Outriders

The Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination delivers exceptional performance in Outriders, placing 65th out of 3,710 tested combos. This pairing of a 20-core, 28-thread Raptor Lake processor with the Ada Lovelace flagship GPU produces frame rates that range from smooth 4K gameplay to triple-digit 1080p esports-level speeds, though the data reveals a clear pattern of GPU dominance at higher resolutions.

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

The Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture, featuring a 3.40 GHz base clock and a 5.60 GHz boost clock. Its 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for feeding the RTX 4090, while the 10 nm process node (Intel's foundry) keeps power draw at a 125 W TDP. The processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory via a dual-channel bus, and its PCIe Gen 5 interface with 16 CPU lanes ensures no bottleneck on the GPU connection.

In Outriders, the CPU's role becomes increasingly important as resolution drops. At 1080p, the i7-14700K's single-thread performance — evidenced by its 2,160 Cinebench R23 single-core score and 4,472 Passmark single-thread score — allows the RTX 4090 to stretch its legs fully. The processor's multi-core muscle (33,440.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 52,392 in Passmark multithread) handles the game's background simulation and enemy AI without breaking a sweat, though Outriders is not a title that scales heavily across all 20 cores.

Benchmark data places this CPU in the 94th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 69,355. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (average score 69,515, delta -0.2%) and AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69,875, delta -0.7%), showing the i7-14700K sits within 1% of the top-tier competition. The AMD EPYC 9115 trails by just 0.1% (69,288), while the Ryzen 7 9700F leads by 0.9% (69,996). These tight margins indicate the CPU offers no meaningful advantage or disadvantage over its closest alternatives in this game.

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

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

A: The data shows 1440p High provides the best balance, delivering 165 FPS average. At 1080p High you get 220 FPS, and 4K High drops to 86 FPS. For maximum smoothness, 1080p Low hits 275 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's performance compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60,347, placing it in the 88th percentile. Its closest competitor, the Intel Arc Pro A60, scores 60,326 (0% delta), while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61,896 (2.5% higher). The AMD Radeon PRO V710 trails at 58,657 (2.9% lower).

Q: Does the i7-14700K bottleneck the RTX 4090 at any resolution?

A: At 1080p, the CPU keeps up well — the 275 FPS Low setting shows headroom. However, the 188 FPS Ultra at 1080p versus 220 FPS High suggests some CPU limitation at very high frame rates. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor, with Ultra dropping to 62 FPS.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, Low (275 FPS) beats Ultra (188 FPS) by 87 FPS (46%). At 1440p, the gap widens: Low (236 FPS) versus Ultra (119 FPS) is a 117 FPS difference (98%). At 4K, Low (158 FPS) versus Ultra (62 FPS) represents a 96 FPS gap (155%).

Q: How does this combo rank overall among tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 65th out of 3,710 total combinations tested in Outriders, placing it in the top 1.8% of all systems evaluated. This is measured performance data, not an estimate.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's 24 GB memory sufficient for 4K Ultra settings?

A: The 24 GB GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth is not the limiting factor. The 62 FPS at 4K Ultra suggests the GPU's compute throughput (82.58 TFLOPS FP32) is the constraint, not memory capacity or bandwidth.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a classic resolution scaling curve that shifts the bottleneck from CPU to GPU as pixel count increases. At 1080p High, the combo produces 220 FPS; moving to 1440p High drops this to 165 FPS (-25%); and at 4K High, it falls further to 86 FPS (-61% from 1080p). This steep decline indicates the RTX 4090 is doing the heavy lifting at higher resolutions, with the i7-14700K providing ample frame headroom at lower pixel counts.

The Low settings tell a similar story but with higher absolute numbers: 275 FPS at 1080p, 236 FPS at 1440p (-14%), and 158 FPS at 4K (-43%). The smaller percentage drop at Low settings suggests that when GPU load is lighter, the CPU can maintain higher frame rates, but even at 4K Low the GPU remains the primary limiter. Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling: 188 FPS at 1080p, 119 FPS at 1440p (-37%), and 62 FPS at 4K (-67%).

At 1080p Ultra, the 188 FPS result versus 220 FPS at High (a 32 FPS difference) hints that the CPU's single-thread performance begins to matter more when the GPU is less stressed. However, the i7-14700K's 2,160 Cinebench R23 single-core score proves sufficient to avoid a hard bottleneck — the frame rates remain far above playable thresholds. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4090's 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate are the defining performance limits.

