Outriders

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a formidable Outriders experience, but the data reveals a clear pattern: this combo is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while 1080p performance is limited more by the game engine’s frame pacing than by either component. The measured FPS rows show a steady progression from 170 FPS at 1080p Ultra to 56 FPS at 4K Ultra, with the gap between Low and Ultra widening as pixel count rises. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, ranking position, component roles, and settings recommendations based solely on the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling curve for this combo in Outriders is steep and consistent. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 290, which drops to 248 at 2560x1440 Low, and further to 143 at 3840x2160 Low. That represents a 51% reduction from 1080p to 4K at the lowest preset. The scaling becomes even more pronounced at Ultra: 170 FPS at 1080p falls to 108 FPS at 1440p, then to 56 FPS at 4K — a 67% drop from 1080p to 4K. This pattern strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component as resolution increases, because the frame rate loss tracks closely with the pixel count growth (4K has 4x the pixels of 1080p, but the FPS drop is less than 75% at Ultra, suggesting some headroom remains).

At 1080p, the differences between settings are relatively compressed. Low yields 290 FPS, Medium 257 FPS, High 232 FPS, and Ultra 170 FPS. The gap from Low to Ultra is 120 FPS, or 41%. At 1440p, the spread expands: Low 248, Medium 198, High 149, Ultra 108 — a 140 FPS range. At 4K, the spread is 87 FPS (143 Low to 56 Ultra). The fact that the Low-to-Ultra delta shrinks at 4K (87 FPS) compared to 1440p (140 FPS) suggests that at 4K, even Low settings are pushing the GPU hard enough that the absolute FPS ceiling is lower, compressing the range.

Interestingly, the Medium preset at all three resolutions shows min/max FPS data, which is the only setting with such granularity. At 1080p Medium, the min is 219 and max 296, with an average of 257. At 1440p Medium, min 169, max 228, average 198. At 4K Medium, min 88, max 119, average 104. The min-to-max spread narrows from 77 FPS at 1080p to 59 FPS at 1440p to 31 FPS at 4K, indicating that frame time consistency improves as resolution increases — likely because the GPU becomes the bottleneck and delivers more uniform frame pacing, whereas at 1080p, CPU or engine overhead causes wider swings.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at each setting: Low drops 42 FPS (290 to 248, -14%), Medium drops 59 FPS (257 to 198, -23%), High drops 83 FPS (232 to 149, -36%), Ultra drops 62 FPS (170 to 108, -36%). From 1440p to 4K: Low drops 105 FPS (248 to 143, -42%), Medium drops 94 FPS (198 to 104, -47%), High drops 71 FPS (149 to 78, -48%), Ultra drops 52 FPS (108 to 56, -52%). The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is larger than from 1080p to 1440p for every setting, confirming that 4K is where the RTX 4080’s limits become most visible. The High preset shows the most linear scaling (36% then 48%), while Low has the most severe 4K penalty (42% drop), suggesting even Low settings at 4K tax the GPU heavily.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global database of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Outriders, this pairing ranks 94th out of 3,710 combos. That places it in the top 2.5% of all tested systems. The rank is based on measured average FPS across all settings and resolutions, with this combo’s data being directly measured rather than extrapolated. A rank of 94 means there are 93 combos that outperform it, likely featuring newer or more expensive GPUs, but this still puts the i9-14900K + RTX 4080 in elite territory.

The CPU itself holds a percentile rank of 95 among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 95% of processors in synthetic benchmarks. Its average benchmark score is 79,097, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i9-14900KF (avg score 79,371, delta -0.3%), the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79,574, delta -0.6%), and the AMD EPYC 7413 (80,041, delta -1.2%). The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 trails at 77,740, a +1.7% delta relative to the i9-14900K. These deltas are all within 2%, indicating that the i9-14900K is effectively at parity with its closest competitors in raw CPU throughput.

The GPU ranks at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,247. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54,209 (delta +0.1%), essentially identical. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828 (delta -1.1%), the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55,698 (delta -2.6%), and the Radeon 8060S scores 55,757 (delta -2.7%). The RTX 4080 is slightly below those AMD parts in average GPU benchmark score, but the deltas are small — within 3%. In Outriders specifically, the combo’s rank of 94 out of 3,710 suggests the RTX 4080’s real-world game performance is strong despite its modest percentile position relative to newer GPUs.

