Outriders

The GeForce RTX 4090 paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 delivers a commanding performance profile in Outriders, but the data reveals a nuanced story about where the bottlenecks lie. Across the measured spectrum—from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra—this combination demonstrates that while the GPU is a powerhouse, the CPU’s influence becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. The benchmark results indicate a system that is overwhelmingly capable of high-refresh-rate gaming, yet the scaling patterns suggest that the Core Ultra 5 235 is the limiting factor in specific scenarios. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to interpret what these numbers mean for the gameplay experience, placing the combo within the broader context of 2,913 tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and expected trend: performance degrades as resolution increases, but the rate of that degradation offers key insights into the system’s balancing. At the High preset, the transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 sees a drop from 223 FPS to 165 FPS, a reduction of 58 FPS. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average falls to 86 FPS, representing a 79 FPS decline from 1440p. This pattern indicates that the GPU is becoming more heavily utilized at higher resolutions, which is typical for a demanding title like Outriders.

However, the scaling at the Low preset is particularly telling. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 278 FPS. At 1440p Low, it reaches 239 FPS, and at 4K Low, it still manages a very high 158 FPS. The relatively modest drop from 1080p to 1440p (39 FPS) compared to the drop from 1440p to 4K (81 FPS) suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is starting to cap the frame rate. The Core Ultra 5 235, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, is being pushed to its limits to feed the RTX 4090’s immense rendering speed. The data suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the primary limiting component, preventing the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates.

The Ultra preset shows the most significant performance hit. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 188 FPS, which is still excellent but 90 FPS lower than the Low preset at the same resolution. The gap widens at 1440p Ultra (119 FPS) and becomes most pronounced at 4K Ultra, where the average plummets to 62 FPS. This steep drop-off at 4K Ultra, a 126 FPS difference from 1080p Ultra, highlights the immense graphical workload placed on the RTX 4090. The data implies that while the CPU can handle the frame generation at lower settings, the Ultra preset’s visual effects and shading complexity become the sole domain of the GPU, leading to the most significant frame rate penalties at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a comboRankInGame of 45 out of 2,913 tested combos. This places the system in the top 1.5% of all configurations tested in Outriders, which is a strong indicator of its overall capability. The rank reflects the synergy between the CPU and GPU, and the high standing suggests that the system is exceptionally well-suited for this game’s engine.

The rank is particularly impressive when considering the CPU’s position. The Core Ultra 5 235 holds a percentileVsAllCpus of 89, and its average benchmark score of 46,062 places it in close competition with rivals like the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46,030, a 0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46,098, a -0.1% delta). This indicates that the CPU is a mid-to-high-tier performer, but it is not the absolute fastest available. The fact that this combo still ranks 45th overall suggests that the RTX 4090’s dominance compensates for any CPU limitations, propelling the system to the upper echelon of gaming performance.

Conversely, the GPU’s own percentileVsAllGpus is 88, and its average benchmark score of 60,347 is remarkably close to rivals like the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60,326, a 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60,140, a 0.3% delta). While these rivals are professional-grade cards, the RTX 4090’s gaming-specific strengths are evident in the Outriders results. The combo’s high rank is a direct result of the GPU’s raw power, which is able to push frame rates well beyond what most systems can achieve, even when paired with a capable but not top-tier CPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration. Its specifications are formidable: 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a massive 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This vast memory pool and bandwidth are crucial for Outriders, which features detailed environments and numerous on-screen effects. The data shows that the GPU’s clock speeds, with a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz, allow it to sustain high throughput across all settings.

The measured FPS figures across all resolutions and settings are a signal of the GPU’s capability. At 1080p Medium, the combo hits 248 FPS, and at 1440p Medium, it maintains 212 FPS. Even at 4K Medium, the average is a robust 115 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS. This consistency indicates that the RTX 4090 is rarely the bottleneck, except in the most demanding scenarios like 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 62 FPS. The 24 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for Outriders at any settings, ensuring that texture streaming and asset loading do not cause frame hitches.

