Outriders

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It carries a 125 W TDP and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel bus. In the context of Outriders, a looter shooter that relies heavily on consistent frame pacing during chaotic combat, the CPU's high thread count ensures that background simulation, enemy AI, and physics calculations do not bottleneck the frame delivery. The processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache provides a substantial buffer for game data, reducing latency when the engine streams assets during intense firefights. Benchmark data shows the i7-14700KF scores 44,167 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6,235 in single-core tests, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, trails by a mere 0.2% in average score, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% ahead, indicating that the i7-14700KF sits at the very top of the performance tier for gaming workloads.

The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4,480 is particularly relevant for Outriders, as the game's engine often relies on a few primary threads for rendering commands. Even at 1080p where the GPU typically dominates, the i7-14700KF's strong single-core performance prevents frame hitches when the game spawns multiple enemies or triggers environmental effects. The processor's 20 cores are split into performance and efficiency groups, and while the game may not utilize all 28 threads simultaneously, the headroom ensures that background tasks like Discord or streaming software do not interfere with frame times. The data indicates that the i7-14700KF is not the limiting factor in this combination; instead, it provides a stable foundation for the GPU to operate at its maximum potential. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking underscores its capability, as it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database, making it an excellent match for a high-end GPU like the RTX 5090.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, featuring a massive 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 2017 MHz and boosts to 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The card comes equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This enormous memory capacity and bandwidth are critical for Outriders at high resolutions, as the game's detailed environments and particle effects demand large texture loads. The GPU's 21,760 shading units and 680 TMUs provide raw compute power, while 176 ROPs handle pixel output at a rate of 423.6 GPixel/s. The RTX 5090 achieves 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is more than sufficient to drive the game at maximum settings.

In the measured data, the RTX 5090's role becomes evident when examining frame rates across settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 64, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by the game's highest visual fidelity. However, at 4K Low, the average jumps to 161 FPS, showing that the card can deliver high refresh rates when graphical load is reduced. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 39,650 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, trailing by 0.3%. The RTX 5090's 32 GB VRAM is far beyond what Outriders requires, but this headroom ensures that texture streaming never causes stutter, even when the game loads new areas. The GPU's 1.79 TB/s bandwidth allows for rapid data transfer from VRAM to the rendering pipeline, which is essential for maintaining high frame rates in combat-heavy scenes with numerous on-screen effects.

The RTX 5090's performance in Outriders is consistently strong, but the data shows that it is the primary driver of frame rate differences across resolutions. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 221, while at 4K High it drops to 88, a reduction of 60% that can be attributed to the increased pixel count and shading load. The GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS of compute power is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the card operates closer to its limits, especially at Ultra settings where the average dips below 70 FPS. This behavior indicates that while the RTX 5090 is an exceptionally powerful GPU, Outriders at 4K Ultra pushes it to a level where frame rates become less fluid, suggesting that players may need to adjust settings for optimal performance at that resolution.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-14700KF compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70,163, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX. It is 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X but 1% behind the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this CPU-GPU combination in Outriders?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 276, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. At the same resolution with Ultra settings, the average drops to 193 FPS, showing a significant performance range based on graphical presets.

Q: Does the RTX 5090's 32 GB VRAM provide any advantage in Outriders?

A: While the game does not likely require 32 GB of VRAM, the memory capacity ensures that texture streaming is never a bottleneck, preventing stutters when loading new areas. The GPU's 1.79 TB/s bandwidth further supports rapid data access, contributing to smooth frame delivery.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance impact gaming at lower resolutions?

A: The i7-14700KF scores 6,235 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which helps maintain high frame rates at 1080p where the GPU is less stressed. At 1080p Low, the combination achieves 276 FPS, indicating that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output without becoming a limiting factor.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested combinations in Outriders?

A: This Intel Core i7-14700KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 52nd out of 3,710 tested combinations in Outriders, placing it in the top 1.4% of all configurations.

Q: At which resolution does the performance drop become most pronounced?

A: The most significant drop occurs when moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 168 to 88, a 47.6% reduction, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience for this combination. At 1920x1080, all settings deliver playable frame rates, with Low averaging 276 FPS, Medium at 245 FPS, High at 221 FPS, and Ultra at 193 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra is only a 12.7% reduction in performance, making Ultra a viable choice for 1080p users who prioritize visual fidelity. However, the data shows that Medium provides a 10.9% improvement over High, which could be preferred for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1080p also has a recorded minimum FPS of 208, indicating stable frame delivery even during intense scenes.

At 2560x1440, the choices become more nuanced. Low averages 237 FPS, Medium 210 FPS, High 168 FPS, and Ultra 122 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 20%, while from High to Ultra is 27.4%. For a balanced experience, Medium at 1440p offers 210 FPS with a minimum of 179 FPS, which is likely the sweet spot for most players. High at 1440p still provides a smooth 168 FPS, but the additional visual quality may not justify the 20% performance hit for competitive gamers. Ultra at 1440p dips to 122 FPS, which is still playable but moves away from the high-refresh-rate territory that the RTX 5090 can otherwise achieve.

