Outriders

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

The Intel Core i7-14700F brings a substantial core configuration to Outriders: 20 cores and 28 threads, backed by a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This is a Raptor Lake-R architecture part on Intel's 10 nm process, with a 33 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB L2 per core. The CPU's benchmark profile shows strong multi-threaded performance — a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 16571 — which suggests it can handle the game's background simulation and enemy AI without becoming a bottleneck.

However, the data reveals something curious. At 1080p Low settings, the combo hits 261.6 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 56.4 FPS. The gap between these extremes is massive, and the CPU's single-threaded strength — a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5003 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2711 — appears more than sufficient for Outriders' engine. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4261 reinforces this. What's notable is how the frame rates scale with settings at the same resolution. At 1440p, High produces 154.5 FPS while Ultra drops to 116.1 FPS — a 38.4 FPS difference. This suggests the CPU is rarely the limiting factor; instead, the GPU's workload at higher presets drives the variance.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 94 versus all CPUs places it in the top tier, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X with an average benchmark score of 54450 (a -0.6% delta) and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D at 54681 (-1.1%). The i7-14700F's own average benchmark score is 54097, putting it within 1% of these competitors. For Outriders specifically, the 20-core configuration with 33 MB of L3 cache provides ample headroom for the game's looter-shooter mechanics, where numerous enemies and loot drops can tax CPU resources. The boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded game logic runs swiftly, but the measured FPS data indicates that at lower resolutions, the GPU still manages to push frame rates well beyond 200 FPS, meaning the CPU is not holding things back even in the most demanding CPU scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 achieves a combo rank of 37 out of 1693 tested combinations in Outriders. This places the pairing in the top 2.2% of all combos tested, which is an impressive standing given the sheer number of possible CPU-GPU pairings. The rank reflects the balanced nature of this setup — neither component appears to be a glaring weak link.

To contextualize this rank, consider that the GPU alone holds an 89th percentile ranking versus all GPUs, while the CPU sits at the 94th percentile. Both components are near the top of their respective hierarchies, and the combo rank of 37 suggests that the synergy between them is slightly better than either component's individual percentile might imply. The RTX 5080's nearest GPU rivals include the Intel Arc A570M with an average benchmark score of 58239 (a 1.6% delta) and the Intel Arc Pro A60 at 60326 (-1.9%), which are far less powerful cards — yet the combo's rank demonstrates that the RTX 5080's performance in Outriders is competitive even against other high-end setups.

The data shows that this combination outperforms the vast majority of the 1693 combos tested. Only 36 other pairings manage to beat it, which means the i7-14700F and RTX 5080 together deliver a top-tier experience in Outriders. The rank also implies that users with this combo are unlikely to face performance ceilings imposed by component mismatch. The 20-core CPU keeps feeding the GPU efficiently, and the RTX 5080's 16 GB of GDDR7 memory ensures that texture-heavy scenes don't cause stutter or frame drops. This is a pairing that appears well-optimized for the game's demands.

Resolution Scaling

Examining how FPS scales from 1080p to 4K reveals where the bottleneck shifts. At 1080p High, the combo produces 209.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 154.5 FPS — a 26.2% reduction. At 4K High, the frame rate falls to 80.1 FPS, which is a 48.1% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern is consistent with GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions, as the pixel count increases dramatically and the RTX 5080 must work harder to fill those pixels.

The Low settings tell a different story. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 261.6 FPS. At 1440p Low, it manages 222.5 FPS, and at 4K Low, it still delivers 149.5 FPS. The smaller percentage drops between resolutions at Low settings — 14.9% from 1080p to 1440p, and 32.8% from 1440p to 4K — suggest that at lower settings, the CPU has more influence on the frame rate, but the GPU still scales reasonably well. The fact that 4K Low achieves nearly double the frame rate of 4K High (149.5 vs 80.1 FPS) indicates that the game's higher presets impose significant GPU workloads, particularly in terms of shading and texture processing.

The Ultra preset shows the steepest drops: 181.4 FPS at 1080p, 116.1 FPS at 1440p, and just 56.4 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure is barely playable for competitive play, while 1080p Ultra remains fluid. This resolution scaling analysis suggests that the limiting component shifts from CPU at 1080p Low (where the GPU still manages over 260 FPS) to GPU at 4K Ultra (where the RTX 5080's 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is stretched thin). The RTX 5080's 960.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 16 GB VRAM capacity are sufficient for Outriders, but the 4K Ultra preset appears to be an outlier in terms of performance cost.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings presets. Starting with 1080p, the combo achieves 261.6 FPS at Low, 231.1 FPS at Medium, 209.3 FPS at High, and 181.4 FPS at Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 30.7% performance penalty at the highest preset. At 1440p, the figures are 222.5 FPS (Low), 203.2 FPS (Medium), 154.5 FPS (High), and 116.1 FPS (Ultra). The gap between Medium and High at 1440p is notable — a 48.7 FPS difference — suggesting that High settings introduce particularly demanding effects.

