Core i5-14600K + RX 6950 XT in Starfield

Every figure below is a measurement aggregated from published review charts — the CPU's frame-rate ceiling and the GPU's frame-rate ceiling in this game, combined. Settings: Ultra preset, native rendering, no upscaling, no frame generation. CPU ceiling measured at 1080p, Low preset (reviewers' CPU-isolation method), flagship GPU.

1080p

Strong GPU limit

Expected frame rate: 72–96 fps (measured range across sources).

CPU Core i5-14600Kceiling ~149 fps on its own
GPU RX 6950 XTceiling ~72–96 fps on its own

The GPU side is lower by about 43.4%: the pair runs at the lower ceiling, and upgrading the other part alone would not raise it.

That range suits a 60 Hz monitor; a high-refresh panel would be underused in this game.

Confidence: MEDIUM — based on 3 source measurements for these two parts.

1440p

Strong GPU limit

Expected frame rate: 57–79 fps (measured range across sources).

CPU Core i5-14600Kceiling ~149 fps on its own
GPU RX 6950 XTceiling ~57–79 fps on its own

The GPU side is lower by about 54.4%: the pair runs at the lower ceiling, and upgrading the other part alone would not raise it.

That range suits a 60 Hz monitor; a high-refresh panel would be underused in this game.

Confidence: MEDIUM — based on 3 source measurements for these two parts.

4K

Strong GPU limit

Expected frame rate: 35–50 fps (measured range across sources).

CPU Core i5-14600Kceiling ~149 fps on its own
GPU RX 6950 XTceiling ~35–50 fps on its own

The GPU side is lower by about 71.6%: the pair runs at the lower ceiling, and upgrading the other part alone would not raise it.

That range sits under a smooth 60 in this game at the tested preset — expect to trade settings for frame rate.

Confidence: MEDIUM — based on 3 source measurements for these two parts.

This pair in other measured games

Sources for Starfield

Full data: Starfield benchmarks · how verdicts are computed.