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

1080p (1920x1080): Low produces 275 FPS average, making it the fastest preset tested. Medium follows at 245 FPS (with a 208 FPS minimum and 281 FPS maximum), High at 220 FPS, and Ultra at 188 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 87 FPS, representing a 46% performance penalty for maximum visual quality. All settings deliver well above 144 Hz refresh rates, so even Ultra is suitable for high-refresh displays.

1440p (2560x1440): Low yields 236 FPS, Medium 210 FPS (178 min, 241 max), High 165 FPS, and Ultra 119 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra widens to 117 FPS (98% difference) at this resolution. The 210 FPS Medium result with a 178 FPS minimum indicates consistent frame pacing, while Ultra's 119 FPS still clears 100 FPS for smooth gameplay on 120 Hz monitors.

4K (3840x2160): Low produces 158 FPS, Medium 115 FPS (97 min, 132 max), High 86 FPS, and Ultra 62 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap grows to 96 FPS (155% difference), with Ultra dipping below 60 FPS territory at 62 FPS average. Even at 4K, Low and Medium settings maintain triple-digit frame rates, demonstrating the RTX 4090's raw power. High at 86 FPS is perfectly playable, while Ultra requires a VRR display to handle the 62 FPS average.

The Medium settings across all resolutions include min/max data, showing the i7-14700K + RTX 4090 combo maintains tight frame time consistency: 208-281 FPS at 1080p, 178-241 FPS at 1440p, and 97-132 FPS at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 65th out of 3,710 tested combos in Outriders. That places it in the top 1.75% of all systems benchmarked, which is an elite tier but not the absolute top. The rank reflects the measured performance across all settings and resolutions, weighted toward the average experience.

The CPU's 94th percentile standing among all processors and the GPU's 88th percentile among all GPUs might suggest a higher rank, but the game's performance is constrained by the RTX 4090's absolute limits at 4K Ultra (62 FPS) and the i7-14700K's ceiling at 1080p Low (275 FPS). Combos ranked above 65 likely use higher-binned or more optimized components, though the data does not specify what those are.

What the rank does confirm is that this pairing is far above the median system. The delta between this combo and the 50th percentile system is substantial, given that 3,645 other combos rank lower. For a looter shooter like Outriders, where consistent frame rates matter during chaotic combat, this rank indicates a top-tier experience. The 125 W TDP CPU and 450 W TDP GPU combination draws significant power, but the performance payoff is clear in the measured results.

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

For 4K displays, the data points to High settings (86 FPS) as the sweet spot. Ultra drops to 62 FPS — a 28% performance hit for marginal visual gains — while Medium (115 FPS) and Low (158 FPS) sacrifice too much visual fidelity for frame rates that exceed most 4K displays' refresh capabilities. If you have a 120 Hz or 144 Hz 4K monitor, Medium at 115 FPS is the better choice, as it stays above 97 FPS minimum.

At 1440p, Ultra (119 FPS) offers the best visual quality while still clearing 100 FPS, making it the recommended preset for most users. High (165 FPS) provides a 46 FPS buffer above Ultra for competitive play, and Medium (210 FPS) is ideal for 200 Hz+ displays. Low (236 FPS) is only necessary for extreme competitive scenarios where every frame matters.

For 1080p, Ultra (188 FPS) is the obvious choice — it delivers the best visuals while remaining well above 144 Hz. High (220 FPS) suits 240 Hz monitors, and Medium (245 FPS) or Low (275 FPS) only matter for 300 Hz esports displays. The 208 FPS minimum at Medium ensures no drops below 200 FPS, making it the safest choice for very high refresh rate panels.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most consistent min/max frame times (97-132 FPS at 4K, 178-241 FPS at 1440p, 208-281 FPS at 1080p), suggesting excellent frame pacing without the occasional spikes that High and Ultra might introduce. However, given the RTX 4090's capabilities, most users will prefer High or Ultra for visual quality, accepting the lower frame rates as a reasonable trade-off. The measured data shows no configuration in this combo produces unplayable results — even 4K Ultra at 62 FPS is a playable experience on a VRR display.