Outriders

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 presents a compelling dataset for Outriders, a looter shooter from 2021. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions reveal a system that is heavily influenced by graphics settings, with the data suggesting a clear delineation between GPU-bound and CPU-bound scenarios. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes it against other tested combinations, and offers practical settings guidance based solely on the provided figures.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 produces a dramatic shift in performance, indicating the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 175.6 at 1080p to 112.1 at 1440p, a reduction of 63.5 FPS, before further declining to 56.1 at 4K, which is a 47.7% decrease from the 1440p figure. This pattern is consistent across all quality presets, with the scaling becoming more severe as pixel count increases.

The most revealing data point is the Low preset performance. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 261 FPS, but this falls to 201.6 at 1440p and then to 103.8 at 4K. The massive headroom at lower resolutions suggests that the Core i7-14700F is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than it can render, but as resolution climbs, the RX 9070's rendering workload becomes the bottleneck. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is particularly stark, with a 64.7 FPS difference, demonstrating that the GPU's pixel throughput is the dominant constraint at this resolution.

This scaling behavior implies that players targeting high refresh rates at 1080p will be limited by the CPU's frame delivery ceiling, while those at 4K will see performance dictated almost entirely by the GPU's raw rasterization power. The data shows that the 4K Ultra setting, at 39.1 FPS, is nearly unplayable for smooth action, whereas 1080p Ultra at 122.9 FPS remains fluid, highlighting how resolution and settings must be balanced to achieve optimal results with this hardware combination.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003, place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating exceptional multi-threaded and strong single-threaded capability. This processing power is more than sufficient to handle Outriders' game logic and physics, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p.

The data suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU's role is to maintain a high frame delivery rate. The 1080p Low result of 261 FPS and 1080p Medium result of 232.6 FPS indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor in these scenarios, as the GPU is able to process frames quickly enough to stay ahead of the CPU's output. However, the performance difference between 1080p Low and 1080p Ultra (261 vs 122.9 FPS) shows that while the CPU can push high frame rates, the GPU's workload at higher settings still creates a bottleneck.

The i7-14700F's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4/DDR5 memory likely help maintain consistent frame pacing, though this is not directly measurable from the provided FPS averages. The processor's position relative to rivals, such as being 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X in average benchmark score, confirms it is a top-tier gaming CPU that will not typically constrain performance in a GPU-heavy title like Outriders, especially at 1440p and 4K where the RX 9070's rendering load dominates.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, the Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination ranks 352 out of 1693 tested combos for Outriders. This places it in the top 20.8% of all systems tested, which is a strong showing given the breadth of hardware configurations possible. The rank suggests that this pairing delivers above-average performance for this specific game, though it is not at the very top tier of results.

This ranking is a holistic measure that considers the combined capabilities of the CPU and GPU. Given that the GPU sits in the 79th percentile of all GPUs and the CPU in the 94th percentile, the combo's overall rank of 352 is likely dragged down slightly by the GPU's relative position compared to more powerful cards. The data implies that while the CPU is a high-end component, the RX 9070 is a solid mid-to-high-range performer, and their synergy in Outriders produces results that are better than the vast majority of systems but not competitive with those using top-tier flagship GPUs.

It is importantly the combo rank is specific to Outriders; the same hardware could rank differently in other titles depending on their engine and optimization. The measured FPS data, however, corroborates the rank, showing consistently playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring settings adjustments to achieve smooth performance. This positions the combo as a versatile choice for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and capable 4K gaming on reduced settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The provided data presents a comprehensive view of average FPS across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates: 261 FPS on Low, 232.6 FPS on Medium, 175.6 FPS on High, and 122.9 FPS on Ultra. These figures indicate that the RX 9070 is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, with even the Ultra preset delivering well over 120 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but predictably lower. The Low preset yields 201.6 FPS, Medium produces 147.8 FPS, High drops to 112.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 77.4 FPS. These numbers show that 1440p is a sweet spot for this combo, as all settings except Ultra maintain frame rates above 100 FPS, and Ultra remains comfortably playable above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset still manages 103.8 FPS, which is excellent for 4K, but Medium drops to 75.4 FPS, High to 56.1 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 39.1 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings represents a 50% drop in average FPS, underscoring the significant pixel count increase. The data shows that 4K gaming is viable but requires the Low or Medium preset to maintain smooth gameplay, while High and Ultra are best suited for less demanding scenarios or for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070, based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture and Navi 48 chip, is the primary driver of Outriders' visual performance. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s, which is ample for the game's texture and geometry data at all tested resolutions. The GPU's boost clock of 2520 MHz and game clock of 2070 MHz contribute to its 36.13 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, enabling high pixel and texture fill rates.

The GPU's role is most evident in the scaling from 1080p to 4K. As resolution increases, the RX 9070's shading units, TMUs, and ROPs become more heavily utilized, leading to the significant FPS drops observed. The 4K Ultra setting, at 39.1 FPS, suggests that the GPU's 128 ROPs are overwhelmed by the pixel workload, while the 1080p Low setting at 261 FPS shows the GPU can operate near its maximum potential when not constrained by resolution.

The RX 9070's benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 25381, place it in the 79th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA A2 and Quadro GV100, have nearly identical average scores, indicating it is a competitive mid-range performer. In Outriders, the GPU's 16 GB VRAM is likely a non-issue, as the game's requirements are well within this capacity, but the raw compute power is the deciding factor for performance at higher resolutions and settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 122.9 FPS offers the best visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. If a player prioritizes maximum smoothness, the Medium preset at 232.6 FPS provides a massive performance boost with only a moderate visual sacrifice, and the Low preset at 261 FPS is available for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 112.1 FPS is the recommended balance, delivering excellent visual fidelity while staying above the 100 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 77.4 FPS is still playable and offers the best image quality, but it may not be ideal for fast-paced action. For players with 144 Hz or higher monitors, the Medium preset at 147.8 FPS is the best choice to fully utilize the display's refresh rate.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Medium preset at 75.4 FPS is the highest setting that provides a consistently smooth experience, while the Low preset at 103.8 FPS offers a significant margin for demanding scenes. The High preset at 56.1 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 39.1 FPS is not recommended for gameplay. The Low preset is the safest choice for 4K, ensuring frame rates remain above 60 FPS even in intense combat, while Medium offers a better visual experience if the player can tolerate occasional dips below 60 FPS.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Outriders?*

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot, with the High preset achieving 112.1 FPS and even the Ultra preset at 77.4 FPS. This resolution provides a good balance between visual fidelity and high frame rates.

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

A: Yes, but only on lower settings. The Low preset at 4K produces 103.8 FPS, and the Medium preset yields 75.4 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for smooth gameplay, with frame rates of 56.1 and 39.1 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 54097, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and 1.2% higher than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290. It sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: Not at lower settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 261 FPS, and at Medium it reaches 232.6 FPS, indicating the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p Ultra (122.9 FPS), the workload increases, but the CPU still has headroom.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested systems?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination ranks 352 out of 1693 tested combos for Outriders, placing it in the top 20.8% of all systems.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and is it sufficient?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. Based on the measured performance at 4K Ultra, the VRAM capacity does not appear to be a limiting factor, as the bottleneck is the GPU's compute power rather than memory.