Outriders

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Outriders, with the GPU’s massive 32 GB frame buffer and the CPU’s 14-core architecture ensuring that even the game’s most demanding presets remain playable. Benchmark results show this pairing ranks 38th out of 2,913 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.3% of all configurations measured. The data reveals a system that scales predictably across resolutions, with the RTX 5090’s Blackwell architecture and the Core Ultra 5 235’s Arrow Lake design combining to produce frame rates that range from a low of 64 FPS at 4K Ultra to a high of 278 FPS at 1080p Low.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Outriders?*

A: The highest average frame rate in the measured data is 278 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 235 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235’s average benchmark score is 46,062, which places it 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46,030) and 0.1% behind the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46,098). It also leads the AMD EPYC 4364P (45,970) and AMD EPYC 7303 (45,960) by 0.2% each.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded, and at which settings?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 64 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is the only measured configuration that dips below 88 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 5090’s 32 GB VRAM ever become a limiting factor in these tests?

A: The measured FPS data shows no evidence of VRAM limitations. Even at 4K Ultra, the combo maintains 64 FPS average, and the 32 GB GDDR7 memory with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for all tested settings.

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

A: The combo ranks 38th out of 2,913 tested configurations (top 1.3%). The CPU sits in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 92nd percentile against all GPUs, indicating the pairing performs slightly better than either component’s individual standing suggests.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The data includes min and max FPS only for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the range is 210 to 285 FPS with a 248 average. At 1440p Medium, it ranges from 180 to 244 FPS (212 average), and at 4K Medium, from 100 to 135 FPS (117 average).

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 plays the dominant role in Outriders’ performance, as evidenced by the scaling patterns across resolutions. The GPU’s 32 GB GDDR7 memory, paired with a 512-bit bus and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, provides ample headroom for the game’s textures and effects at all tested presets. The boost clock of 2407 MHz (base 2017 MHz) drives the 21,760 shading units, and the data shows that the card’s raw compute power is the primary determinant of frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions.

At 4K Ultra, the RTX 5090 produces 64 FPS average, which is the most demanding scenario in the dataset. This figure suggests that the GPU is fully utilized, as the Core Ultra 5 235’s single-thread performance (2,085 in Cinebench R23 single-core) is more than adequate for the game’s CPU demands. The GPU’s 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate are the key specifications driving these results, as Outriders relies heavily on pixel and texture processing.

The RTX 5090’s 92.2 billion transistors on a 5 nm process node, with a die size of 750 mm², represent the peak of current GPU engineering. In the context of these benchmark results, the GPU’s 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs ensure that even the 4K Ultra preset, which stresses fill-rate and memory bandwidth, remains playable. The measured FPS at 4K Medium (117 average) versus 4K High (88 average) shows a 33% performance drop when moving from Medium to High, while the jump from High to Ultra (64 average) represents another 27% reduction. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, as the CPU’s performance headroom is not fully taxed at these settings.

The GPU’s role becomes less critical at 1080p, where the Core Ultra 5 235’s capabilities come into play. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 278 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, 193 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p (85 FPS) is smaller than at 4K (97 FPS difference between Low and Ultra), suggesting that the CPU begins to exert more influence at lower resolutions. However, the RTX 5090 still delivers over 190 FPS even at the highest preset, confirming that this GPU is never a weak link in the chain.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance, delivering a 248 FPS average with a minimum of 210 FPS and maximum of 285 FPS. This provides a smooth experience well above the typical 144 Hz monitor refresh rate while maintaining visual quality. The High preset at 223 FPS and Ultra at 193 FPS are also viable, but the 25 FPS gain from dropping from High to Medium makes Medium the most efficient choice for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again emerges as the recommended option, with a 212 FPS average and a minimum of 180 FPS. This ensures consistent performance even during intense combat sequences, as the minimum frame rate stays above 144 FPS. The High preset at 168 FPS is also excellent, but the 44 FPS difference between Medium and High makes Medium the superior choice for maintaining a high refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 122 FPS is playable but falls below the 144 FPS threshold that many competitive players prefer.

For 4K gaming, the situation changes significantly. The Medium preset delivers a 117 FPS average with a minimum of 100 FPS, making it the only 4K setting that consistently exceeds 100 FPS. The High preset at 88 FPS is playable but may show occasional dips below 60 FPS in heavy scenes, while the Ultra preset at 64 FPS is only suitable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate. The data strongly suggests that 4K Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, providing a 53 FPS improvement over High while maintaining a minimum of 100 FPS.

