Fivem

# Fivem — Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 produces a Fivem experience that is heavily dependent on resolution and settings, with the combo ranking 1813th out of 3005 tested combinations in this game. The data reveals a system that can deliver smooth frame rates at 1080p across most settings, but struggles to maintain playable performance at 4K with higher presets. This analysis walks through the measured FPS rows, the scaling patterns between resolutions, and what the underlying hardware specifications suggest about where the bottleneck lies.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern: as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, average frame rates drop substantially across all settings. At Low settings, the combo delivers 168 FPS at 1080p, drops to 110 FPS at 1440p, and further declines to 61 FPS at 4K. That represents a 63.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU is being pushed progressively harder as pixel count rises.

At High settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The system produces 106 FPS at 1080p, 70 FPS at 1440p, and only 39 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is 63.2%, nearly identical to the percentage loss seen at Low settings. This uniformity suggests that the RTX 5050's rendering throughput is the primary limiting factor across all quality presets — the frame rate penalty for quadrupling the pixel count is consistent regardless of how much work each pixel requires.

Medium settings tell a similar story. The system achieves 132 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs 45 FPS, while the step from 1440p to 4K costs another 39 FPS. The scaling is not perfectly linear — the per-pixel cost of higher resolutions appears to be slightly lower at the top end — but the trend is unmistakable: this GPU is the limiting component.

Ultra settings produce the most dramatic scaling behavior. At 1080p, the combo manages 82 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p, it falls to 54 FPS, and at 4K it collapses to 30 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the frame rate at 1440p Ultra is borderline. The fact that 1080p Ultra (82 FPS) is only slightly lower than 1440p High (70 FPS) suggests that resolution has a larger impact on this GPU than quality preset changes do — a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario.

Looking at the 4K results specifically, the progression from Low (61 FPS) to Medium (48 FPS) to High (39 FPS) to Ultra (30 FPS) shows a steady decline of roughly 9-10 FPS per preset tier. This linear degradation indicates that each quality level adds a similar amount of rendering work, and the GPU has no headroom to spare at this resolution. The 4K Medium result includes a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS, showing relatively tight frame pacing, but the average of 48 FPS is still below what many players would consider smooth.

The 1080p results, by contrast, show ample headroom. Even at Ultra, the system produces 82 FPS, and at Low it reaches 168 FPS. The 1080p Medium row includes a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS, which represents the widest spread in the dataset — a sign that the system is not consistently GPU-bound at this resolution and CPU or other factors may introduce variability.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and the player's frame rate preference. At 1080p, all four presets deliver playable averages, but the best experience per the data is Medium. The Medium preset at 1080p produces 132 FPS average with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS. That frame rate comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold and approaches the 144 Hz territory, while the quality uplift over Low is significant given that Low produces 168 FPS — a difference of only 36 FPS for a substantial visual improvement.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again appears to be the sweet spot. It delivers 87 FPS average with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. The 74 FPS minimum is still above the 60 FPS playability floor, and the average of 87 FPS provides a smooth experience. High at 1440p produces 70 FPS, which is also playable, but the 17 FPS difference between High and Medium may not justify the visual uplift for all users. Ultra at 1440p drops to 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and likely to feel less fluid.

At 4K, the data suggests that only Low settings provide a reliably playable experience. The Low preset at 3840x2160 produces 61 FPS average, which is just above the 60 FPS line. Medium at 4K drops to 48 FPS, and High falls to 39 FPS. Ultra at 4K is effectively unplayable at 30 FPS. For players who prioritize frame rate at 4K, Low is the only viable choice from the measured data. Those who prefer higher visual quality at 4K would need to accept sub-60 FPS performance, with the Medium preset offering a compromise at 48 FPS.

The 1080p Ultra setting, at 82 FPS, is worth considering for players with high-refresh-rate displays who want maximum visual quality. However, the Medium preset's 132 FPS offers a significantly higher frame rate for a modest visual trade-off. The measured data does not include frame time consistency metrics beyond the min/max values for Medium, so the analysis relies on averages, but the Medium preset's minimum of 112 FPS at 1080p indicates strong consistency.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1813th out of 3005 tested combinations in Fivem, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the field. This ranking reflects a pairing where the RTX 5050's performance ceiling limits the experience, despite the CPU's strong benchmark scores. The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 66 means it outperforms 66% of all GPUs in the database, yet its in-game ranking suggests that Fivem is demanding enough to expose its limitations.

The CPU, by contrast, is a top-tier part. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus holds a percentileVsAllCpus of 96, outperforming 96% of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 84003 places it just 0.2% above the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores 83807. The gap to the next rival, the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83090, is 1.1%. These benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo — the GPU's 66th percentile standing is far more representative of the in-game ranking.

The gap between the CPU's 96th percentile and the GPU's 66th percentile is stark. In a game like Fivem, which is a multiplayer modification framework built on Grand Theft Auto V, the measured results suggest that the RTX 5050's 8 GB of memory and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to fully utilize the CPU's capabilities at higher resolutions. The 1813th rank out of 3005 combos means this pairing falls behind roughly 60% of tested configurations, which is consistent with a GPU that sits in the 66th percentile — the CPU is doing its part, but the GPU holds the combo back.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 168 FPS at Low, 132 FPS at Medium (with min 112 and max 152), 106 FPS at High, and 82 FPS at Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra costs 86 FPS, or roughly 51% of the Low result. Each preset step — Low to Medium, Medium to High, High to Ultra — reduces the average by 36, 26, and 24 FPS respectively. The diminishing penalty as quality increases suggests that at 1080p, the GPU is not fully saturated until higher presets are applied.

