Outriders

# Outriders with Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

The measured frame rates for Outriders with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 reveal a system that scales predictably across resolutions and settings, with the GPU emerging as the primary constraint at higher workloads. At 1080p, the combo delivers strong performance that drops sharply as resolution climbs, while the CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads appear sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The data shows a pairing that handles the game comfortably at mainstream settings, but struggles to maintain smooth play at 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate falls below 30 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component in this configuration. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 119 FPS at 1920x1080 to 75 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 39 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 37% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is similar at Low settings, where the average drops from 218 FPS at 1080p to 137 FPS at 1440p (a 37% decline), then to 72 FPS at 4K (a 67% decline from 1080p). This nearly identical percentage drop across the two extreme presets suggests the scaling is resolution-bound rather than setting-bound.

The Medium preset shows a slightly different scaling curve, with averages of 158 FPS at 1080p, 100 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 48%, indicating a slightly steeper decline at higher resolutions. At Ultra settings, the averages are 86 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K, with a 37% drop to 1440p and a 48% drop to 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops across presets strongly implies that pixel throughput, not scene complexity, is driving the performance degradation.

The 4K figures are particularly telling. At 4K High, the average of 39 FPS is borderline playable, while 4K Medium averages 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS, suggesting some frame time variance. At 4K Ultra, the average of 28 FPS falls below the common 30 FPS threshold for acceptable motion, making that setting effectively unplayable for most users. The 4K Low preset, at 72 FPS, is the only 4K configuration that provides a smooth experience, which indicates that the RTX 5050's 8 GB memory and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the game at lower quality settings but become overwhelmed as texture and shading demands increase.

GPU Role

The RTX 5050's specifications align with the measured scaling behavior. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 320.0 GB/s bandwidth, with base and boost clocks of 2317 MHz and 2572 MHz respectively. These figures are modest for 2025 hardware, and the data shows the GPU hitting its ceiling at higher resolutions. The 2560 shading units and 32 ROPs contribute to a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s, which is the likely bottleneck at 4K where pixel fill requirements quadruple compared to 1080p.

The VRAM capacity appears sufficient for Outriders at 1080p and 1440p across all presets, but the frame rate collapse at 4K Ultra — down to 28 FPS from 86 FPS at 1080p Ultra — suggests that memory bandwidth or fill rate, rather than capacity, is the limiting factor. The game's release in 2021 predates the GPU by four years, so it is unlikely that VRAM capacity alone is causing the drop; instead, the 128-bit memory bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely insufficient for 4K Ultra textures and effects. The GPU's FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS is also modest, reinforcing the notion that the RTX 5050 is positioned for 1080p and 1440p gaming rather than 4K.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 66th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (deltaPct -0.6), the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (deltaPct -1), the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (deltaPct 1.6), and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (deltaPct -1.6). These deltas are all within 2% of the RTX 5050's score, indicating that the GPU performs in a tight competitive band around these older or mobile parts. The RX 5600 XT, a 2019 desktop GPU, is essentially tied with the RTX 5050 in average benchmark score, which contextualizes the 4K performance seen in Outriders.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1715th out of 2913 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the 41st percentile of all system pairings. This rank reflects a mid-tier standing, consistent with the CPU's 85th percentile among all CPUs and the GPU's 66th percentile among all GPUs. The combo does not leverage the CPU's relative strength at higher resolutions, where the GPU becomes the bottleneck, but it does allow the CPU to shine at 1080p where frame rates are high.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (deltaPct -0.2), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (deltaPct -0.4), and Intel Core i9-12900T (deltaPct -0.5). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning the Core Ultra 5 225's average benchmark score of 36938 is statistically indistinguishable from these competitors. This tight grouping suggests that the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo's rank; the GPU is the weaker link, and the overall rank of 1715 reflects that imbalance.

The rank of 1715 out of 2913 means that roughly 41% of tested combos outperform this pairing in Outriders. Given the GPU's 66th percentile standing, the combo is underperforming relative to what the GPU alone might suggest, which could be due to the game's engine characteristics or the CPU's 10-core, 10-thread configuration (no hyper-threading) limiting performance in certain scenes. The data indicates that this is a capable 1080p system that can handle 1440p at reduced settings, but it is not a high-end 4K solution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Outriders with this combo?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates across all settings, with averages ranging from 86 FPS at Ultra to 218 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, averages range from 54 FPS at Ultra to 137 FPS at Low, which is playable but less smooth. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves an average above 60 FPS (72 FPS), while High averages 39 FPS and Ultra averages 28 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, which is within 1.6% of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713), and within 1% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153), AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237), and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379). These deltas indicate the RTX 5050 performs nearly identically to these older or mobile parts in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a bottleneck in this game?

