Fivem

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a severely GPU-bound configuration in Fivem, where the processor's immense compute capacity is largely negated by graphics performance that ranks near the bottom of the database. The data indicates that this combo is fundamentally unbalanced for this multiplayer title, with the Arc B390's integrated-class performance creating a definitive bottleneck at every resolution and setting level. Benchmark results show that users should prioritize the lowest graphical preset to achieve a playable frame rate, as the CPU is never the limiting factor in this pairing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data strongly dictates that the Low preset is the only viable setting for a consistently playable experience across all resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 88 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire measured set that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. This represents a significant 25.7% improvement over the next best option, the Medium preset at 70 FPS. While the Medium preset offers a more balanced visual experience, its 70 FPS average at 1080p still falls short of the fluidity provided by Low settings, and the performance gap widens considerably at higher resolutions.

The data shows a clear hierarchy where each step up in settings costs a substantial number of frames. Moving from Low to Medium at 1080p reduces the average FPS from 88 to 70, a drop of 20.5%. The jump from Medium to High is even more punishing, decreasing performance from 70 FPS to 56 FPS, a 20% reduction. The Ultra preset is essentially non-viable, delivering only 43 FPS at 1080p and dropping to a dismal 16 FPS at 4K. The pattern is consistent across every resolution, indicating that the Arc B390 lacks the raw throughput to handle higher fidelity settings without crippling frame rates.

For users with 1440p monitors, the Low preset is mandatory, as it is the only setting that manages to stay above the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 58 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 46 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced multiplayer environment. At 4K, no setting achieves a playable frame rate; the Low preset offers only 32 FPS, while High and Ultra fall to 20 FPS and 16 FPS respectively. The recommendation is unambiguous: select Low settings and prioritize resolution scaling, as the GPU's limitations are the primary constraint in every scenario.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this combo's Fivem performance, and its specifications explain the measured results with stark clarity. This is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, operating with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU relies on System Shared memory, meaning its VRAM capacity, bus width, and bandwidth are entirely dependent on the host system's RAM configuration. This architecture is fundamentally ill-suited for a demanding multiplayer title like Fivem, which requires sustained memory bandwidth and dedicated graphics resources.

The performance ceiling of the Arc B390 is reflected in its benchmark scores. It achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This score positions it just 1.3% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% above the GeForce GT 710, both of which are legacy entry-level parts. The 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 compute throughput and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are theoretically adequate for basic rendering, but the shared memory architecture creates a severe bottleneck when handling the complex draw calls and texture streaming inherent to Fivem's multiplayer environments.

The measured FPS data confirms that the GPU is the sole limiting component. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 88 FPS, but this drops to 56 FPS at High settings and 43 FPS at Ultra. This 51% reduction from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a classic signature of a GPU that is overwhelmed by increased shader complexity and texture resolution. The Arc B390's 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs are simply insufficient to maintain frame rates when the render load increases, and the absence of dedicated VRAM compounds this issue by forcing constant memory paging.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is an extraordinarily powerful processor that is entirely wasted in this configuration for Fivem. With 24 cores and 24 threads, a base clock of 3.70 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, this CPU is capable of handling any computational workload the game can present. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and single-core score of 7303 place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is among the top 4% of processors available. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for game logic and physics calculations.

However, the benchmark data shows that the CPU's capabilities have no bearing on the measured FPS. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with a delta of 0.2%, and the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 1.1% ahead, but these differences are irrelevant when the GPU is producing only 20 FPS at 4K High settings. The processor's PassMark multi-thread score of 60860 and single-thread score of 4823 are exceptional, but Fivem's frame rate is dictated by the graphics pipeline, not the CPU.

The data reveals that the CPU is never the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting performance, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain constant. Instead, the FPS drops dramatically from 88 at 1080p Low to 58 at 1440p Low and 32 at 4K Low, a 63.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This resolution-dependent scaling is the definitive indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is effectively idle, waiting for the Arc B390 to deliver frames, making this pairing an extreme mismatch where the CPU's 125W TDP and advanced 3 nm process offer no practical benefit for gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of this CPU and GPU pairing is catastrophic relative to other tested configurations. The combo ranks 2656 out of 3005 tested combos in Fivem, placing it in the bottom 11.6% of all systems. This ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's abysmal performance, as the CPU's 96th percentile ranking would normally lift a combo significantly. The data indicates that this pairing performs worse than the vast majority of systems in the database, even those with much older or weaker processors.

The GPU's nearest rivals provide context for its poor showing. The Arc B390's 3DMark score of 1482 is just 1.3% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, a GPU from the early 2010s, and 2.7% above the GeForce GT 710, which has been a staple of budget office PCs for years. This places the Arc B390 in the same performance class as integrated graphics from over a decade ago, making it entirely unsuitable for a game like Fivem that demands reasonable graphics throughput for smooth multiplayer interaction.

The combo's ranking of 2656 out of 3005 means that 349 tested combinations performed worse. However, this is cold comfort given that the overwhelming majority of systems deliver a playable experience. The data suggests that any modern discrete GPU, even entry-level models, would outperform this configuration by a wide margin. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus's inclusion in this combo is perplexing from a performance standpoint, as its capabilities are completely untapped, and the combination represents a severe misallocation of hardware resources.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K provides critical insight into the system's limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 88 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p and finally to 32 at 4K. This represents a 34.1% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 44.8% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The cumulative drop from 1080p to 4K is 63.6%, indicating that the GPU is being overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count. This steep degradation is a textbook example of a graphics-bound system, where the CPU's performance remains constant but the GPU's rendering workload multiplies.

The scaling pattern at High settings is even more dramatic. At 1080p, the combo achieves 56 FPS, which drops to 37 FPS at 1440p and 20 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 4K reduction is 64.3%, nearly identical to the Low setting reduction. This consistency across settings confirms that the bottleneck is purely the GPU's pixel throughput, not any other system component. The Arc B390's 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate is simply insufficient to fill a 4K frame buffer at acceptable speeds.

The data also reveals that the performance penalty for increasing resolution is roughly proportional to the increase in pixel count. Moving from 1080p to 1440p increases the pixel count by 77.8%, and the FPS drops by 34.1%. Moving from 1440p to 4K increases the pixel count by 125% and the FPS drops by 44.8%. This non-linear relationship suggests that the GPU is also hitting memory bandwidth limitations, as the System Shared memory cannot keep pace with the demands of higher resolutions. The conclusion is inescapable: this combo is incapable of delivering a playable experience at 4K under any settings, and even 1440p requires the lowest preset to stay viable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset provides a comprehensive picture of this combo's performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 88 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS, indicating some frame pacing instability. High settings average 56 FPS, while Ultra drops to 43 FPS. These numbers show that even at the lowest resolution, the Ultra preset is barely playable, and the gap between Low and Ultra is 51.1%.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly. Low settings average 58 FPS, just under the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium averages 46 FPS with a range of 39 to 53 FPS, suggesting noticeable stuttering during intense scenes. High settings average 37 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p at each setting level is consistent, averaging around 34-35%, which reinforces the GPU-bound analysis.

At 3840x2160, the combo is effectively non-functional for gaming. Low settings average 32 FPS, Medium averages 25 FPS with a minimum of 22 FPS, High averages 20 FPS, and Ultra averages just 16 FPS. None of these frame rates approach playability, and the Ultra preset's 16 FPS is a slideshow. The data shows that this combo should be used exclusively at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, as any other configuration results in a substandard experience. The measured FPS values across all resolutions and settings form a consistent pattern of severe GPU limitation, with the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus providing no measurable benefit to frame rates in Fivem.