Given that the CPU and GPU both sit near the top of their respective percentile rankings, the 94th combo rank is not surprising. The data indicates that most of the 93 superior combos likely use higher-end GPUs (e.g., RTX 4090-class), since the i9-14900K is already near the ceiling for CPU performance in this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock is 1400 MHz, with 22.4 Gbps effective data rate. The GPU’s base clock is 2205 MHz and boost clock is 2505 MHz. It has 9,728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores. The pixel rate is 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate is 761.5 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS.

In Outriders, the 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for any settings at any resolution. The game’s Ultra preset at 4K averages 56 FPS, which is low but still playable, and the fact that the GPU doesn’t run out of memory is evident from the fact that Low, Medium, and High at 4K all produce higher FPS (143, 104, and 78 respectively). If VRAM were a constraint, we would expect the Ultra preset to show disproportionate drops or stuttering, but the min FPS data (only available for Medium) shows 88 FPS at 4K Medium, which is a reasonable minimum.

The RTX 4080’s boost clock of 2505 MHz is high for a GPU, and the data suggests that at 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized — the 290 FPS at Low is likely hitting an engine frame rate cap or CPU limit, since the i9-14900K can push high frame rates but Outriders may have a ceiling. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the FPS drops to 56, which aligns with the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth limits.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 54,247 and 86th percentile ranking indicate that it’s a strong performer, but not the absolute fastest. In Outriders, the 4K Ultra result of 56 FPS shows that even a high-end GPU like this struggles with the game’s most demanding settings at 4K. The RTX 4080’s 16 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor, as the game’s textures at Ultra likely fit within that capacity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across 12 configurations (3 resolutions × 4 settings). At 1920x1080:

• Low: 290 FPS average
• Medium: 257 FPS average (min 219, max 296)
• High: 232 FPS average
• Ultra: 170 FPS average

The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p is smooth, with each step costing roughly 30-40 FPS. The Medium preset’s min of 219 FPS is still above 1440p High’s average of 149 FPS, showing that 1080p is where this combo excels.

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 248 FPS
• Medium: 198 FPS (min 169, max 228)
• High: 149 FPS
• Ultra: 108 FPS

The 1440p results are strong, with even Ultra staying above 100 FPS. The Medium preset’s min of 169 FPS is higher than the 4K High average of 78 FPS, illustrating the resolution impact.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 143 FPS
• Medium: 104 FPS (min 88, max 119)
• High: 78 FPS
• Ultra: 56 FPS

The 4K results are the most telling. Low settings achieve 143 FPS, which is playable on high-refresh monitors, but Ultra drops to 56 FPS. The Medium preset’s max of 119 FPS shows that even medium settings can exceed 100 FPS at 4K, but Ultra’s 56 FPS average would be a poor experience on a 60Hz display with V-sync (since it’s below 60).

Comparing setting-to-setting across resolutions:

• Low: 290 → 248 → 143 (1080p → 1440p → 4K)
• Medium: 257 → 198 → 104
• High: 232 → 149 → 78
• Ultra: 170 → 108 → 56

The High preset shows the most consistent relative scaling, while Low has the largest absolute drop from 1440p to 4K (105 FPS). The Ultra preset shows the smallest absolute drop from 1440p to 4K (52 FPS), but that’s because it’s already low at 1440p (108 FPS).

FAQ

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

A: Based on the data, 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At this resolution, Ultra settings average 108 FPS, which is above 100 FPS, while High averages 149 FPS. At 4K, Ultra drops to 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. 1080p offers higher FPS (170 FPS at Ultra) but the visual clarity is lower.

Q: How much FPS do you lose going from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 170 at 1920x1080 Ultra to 56 at 3840x2160 Ultra, a loss of 114 FPS, or 67%. This is the largest percentage drop among all settings, confirming that Ultra is the most demanding preset at 4K.

Q: Is the RTX 4080’s 16 GB VRAM enough for Outriders at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, the data shows no VRAM-related issues. The 4K Ultra average of 56 FPS is a performance limit, not a memory limit. If VRAM were insufficient, the FPS would be erratic or the game would fail to load textures, but the measured 56 FPS average is consistent with GPU compute limits.

Q: Which setting provides the highest minimum FPS at 4K?

