Outriders

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination delivers a highly variable experience in Outriders, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The data shows a playable setup at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, while 4K demands significant compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance curve as resolution increases, a classic indicator of GPU-bound rendering. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 218 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 137 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 72 FPS, which is 67% lower than the 1080p result. This consistent halving of frame rates with each resolution step-up points squarely at the graphics card as the limiting factor; the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions, but the RTX 5050's rendering throughput caps the output.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. With High settings, the average FPS goes from 119 at 1080p, to 75 at 1440p, and finally to 39 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and the drop from 1440p to 4K is 48%. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel fill rate are being saturated at higher resolutions. The RTX 5050 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This configuration is adequate for 1080p, but the increased data demands of 1440p and 4K textures and pixel shading quickly exhaust its capabilities.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution. At 1080p, Ultra (86 FPS) is 60% slower than Low (218 FPS). At 1440p, Ultra (54 FPS) is 61% slower than Low (137 FPS). At 4K, the disparity becomes critical: Ultra (28 FPS) is 61% slower than Low (72 FPS), rendering the highest preset unplayable. The 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and even 4K High at 39 FPS is marginal. The data suggests that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, users must target 1440p or lower, or significantly reduce settings at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its benchmark results indicate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648. These scores place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with its average benchmark score of 48995 closely matching rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (deltaPct -0.5%) and the Intel Core i5-14600K (deltaPct 0.8%).

In Outriders, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, especially at higher resolutions. The fact that FPS scales down nearly proportionally with resolution increases indicates that the processor is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work, the 218 FPS result shows the CPU can handle high frame generation. The 14 threads are sufficient for the game's engine, which likely does not leverage more than a handful of cores effectively.

The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4394, is beneficial for game logic and draw call submission. However, the data shows that even with a powerful CPU, the RTX 5050's FP32 throughput of 13.17 TFLOPS is the ceiling for this combo. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth prevent memory starvation, but they do not compensate for the GPU's limitations. The conclusion from the measured frames is that the Core Ultra 5 245 is more than capable for this game, and any performance shortfall is attributable to the graphics card.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimal settings. For a 60 FPS target, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. At 1080p Medium, the combo averages 158 FPS, with a minimum of 135 FPS and a maximum of 182 FPS. This provides a large margin above the target. At 1440p Medium, the average is 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 FPS, which remains comfortably above 60 FPS. The 1440p Medium result is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, as it maintains a high frame rate while offering better image quality than Low.

For users with 4K displays, the data shows that Medium settings are the maximum viable option, yielding an average of 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS. This is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Dropping to 4K Low raises the average to 72 FPS, which is a safer choice for a consistent experience. The 4K High preset at 39 FPS and Ultra at 28 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

The Low preset offers the highest frame rates but sacrifices visual quality. At 1080p, Low delivers 218 FPS, which is beneficial for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 60 FPS (from 218 to 158), a 27% reduction, for a significant visual improvement. The data suggests that Medium is the best experience per the measured rows, as it provides a large performance buffer at 1080p and 1440p while maintaining acceptable framerates at 4K. The High preset offers a middle ground, but its 4K performance (39 FPS) is too low, and its 1440p performance (75 FPS) is only slightly better than Medium's 100 FPS in terms of smoothness, while the visual difference is often marginal.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1715 out of 2913 combos for Outriders. This places it in the 41st percentile of all tested systems, indicating a below-average performance tier for this specific game. The rank reflects the GPU's limitations, as the CPU is a high performer (90th percentile), but the overall combo is dragged down by the RTX 5050's mid-range standing.

The GPU's percentile rank is 66th among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (deltaPct 1.6%) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (deltaPct -0.6%). This places the RTX 5050 in the lower half of the performance spectrum, which is consistent with the Outriders results. The combo's rank suggests that while it can handle the game at lower resolutions and settings, it is not a top-tier performer for this title. For comparison, the data indicates that many other CPU-GPU pairings will achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 1440p and 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, is the decisive component in this combo's Outriders performance. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is a critical limitation. At 4K, the game's texture and geometry data can exceed this capacity, leading to the steep FPS drops observed. The 128-bit memory bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the data throughput required at 4K, as evidenced by the 48% drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed at a base of 2317 MHz and a boost of 2572 MHz, with a memory clock of 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective). This configuration yields a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s. These metrics are adequate for 1080p and 1440p but struggle at 4K. The 2560 shading units and 32 ROPs are the physical constraints that limit fill rate. The GPU's FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS is a key indicator of its shader processing capability, which is directly tied to the FPS numbers seen in the data.

The 66th percentile ranking and the synthetic benchmark scores, such as a PassMark G3D score of 17326 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502, corroborate the game's measured results. The GPU's predecessor is the GeForce 40 series, and its successor is the GeForce 60 series, but the data shows that this 50-series entry point is not designed for high-end 4K gaming. The RTX 5050 is the bottleneck in this pairing, and its 8 GB memory capacity is the most likely culprit for the inability to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Outriders?*

A: The data shows that 1440p with Medium settings provides a 100 FPS average, which is the best balance of performance and visual quality. 1080p is also excellent, but 4K is limited to Low or Medium settings for playable frame rates.

*Q: Can this combo run Outriders at 4K 60 FPS?*

A: No, the measured data shows the highest 4K average is 72 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 52 FPS on Medium, 39 FPS on High, and 28 FPS on Ultra. A stable 60 FPS is not achievable at 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 21035 is within 1.6% of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713) and within 0.6% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153). It is slightly behind the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379) by 1.6%.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 a bottleneck in this game?

A: No, the CPU's benchmark results (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924, single-core of 4648) place it in the 90th percentile. The FPS scaling with resolution indicates the GPU is the limiting component, not the CPU.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Medium settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings yield an average of 218 FPS, while Medium settings yield 158 FPS. This is a 27% reduction in FPS for the visual upgrade to Medium.

*Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems for Outriders?*

A: The combo ranks 1715 out of 2913 tested combinations, placing it in the lower half (41st percentile) of systems for this specific game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS, minimum FPS, and maximum FPS for each resolution and settings preset combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 218 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 158 | 135 | 182 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 119 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 86 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 137 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 100 | 85 | 115 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 75 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 54 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 72 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 52 | 44 | 60 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 39 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 28 | N/A | N/A |

The data shows a clear and consistent reduction in performance with each increase in resolution and settings preset. The Medium preset is the only one at 4K that provides a minimum FPS above 40, while the Low preset is the only one at 4K that exceeds a 60 FPS average. For users prioritizing a high refresh rate experience, the 1080p Low preset at 218 FPS is the only option that approaches the limits of typical 144Hz monitors, while 1440p Medium at 100 FPS is a strong contender for high-refresh 1440p panels. The Ultra preset is generally not recommended, as it offers the lowest FPS at every resolution, with the 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS being the least playable configuration measured.