The GPU’s architecture, Ada Lovelace, is built on a 5 nm process by TSMC, with 76,300 million transistors. Its FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS and a texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s highlight its raw compute power. In practice, this translates to the ability to render Outriders at very high frame rates, and the data confirms that the GPU is the primary reason this combo ranks so highly. The RTX 4090’s performance is so strong that, at lower resolutions and settings, it outstrips the CPU’s ability to issue draw calls, which is a classic sign of a GPU that is ahead of its time.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The detailed FPS measurements provide a complete picture of the combo’s performance. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low preset averages 278 FPS, Medium averages 248 FPS (with a min of 210 and max of 285), High averages 223 FPS, and Ultra averages 188 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 90 FPS difference, which is a substantial impact from the graphical settings. The high frame rates at 1080p make this resolution ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, as even the Ultra preset exceeds 144 Hz.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptional. The Low preset achieves 239 FPS, Medium reaches 212 FPS (min 180, max 244), High drops to 165 FPS, and Ultra falls to 119 FPS. The 1440p Ultra setting is the first to dip below the 120 FPS mark, but it remains highly playable on a high-refresh-rate display. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with an average reduction of approximately 20-25% across presets, which indicates a balanced workload increase for the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the results show the GPU’s limits. The Low preset still produces a very playable 158 FPS, and Medium provides 115 FPS (min 97, max 132). High settings drop to 86 FPS, and Ultra falls to 62 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting is the only configuration in the entire dataset where the average FPS is below 60, indicating that this is the most demanding scenario. The data shows a clear tiering: 1080p and 1440p are excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming, while 4K is best suited for High settings or lower if a smooth 60+ FPS experience is the priority.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is highly recommended, as it delivers 188 FPS on average. This provides a fluid and visually rich experience without compromising on frame rate. For users with 240Hz monitors, the High preset at 223 FPS is a better fit, offering a slight performance boost with a minimal visual fidelity trade-off. The Medium preset at 248 FPS is the best choice for those seeking maximum frame rates, but the visual downgrade from High is noticeable.

For 1440p gaming, the High preset at 165 FPS is the sweet spot, balancing visual quality with high performance. It is the recommended choice for 144Hz displays, as it consistently stays above the refresh rate cap. The Ultra preset at 119 FPS is also viable for 120Hz displays, but it leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 212 FPS is the best option for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, though it sacrifices some graphical fidelity.

For 4K resolution, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, as it averages 115 FPS and never drops below 97 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience on a 120Hz display. The High preset at 86 FPS is suitable for 60Hz displays, but it may experience occasional drops in heavy combat. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS is only recommended for players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate and are comfortable playing at around 60 FPS. The Low preset at 158 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as the graphical downgrade is severe and the performance is not needed for most displays.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Outriders?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 278, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming smoothly?

A: Yes, at 4K with Medium settings, the combo averages 115 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS. At High settings, it averages 86 FPS, which is still smooth for a 60Hz display.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 45th out of 2,913 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the top 1.5% of all configurations.

Q: Which settings provide the best experience for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 is the best choice, as it averages 165 FPS, which is above the 144Hz refresh rate and provides excellent visual quality.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 278 FPS, but the performance gains from lowering settings are minimal compared to the GPU’s potential, indicating a CPU cap.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 62, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 plays a supporting but critical role in this configuration. With 14 cores and 14 threads, it lacks Hyper-Threading, which is a notable characteristic. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide solid single-thread performance, which is essential for game logic and physics in Outriders. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as 2,085 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 14,769 in multi-core, confirm its capability, but they also show it is not a flagship-level processor.

The data reveals the CPU’s influence most clearly at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 278 FPS, but at 1440p Low, it only drops to 239 FPS. This relatively small drop suggests that the CPU is nearing its limit at 1080p, as the GPU’s workload increases at 1440p, but the frame rate does not scale down proportionally. The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient for gaming, but the lack of extra threads may be a limiting factor in highly threaded scenarios.

The Core Ultra 5 235’s percentileVsAllCpus of 89 places it ahead of most CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and the Intel Core i9-13900HX, with deltas of 0.1% and -0.1%, respectively. This indicates that the CPU is a strong performer, but it is not in the same league as the top-tier gaming CPUs. In Outriders, the CPU’s role is to ensure the RTX 4090 is fed with enough data to maintain high frame rates, and the data shows it does this effectively up to 1440p High. At 1080p with lower settings, the CPU becomes the bottleneck, preventing the system from reaching even higher frame rates that the GPU could theoretically achieve.