Fivem

Fivem is a demanding multiplayer title that stresses both CPU and GPU, and the measured results for the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile reveal a system that is well-balanced but with clear performance ceilings at higher resolutions. The data shows a playable experience at most settings, but the frame rate scaling across resolutions indicates where the bottleneck shifts.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 163 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset, the average falls to 108 FPS, a 34% reduction. At 4K with Low settings, the average drops further to 60 FPS, which is another 44% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep decline from 1080p to 4K strongly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the workload on the GPU increases geometrically with pixel count.

The pattern persists across all settings presets. For High settings, the frame rate goes from 103 FPS at 1080p to 68 FPS at 1440p (a 34% drop), and then to 38 FPS at 4K (a 44% drop from 1440p). This consistent scaling factor—roughly a one-third loss moving to 1440p and another two-fifths loss moving to 4K—suggests that the GPU's rendering throughput is the determining factor. The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, with its high boost clock and modern architecture, appears to be providing frames fast enough that it is not the bottleneck until the GPU is fully saturated.

The most telling comparison is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (163 FPS) and Ultra (80 FPS) is 83 FPS, a 51% performance penalty for maxing out the visual fidelity. At 4K, the gap narrows to just 31 FPS (60 FPS on Low versus 29 FPS on Ultra), a 52% penalty. The fact that the relative penalty is similar suggests the GPU is handling the extra shading and texture work proportionally, but the absolute numbers at 4K are so low that the experience becomes marginal. The data implies that for smooth 4K play, users must heavily compromise on settings, while 1080p and 1440p offer much more headroom.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor based on the Panther Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18911 and a single-core score of 2200.5. These numbers place the CPU in the 88th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that it is a high-performing part. The single-core performance is particularly relevant for Fivem, which is known for being sensitive to per-thread performance in multiplayer scenarios.

The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is able to feed the GPU enough data to reach high frame rates, with the Low preset hitting 163 FPS. This suggests that the 5.10 GHz boost clock is effective at handling the game's logic and draw calls. The 16 cores and 18 MB of shared L3 cache provide ample resources for background tasks and the many entities present in a multiplayer session. However, the fact that the CPU is not the bottleneck at 1080p is evidenced by the smooth scaling to 1440p and 4K, where the GPU takes over as the primary constraint.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and the Intel Core i9-13950HX, with the Ultra X9 388H scoring within 0.5% of these parts. This indicates that its computational throughput is competitive with other high-end mobile and desktop processors. For Fivem, this level of CPU performance is more than sufficient to avoid being a limiting factor, especially when paired with a mid-range mobile GPU like the RTX 5060 Mobile. The data suggests that the CPU's role is to provide a stable foundation, allowing the GPU to be the primary determinant of frame rate at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 163, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Fivem?

A: Yes, but with significant caveats. At 4K with Medium settings, the average FPS is 47, and with High settings, it drops to 38. Only Low settings reach 60 FPS at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H has an average benchmark score of 44466. The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D scores 44573 (0.2% higher), while the Intel Core i9-13950HX scores 44342 (0.3% lower). The data shows they are effectively tied in performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 108 FPS, while Ultra settings average 53 FPS. This represents a 55 FPS difference, meaning Ultra delivers only 49% of the frame rate of Low.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at resolutions above 1080p. The consistent FPS drops with increasing resolution point to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile being the limiting component.

Q: How many frames per second does the Medium preset provide at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 129, with a minimum of 109 and a maximum of 148.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset is the clear sweet spot. It delivers an average of 129 FPS with a minimum of 109 FPS, ensuring a smooth and responsive experience. The High preset at 103 FPS is also viable, but the 26 FPS drop from Medium to High is significant, and the visual improvement may not justify it. Ultra at 80 FPS is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding multiplayer scenes.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again emerges as the best choice, providing an average of 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play and offers a good balance of fidelity and performance. The High preset at 68 FPS is acceptable, but the minimum frame rate is not recorded, creating some uncertainty. Low at 108 FPS is very fast but sacrifices too much visual detail. Ultra at 53 FPS is below the ideal 60 FPS target and is not recommended for competitive play.

For 4K gaming, the data shows that the High and Ultra presets are not viable options, with averages of 38 and 29 FPS respectively. Medium settings at 47 FPS are borderline, but the minimum of 40 FPS could lead to noticeable stuttering. The Low preset at 60 FPS is the only setting that provides a consistently playable experience at 4K. However, given the severe visual compromises required, users with 4K displays should consider running the game at 1440p with Medium or High settings for a better overall experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile ranks 2457 out of 3707 tested combos in Fivem. This places it in the lower third of all systems tested, which is surprising given the individual component specifications. The CPU is in the 88th percentile, and the GPU is in the 67th percentile, yet their combined performance in this specific game is relatively low. This suggests that Fivem's engine may not be fully utilizing the hardware's capabilities, or that other factors such as memory bandwidth or driver optimization are playing a role.

The rank indicates that there are 1250 combos that perform better in this game, which includes systems with more powerful GPUs or CPUs that are better optimized for Fivem's specific workload. The RTX 5060 Mobile's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, which scores 0.5% higher on average, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile, which scores 1.3% higher. The fact that the RTX 5060 Mobile is slightly behind its predecessor in synthetic benchmarks is reflected in this game's ranking, as the GPU is likely the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The low combo rank is a reminder that raw benchmark scores do not always translate to in-game performance. The data shows that this combo is capable of high frame rates at 1080p, but its overall ranking is dragged down by the relatively weak 4K performance. For users prioritizing high refresh rate 1080p or 1440p gaming, this combo is adequate, but it is not a top-tier performer in Fivem's multiplayer environment.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 163 FPS, the highest of any configuration. The Medium preset delivers 129 FPS on average, with a recorded minimum of 109 FPS and a maximum of 148 FPS. High settings produce an average of 103 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 80 FPS. The 1080p results show a clear progression, with each step up in settings costing between 23 and 26 FPS on average.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings yield an average of 108 FPS, a 34% decrease from the 1080p result. Medium settings average 85 FPS, with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. The High preset drops to 68 FPS, and Ultra falls to 53 FPS. The 1440p data shows that Medium is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes heavily strained. Low settings are the only preset to break the 60 FPS barrier, averaging exactly 60 FPS. Medium settings average 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. High settings drop to 38 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 29 FPS. The 4K results indicate that this combo is not suitable for high-fidelity gaming at this resolution, as even the Medium preset struggles to maintain a consistent 60 FPS.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 952 MHz, with a boost clock of 1455 MHz. The GPU has 3328 shading units, 104 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output pipelines. These specifications place it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22435, making it a mid-range mobile part.

The 8 GB of VRAM is a critical factor for Fivem at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 4K, the performance degrades significantly, which could be partially attributed to the GPU running out of memory bandwidth or capacity. The 384.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the demand for texture data and frame buffer memory increases, potentially causing the GPU to become the bottleneck. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (29 FPS) is particularly low, suggesting that the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and demanding settings.

The GPU's benchmark scores show it is competitive with desktop parts like the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, which scores 0.5% higher on average. However, in Fivem, the mobile GPU's thermal and power constraints may limit its sustained performance. The 45 W TDP is relatively low for a discrete GPU, and the "IGP" slot width suggests it is soldered to the board, potentially limiting cooling. The data indicates that the GPU performs admirably at 1080p, but its limitations become apparent as resolution increases. The FP32 performance of 9.684 TFLOPS is sufficient for modern games, but Fivem's multiplayer scenarios with many dynamic objects and effects can push the GPU to its limits, especially at 4K.