Fivem

Fivem with an Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER produces a playable but resolution-sensitive experience. The data shows this combo ranks in the 15th percentile of all tested combinations, indicating that while the hardware is capable of running the game, it is far from a top-tier pairing for this multiplayer title. The Core Ultra 5 235 sits in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GTX 1660 SUPER lands in the 53rd percentile among GPUs, suggesting the graphics card is the primary limiting factor in most scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and steep performance drop as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 123 FPS, which drops to 81 FPS at 1440p and further to 45 FPS at 4K. This represents a 63% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by the pixel count increase. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, with High settings showing 77 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K — a 64% drop.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is particularly steep. At Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 97 at 1080p to 64 at 1440p, a 34% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings brings another 45% drop, from 64 to 35 FPS. This compounding effect demonstrates that the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are insufficient to maintain smooth performance at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 22 FPS, while 4K High at 28 FPS is marginally better but still below the 30 FPS threshold for acceptable gameplay.

At 1080p, the scaling between presets is more moderate, suggesting the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output. The jump from Low (123 FPS) to Medium (97 FPS) is a 21% reduction, while High (77 FPS) is another 21% drop from Medium. Ultra (60 FPS) is 22% below High. This linear scaling at 1080p indicates that the GPU is still the bottleneck, but the CPU has enough headroom to feed it adequately. The data suggests that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination, with 1440p being a stretch and 4K only viable at Low settings.

GPU Role

The GTX 1660 SUPER, built on the Turing architecture with a 12 nm process, is a modest performer by modern standards. Its 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs are paired with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The boost clock of 1785 MHz and base clock of 1530 MHz are relatively low compared to newer cards, but the measured results show the card can still deliver playable frame rates at 1080p.

The GPU's 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the middle of the pack. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (0.4% faster), AMD Radeon RX 580 (0.4% faster), and AMD Radeon 740M (0.9% slower). The fact that a mobile GPU and an integrated solution are competitive with this desktop card underscores its aging performance profile. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is particularly concerning for Fivem, which is a multiplayer modification framework that often runs with many assets and textures loaded simultaneously.

The memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s is the likely culprit for the steep resolution scaling. At 4K, the GPU must move significantly more data per frame, and the 192-bit bus becomes a bottleneck. The pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s are adequate for 1080p but insufficient for 4K. The FP32 performance of 5.027 TFLOPS further confirms that this card is designed for 1080p gaming, not high-resolution workloads. The fact that the card's successor, the GeForce 20 series, exists suggests NVIDIA themselves positioned this as an entry-level solution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2569 out of 3005 tested combinations places this pairing in the bottom 15% of all systems tested in Fivem. This is a significant underperformance relative to the individual components' rankings. The CPU alone ranks in the 89th percentile, while the GPU sits in the 53rd percentile, yet the combination achieves only the 15th percentile overall. This discrepancy highlights how the GPU's limitations drag down the entire system's gaming performance.

The Core Ultra 5 235's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% faster) and Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% slower), are all high-end processors that would typically be paired with much more powerful GPUs. The fact that this CPU is paired with a GTX 1660 SUPER creates a significant imbalance. The CPU is capable of far more than the GPU can deliver, meaning the system's gaming performance is entirely constrained by the graphics card.

In practical terms, this rank means that most other tested combinations deliver better Fivem performance. The gap between this combo and the median is substantial, and users upgrading from this system would see the most benefit from a GPU upgrade rather than a CPU upgrade. The data suggests that the CPU has headroom to support a much more powerful graphics card without becoming a bottleneck itself.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p is the clear recommendation. The measured 97 FPS average with a minimum of 82 FPS and maximum of 111 FPS provides a smooth experience that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. This is a 24% improvement over High settings (77 FPS) while maintaining a significantly better visual experience than Low (123 FPS). The minimum frame rate of 82 FPS ensures that even in demanding multiplayer moments, the game remains fluid.

At 1440p, Medium settings deliver 64 FPS average with a minimum of 54 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. The 54 FPS minimum could dip below 60 FPS during intense scenes, causing noticeable stutter. For 1440p, Low settings at 81 FPS are the safer choice if frame rate consistency is prioritized over visual fidelity. High settings at 1440p (51 FPS) and Ultra (40 FPS) are not recommended due to frame rates dropping below 60 FPS.

At 4K, only Low settings (45 FPS) approach playability, but even this is below the 60 FPS standard. Medium at 4K (35 FPS) and High (28 FPS) are not viable for a smooth experience, and Ultra (22 FPS) is effectively unplayable. The data strongly indicates that 4K should be avoided with this hardware configuration, as no preset achieves a consistent 30 FPS minimum. The measured minimum of 30 FPS at 4K Medium is the only data point that reaches this threshold, but the 35 FPS average leaves little margin.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1080p is the only resolution where all presets exceed 60 FPS. At 1440p, Medium settings drop to 64 FPS, and at 4K, even Low settings only reach 45 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset provides 97 FPS average with an 82 FPS minimum.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12,699 in Passmark G3D, placing it 0.4% behind the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon RX 580. The AMD Radeon 740M is 0.9% slower. This places the card in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs.

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

A: The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile while the GPU ranks in the 53rd percentile, and the combo ranks in the 15th percentile. This indicates the GPU is severely limiting performance. The Core Ultra 5 235 has 14 cores and 14 threads with a 5.00 GHz boost clock, far exceeding what the GTX 1660 SUPER can utilize.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values at different settings?

A: Only the Medium presets have measured minimum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 82 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 54 FPS; at 4K Medium, it is 30 FPS. Other presets do not have recorded minimum values in the data.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 235 perform in CPU benchmarks?

A: The CPU achieves 14,769 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2,085 in single-core. It scores 37,816 in Passmark multithread and 4,516 in single-thread. Its average benchmark score is 46,062, which is 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13900HX.

Q: Does this system support 4K gaming in Fivem?

A: At 4K, the highest average FPS is 45 at Low settings. Medium settings drop to 35 FPS, High to 28 FPS, and Ultra to 22 FPS. The data indicates 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo, as even the best preset fails to maintain 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. With a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz, it delivers strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 cache per core provide ample data storage for gaming workloads. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its position as a high-end desktop processor.

In Fivem, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and the many scripts that multiplayer servers run. The 14 cores and 14 threads are more than sufficient for this task, as evidenced by the CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14,769 and Passmark multithread score of 37,816 indicate strong parallel processing capability. However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% faster), Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% slower), AMD EPYC 4364P (0.2% faster), and AMD EPYC 7303 (0.2% faster). These comparisons show that the Core Ultra 5 235 performs at the level of high-end laptop and server processors, further emphasizing that it is not holding back the system's gaming performance. The 65 W TDP and DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation for gaming, but the GPU's 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are the true constraints.

The data indicates that the CPU has significant headroom for more demanding GPU configurations. The measured frame rates at 1080p Low (123 FPS) show that the CPU can push well beyond 100 FPS, but the GPU cannot sustain higher output at more demanding settings. Users considering an upgrade should focus on the graphics card, as the Core Ultra 5 235 will not bottleneck a more powerful GPU in Fivem.