Fivem

Fivem, a multiplayer modification platform for Grand Theft Auto V, presents a unique performance landscape that stresses both CPU and GPU heavily. This analysis examines the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, using measured frame rate data to determine where the bottleneck lies and how the combination performs across resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a significant performance drop as resolution increases, indicating that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the primary limiting component in this pairing. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 76 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average drops to 50 FPS, a reduction of approximately 34%. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 28 FPS, which is roughly 63% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline with each resolution step is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card's rendering capabilities are saturated before the CPU's potential is fully utilized.

The pattern persists across all settings presets. For High settings, the frame rate drops from 48 FPS at 1080p to 32 FPS at 1440p and then to 18 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 60 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 22 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, goes from 37 FPS at 1080p down to 25 FPS at 1440p and finally 14 FPS at 4K. The consistent proportional drops across all presets reinforce that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the decisive factors.

The GTX 1650's specifications align with this observation. It features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The boost clock is 1665 MHz, and the card delivers 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. At 4K resolution, the sheer number of pixels to process overwhelms these resources. The data suggests that even at Low settings, the 4K resolution is too demanding for this GPU, as the 28 FPS average falls below playable thresholds. The 1080p resolution remains the only viable option for smooth gameplay, while 1440p represents a compromise for less demanding settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) built on a 4 nm process. Its base clock is 4.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor has a 64 MB L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. Benchmark results show strong synthetic performance: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32172 and a single-core score of 2253. In Geekbench, it scores 22174 multicore and 3010 single-core. These figures place the CPU in the 92nd percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 57498.

Given the substantial CPU capabilities, the Ryzen 9 9900X is unlikely to be the bottleneck in Fivem at lower resolutions. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (76 FPS) suggests that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately, but the frame rate is still capped by the graphics card's limits. The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by the 3DMark single-thread score of 1286 and Passmark single-thread score of 4672, is beneficial for Fivem's multiplayer environments, which often rely on single-threaded game logic and physics calculations. However, the data indicates that even with this powerful CPU, the GTX 1650 cannot translate that processing power into higher frame rates at higher resolutions.

The nearest rivals to the Ryzen 9 9900X in terms of average benchmark score include the AMD EPYC 9015 (deltaPct -0.1%), AMD EPYC 7313 (deltaPct 0.2%), Intel Core i9-14900 (deltaPct -1.1%), and Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (deltaPct -1.4%). These deltas are minimal, showing that the 9900X is within 1.4% of these other high-end processors in overall synthetic benchmarks. For Fivem specifically, the CPU role appears to be supportive rather than dominant; the processor's ample core count and high clocks prevent it from holding back the GTX 1650, but the GPU's limitations become apparent as resolution and settings increase.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process, featuring 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. Its base clock is 1485 MHz with a boost clock of 1665 MHz. The memory configuration consists of 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The card's pixel rate is 53.28 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 93.24 GTexel/s. In synthetic benchmarks, the GTX 1650 scores 7880 in Passmark G3D and 3048 in Passmark GPU Compute, placing it in the 40th percentile among all GPUs.

The GPU's modest specifications directly explain the measured FPS results in Fivem. The 4 GB VRAM capacity is a critical constraint at higher resolutions and settings, where texture data and frame buffers demand more memory than available. The 128-bit memory bus and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth limit the data throughput required for high-resolution rendering. The card's FP32 performance of 2.984 TFLOPS is adequate for 1080p gaming but insufficient for 1440p and 4K at high settings.

Comparing to nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, the GTX 1650's average score of 7472 is close to the AMD Radeon HD 8850M (deltaPct 0.3%), Intel UHD Graphics 750 (deltaPct 0.4%), AMD Radeon R7 350 (deltaPct 0.6%), and Intel Arc A310 (deltaPct -1%). This places the GTX 1650 in a performance tier that is competitive with entry-level integrated graphics and older discrete cards, underscoring its limitations for modern gaming at high resolutions. In Fivem, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, where the frame rates drop below 50 FPS even at Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows playable performance across all presets. Low settings yield 76 FPS average, Medium produces 60 FPS (with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69), High delivers 48 FPS, and Ultra drops to 37 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination, with Low and Medium providing smooth gameplay and High remaining acceptable for most users. The minimum FPS data for Medium (51 FPS) suggests that frame pacing is consistent, avoiding severe stutters.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. Low settings average 50 FPS, Medium averages 40 FPS (minimum 34, maximum 45), High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The 1440p resolution demands more from the GPU, and the frame rates reflect a shift toward marginal playability. Low settings are the only preset that maintains an average above 48 FPS, while Medium and High are borderline, and Ultra falls below the 30 FPS threshold for comfortable play.

