Outriders

The pairing of the Intel Core i9-14900K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 in Outriders presents a clear study in bottleneck dynamics. The data shows a high-end CPU driving a mid-range GPU, with frame rates that scale predictably with resolution and settings. This combination ranks 1383rd out of 1693 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 2060 is the primary limiting factor in most scenarios, while the i9-14900K’s substantial compute resources remain largely underutilized at higher graphical loads.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combination in Outriders?

A: The combo ranks 1383rd out of 1693 tested combinations, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all tested configs (lower-middle tier). The data shows it is not a top-tier performer for this title, largely due to the GPU’s position in the overall hierarchy.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074, which is 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996) and 1.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15786). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Radeon Pro 5700, both with a score of 16351, by 1.7%.

Q: What is the best frame rate achieved at 1080p, and at what settings?

A: The highest average frame rate at 1920x1080 is 186.1 FPS, achieved with Low settings. This represents a significant jump from the 137.3 FPS seen at Medium settings, showing a large performance headroom when lowering graphical fidelity.

Q: How does the CPU's general benchmark score compare to its closest competitor?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79824, which is 0.7% higher than the Intel Core i9-14900KF (79245). It is essentially tied with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF (79240), which is also 0.7% behind, and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (79102).

Q: Is the RTX 2060 considered a high-performing GPU in the database?

A: The RTX 2060 sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, indicating it is an average to slightly above-average card. Its Passmark G3D score is 14111, which is a direct measure of its DirectX performance, and its DirectX 12 score is 53.

Q: What is the impact of moving from 1080p to 4K on performance at High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 101 FPS at 1920x1080 to 66.2 FPS at 2560x1440, and further down to 36 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 64.4% reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K, demonstrating a strong scaling with resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the central figure in this performance analysis, and its specifications directly explain the measured frame rates. The GPU features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. In a game like Outriders, this memory capacity and bandwidth become critical at higher resolutions where texture data demands increase. The 4K Ultra results, which dip to an average of 22.5 FPS, suggest that the 6 GB frame buffer is likely a limiting factor, as the GPU struggles to manage the data load at maximum settings.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are defined by its 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. These figures, combined with a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz, yield a peak FP32 performance of 6.451 TFLOPS. This raw throughput is what the game's shaders and effects rely on. The data shows that at 1080p Medium, the card can produce 137.3 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 22.5 FPS. The 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are present, but their impact on this specific title’s performance is not directly measured in the provided data. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 14111 places it at the 58th percentile, which is a useful reference point for its general DirectX 11 performance relative to other cards.

The transition from 1440p High (66.2 FPS) to 4K High (36 FPS) is a 45.6% drop, and the jump from 1080p High (101 FPS) to 1440p High (66.2 FPS) is a 34.5% drop. This pattern shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. The RTX 2060’s 160 W TDP and dual-slot design are consistent with its mid-range positioning. The data suggests that while the card is capable of delivering playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, its 6 GB VRAM and compute power are insufficient for a smooth 4K experience in this looter shooter.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 186.1 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 118.9 FPS, a 36.1% reduction. Further scaling to 3840x2160 yields 62 FPS, a 47.9% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 2060 is being saturated by the increasing pixel count.

The scaling pattern is similar across all settings, but the percentage drops are more pronounced at lower settings. For instance, at High settings, the drop from 1080p (101 FPS) to 1440p (66.2 FPS) is 34.5%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K (36 FPS) is 45.6%. At Ultra settings, the drop from 1080p (74.3 FPS) to 1440p (44.4 FPS) is 40.2%, and from 1440p to 4K (22.5 FPS) is 49.3%. This shows that the GPU’s rendering workload is the dominant factor, as the CPU’s role becomes less significant at higher resolutions.