At 3840x2160, the performance landscape shifts dramatically. Low averages 161 FPS, Medium 117 FPS, High 88 FPS, and Ultra 64 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K provides a minimum FPS of 100, ensuring that frame rates remain above the 60 FPS threshold for fluid gameplay, while offering a significant improvement over Low's visual quality. High at 4K drops below 90 FPS, which may cause noticeable judder on 120 Hz displays. Ultra at 4K averages only 64 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. Therefore, the data strongly suggests that the Medium preset at 4K offers the best compromise between visual fidelity and performance, as it delivers 117 FPS average with a 100 FPS minimum, ensuring consistent frame pacing.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 52nd out of 3,710 tested combinations in Outriders, placing it in the top 1.4% of all configurations. This high ranking is expected given the top-tier nature of both components, but the data reveals that there are 51 combinations that outperform it. The ranking suggests that while this setup is exceptionally powerful, other configurations may achieve slightly higher frame rates in specific scenarios. The i7-14700KF's 94th percentile CPU ranking and the RTX 5090's 92nd percentile GPU ranking indicate that both components are near the top of their respective performance tiers, yet they are not the absolute best in the database.

The combo's ranking relative to other tested combinations can be attributed to the balance between CPU and GPU capabilities. The i7-14700KF's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, is only 0.2% slower in synthetic benchmarks, suggesting that CPU choice has minimal impact on overall game performance. Similarly, the RTX 5090's nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, is 0.3% slower, but the Tesla P100 is a data-center GPU not typically used for gaming. The fact that this combo ranks 52nd out of 3,710 indicates that there are configurations with slightly better performance, likely involving higher-tier CPUs like the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K or more optimized GPU pairings. However, for a mainstream desktop setup, this combination is exceptionally well-suited for Outriders, delivering frame rates that far exceed the requirements for smooth gameplay at all resolutions.

The ranking also reflects the diminishing returns of pairing top-tier components. With the RTX 5090 already being one of the fastest GPUs available, the incremental gains from a slightly faster CPU are minimal in a game like Outriders. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combination achieves 276 FPS, which is likely near the engine's maximum frame rate limit. At 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and a faster CPU would not improve performance. Therefore, the combo's 52nd rank confirms the efficiency of this pairing, as it extracts nearly all available performance from both components without any significant bottleneck in either direction.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this combination performs across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 276 at Low settings to 193 at Ultra settings. The Medium preset records an average of 245 FPS, with a minimum of 208 FPS and a maximum of 282 FPS, indicating tight frame pacing. High settings at 1080p average 221 FPS, which is 10.9% lower than Medium but still above the 200 FPS threshold for high-refresh-rate displays. Ultra at 1080p averages 193 FPS, a 30.1% reduction from Low, showing that the game's highest preset has a measurable performance cost even at the lowest resolution.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS scales down predictably. Low settings average 237 FPS, Medium 210 FPS with a minimum of 179 FPS and a maximum of 242 FPS, High 168 FPS, and Ultra 122 FPS. The transition from Low to Medium results in an 11.4% performance loss, while Medium to High causes a 20% drop. The most significant reduction occurs from High to Ultra, which is 27.4%, highlighting the demanding nature of the Ultra preset at 1440p. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 179 ensures that even in the most intense combat scenarios, the frame rate does not drop below the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance characteristics change notably. Low settings average 161 FPS, Medium 117 FPS with a minimum of 100 FPS and a maximum of 135 FPS, High 88 FPS, and Ultra 64 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 27.3%, which is more pronounced than at lower resolutions, indicating that the GPU is working harder to fill the additional pixels. Medium to High results in a 24.8% reduction, while High to Ultra causes a 27.3% drop. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 100 is crucial, as it ensures that the frame rate remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, even during demanding scenes. Ultra at 4K averages only 64 FPS, which is barely above the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering on displays with higher refresh rates.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the limiting component in this combination. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 221 at 1080p to 168 at 1440p, a 24% reduction, and then to 88 at 4K, a 47.6% reduction from 1440p. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the frame rate decreases in proportion to the increase in pixel count. The RTX 5090's 104.8 TFLOPS of compute power is sufficient for lower resolutions, but at 4K, the demand on the GPU's shading units and ROPs becomes the limiting factor.

At Low settings, the scaling is less severe but still significant. The average FPS drops from 276 at 1080p to 237 at 1440p, a 14.1% reduction, and then to 161 at 4K, a 32.1% reduction from 1440p. The smaller percentage drops at Low settings suggest that the CPU plays a larger role in determining frame rates when the GPU is less stressed. However, even at Low settings, the GPU becomes the bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rate drops below the 200 FPS threshold that the CPU can support at lower resolutions. This behavior confirms that the i7-14700KF is capable of delivering high frame rates, but the RTX 5090's rendering workload at 4K limits overall performance.

The Medium preset provides the most detailed scaling data, with minimum and maximum FPS recorded at all resolutions. At 1080p, the average is 245 FPS with a range of 208 to 282 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 210 FPS with a range of 179 to 242 FPS, and at 4K, the average falls to 117 FPS with a range of 100 to 135 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 14.3% reduction, while from 1440p to 4K is a 44.3% reduction. The more pronounced drop from 1440p to 4K indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput is the limiting factor, as the 4K resolution quadruples the pixel count compared to 1080p. The minimum FPS values show that frame pacing remains stable even at 4K, with the minimum only dropping 10.5% below the average, suggesting that the combination handles the increased load without significant hitches. Overall, the resolution scaling data clearly shows that the RTX 5090 is the primary limiting component at 4K, while the i7-14700KF provides ample headroom for the GPU to operate at its full potential at lower resolutions.