Fivem

Fivem, a multiplayer modification framework, exhibits significant performance variability depending on the chosen graphics settings and resolution. When paired with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, the benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor's strength becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. The measured FPS shows a clear progression: 4K Ultra dips to 30 FPS, while 1080p Low reaches 166 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in demanding configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data shows a predictable and steep performance drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 166 FPS at 1080p to 109 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 60 FPS at 4K. This represents a 64% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings, which strongly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the limiting component in this configuration. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus width are clearly insufficient to maintain high frame rates when pixel count quadruples.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more dramatic. The average FPS drops from 81 at 1080p to 53 at 1440p, and then plummets to 30 at 4K. This 63% decrease from 1080p to 4K at the highest preset confirms that the graphics card cannot sustain the workload at higher resolutions. The fact that the 4K Ultra result falls below the 30 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay is a critical finding, as it suggests that this setting is not viable for a playable experience. The data indicates that the Radeon RX 6650 XT's 10.79 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 168.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply not enough for 4K gaming in Fivem.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (166 FPS) and Ultra (81 FPS) is 85 FPS, but at 4K, the difference shrinks to 30 FPS (60 FPS vs 30 FPS). This pattern suggests that at 4K, the GPU becomes so saturated that even reducing settings has diminishing returns. The 1440p results show a middle ground, with the difference between Low and Ultra being 56 FPS (109 FPS vs 53 FPS), indicating a more balanced workload distribution between the CPU and GPU.

The benchmark results at Medium settings provide additional insight into this scaling behavior. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 48, with a minimum of 41 and maximum of 55. This contrasts with the 1080p Medium result of 131 FPS (min 111, max 150). The variance between minimum and maximum FPS also increases with resolution, suggesting that the GPU's frame pacing becomes less consistent under heavier loads. The data clearly shows that Fivem's performance with this hardware combination is primarily resolution-bound, with the CPU's capabilities only becoming fully utilized at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combination in Fivem?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, as it delivers an average of 166 FPS at Low settings and 104 FPS at High settings. At 2560x1440, the performance drops to 109 FPS at Low and 69 FPS at High, while 3840x2160 yields only 60 FPS at Low and 38 FPS at High, making 4K unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform compared to High in Fivem?

A: At 1080p, Ultra averages 81 FPS versus 104 FPS on High, a 22% reduction. At 1440p, Ultra averages 53 FPS versus 69 FPS on High, a 23% drop. At 4K, Ultra averages 30 FPS versus 38 FPS on High, a 21% decrease. The consistent performance penalty suggests that Ultra settings impose a uniform additional load on the GPU across all resolutions.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT capable of running Fivem at 1440p?

A: Yes, but with limitations. The measured data shows 109 FPS at Low, 86 FPS at Medium, and 69 FPS at High settings for 2560x1440. However, the Ultra preset drops to 53 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players but falls short of high-refresh-rate gaming standards. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1440p in this game, as the measured results show playable frame rates across all presets except Ultra.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Medium settings?

A: At 1080p, Low averages 166 FPS while Medium averages 131 FPS, a 21% difference. At 1440p, Low averages 109 FPS versus 86 FPS on Medium, a 21% gap. At 4K, Low averages 60 FPS versus 48 FPS on Medium, a 20% difference. This consistent ~21% reduction indicates that the Medium preset adds a uniform workload increase over Low across all resolutions.

Q: How does this combo's performance compare to other tested combinations in Fivem?

A: The combo ranks 2391 out of 3707 tested combinations, placing it in the 35th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking indicates that while the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a high-end processor (96th percentile among all CPUs), the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT (65th percentile among GPUs) holds the overall performance back, resulting in a below-average position for gaming in Fivem.

Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus bottleneck the Radeon RX 6650 XT?

A: The benchmark data suggests that at 1080p Low, where the CPU has more influence, the average FPS reaches 166, which is likely near the GPU's maximum capability. The CPU's strong Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303 and multi-core score of 51731 indicate it is not the limiting factor in this configuration. The GPU's 65th percentile ranking versus the CPU's 96th percentile clearly shows the GPU is the bottleneck, particularly at 1440p and 4K resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this hardware combination in Fivem is achieved at 1920x1080 with High settings, delivering an average of 104 FPS. This configuration provides a good balance between visual quality and performance, as the frame rate remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 1080p offers a 28% performance improvement over Ultra (104 FPS vs 81 FPS) while still providing substantial visual detail.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, 1080p Low is the best option, yielding 166 FPS on average. This setting is particularly well-suited for competitive multiplayer scenarios where responsiveness is paramount over visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p provides a middle ground at 131 FPS, with a minimum of 111 FPS ensuring consistent performance during intense scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset offers the best experience, averaging 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS. This configuration provides a solid frame rate for most gaming scenarios while maintaining acceptable visual quality. The High preset at 1440p is also viable at 69 FPS, though the lower minimum frame rates may cause occasional stuttering in crowded multiplayer areas.