At 4K, the picture changes dramatically. Low produces 149.5 FPS, Medium drops to 110.1 FPS, High falls to 80.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 56.4 FPS. The difference between 4K Medium and 4K High is 30 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 23.7 FPS. This non-linear scaling indicates that the Ultra preset at 4K is disproportionately expensive relative to the visual improvements it likely offers. The data shows that 4K Low is viable for high-refresh-rate displays, while 4K Medium still provides smooth frame rates above 100 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers a balanced middle ground: 231.1 FPS at 1080p, 203.2 FPS at 1440p, and 110.1 FPS at 4K. The High preset at 1440p (154.5 FPS) is closely matched by 4K Low (149.5 FPS), illustrating how resolution and settings trade off against each other. For users targeting 1440p, the Ultra preset at 116.1 FPS remains competitive, while 1080p users can max out settings and still exceed 180 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB203 chip manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. It houses 10,752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores. The GPU's base clock runs at 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2617 MHz, and it features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is rated at 1875 MHz with 30 Gbps effective speed.

In Outriders, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and settings rise. The 4K Ultra result of 56.4 FPS suggests that the game's Ultra preset at 4K is heavily GPU-bound, with the RTX 5080's 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 compute being taxed by the game's effects. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is ample for Outriders' textures, and the 960.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming doesn't cause hitches. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 36565 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8637 indicate strong raw performance, and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 257942 shows good API efficiency.

The RTX 5080's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are notably weaker cards, which underscores its high-end positioning. The Intel Arc A570M trails by 1.6%, the Arc Pro A60 is 1.9% ahead, and the Arc A580 is 2.5% behind. This comparison is somewhat misleading because those rivals are not direct competitors in gaming performance, but the percentile rank of 89 versus all GPUs confirms that the RTX 5080 sits in the upper echelon. For Outriders specifically, the GPU's performance at 1440p High (154.5 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (181.4 FPS) shows that it handles demanding presets with ease, while 4K Medium (110.1 FPS) remains well within playable territory.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 181.4 FPS is the clear choice — it delivers the best visual fidelity while still exceeding 180 FPS, which is smooth on any monitor. The High preset at 209.3 FPS offers a small performance boost but sacrifices visual quality for a marginal frame rate gain. At 1440p, the Medium preset (203.2 FPS) provides the best balance, as High drops to 154.5 FPS and Ultra falls to 116.1 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p still looks good while maintaining high frame rates, whereas Ultra at 1440p (116.1 FPS) is acceptable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate panels.

For 4K, the Medium preset at 110.1 FPS is the recommended choice. It offers a smooth experience above 100 FPS while providing decent visual quality. The High preset at 80.1 FPS is borderline for fast-paced gameplay, and Ultra at 56.4 FPS is too demanding for competitive play. The Low preset at 4K (149.5 FPS) is an option for esports-style play, but it sacrifices too much visual fidelity for the frame rate gain. The data suggests that the RTX 5080's sweet spot in Outriders is 4K Medium or 1440p Ultra, where the GPU's capabilities align well with playable frame rates. For users with 144Hz or 165Hz displays, 1440p Medium or High (203.2 or 154.5 FPS) will saturate the refresh rate, while 4K users should stick to Medium for the best experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 261.6 at 1080p Low settings. At 1440p Low, it reaches 222.5 FPS, and at 4K Low it achieves 149.5 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested CPU-GPU pairings?

A: This combo ranks 37th out of 1693 tested combinations in Outriders, placing it in the top 2.2% of all tested setups.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: The data shows 4K Ultra produces just 56.4 FPS, which is the lowest result across all tested configurations. The GPU's workload at this preset is the limiting factor, as the CPU's strong multi-core performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443) is more than sufficient for the game's demands.

Q: What settings should I use for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p delivers 203.2 FPS, which exceeds 144Hz. The High preset (154.5 FPS) also comfortably exceeds 144Hz while providing better visuals.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM on the RTX 5080 cause any issues in Outriders?

A: No. The 16 GB GDDR7 memory with 960.0 GB/s bandwidth is more than adequate for Outriders' texture requirements, even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU's compute limits are the constraining factor rather than VRAM capacity.

Q: How does the i7-14700F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 54097. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X scores 54450 (-0.6% delta), while the Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 54681 (-1.1%). The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53469, which is 1.2% lower, and the AMD EPYC 7313P scores 53206, 1.7% lower.