Outriders

The Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 pairing delivers a highly capable Outriders experience, with performance that scales predictably across resolutions and settings. The data shows a clear tiering: 1080p and 1440p are firmly in playable-to-excellent territory, while 4K demands careful settings selection. The i9-14900K’s 24 cores and 32 threads provide ample headroom, and the RTX 3070’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory becomes the defining constraint at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured results, contextualizes the component roles, and offers a settings path based solely on the provided figures.

FAQ

Q: What is the best measured performance for this combo at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 279.1 FPS. Medium settings yield 202.9 FPS, High settings produce 149.3 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 110.4 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070’s average benchmark score is 28238, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, scores 27985, a delta of 0.9%. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti is 1% behind with 27956, while the AMD FirePro S7150 trails by 0.6% with 28409.

Q: Is the i9-14900K significantly faster than its nearest rival?

A: The i9-14900K’s average benchmark score is 79824. Its closest rival, the AMD EPYC 7413, scores 80041, which is 0.3% higher. The Intel Core i9-14900KF is 0.7% behind with 79245, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF is also 0.7% behind with 79240.

Q: What is the FPS drop from Medium to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings deliver 126 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 68.7 FPS. That represents a reduction of 57.3 FPS, or roughly 45% lower performance when moving from Medium to Ultra.

Q: What rank does this combo hold among all tested configurations in Outriders?

A: The combo ranks 582nd out of 1693 tested combinations in the game’s benchmark database.

Q: Can this system hit 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Medium or Low settings. At 3840x2160, Medium produces 65.9 FPS and Low produces 91.1 FPS. High settings fall short at 49.2 FPS, and Ultra delivers 37.7 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the primary driver of frame rates in Outriders, as evidenced by the measured data. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU’s boost clock of 1725 MHz and base clock of 1500 MHz, combined with its 5888 shading units, allow it to scale from 279.1 FPS at 1080p Low down to 37.7 FPS at 4K Ultra.

The synthetic benchmark context reinforces this. The RTX 3070 sits in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rivals show a tight cluster: the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is 0.9% behind, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti is 1% behind. This indicates that the RTX 3070 is a solid mid-to-high-tier performer, but not an outlier in raw compute. In Outriders, the data shows that the GPU’s memory capacity is the key variable. At 4K Ultra, the 8 GB frame buffer is likely saturated, producing 37.7 FPS, whereas dropping to Medium at the same resolution yields 65.9 FPS—a 75% improvement.

The GPU’s architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for a 2021 looter shooter like Outriders. However, the measured FPS suggests that the game’s rendering load scales heavily with settings, and the RTX 3070’s 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is best utilized at lower presets when targeting high refresh rates. At 1440p, the GPU handles High settings at 95.6 FPS, but Ultra drops to 68.7 FPS. This pattern indicates that Ultra settings impose a significant overhead, likely from shadows, reflections, and post-processing, which the RTX 3070 can only manage at 1080p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K provides substantial processing headroom for Outriders, though the game’s GPU-bound nature means its impact is more about maintaining minimum frame stability than pushing maximum FPS. The CPU’s 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, place it in the 97th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 79824 is nearly tied with the AMD EPYC 7413, which is 0.3% higher, and the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which is 0.7% lower.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU’s role is evident in the high refresh rate scenarios. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 279.1 FPS, which is a demanding scenario for any processor. The i9-14900K’s single-thread performance, as seen in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7040, ensures that the game’s main thread is not a bottleneck. The CPU’s 36 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with data locality in a fast-paced looter shooter where many entities and effects are on screen.

Compared to the GPU, the CPU is less of a constraint at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 37.7 FPS, which is clearly a GPU limitation. However, the i9-14900K’s multi-core strength, reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 49872, means that background tasks or streaming assets while playing Outriders will not degrade performance. The data shows that the CPU’s 125 W TDP and Raptor Lake architecture are more than adequate for this title, and its nearest rivals in synthetic tests are all within 1% of its score, indicating that no CPU-side surprise will alter the FPS outcomes.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for optimizing the Outriders experience with this combo. For 1080p, Ultra settings are viable at 110.4 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. However, if a player prioritizes maximum frame rates, Medium settings at 202.9 FPS or Low at 279.1 FPS are available. High settings at 149.3 FPS strike a balance between visual fidelity and speed, making it the recommended preset for 1080p if the display supports 144 Hz or higher.

At 1440p, the choice narrows. High settings deliver 95.6 FPS, which is excellent for a 1440p monitor with a 100 Hz refresh rate. Medium settings at 126 FPS offer even more headroom for 144 Hz panels, while Ultra at 68.7 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Low settings at 175.7 FPS are excessive for most displays but available for competitive play. The data suggests that High is the best default at 1440p, as it provides a strong balance without the steep drop seen at Ultra.

At 4K, only Low and Medium are recommended. Medium at 65.9 FPS is the sweet spot, providing a stable 60 FPS experience with acceptable visual quality. Low at 91.1 FPS is surprisingly high and could be used for higher refresh rates, but the visual downgrade is significant. High at 49.2 FPS and Ultra at 37.7 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided. The best overall experience, per the measured rows, is 1440p High, which offers 95.6 FPS without the compromise of 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the Outriders benchmark database, this Intel Core i9-14900K and RTX 3070 combination ranks 582nd out of 1693 tested combos, placing it in the 65th percentile of all configurations. This rank reflects a strong, but not top-tier, pairing. The CPU’s 97th percentile standing is offset by the GPU’s 72nd percentile, meaning the RTX 3070 is the limiting factor in the overall ranking. The data shows that the combo outperforms many mid-range systems but does not compete with high-end 4K configurations.

The rank is consistent with the measured FPS. At 1080p, the combo’s 279.1 FPS at Low settings is exceptional, but at 4K Ultra, the 37.7 FPS is below the average for top-tier combos. The gap between the CPU and GPU performance tiers is notable: the i9-14900K scores within 0.9% of its nearest rivals, while the RTX 3070 is similarly close to its peers. This suggests that the combo’s rank is driven by the GPU’s position in the market, and upgrading the GPU would yield a disproportionate improvement in Outriders.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data covers three resolutions and four settings, providing a complete picture of the combo’s performance. At 1920x1080, the FPS ranges from 279.1 (Low) to 110.4 (Ultra). The progression is linear: Medium at 202.9 FPS, High at 149.3 FPS, and Ultra at 110.4 FPS. This represents a 60% drop from Low to Ultra, indicating that Ultra settings impose a heavy load but remain playable.

At 2560x1440, the range tightens. Low delivers 175.7 FPS, Medium 126 FPS, High 95.6 FPS, and Ultra 68.7 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 30.4 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 26.9 FPS. This resolution is the most balanced for this combo, as even Ultra stays above 60 FPS. The data shows a 61% reduction from Low to Ultra, similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower due to increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low achieves 91.1 FPS, Medium 65.9 FPS, High 49.2 FPS, and Ultra 37.7 FPS. This is the only resolution where Medium dips below 70 FPS, and Ultra falls below 40 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 59% reduction, but the absolute values highlight the GPU’s memory bandwidth limits. Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: Medium offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, while Ultra is only recommended at 1080p. The data confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for lower presets.