Fivem

Fivem, the multiplayer modification framework built atop the Grand Theft Auto V engine, presents a unique performance profile for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily influenced by graphics settings and resolution, with the CPU showing surprising strength in a game known for its single-threaded tendencies. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings to understand where this combo excels and where it struggles.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K paints a clear picture of a system where the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor at higher pixel counts, while the CPU holds its ground at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 166 FPS, which drops to 109 FPS at 1440p and further to 60 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is being pushed harder as resolution increases, with the frame rate nearly halving from 1080p to 4K on Low settings (166 to 60 FPS). The drop from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, with the average FPS falling by 45% on Low settings, indicating that the RX 6650 XT's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus are struggling to feed the massive pixel count of 3840x2160.

Moving to higher settings amplifies this GPU-bound behavior. With High settings, the average FPS at 1080p is 104, which scales to 69 FPS at 1440p and just 38 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p on High settings is a 34% reduction, while the 1440p to 4K transition costs another 45%. This consistent pattern across settings suggests that the RX 6650 XT's compute resources—its 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs—are simply overwhelmed at 4K, particularly when the game's draw distance and texture quality are increased. Interestingly, the CPU appears to be less of a factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rate differences between Low and High settings at 4K (60 vs. 38 FPS) show the GPU's rendering workload scaling with visual fidelity.

The data implies that this system is well-balanced for 1080p gaming, where the CPU can stretch its legs, but at 4K, the RX 6650 XT becomes a hard bottleneck. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (30 FPS) suggests that this resolution is only playable on Low settings, and even then, the 60 FPS average is borderline for smooth gameplay. For 1440p, the system offers a viable middle ground, with Medium settings delivering 86 FPS, which is a playable range for most multiplayer scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 brings a 14-core, 14-thread configuration based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its boost clock of 5.00 GHz is a key asset for Fivem, a game that is notoriously sensitive to single-thread performance due to its legacy engine and scripting-heavy multiplayer environments. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4516 places it in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong per-core performance that should handle the game's main thread effectively. In contrast, its multi-threaded PassMark score of 37816 shows robust overall compute capability, though Fivem rarely utilizes more than a few cores efficiently.

The benchmark data reveals that the CPU is not the primary constraint at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 166 FPS average at 1080p Low. This high frame rate suggests that the Ultra 5 235's single-thread capabilities are sufficient to drive the game's simulation and physics loops without bottlenecking the GPU. However, the lack of hyper-threading (14 threads for 14 cores) could be a minor concern in heavily populated multiplayer servers, where script execution might create temporary thread contention. The CPU's L3 cache of 24 MB shared provides adequate data locality for the game's assets, though Fivem's modded content often relies on streaming, which can stress cache and memory bandwidth.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Ultra 5 235's average benchmark score of 46062 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, 0.1% higher) and Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, 0.1% lower). This positions the CPU as a top-tier performer for gaming, though the deltaPct values are so small that they are effectively negligible in real-world scenarios. The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads, combined with a 5.00 GHz boost, make it a strong match for Fivem's primary thread, but the data suggests that at 1080p, the GPU is often the limiting factor even at Low settings, since the frame rates exceed what the RX 6650 XT can sustain at higher settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip, is a mid-range GPU that shows its limits in this pairing, especially at 4K. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a bottleneck at 3840x2160. The GPU's boost clock of 2635 MHz and game clock of 2410 MHz are respectable, and its 2048 shading units deliver a FP32 throughput of 10.79 TFLOPS. However, the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (30 FPS) indicates that the GPU's pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s is insufficient for the demands of 4K with high detail settings.