At 2560x1440, the results are 110 FPS at Low, 87 FPS at Medium (with min 74 and max 100), 70 FPS at High, and 54 FPS at Ultra. The step from 1080p to 1440p at each preset costs 58 FPS at Low, 45 FPS at Medium, 36 FPS at High, and 28 FPS at Ultra. The absolute penalty shrinks as quality increases, but the percentage penalty is relatively stable: 34.5% at Low, 34.1% at Medium, 34.0% at High, and 34.1% at Ultra. This consistency strongly indicates a GPU-bound scenario where the resolution scales uniformly across all settings.

At 3840x2160, the results are 61 FPS at Low, 48 FPS at Medium (with min 41 and max 56), 39 FPS at High, and 30 FPS at Ultra. The step from 1440p to 4K costs 49 FPS at Low, 39 FPS at Medium, 31 FPS at High, and 24 FPS at Ultra. The percentage penalties are 44.5%, 44.8%, 44.3%, and 44.4% respectively — again remarkably consistent. The 4K Medium row's min of 41 FPS and max of 56 FPS shows a 15 FPS spread, which is the tightest of all Medium rows, suggesting that at 4K the GPU is fully saturated and frame delivery is more predictable.

The only rows with min/max data are the Medium presets: 112-152 at 1080p, 74-100 at 1440p, and 41-56 at 4K. These ranges show that the spread narrows as resolution increases — from 40 FPS at 1080p to 26 FPS at 1440p to 15 FPS at 4K. This narrowing spread is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck: at lower resolutions, other system components introduce variability, but at 4K, the GPU's consistent workload produces tighter frame pacing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 2317 MHz with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, and it houses 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The chip, GB207, is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC with 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die. The pixel rate is 82.30 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 205.8 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance rated at 13.17 TFLOPS.

The 8 GB memory capacity is significant in the context of Fivem's measured results. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 30 FPS, and at 4K High it achieves only 39 FPS. While these low frame rates could be attributed to raw compute limits, the 8 GB VRAM is likely a contributing factor — Fivem, as a multiplayer mod for a 2017 game, can be memory-intensive with many player models and assets. The 128-bit bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth may also throttle performance at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth becomes more critical.

The GPU's benchmark results show a passmark_g3d score of 17326, which places it in the 66th percentile. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, scores 21153 with a deltaPct of -0.6%, meaning the RTX 5050 is 0.6% slower than that part. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M scores 21237 with a deltaPct of -1%, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile scores 21379 with a deltaPct of -1.6%. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 20713 with a deltaPct of 1.6%, meaning the RTX 5050 is 1.6% faster than that GPU. These narrow margins around the 66th percentile confirm that the RTX 5050 is a mid-pack performer, not a high-end part.

The GPU's 130 W TDP, dual-slot design, and single 8-pin power connector indicate a modest power envelope. The suggested PSU of 300 W suggests this is not a power-hungry part. The PCIe 5.0 x8 interface provides adequate bandwidth for the GPU's needs. The launch MSRP of 249 USD positions it as an entry-level offering, which aligns with its 66th percentile performance tier.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS on High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo produces 70 FPS average. At 3840x2160 with High settings, it drops to 39 FPS. Only 1920x1080 (106 FPS) and 2560x1440 (70 FPS) exceed 60 FPS at High settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5050's passmark_g3d score of 17326 places it 0.6% below the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, 1% below the AMD Radeon HD 8970M, and 1.6% below the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile. It is 1.6% above the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in Fivem?

A: The data suggests no. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 84003 are far above the GPU's 66th percentile. The consistent percentage-based FPS drops across resolutions indicate a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU one.

Q: What is the lowest playable setting at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the combo achieves 61 FPS average. The Medium preset drops to 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations in Fivem?

A: The combo ranks 1813th out of 3005 tested combinations. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the field, consistent with the GPU's 66th percentile performance.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS at Medium settings across resolutions?

A: At 1080p Medium, the range is 112 to 152 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 74 to 100 FPS. At 4K Medium, it is 41 to 56 FPS. The spread narrows as resolution increases.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process at TSMC with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. The CPU supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth, and it features ECC memory support. The integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 51731 in Cinebench R23 multicore, 7303 in Cinebench R23 single-core, 21727 in Cinebench R20 multicore, and 3067 in Cinebench R20 single-core. Its passmark_multithread score is 60860, and passmark_single_thread is 4823. The passmark_physics score is 3315, and the passmark_data_compression score is 698346. These numbers place the CPU in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003.

The nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with an average score of 83807 (0.2% slower), the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83090 (1.1% slower), the AMD EPYC 9135 at 82980 (1.2% slower), and the AMD EPYC 7F72 at 85072 (1.3% faster). The 0.2% delta to the 285K is negligible, indicating that the 290K Plus offers marginal improvement over its immediate predecessor.

In Fivem, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS scaling shows a consistent percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p to 4K across all settings, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would be more consistent across resolutions, particularly at lower settings where the GPU has less work to do. The fact that 1080p Low produces 168 FPS while 4K Low produces 61 FPS — a 64% drop — indicates that the CPU is not the constraint.

The CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for Fivem's workload, which is largely single-threaded in nature but can benefit from multiple cores for physics and AI in multiplayer scenarios. The high boost clock of 5.80 GHz and strong single-core scores (736 in Cinebench R15 single-core, 3067 in Cinebench R20 single-core) suggest that the CPU can handle the game's primary thread with ease. The 36 MB of L3 cache and 115.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample headroom for game data.

The CPU's 96th percentile ranking, combined with the GPU's 66th percentile, explains the combo's 1813th rank out of 3005 in Fivem. The system is imbalanced — the CPU is overqualified for the GPU. Players considering this combo for Fivem should focus their attention on the GPU's limitations rather than the CPU's capabilities, as the data clearly shows that resolution and settings have the dominant impact on frame rates.