The 4K Ultra preset is not recommended, as the 30 FPS average falls below the playability threshold. Even 4K Low at 60 FPS is marginal, and the visual sacrifice required to achieve this frame rate undermines the benefits of 4K resolution. Players with 4K displays should strongly consider using 1440p resolution instead, where the Medium preset delivers a much better experience at 86 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks 2391 out of 3707 tested combinations in Fivem. This places the combo in the bottom 35% of all tested systems, which is a surprising result given the individual components' rankings. The processor alone ranks in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, while the graphics card ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs. The significant discrepancy between these two components explains the below-average overall ranking.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores 0.2% higher on average, and the AMD EPYC 4584PX, which scores 1.1% higher. The Ultra 9 290K Plus outperforms the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%. These margins are minimal, indicating that the processor is competitive with other high-end chips. However, this computational strength does not translate to Fivem performance due to the GPU limitation.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, which scores 0.6% lower, and the AMD FirePro D300, which scores 0.7% lower. The Radeon RX 6650 XT outperforms the AMD FirePro W7000 by 0.7% and the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 by 0.8%. These rival comparisons show that the GPU is positioned in the mid-range segment, which aligns with its 65th percentile ranking. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU results in a system that underperforms in Fivem specifically because the game's rendering demands are not CPU-bound.

The ranking suggests that in Fivem, the GPU is the dominant factor in determining overall performance. Systems with a more balanced CPU-GPU pairing would likely rank higher, as the Ultra 9 290K Plus's capabilities are largely underutilized in this game. The data indicates that for Fivem, investing in a stronger GPU would yield better returns than the high-end processor used in this test.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It features a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The CPU's cache configuration includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications position it as a high-end desktop processor designed for demanding workloads.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ultra 9 290K Plus demonstrates exceptional performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and single-core score of 7303 place it in the top tier of processors. The PassMark multi-thread score of 60860 and single-thread score of 4823 further confirm its capabilities. These scores indicate that the CPU is more than capable of handling Fivem's processing requirements, which include physics calculations, AI, and network code for multiplayer interactions.

However, the measured FPS data in Fivem suggests that the CPU's performance is not the limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 166 FPS, which is likely near the maximum that the Radeon RX 6650 XT can output. The fact that increasing resolution from 1080p to 4K at Low settings causes a 64% drop in FPS (166 to 60) indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck, not the CPU. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain more constant across resolutions.

The 24 cores and 24 threads provide substantial parallel processing capability, which is beneficial for Fivem's multiplayer environment where many entities and scripts run concurrently. The 36 MB of L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, and the 115.2 GB/s dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth ensures that data can be fed to the GPU efficiently. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that it is not the weak link in this system, even though the overall combo ranking in Fivem is relatively low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across all settings shows a clear progression: Low delivers 166 FPS, Medium delivers 131 FPS with a minimum of 111 FPS and maximum of 150 FPS, High delivers 104 FPS, and Ultra delivers 81 FPS. The 1080p results demonstrate that this resolution is well within the capabilities of the Radeon RX 6650 XT, with even the Ultra preset maintaining playable frame rates. The 35 FPS difference between High and Ultra at this resolution suggests that the Ultra preset includes demanding effects that significantly impact performance.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops noticeably: Low delivers 109 FPS, Medium delivers 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS and maximum of 99 FPS, High delivers 69 FPS, and Ultra delivers 53 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU is starting to struggle, particularly at higher settings. The 16 FPS difference between Medium and High, and another 16 FPS between High and Ultra, indicates that each settings tier adds a substantial load. The minimum FPS of 73 at Medium suggests that even this setting can experience frame drops in demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal: Low delivers 60 FPS, Medium delivers 48 FPS with a minimum of 41 FPS and maximum of 55 FPS, High delivers 38 FPS, and Ultra delivers 30 FPS. The 4K results clearly show that this resolution is too demanding for the GPU. Even at Low settings, the 60 FPS average is barely playable, and the 18 FPS drop from Low to Medium highlights the GPU's inability to handle 4K rendering. The Ultra preset at 30 FPS is essentially unplayable, with frame times likely exceeding 33 milliseconds.

The complete dataset reveals that the Radeon RX 6650 XT provides a playable experience only at 1080p across all settings, at 1440p up to High settings, and at 4K only at Low settings. The minimum FPS values recorded at Medium settings show some variance: 111 FPS at 1080p, 73 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the GPU's frame pacing becomes less stable as resolution increases, which could result in noticeable stuttering in fast-paced multiplayer scenarios.