Core i7-14700K + RTX 4090 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.

1080p93–131 fps · Mild GPU limit 1440p78–114 fps · Strong GPU limit 4K54–84 fps · Strong GPU limit

1080p

Mild GPU limit

Expected frame rate: 93–131 fps (measured range across sources).

CPU Core i7-14700Kceiling ~163 fps on its own

GPU RTX 4090ceiling ~93–131 fps on its own

The GPU side is lower by about 31.1%: the pair runs at the lower ceiling, and upgrading the other part alone would not raise it.

That range justifies a 144 Hz monitor in this game.

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

1440p

Strong GPU limit

Expected frame rate: 78–114 fps (measured range across sources).

CPU Core i7-14700Kceiling ~163 fps on its own

GPU RTX 4090ceiling ~78–114 fps on its own

The GPU side is lower by about 41.0%: 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: LOW — based on 3 source measurements for these two parts.

4K

Strong GPU limit

Expected frame rate: 54–84 fps (measured range across sources).

CPU Core i7-14700Kceiling ~163 fps on its own

GPU RTX 4090ceiling ~54–84 fps on its own

The GPU side is lower by about 57.6%: 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.

No GPU measured in this game at 1440p fully clears this CPU - the strongest measured option:

RTX 5090 — ceiling ~134 fps (still the limiting side, but the highest measured ceiling) · full result

This pair in other measured games

Alan Wake 2 — Strong GPU limit, 117–117 fps at 1440p
Baldur's Gate 3 — Strong CPU limit, 118–118 fps at 1440p
Counter-Strike 2 — Mild GPU limit, 451–451 fps at 1440p
Cyberpunk 2077 — this pair is not both measured there yet.
Elden Ring — Mild CPU limit, 162–162 fps at 1440p
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II — Balanced, 159–159 fps at 1440p
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 — Balanced, 154–154 fps at 1440p
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 — Balanced, 87–87 fps at 1440p

Sources for Starfield

Full data: Starfield benchmarks · how verdicts are computed.