A: The only setting with min FPS data at 4K is Medium, which shows a min of 88 FPS. For other settings, only average FPS is provided, but based on the averages, Low (143 FPS) would have a higher minimum than Medium (104 FPS average), though exact min values are not listed.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combos in Outriders?

A: It ranks 94th out of 3,710 combos, placing it in the top 2.5%. This is based on measured data, not estimates, and reflects the combined performance of the i9-14900K and RTX 4080 across all settings and resolutions.

Q: What’s the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low averages 248 FPS and Ultra averages 108 FPS, a difference of 140 FPS. This is the largest absolute spread across any resolution, showing that 1440p gives the GPU enough headroom to show significant scaling from settings changes.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience based on the measured rows, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers the most balanced performance. The data shows 198 FPS average with a min of 169 FPS and max of 228 FPS. This combination keeps the frame rate well above 144 Hz for most of the time, with the minimum still far above 60 FPS for smooth gameplay. The min-to-max spread of 59 FPS is manageable, and the visual quality is only one step below High.

If prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, High at 1440p is the best choice, averaging 149 FPS. This is above 144 Hz, and the step up from Medium to High costs 49 FPS (198 to 149). The trade-off is worth it for those with 144 Hz monitors who want better shadows and textures. At 4K, High drops to 78 FPS, which is still playable on a 60 Hz display but not ideal for high-refresh gaming.

For players with 1080p monitors, High settings (232 FPS) or even Ultra (170 FPS) are both excellent choices. The Ultra preset at 1080p provides the highest visual quality while staying above 165 Hz, which is ideal for high-refresh 1080p displays. The low preset at 1080p (290 FPS) is only useful for competitive play where frame rate is paramount, but the visual quality loss is significant.

At 4K, the only truly smooth option is Low (143 FPS) or Medium (104 FPS). Ultra at 4K (56 FPS) is below the 60 FPS threshold for most displays and will result in visible stutter on 60 Hz monitors. High at 4K (78 FPS) is playable but not ideal. The data suggests that 4K Ultra should be avoided unless the player has a VRR display that can handle variable frame rates around 56 FPS.

The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data at all three resolutions, making it the most predictable choice. At 1080p Medium (257 FPS), 1440p Medium (198 FPS), and 4K Medium (104 FPS), the consistency is evident. For a set-and-forget experience, Medium across all resolutions provides a smooth frame rate with no surprises.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. It has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s TDP is 125 W, and it supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus. Its architecture is Raptor Lake, built on a 10 nm process.

In Outriders, the CPU’s role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics data. At 1080p, the CPU’s high single-thread performance (boost clock of 6.00 GHz) is evident: the 290 FPS at Low settings suggests that even at low graphical load, the game engine can push frame rates above 280 FPS, which is typically CPU-bound territory. The i9-14900K’s single-core benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 single-core 2262.5, Geekbench single-core 2655) are strong, and the game responds well to this.

However, the CPU’s multicore performance is also relevant, as Outriders is a modern game that can use multiple threads. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39,399.5 and Geekbench multicore of 21,697 show that the CPU has ample headroom for background tasks and game logic. The PassMark multithread score of 58,674 and data compression score of 792,694 indicate that the CPU won’t bottleneck at any resolution, even with 4K Ultra where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor.

The i9-14900K’s percentile rank of 95 confirms it’s one of the fastest CPUs available. Its nearest rivals are all within 2% of its average benchmark score, meaning that swapping to a different top-tier CPU would have minimal impact on Outriders performance. The combo rank of 94th out of 3,710 is more likely influenced by GPU choice than CPU, since the CPU is near the top of its class.

At 4K Ultra (56 FPS), the CPU is not stressed at all — the GPU is the bottleneck. The fact that 4K Low (143 FPS) is more than double 4K Ultra (56 FPS) shows that the game’s rendering load, not CPU logic, determines the frame rate at high resolutions. The CPU’s 24 cores and 32 threads provide more than enough processing power for the game’s AI, physics, and streaming, and the 36 MB L3 cache helps with data locality.

In summary, the CPU is never the limiting factor in this combo for Outriders. The GPU dictates performance at 1440p and 4K, while at 1080p, the game engine’s frame rate ceiling (possibly around 290 FPS) is the limit. The i9-14900K’s boost clock of 6.00 GHz is particularly beneficial for the game’s single-threaded sections, and its multicore capacity ensures smooth frame pacing even in busy scenes with many enemies.