Outriders

The benchmark results for the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination in Outriders place this system in the 99th percentile of tested configurations, ranking 2nd out of 1,693 recorded combos. This pairing of a 24-core, 32-thread CPU with a 32 GB GDDR7 GPU represents a top-tier setup for this looter shooter, and the measured frame rates confirm that the hardware is rarely the bottleneck across the tested spectrum.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a predictable yet informative scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 289.1 FPS, which drops to 162.8 FPS at 4K Low — a reduction of 126.3 FPS. This 44% performance loss when moving to 4K indicates that even at the lowest graphical preset, the GPU is beginning to feel the pixel-pushing load, though the absolute numbers remain exceptionally high.

The scaling story becomes more pronounced at higher settings. At Ultra preset, the system delivers 194.6 FPS at 1080p but only 65.4 FPS at 4K — a 129.2 FPS drop that represents a 66% reduction in frame rate. This steep decline at 4K Ultra suggests the RTX 5090's compute resources are being taxed heavily by the combination of maximum graphical fidelity and high pixel count. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is more moderate: 194.6 FPS vs 123.9 FPS at Ultra, a 70.7 FPS difference.

Looking at the Medium preset, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p sees a drop from 254.3 FPS to 221.7 FPS (32.6 FPS lost), while moving from 1440p to 4K costs another 103.3 FPS, landing at 118.4 FPS. This pattern — modest losses at lower resolutions followed by steep drops at 4K — points to the GPU becoming the limiting component primarily at 3840x2160, while at 1080p and even 1440p, the CPU's 6.00 GHz boost clock helps keep frame rates high.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090's specifications directly explain its behavior in these benchmarks. With 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample resources for Outriders at any resolution. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 170 RT cores provide the raw compute headroom visible in the 4K High result of 91.1 FPS, which remains playable despite the demanding pixel count.

The GPU's boost clock of 2407 MHz and base clock of 2017 MHz contribute to the consistent frame delivery across settings. The data shows that at 1440p, the RTX 5090 scales well with settings: Low produces 249.1 FPS, Medium 221.7 FPS, High 169.4 FPS, and Ultra 123.9 FPS. This orderly progression suggests the GPU has enough headroom at this resolution to absorb increased graphical loads without severe performance cliffs.

At 4K, however, the Ultra preset's 65.4 FPS result reveals the card's limits when pushed to maximum settings at the highest resolution. The delta between 4K Medium (118.4 FPS) and 4K High (91.1 FPS) is 27.3 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs another 25.7 FPS. These consistent drops indicate that each settings tier adds meaningful GPU work, and the 4K Ultra result falls below the 70 FPS threshold that many players consider ideal for smooth gameplay.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot, with High settings delivering 169.4 FPS and even Ultra achieving 123.9 FPS, both well above the 4K High result of 91.1 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Low settings, the drop is 126.3 FPS (from 289.1 to 162.8 FPS). At Ultra, the drop is larger: 129.2 FPS (from 194.6 to 65.4 FPS).

Q: Does the RTX 5090 bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, the 65.4 FPS result at 3840x2160 Ultra suggests the GPU is the limiting factor, as this represents a 66% reduction from the 1080p Ultra score.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i9-14900K scores 79,824 on average, which is 0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 7413 (80,041) but 0.7% ahead of both the Intel Core i9-14900KF and Core Ultra 7 265KF.

Q: What GPU benchmark scores support these gaming results?

A: The RTX 5090 achieves a Passmark G3D score of 39,650 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,411, placing it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the system capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1440p?

A: Yes, all tested settings at 2560x1440 exceed 120 FPS, with Low hitting 249.1 FPS and High reaching 169.4 FPS, making it suitable for 144Hz displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low setting produces 289.1 FPS, followed by Medium at 254.3 FPS, High at 233.8 FPS, and Ultra at 194.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 94.5 FPS, indicating that even the most demanding settings at 1080p leave significant performance on the table — the CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads are clearly not the limiting factor here.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain robust but show the GPU taking on more work. Low yields 249.1 FPS, Medium drops to 221.7 FPS, High settles at 169.4 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 123.9 FPS for this resolution. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 125.2 FPS, a larger absolute drop than at 1080p, confirming the GPU's growing influence.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve steepens considerably. Low produces 162.8 FPS, Medium 118.4 FPS, High 91.1 FPS, and Ultra 65.4 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 97.4 FPS, but the relative drop is more severe — Ultra delivers only 40% of the Low preset's frame rate. The step from Medium to High costs 27.3 FPS, and High to Ultra costs another 25.7 FPS, showing consistent per-tier deductions.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, the 4K High preset at 91.1 FPS offers a balanced experience that remains above 60 FPS while delivering substantial graphical detail. The 4K Ultra setting at 65.4 FPS is technically playable but sits close to the edge of smooth performance, making it a less attractive option given the 25.7 FPS penalty over High.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset at 123.9 FPS provides the best combination of visual quality and performance, comfortably exceeding 120 FPS for high refresh rate displays. The 1440p High setting at 169.4 FPS is the optimal choice for players with 144Hz monitors who want additional headroom, while the Medium preset at 221.7 FPS suits competitive play where frame rate trumps visuals.

For 1080p users, the Ultra preset at 194.6 FPS is the clear recommendation — it delivers the best graphics while still maintaining frame rates far above any display's refresh rate capabilities. The High preset at 233.8 FPS and Medium at 254.3 FPS are viable alternatives for esports-focused play, but the marginal gains over Ultra do not justify the visual compromise. The Low preset at 289.1 FPS serves only as a benchmark curiosity, as no practical benefit exists below 240 FPS for most displays.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K's specifications provide context for its performance in Outriders. With 24 cores (8 performance and 16 efficiency cores implied by the 32 threads), the CPU handles the game's background tasks and physics calculations without breaking a sweat. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache ensure that frequently accessed data stays close to the execution units, reducing memory latency during intense firefights.

The 6.00 GHz boost clock is the standout feature for gaming, as Outriders' frame generation benefits from high single-core throughput. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7,040 and multi-core score of 49,872 demonstrate its capability, while the Passmark single-thread score of 4,697 reinforces its strength in lightly threaded workloads. The 97th percentile ranking against all CPUs confirms this processor sits near the top of the hierarchy.

In the measured results, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p Low, where the 289.1 FPS result indicates the system is not GPU-bound — the CPU's 32 threads keep the game logic running smoothly while the RTX 5090 handles the relatively light graphical load. The nearest rival comparisons show the i9-14900K is 0.7% ahead of the Core i9-14900KF and Core Ultra 7 265KF in average benchmark score, while trailing the AMD EPYC 7413 by just 0.3%. This tight grouping suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU choice between these top-tier parts would yield minimal gaming differences, with the GPU becoming the dominant factor at 4K.