Outriders

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Outriders. The data shows a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom at 1080p. This pairing lands in the 2329th position out of 2913 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower half of the database, a ranking that reflects its performance ceiling at 4K Ultra settings.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking trend in the measured data is the dramatic performance drop as resolution increases, which clearly identifies the Intel Arc B570 as the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 176 FPS, a figure that demonstrates the processor's ability to feed the GPU without issue. However, stepping up to 1440p at the same settings sees the average fall to 111 FPS, a 37% reduction. Moving to 4K at Low settings yields 58 FPS, which is just 33% of the 1080p Low result.

This scaling pattern is a textbook indicator of GPU-bound performance. When the resolution increases, the number of pixels the Arc B570 must render grows exponentially, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is substantial, but the jump to 4K is even more punishing. At High settings, the progression is 96 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. This shows that even a modest quality preset cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The most telling evidence of the GPU bottleneck is the difference between the Low and Ultra presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the spread is 106 FPS (from 176 to 70), while at 4K, the spread is only 35 FPS (from 58 to 23). If the CPU were the limiting factor, the absolute frame rates would be closer together across resolutions. Instead, the data shows that the GPU's pixel-pushing capabilities dictate the outcome, with the processor's performance remaining largely irrelevant at higher resolutions. For a 4K target, this combo is clearly overburdened, and even 1440p requires careful settings management to maintain fluid motion.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Outriders, this configuration holds the 2329th rank out of 2913 total tested combinations. This places it in the 20th percentile of all combos, meaning roughly 80% of tested systems deliver higher average frame rates in this specific title. The ranking reflects a build that is capable of solid 1080p performance but struggles to compete with higher-end configurations at more demanding resolutions.

The combo's standing is not surprising given the individual component benchmarks. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 achieves an average benchmark score of 36938, placing it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, which is a strong result. However, the Intel Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 puts it in only the 65th percentile among GPUs. When paired in a game like Outriders, the GPU's lower percentile ranking becomes the dominant factor in the overall combo rank, dragging the system down from where the CPU alone would suggest.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database illustrate its positioning. The Arc B570's average score is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, with a deltaPct of 0.1, and the Intel Arc A750, with a deltaPct of -0.1. This indicates that the B570 is a mid-range performer, and its ranking in Outriders aligns with that assessment. The CPU, meanwhile, sits in a tight cluster with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (deltaPct -0.2), and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (deltaPct -0.4), confirming its competitive standing in the processor market. The final combo rank, however, is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations in this title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. Its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s, which is a substantial resource for texture-heavy scenes. The GPU operates at a consistent 2500 MHz for both base and boost clocks, and its memory runs at an effective 2375 MHz. These specifications contribute to a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s.

Despite these capable specs, the measured FPS in Outriders reveals the GPU's practical limits. At 1080p Medium, the card manages 128 FPS, but at 4K Medium, it falls to 42 FPS. The VRAM capacity is not the primary issue here, as the game's textures at 4K would likely fit within 10 GB; the bottleneck is the raw compute and memory bandwidth. The 160-bit bus, while providing decent bandwidth for the price, is narrower than what is typically found in higher-tier cards, which limits performance at 4K.

The GPU's overall score of 14195 in the Passmark G3D test and 83514 in the Geekbench OpenCL test place it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, has a deltaPct of 0.1, making the two nearly identical in raw compute power. This parity is reflected in the gaming results, where the B570 behaves like a mid-range card, capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but requiring significant compromises to achieve playable frame rates at higher resolutions. The 23.04 TFLOPS of FP16 performance is notable for compute tasks but does not translate into a 4K gaming powerhouse.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 combination offers a wide range of performance depending on the quality preset. The Low preset achieves an average of 176 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset drops to 128 FPS, with a minimum of 109 FPS and a maximum of 148 FPS, providing a smooth experience with better visual fidelity. High settings produce 96 FPS, while Ultra settings bring the average down to 70 FPS. All 1080p presets are playable, and the CPU is clearly not a limiting factor at this resolution, as the frame rates scale consistently with the GPU workload.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. The Low preset delivers 111 FPS, which is still very smooth, but the Medium preset falls to 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. High settings produce 61 FPS, which is playable but starting to approach the threshold where some users might prefer a lower preset for more headroom. Ultra settings at 1440p yield only 44 FPS, making them less desirable for fast-paced action. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 35-40% of the average frame rate across all presets.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates on higher presets. The Low preset achieves 58 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced game, but Medium drops to 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 49 FPS. High settings produce 32 FPS, and Ultra settings result in 23 FPS, both of which are too low for a smooth experience in a looter shooter. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable with the Low preset, and even then, the frame rate is not ideal for competitive play. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings across all resolutions show occasional dips, but the averages are consistent with the GPU's performance profile.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU features 20 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. These specifications are more than adequate for gaming, and its benchmark scores reflect that.

In the Cinebench R23 test, the CPU scores 25891 points in multi-core and 3655 points in single-core. The multi-core score is particularly strong, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has a nearly identical average score with a deltaPct of 0, confirming that this processor is a solid mid-range choice. The single-core performance, which is critical for gaming, is also robust, as evidenced by the 4412 points in the Passmark single-thread test.

In Outriders, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. At 1080p Low, the 176 FPS result shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the frame rate is high enough to be limited by the GPU's fill rate. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 70 FPS result is more indicative of the GPU's workload than the CPU's capability. The processor's 10 cores and 10 threads are sufficient for this game, which is not heavily multithreaded. The data suggests that the Core Ultra 5 225 has significant headroom in this title, and upgrading the GPU would yield better performance without needing a CPU change.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo depends on the target resolution. For 1080p, the Medium preset is the best balance, offering an average of 128 FPS with a minimum of 109 FPS. This provides a high-refresh-rate experience with better visuals than Low, and the minimum FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset is also viable at 96 FPS, but the jump to Ultra at 70 FPS is not worth the visual gain, as the frame rate drops below what a 144Hz monitor could fully utilize.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the safest choice for competitive play, delivering 111 FPS. For a more visually rich experience, the Medium preset at 81 FPS is acceptable, but the minimum of 69 FPS means there may be occasional stutters in intense combat. The High preset at 61 FPS is playable but leaves little margin for error, and the Ultra preset at 44 FPS is not recommended for a game that requires quick reactions. The data suggests that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot, providing a good balance of quality and performance.

For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, yielding 58 FPS. This is playable for a story-driven looter shooter, but the visual fidelity is significantly reduced. The Medium preset at 42 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets are unplayable. Therefore, users with 4K displays should either stick to the Low preset or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience. The combination of the Core Ultra 5 225 and Arc B570 is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can deliver excellent frame rates across all presets.