The data strongly implies that the limiting component is the GPU. The Intel Core i9-14900K, with its 24 cores and 32 threads, is not the bottleneck; its high single-thread and multi-thread scores (7040 and 49872 in Cinebench R23) are more than sufficient for Outriders. The fact that frame rates halve when resolution quadruples shows a classic GPU-bound scenario. The 1080p Low result of 186.1 FPS is the only point where the CPU’s potential might be approached, but even then, the GPU’s shading and texture units are likely the limiting factor. The data confirms that for this combo, resolution scaling is a direct function of GPU performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear guide for optimizing the experience with this hardware. For users targeting a high-refresh-rate 1080p display, the Low preset offers the best performance, with an average of 186.1 FPS. However, the Medium preset at 137.3 FPS provides a substantial 49.2% increase in frame rate over High (101 FPS) and is only 26.2% slower than Low, making it a strong balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. The Ultra preset at 74.3 FPS is the most demanding but still playable if visual quality is the top priority.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset emerges as the recommended choice, delivering an average of 85.2 FPS. This is a significant 28.8% improvement over High (66.2 FPS) and is more than double the Ultra preset’s 44.4 FPS. The Low preset at 118.9 FPS is available for competitive play, but Medium provides a better visual experience without sacrificing playability. The High preset at 66.2 FPS is also viable for a 60 Hz monitor, but the data shows that Medium is the sweet spot for a smoother experience.

For 4K gaming, the results are challenging. The Ultra preset is not viable, with an average of only 22.5 FPS. The High preset at 36 FPS is borderline, and the Medium preset at 47.5 FPS is the minimum for a playable experience. The Low preset at 62 FPS is the only 4K option that approaches a stable 60 FPS. Given the data, the best overall experience is achieved at 1440p with Medium settings, offering a high frame rate with a good balance of visual quality. The data suggests that users should avoid the Ultra preset at all resolutions unless they are willing to accept significant frame rate penalties.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance envelope is broad. The Low preset leads with an average of 186.1 FPS. The Medium preset follows at 137.3 FPS, a 26.2% reduction from Low. The High preset drops to 101 FPS, a 26.4% reduction from Medium. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 74.3 FPS, representing a 26.4% reduction from High. The data shows a consistent, near-linear scaling between presets at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease across the board. The Low preset averages 118.9 FPS, which is 36.1% lower than its 1080p counterpart. The Medium preset averages 85.2 FPS, a 28.3% reduction from 1080p Medium. The High preset averages 66.2 FPS, a 34.5% reduction from 1080p High. The Ultra preset averages 44.4 FPS, a 40.2% reduction from 1080p Ultra. The relative performance between presets remains similar to 1080p, with Low being 28.3% faster than Medium, and Medium being 28.6% faster than High.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops are severe. The Low preset averages 62 FPS, which is 47.9% lower than 1440p Low. The Medium preset averages 47.5 FPS, a 44.2% reduction from 1440p Medium. The High preset averages 36 FPS, a 45.6% reduction from 1440p High. The Ultra preset averages 22.5 FPS, a 49.3% reduction from 1440p Ultra. The data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra narrows at 4K, with Low being 30.5% faster than Medium, and Medium being 31.9% faster than High. This pattern highlights the GPU’s struggle to maintain performance at 4K, regardless of settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a formidable processor, and its specifications suggest it should never be the limiting factor in Outriders with an RTX 2060. It features 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. Its architecture, Raptor Lake, is built on a 10 nm process, and it has a large 36 MB shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 7040 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 49872 in multi-core, placing it at the 97th percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 79824 is a strong indicator of its high-end performance.

However, the game’s frame rates are clearly not limited by the CPU. The measured data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 186.1 FPS. While this is a high frame rate, it is not indicative of a CPU bottleneck, as the GPU is still the primary renderer. The CPU’s role is to prepare frames for the GPU, and with a Passmark single-thread score of 4697 and a Passmark physics score of 3140, it has ample headroom. The fact that frame rates drop dramatically at higher resolutions, where the CPU's workload does not increase proportionally, confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck.

The data shows that the i9-14900K is effectively a non-factor in this pairing. Its high clock speeds and core count are more than adequate for the demands of Outriders. The CPU's benchmark scores are far above what is required to maintain the frame rates observed. Even at the lowest settings and resolution, the GPU’s 6.451 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 336.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth are the limiting constraints. The CPU's performance is so far ahead of the GPU that any potential CPU limitations are completely masked by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The data suggests that this CPU is overqualified for this GPU in this game, leaving significant performance potential untapped.