At 1080p, the RX 6650 XT performs admirably, with Low settings achieving 166 FPS, Medium at 131 FPS, and High at 104 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p (166 to 81 FPS) shows a 51% performance drop, which is typical for a GPU that is not overburdened at this resolution. The GPU's 32 ray accelerators and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are present, but Fivem rarely uses ray tracing, so these features have minimal impact on the measured results. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 17166 places it in the 65th percentile, which is solid for 1080p gaming but below the top tier.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla K40m (avgScore 19885, -0.6% delta) and AMD FirePro W7000 (avgScore 19905, -0.7% delta), which are older workstation cards. This comparison highlights that the RX 6650 XT's raw compute performance is competitive with these legacy parts, but its modern architecture features, such as the 128 ROPs and 128 TMUs, are better suited for gaming workloads. The GPU's 176 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU indicate that it is a power-hungry part, but the data shows that its performance is more than adequate for 1440p gaming, where it maintains 69 FPS on High settings and 86 FPS on Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 166 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings drop to 131 FPS, with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 150 FPS, indicating smooth frametimes. High settings yield 104 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 81 FPS. The 1080p Ultra result of 81 FPS is still playable, but the drop from Medium to Ultra (131 to 81 FPS) suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the system maintains playable frame rates across most settings. Low settings achieve 109 FPS, Medium settings deliver 86 FPS (with a minimum of 73 FPS and maximum of 99 FPS), and High settings produce 69 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 53 FPS, which is borderline for competitive multiplayer but acceptable for casual play. The 1440p results show a clear GPU-bound trend, as the frame rate drops by about 20% from Low to Medium and another 20% from Medium to High.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings achieve 60 FPS, which is just at the threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings drop to 48 FPS (with a minimum of 41 FPS and maximum of 55 FPS), High settings fall to 38 FPS, and Ultra settings produce just 30 FPS. The 4K results indicate that the RX 6650 XT is not suitable for 4K gaming with this CPU, as even Low settings are barely playable, and the framerate variance (41 to 55 FPS on Medium) suggests potential stuttering in busy scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Fivem, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks 1917 out of 3005 combinations. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems, which is somewhat surprising given the strong CPU performance. The rank suggests that while the CPU is capable, the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions drag down the overall score. The combo's rank of 1917 indicates that there are 1088 combos that perform worse, but also 1916 that perform better, putting this system in a position where it is outclassed by many other configurations.

The CPU's percentile of 89th among all CPUs and the GPU's 65th percentile among all GPUs create an imbalance. The CPU is clearly a high-end part, while the GPU is mid-range. This mismatch is reflected in the combo's rank, which is lower than the CPU's percentile would suggest. The data implies that the RX 6650 XT is the bottleneck in this pairing, particularly at 1440p and 4K, and that a more powerful GPU would significantly improve the combo's rank. However, for 1080p gaming, this combo is well-matched, as the CPU can push the GPU to its limits without holding it back.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo depends on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 131 FPS and a minimum of 111 FPS. While Low settings achieve 166 FPS, the visual fidelity loss is significant, and Medium provides a 21% FPS reduction for a substantial quality boost. High settings at 104 FPS are also viable, but the jump from Medium to High costs 21% of the frame rate, which may not be worth the marginal visual improvement.

For 1440p gaming, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, delivering 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS. Low settings at 109 FPS are smoother but look noticeably worse, while High settings at 69 FPS are playable but may suffer in intense multiplayer scenarios. Ultra settings at 53 FPS are not recommended for competitive play, as the frame rate dips below 60 FPS.

For 4K gaming, the data clearly shows that this combo is not suitable for high settings. Low settings achieve 60 FPS, which is the only playable option, but the visual quality will be significantly reduced. Medium settings at 48 FPS are borderline, and High (38 FPS) and Ultra (30 FPS) are not recommended. Users with 4K displays should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept Low settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Fivem?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 delivers the highest frame rates, with Low settings achieving 166 FPS and Medium achieving 131 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium settings drop to 86 FPS, while 3840x2160 only reaches 60 FPS on Low settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU allows the GPU to reach 166 FPS on Low settings, but at 4K, the GPU's performance drops to 38 FPS on High settings, showing that the RX 6650 XT cannot handle the pixel load.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems in Fivem?

A: This combo ranks 1917 out of 3005 tested combinations in Fivem, placing it in the lower-middle tier. The CPU's strong performance (89th percentile) is offset by the GPU's mid-range capabilities (65th percentile), resulting in a below-average overall ranking.

Q: What settings should I use for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset is recommended for 2560x1440, delivering 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS. Low settings offer 109 FPS but with reduced visual quality, while High settings at 69 FPS are playable but offer less headroom.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Fivem?

A: The data shows that 4K gaming is only playable on Low settings, with an average of 60 FPS. Medium settings drop to 48 FPS, and High and Ultra settings produce 38 FPS and 30 FPS respectively, which are not smooth enough for most players.

Q: Does the CPU's 14-core configuration benefit Fivem?

A: Fivem is primarily single-threaded, and the CPU's single-thread score of 4516 (89th percentile) is more relevant than its multi-core performance. The 14 cores provide headroom for background tasks, but the game's performance is largely determined by the single-thread speed and the GPU's capabilities.