The Low preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it offers diminishing returns. At 1080p, Low provides 278 FPS versus Medium’s 248 FPS (a 12% gain), but the visual degradation is substantial. At 4K, Low yields 161 FPS versus Medium’s 117 FPS, yet the Medium preset’s 100 FPS minimum is sufficient for smooth gameplay. The measured data indicates that the RTX 5090’s power is best utilized at Medium or High settings, with Ultra reserved for players with 60 Hz displays or those who prioritize maximum visual quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 38th out of 2,913 tested combos in Outriders, placing it in the top 1.3% of all configurations. This ranking is noteworthy because the CPU, with its 89th percentile standing among all CPUs, is not the fastest processor in the database. The GPU, at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, is also not the absolute top performer. Yet the combination outperforms both individual percentiles, suggesting that the pairing is particularly well-suited to this game’s workload.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% slower in average score), Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% faster), AMD EPYC 4364P (0.2% slower), and AMD EPYC 7303 (0.2% slower). The Core Ultra 5 235’s 14 cores and 14 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, provide strong single-thread performance that Outriders leverages. The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support further contribute to its capability.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% slower), Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6% slower), AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% slower), and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (1.4% faster). The RTX 5090’s 92nd percentile ranking reflects its position among all GPUs, but its performance in Outriders specifically boosts the combo to the 38th spot. This discrepancy highlights how game-specific optimization can alter a component’s relative standing.

The combo’s rank of 38 out of 2,913 means that only 37 other configurations achieve higher average frame rates in this game. Given that the RTX 5090 is one of the most powerful GPUs available, the ranking suggests that the Core Ultra 5 235 provides sufficient CPU throughput to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at most settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is most stressed, the combo still delivers 64 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not holding back the system in the most demanding scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that identifies the limiting component at each setting. At 1080p, the combo achieves 278 FPS on Low, 248 FPS on Medium, 223 FPS on High, and 193 FPS on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 85 FPS, or a 30% reduction. This relatively modest drop suggests that the Core Ultra 5 235 is beginning to limit performance at lower resolutions, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly.

Moving to 1440p, the results show 239 FPS on Low, 212 FPS on Medium, 168 FPS on High, and 122 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 117 FPS, or a 49% reduction. This wider spread indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a factor at this resolution, though the CPU still contributes to the overall performance. The 1440p Medium result of 212 FPS represents a 14% drop from the 1080p Medium result of 248 FPS, which aligns with the increased pixel count.

At 4K, the scaling becomes more pronounced. The combo delivers 161 FPS on Low, 117 FPS on Medium, 88 FPS on High, and 64 FPS on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 97 FPS, or a 60% reduction. This steep drop indicates that the RTX 5090 is now the primary bottleneck, as the GPU’s rendering workload scales with pixel count. The 4K Medium result of 117 FPS represents a 45% drop from the 1080p Medium result, which is close to the theoretical 4x pixel increase (though not exact due to other factors).

The data shows that the limiting component shifts from CPU to GPU as resolution increases. At 1080p, the Core Ultra 5 235’s 14 threads and 5.00 GHz boost clock are sufficient to feed the GPU, but the GPU’s output is capped by the CPU’s instruction throughput. At 4K, the GPU’s 104.8 TFLOPS and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth become the determining factors, as the CPU has more than enough headroom to keep up. The 4K Low result of 161 FPS versus 1080p Low’s 278 FPS represents a 42% drop, which is less than the 4x pixel increase would suggest, indicating that the GPU is still not fully saturated at Low settings even at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset delivers a 278 FPS average, the Medium preset achieves 248 FPS with a minimum of 210 FPS and maximum of 285 FPS, the High preset reaches 223 FPS, and the Ultra preset yields 193 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 210 FPS ensures that even the most intense combat scenes remain well above 144 FPS, making this the most consistent option at 1080p. The spread from Low to Ultra is 85 FPS, with each step increasing visual quality at a cost of roughly 20-30 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops are consistent with the increased pixel count. The Low preset achieves 239 FPS, the Medium preset delivers 212 FPS with a minimum of 180 FPS and maximum of 244 FPS, the High preset reaches 168 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces 122 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 180 FPS keeps the experience smooth on 144 Hz monitors, though the High preset’s 168 FPS average is also respectable. The 1440p results show a 117 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, indicating that the GPU is handling more of the workload at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the combo’s performance drops significantly, particularly at higher settings. The Low preset achieves 161 FPS, the Medium preset delivers 117 FPS with a minimum of 100 FPS and maximum of 135 FPS, the High preset reaches 88 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces 64 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 100 FPS is crucial for maintaining smooth gameplay, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset’s 64 FPS average is the only measured result below 88 FPS, making it the only setting that might cause noticeable stuttering on high-refresh-rate displays.

The Medium preset is the only setting with complete min/max data across all three resolutions, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p, the range is 210-285 FPS (75 FPS spread), at 1440p it is 180-244 FPS (64 FPS spread), and at 4K it is 100-135 FPS (35 FPS spread). The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently utilized as the workload increases, with less variance in frame times. The 4K Medium result, with its 100 FPS minimum, demonstrates that this combo can maintain playable frame rates even at the most demanding resolution while using a moderate preset.