Outriders

The Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination delivers exceptional performance in Outriders, ranking 6th out of 1693 tested hardware combos. This pairing produces frame rates that range from a playable 62.7 FPS at 4K Ultra to a blistering 289.9 FPS at 1080p Low, making it a top-tier option for this looter shooter. The data shows a system that is primarily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strength becomes evident at lower settings.

FAQ

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

A: At 2560x1440, the system achieves 120.4 FPS on Ultra settings and 164.7 FPS on High. This resolution provides a strong balance between visual fidelity and high refresh-rate performance, making it ideal for competitive play without sacrificing image quality.

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

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79824, which is 0.7% ahead of both the Intel Core i9-14900KF and Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF, and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K. It sits just 0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 7413.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks in the 91st percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 66473 places it 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P40 and 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro P6000, though it trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 by 0.9%.

Q: Which settings preset yields the highest frame rate at 1080p?

A: The Low preset produces the highest average frame rate at 1920x1080, hitting 289.9 FPS. This is significantly higher than the Ultra preset, which delivers 188.9 FPS at the same resolution.

Q: Is the system capable of 4K gaming?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the combo achieves 84 FPS on High and 62.7 FPS on Ultra settings. While the Ultra preset is below 60 FPS, the High preset provides a smooth experience at 4K resolution.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p Low preset compared to the 4K Ultra preset?

A: The 1080p Low preset averages 289.9 FPS, which is 4.6 times faster than the 4K Ultra preset's 62.7 FPS. This large gap highlights the significant impact of resolution and settings on performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, with a 36 MB shared L3 cache. This hardware configuration places it in the 97th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79824. The processor's multi-threaded performance is strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 49872 and its Passmark multi-thread score of 58674.

In Outriders, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU has less work to do. At 1080p Low, the system produces 289.9 FPS, a figure that relies heavily on the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with data quickly. The i9-14900K's high boost clock of 6.00 GHz helps maintain high single-thread performance, which is crucial for game logic and physics. The processor's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 7040 indicates it can handle these tasks efficiently. The data suggests that even at the highest frame rates, the CPU is not the bottleneck, as it ranks near the top of its class, only 0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 7413 in average score.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a massive GPU with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. It features 16384 shading units and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process. The GPU's raw compute power is 82.58 TFLOPS FP32, and it ranks in the 91st percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 66473. Its Passmark G3D score of 38194 confirms its position as a top-tier graphics card.

The GPU's role in Outriders is dominant, especially at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 62.7 FPS, a figure that is limited by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The 24 GB VRAM ensures that even at 4K with high-resolution textures, the GPU does not run out of memory. The RTX 4090's performance relative to its rivals is close; it is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P40 and 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro P6000. However, the data shows a clear performance scaling with settings: at 4K, dropping from Ultra to High increases frame rates by 34%, from 62.7 to 84 FPS, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates: 289.9 FPS on Low, 254.7 FPS on Medium, 233.6 FPS on High, and 188.9 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show that even at the most demanding 1080p preset, the combo easily exceeds 144 Hz refresh rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high but show the expected decline. The Low preset averages 246.3 FPS, Medium hits 219.2 FPS, High achieves 164.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 120.4 FPS. This resolution is where the system truly shines, as it maintains over 120 FPS even on the Ultra preset, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops are more pronounced. The Low preset still delivers a smooth 154.4 FPS, while Medium produces 114.1 FPS. High settings yield 84 FPS, and Ultra falls to 62.7 FPS. This breakdown shows that the system is capable of 4K gaming, but users targeting 60+ FPS should stick to the High preset or lower.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals critical information about the system's bottleneck. Comparing the High preset across resolutions, the system drops from 233.6 FPS at 1080p to 164.7 FPS at 1440p and finally to 84 FPS at 4K. This represents a 64% decrease from 1080p to 4K. The Low preset shows a similar pattern, falling from 289.9 FPS at 1080p to 154.4 FPS at 4K, a 47% reduction.

The data indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the CPU's performance is crucial to maintaining them. However, the drop from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep: 164.7 to 84 FPS on High, a 49% decrease. This steep decline suggests that the RTX 4090's rendering load at 4K is the primary constraint. The fact that the 1080p Low preset (289.9 FPS) is more than double the 4K High preset (84 FPS) reinforces that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU's 24 cores and high clock speeds are sufficient to keep up at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For users with a 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset at 188.9 FPS is more than sufficient for any display, as it exceeds the refresh rate of most 1080p panels. The High preset at 233.6 FPS offers a significant boost for competitive play, while the Low preset's 289.9 FPS is only useful for esports-level performance where every frame matters.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset with 120.4 FPS is the best choice for a balanced experience, as it provides high visual quality while staying above the 120 Hz threshold. For users with 144 Hz monitors, the High preset at 164.7 FPS is the optimal choice, offering a 37% frame rate increase over Ultra with minimal visual compromise. The Medium preset at 219.2 FPS is a viable option for those prioritizing maximum smoothness over visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation is clear: use the High preset at 84 FPS for the best experience. The Ultra preset at 62.7 FPS is playable but risks dropping below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 114.1 FPS provides headroom for consistent performance, making it a strong alternative if the user prefers smoother gameplay over maximum detail. The Low preset at 154.4 FPS is available for those who want high frame rates at 4K, though it sacrifices significant visual quality. Overall, the High preset at 4K offers the best balance of image quality and performance for this hardware combination.