A: The CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz appear sufficient at 1080p, where frame rates are high (e.g., 218 FPS at Low). At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the steep FPS drops from 1080p to 4K across all settings. The CPU's percentile rank of 85 among all CPUs supports that it is not the primary constraint.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 100, with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. This provides a smooth experience with some minor frame time variance, as indicated by the 30 FPS spread between minimum and maximum.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Outriders?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset delivers an average above 60 FPS (72 FPS). Medium averages 52 FPS (min 44, max 60), High averages 39 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. For consistent 60 FPS play at 4K, the user would need to use Low settings, which may compromise visual quality.

Q: How does the combo's rank in Outriders compare to its component percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 1715th out of 2913 combos (41st percentile), while the CPU is in the 85th percentile and the GPU is in the 66th percentile among their respective categories. The combo rank is lower than both individual percentiles, suggesting the pairing does not fully utilize the CPU's potential in this game, or that the GPU drags the system down at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 158 FPS average with a minimum of 135 FPS and maximum of 182 FPS, which is a strong balance of visual quality and smoothness. The High preset at 119 FPS is also excellent, and the Ultra preset at 86 FPS remains above 60 FPS for most users, making all presets viable at 1080p. For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 218 FPS is available, but the Medium preset likely offers the best visual-to-performance ratio given the tight frame time range.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS, which is the recommended choice for a smooth experience. The High preset at 75 FPS is also playable, but the Ultra preset at 54 FPS dips below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable in fast-paced combat. The Low preset at 137 FPS is the smoothest but sacrifices visual fidelity. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot at 1440p, as it maintains an average above 100 FPS while providing more visual detail than Low.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 72 FPS is the only setting that achieves an average above 60 FPS, making it the only recommended option for smooth 4K play. The Medium preset at 52 FPS (min 44, max 60) is borderline, with frame times that may cause stutter during intense scenes. High at 39 FPS and Ultra at 28 FPS are below acceptable thresholds for most players. Given the GPU's limitations at 4K, users should either run Low settings or reduce the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 features 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The lack of hyper-threading means the 10 threads equal the core count, which is a departure from many competing CPUs that offer 16 or 20 threads. The CPU's L3 cache is 20 MB shared, and it supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. These specifications are solid for gaming, and the benchmark scores reflect a strong single-thread and multi-thread performer, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 and multi-core score of 25891.

In Outriders, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p, where frame rates are high enough to stress the processor. At 1080p Low, the average of 218 FPS suggests the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output at lower settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 86 FPS, which is still well above the GPU's 4K performance, indicating the CPU is not the primary bottleneck even at the highest preset. The CPU's 85th percentile rank among all CPUs supports this interpretation, as it outperforms the majority of processors on the market.

The nearest CPU rivals — AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and Intel Core i9-12900T — all have average benchmark scores within 0.5% of the Core Ultra 5 225. This tight clustering means the CPU's performance in Outriders is unlikely to differ meaningfully from these alternatives. The data implies that the Core Ultra 5 225 is a well-rounded processor that does not hold back the RTX 5050 in this game, and any frame rate differences between this combo and similar pairings would be driven by the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for Outriders with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 are as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 218 FPS, the Medium preset averages 158 FPS with a minimum of 135 FPS and maximum of 182 FPS, the High preset averages 119 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 86 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 132 FPS, indicating that settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution. The Medium preset's minimum and maximum values show a 47 FPS range, which is the largest variance among all 1080p presets, suggesting occasional frame drops during heavy scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 137 FPS, the Medium preset averages 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS and maximum of 115 FPS, the High preset averages 75 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 54 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets at approximately 37%, which aligns with the pixel count increase from 2.07 million to 3.69 million pixels. The Medium preset's frame range at 1440p is 30 FPS, narrower than at 1080p, indicating more stable frame times at higher resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 72 FPS, the Medium preset averages 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS, the High preset averages 39 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 28 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is steeper at approximately 48% for Medium and Ultra presets, compared to 37% for Low and High. This suggests that the Medium and Ultra presets place additional load on the GPU's memory subsystem or shading units, which are more stressed at 4K. The 4K Medium preset's minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS shows a 16 FPS range, which is tighter than at lower resolutions, but the average of 52 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold for ideal smoothness.