Does the Core i7-14700K Bottleneck the RTX 4070 Super?
Short answer: Only at 1080p. The Core i7-14700K limits the RTX 4070 Super by 16% at 1080p, which mostly shows in high-frame-rate games. At 1440p (4% GPU) and 4K (29% GPU) the pair is balanced, so this is a good match for a 1440p monitor.
- Best resolution for this pair: 1440p
- Bottleneck: 16% CPU at 1080p, 4% GPU at 1440p, 29% GPU at 4K
- Average FPS (9 demanding games, High): 142 at 1080p, 105 at 1440p, 61 at 4K
- Recommended power supply: 750 W or more
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Core i7-14700K + RTX 4070 Super bottleneck at 1080p, 1440p and 4K
| Resolution | Bottleneck | Limiting part | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 16% | CPU (mild) | The CPU limits the card a little in high-frame-rate games. |
| 1440p | 4% | GPU (balanced) | Balanced. The graphics card sets the frame rate. |
| 4K | 29% | GPU (moderate) | The graphics card is fully used. This is the normal, healthy kind of limit. |
Core i7-14700K + RTX 4070 Super: bottleneck by type of game
The same pair can be balanced in one game and CPU-bound in another, because some games lean much harder on the processor. For this build the CPU is felt most in strategy and simulation games, at 40% at 1080p.
| Game type | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esports (CS2, Valorant) | 35% CPU | 24% CPU | 5% GPU |
| Battle royale (Fortnite, Warzone) | 16% CPU | 4% GPU | 29% GPU |
| Open world (Cyberpunk, RDR2) | 6% GPU | 23% GPU | 39% GPU |
| Strategy and simulation (Flight Sim, Cities) | 40% CPU | 30% CPU | 7% CPU |
| Racing (Forza, F1) | 6% CPU | 14% GPU | 34% GPU |
Core i7-14700K + RTX 4070 Super FPS in popular games
Estimated average FPS and 1% lows on the High preset, native resolution, no ray tracing, with 16 GB of RAM. Across nine demanding games the RTX 4070 Super with the Core i7-14700K averages about 142 FPS at 1080p, 105 FPS at 1440p and 61 FPS at 4K. At 1440p the graphics card sets the limit in every game listed.
| Game | 1080p High | 1440p High | 4K High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 473 (341 low) | 338 (264 low) | 197 (154 low) |
| Valorant | 645 (464 low) | 461 (360 low) | 269 (210 low) |
| Fortnite | 201 (157 low) | 143 (112 low) | 84 (65 low) |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | 141 (110 low) | 100 (78 low) | 59 (46 low) |
| Battlefield 6 | 158 (123 low) | 113 (88 low) | 66 (51 low) |
| ARC Raiders | 172 (134 low) | 123 (96 low) | 72 (56 low) |
| Marvel Rivals | 122 (95 low) | 87 (68 low) | 51 (40 low) |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 136 (106 low) | 97 (76 low) | 57 (44 low) |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 93 (73 low) | 67 (52 low) | 39 (30 low) |
| Hogwarts Legacy | 129 (93 low) | 92 (72 low) | 54 (42 low) |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | 129 (85 low) | 123 (89 low) | 72 (56 low) |
| Elden Ring | 60 (43 low) | 60 (47 low) | 57 (44 low) |
Core i7-14700K + RTX 4070 Super: specs at a glance
| Part | Key specs | Platform | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core i7-14700K | 20 cores / 28 threads, Raptor Lake Refresh (2023) | LGA1700, DDR4 / DDR5 | 125 W rated, up to about 253 W |
| RTX 4070 Super | 12 GB GDDR6X, Ada Lovelace (2024) | DLSS 4 upscaling and DLSS Frame Generation (2x) | About 220 W board power |
Core i7-14700K + RTX 4070 Super: what to expect at each resolution
1080p
At 1080p the CPU bottleneck is 16%, so the RTX 4070 Super will often run below full load. You will feel it most in fast multiplayer games and in 1% lows (stutter). Expect about 136 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 201 FPS in Fortnite and 473 FPS in Counter-Strike 2 on High.
1440p
At 1440p the RTX 4070 Super is the limit (4% GPU), which is normal and means you are getting the card’s full speed, unlike at 1080p. Expect about 97 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 143 FPS in Fortnite and 338 FPS in Counter-Strike 2 on High.
4K
At 4K the RTX 4070 Super is the limit (29% GPU), which is normal and means you are getting the card’s full speed, unlike at 1080p. Expect about 57 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 84 FPS in Fortnite and 197 FPS in Counter-Strike 2 on High.
Core i7-14700K + RTX 4070 Super: best upgrade for this build
Upgrade the graphics card when you are ready. The Core i7-14700K can feed a faster card: for example the RTX 5080 stays balanced at 1440p (9% CPU) and adds about 43% FPS there. Going much faster than that pushes the bottleneck onto the CPU. See the best GPU for the Core i7-14700K for the full list.
Core i7-14700K + RTX 4070 Super: power supply for this pair
The Core i7-14700K can draw up to about 253 W and the RTX 4070 Super about 220 W. With 100 W for the rest of the system and 25% headroom, a good 750 W power supply (80 Plus Gold or better) is a safe choice. Use the PSU wattage calculator to include your exact drives, fans and overclocking.
Core i7-14700K + RTX 4070 Super: settings tips for this pair
- Raise graphics settings and resolution: the GPU has spare power, the CPU does not. Higher settings cost almost no FPS here.
- Use native resolution or DLAA / FSR Native AA instead of a Performance upscaling mode, which would only shift more load to the CPU.
- Lower CPU-heavy settings: crowd density, object view distance, physics and simulation quality.
- Turn on XMP or EXPO so the RAM runs at its rated speed, and use two sticks for dual channel.
- Close browsers, launchers and overlays while gaming to free up CPU time.
Core i7-14700K + RTX 4070 Super: frequently asked questions
Does the Core i7-14700K bottleneck the RTX 4070 Super?
Only at 1080p. The Core i7-14700K limits the RTX 4070 Super by 16% at 1080p, which mostly shows in high-frame-rate games. At 1440p (4% GPU) and 4K (29% GPU) the pair is balanced, so this is a good match for a 1440p monitor.
Is the Core i7-14700K good enough for the RTX 4070 Super at 1440p?
Yes. At 1440p the bottleneck is 4% GPU, which is in the balanced range, so you get close to the card’s full speed.
How many FPS does the Core i7-14700K with the RTX 4070 Super get?
On High settings we estimate about 142 FPS at 1080p and 105 FPS at 1440p on average across nine demanding games, for example 97 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p and 201 FPS in Fortnite at 1080p.
Should I upgrade the CPU or the GPU first?
The CPU. The graphics card already has spare power, so a faster GPU would add little until the processor is faster.
What power supply do I need for the Core i7-14700K and RTX 4070 Super?
About 750 W from a good brand with an 80 Plus Gold rating. That covers the CPU (up to about 253 W), the graphics card (about 220 W), the rest of the system and some headroom.
Core i7-14700K + RTX 4070 Super: related CPU and GPU pairs
Keep exploring
- Best GPU for the Core i7-14700K
- Best CPU for the RTX 4070 Super
- RTX 5070 vs RTX 4070 Super
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7900 GRE
- Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs Core i7-14700K
- FPS calculator
Sources: Tom’s Hardware GPU hierarchy, Tom’s Hardware CPU hierarchy, TechSpot CPU and GPU scaling tests, TechPowerUp GPU database, and manufacturer specifications from AMD, Intel and NVIDIA. Bottleneck and FPS figures come from our own bottleneck and FPS models.