested combos in Outriders. This places it in the top 2.4% of all configurations tested, which is an exceptionally strong result. The rank of 90 indicates that there are only 89 other combinations that perform better in this specific game, and these likely involve even more powerful CPUs such as the Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 series, paired with the same or comparable GPUs.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 90 among all CPUs, combined with the GPU's percentile ranking of 92 among all GPUs, suggests that this is a well-matched pairing. The i5-14600K's average benchmark score of 48618 is only 0.2% lower than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 4345P, indicating that it performs on par with much more expensive enterprise processors. This means that the CPU is not holding back the RTX 5090 in any meaningful way.

The combo rank of 90 is particularly impressive when considering that the RTX 5090's nearest rivals in GPU benchmarks are not gaming-oriented cards. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X are professional-grade products, yet the RTX 5090 still outranks most gaming configurations. The data shows that this combo is near the top of the performance pyramid for Outriders, with only a handful of combinations achieving higher frame rates. This makes it an excellent choice for players who want to maximize their performance in this game without resorting to the absolute top-tier CPUs.

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

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average FPS 263, no minimum or maximum reported.
• Medium: Average FPS 234, minimum FPS 199, maximum FPS 269.
• High: Average FPS 211, no minimum or maximum reported.
• Ultra: Average FPS 187, no minimum or maximum reported.

At 1080p, the combo delivers excellent performance across all settings. The Low preset exceeds 260 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset provides a 234 FPS average with a minimum of 199 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in intense firefights. The High preset still offers 211 FPS, while Ultra drops to 187 FPS but remains very playable. The spread from Low to Ultra is 76 FPS, showing that even at the highest settings, the frame rate stays above 180 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average FPS 226, no minimum or maximum reported.
• Medium: Average FPS 201, minimum FPS 171, maximum FPS 231.
• High: Average FPS 168, no minimum or maximum reported.
• Ultra: Average FPS 122, no minimum or maximum reported.

At 1440p, the performance remains strong but shows the expected decline from 1080p. The Low preset drops to 226 FPS, which is still above 200 FPS. The Medium preset averages 201 FPS with a minimum of 171 FPS, making it the best choice for high-refresh-rate gaming at this resolution. The High preset falls to 168 FPS, while Ultra drops to 122 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 104 FPS, indicating that Ultra settings have a significant impact on performance at 1440p.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average FPS 161, no minimum or maximum reported.
• Medium: Average FPS 117, minimum FPS 100, maximum FPS 135.
• High: Average FPS 88, no minimum or maximum reported.
• Ultra: Average FPS 64, no minimum or maximum reported.

At 4K, the combo still delivers playable frame rates, but the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The Low preset achieves 161 FPS, which is excellent for 4K. The Medium preset averages 117 FPS with a minimum of 100 FPS, making it the recommended setting for 4K gameplay. The High preset drops to 88 FPS, while Ultra falls to 64 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. The reduction from Low to Ultra is 97 FPS, demonstrating that the RTX 5090's performance at 4K is heavily dependent on the chosen settings. The data shows that players targeting 4K should stick to Medium or Low settings to maintain frame rates above 100 FPS.