At 3840x2160, the performance is largely unplayable. Low settings average 28 FPS, Medium averages 22 FPS (minimum 19, maximum 25), High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 14 FPS. None of these averages reach 30 FPS, and the minimum FPS for Medium (19) indicates severe drops that would cause noticeable stuttering. The 4K resolution is clearly beyond the GTX 1650's capabilities, regardless of the powerful CPU backing it up.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the frame rate scales almost linearly with the number of pixels rendered, confirming the GPU bottleneck. The CPU's influence is minimal in these results, as the Ryzen 9 9900X's strong single and multi-thread performance does not translate into higher FPS when the GPU is saturated.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Fivem, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 3562 out of 3707 total combos. This places it in the bottom 4% of all tested configurations, which is a poor standing. The ranking reflects the significant imbalance between the high-end CPU and the entry-level GPU. While the CPU is in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, the GPU is only in the 40th percentile, and the combination's overall rank suffers because the GPU holds back the system's gaming performance.

The rank of 3562 indicates that most other combinations, even those with weaker CPUs, achieve better Fivem performance when paired with more capable GPUs. The data suggests that the Ryzen 9 9900X's potential is largely wasted in this pairing for gaming purposes, as the GTX 1650 cannot utilize the CPU's capabilities beyond a certain point. For Fivem specifically, which is a multiplayer mod that can be CPU-intensive in populated servers, the CPU does provide a solid foundation, but the GPU's limitations dominate the final results.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Fivem with this combo?

A: The 1920x1080 resolution is the only viable option for smooth gameplay. At 1080p, even Ultra settings average 37 FPS, while Low settings reach 76 FPS. At 1440p, the highest average is 50 FPS on Low, and at 4K, all settings fall below 30 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The GTX 1650's 4 GB VRAM and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth limit performance, as shown by the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions. The Ryzen 9 9900X, with its 12 cores and high clock speeds, is not the limiting factor in these results.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1650's average benchmark score of 7472 is within 1% of the AMD Radeon HD 8850M, Intel UHD Graphics 750, AMD Radeon R7 350, and Intel Arc A310. This places it in a performance tier with entry-level and integrated graphics solutions.

Q: What is the playable settings preset at 1080p?

A: Medium settings provide a 60 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS, making it the most balanced preset. Low settings offer the highest frame rate at 76 FPS, while High and Ultra drop to 48 FPS and 37 FPS respectively.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 9900X's performance help in Fivem?

A: The CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2253) supports game logic and physics, but the measured FPS shows that gains are limited by the GPU. The CPU does not prevent the frame rate from dropping at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the overall ranking of this combo in Fivem?

A: This combination ranks 3562 out of 3707 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 4%. The ranking is low due to the GPU's inability to match the CPU's capabilities in this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This preset delivers a 60 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS, ensuring consistent and responsive gameplay. The Medium preset balances visual quality with performance, avoiding the frame rate drops seen in High (48 FPS) and Ultra (37 FPS) presets. For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Low settings at 1080p yield 76 FPS, which is the smoothest experience available with this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that only Low settings are acceptable, with a 50 FPS average. Medium at 1440p drops to 40 FPS, which may be tolerable for some users, but the minimum of 34 FPS indicates potential stuttering in demanding scenes. High and Ultra at 1440p are not recommended, as they fall to 32 FPS and 25 FPS respectively. The 3840x2160 resolution is not recommended for any preset, as all settings fail to reach 30 FPS, with the highest average being 28 FPS on Low. Users should stick to 1080p for the best balance of performance and visual fidelity with this CPU-GPU pair.