Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a wide spectrum of performance in Doom, ranging from a solid 48 FPS at 4K Ultra to a blistering 228 FPS at 1080p Low. The data shows a system that is clearly capable of high-refresh-rate play at standard resolutions, while still providing playable experiences at 4K with adjusted settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, optimal settings, component roles, and how this combination compares to other tested hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the RTX 4060 begins to show its limits under the heaviest load. The Ultra preset yields an average of 48 FPS, dipping below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset improves this to an average of 59 FPS, which is still marginally under the target. However, the Medium preset delivers a playable average of 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. Dropping to Low settings produces an average of 80 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is the primary constraint at this resolution, as the gap between Low and Medium (10 FPS) is smaller than the jump from Ultra to High (11 FPS).

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the combination becomes much more comfortable. The Ultra preset achieves an average of 89 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. High settings push the average to 108 FPS, while Medium reaches 128 FPS, with a tight minimum of 109 FPS and maximum of 148 FPS. The Low preset tops out at an average of 147 FPS. The scaling from Ultra to High (19 FPS) is substantial, indicating that the GPU still has headroom when reducing the most demanding visual features, but the CPU is also contributing enough to keep frame rates high.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system is firmly in high-refresh-rate territory. The Ultra preset averages 137 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. High settings increase the average to 167 FPS, Medium to 198 FPS (with a minimum of 168 and maximum of 228), and Low to 228 FPS. The progression here shows diminishing returns as settings are lowered; the delta between Ultra and High is 30 FPS, while the delta between Medium and Low is also 30 FPS. This suggests a balanced load where neither component is severely bottlenecked, allowing the GPU to scale its output efficiently.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the measured data, the most demanding preset that maintains an average at or above 60 FPS is as follows:

• 3840x2160: Medium — The only preset above the playable threshold with headroom is Medium, which averages 70 FPS. While High is close at 59 FPS, it does not meet the 60 FPS criterion. Ultra is not viable at 48 FPS.
• 2560x1440: Ultra — All four presets clear the 60 FPS barrier. The most demanding, Ultra, averages 89 FPS, making it the recommended choice for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smooth gameplay.
• 1920x1080: Ultra — Similarly, all presets are playable. Ultra averages 137 FPS, providing a high-quality experience that far exceeds the 60 FPS floor, leaving significant headroom for demanding scenes or background tasks.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Doom at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only with specific settings. The data shows that the Medium preset at 3840x2160 achieves an average of 70 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset falls short at 59 FPS, and Ultra is unplayable at 48 FPS.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains over 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 89 FPS. Since this is the most demanding setting and it still clears the threshold, all lower presets (High, Medium, Low) are also playable, with averages ranging from 108 to 147 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: Benchmark results indicate that at 1920x1080, the system scales well from Low (228 FPS) up to Ultra (137 FPS). The consistent frame rates across presets suggest that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU effectively, and the GPU itself is not fully saturated until higher settings are applied.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the database, the RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639. Its closest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 with a score of 17666 (a 0.2% difference) and the AMD Radeon 780M with a score of 17588 (a 0.3% difference). These scores are nearly identical, indicating similar raw compute performance in non-gaming workloads.

Q: What is the performance gap between the CPU and its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64640. Its closest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, scores 64823, which is a 0.3% delta. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F scores 64438, a 0.3% delta in favor of the 265. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: Does the game support modern graphics APIs?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. While specific API performance in Doom is not listed in the measured FPS data, the hardware is fully capable of utilizing these modern interfaces.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is bracketed by several AMD EPYC processors. The AMD EPYC 4464P has an average score of 64823, which is 0.3% higher than the 265. The AMD EPYC 9124 scores 65104, a 0.7% difference. On the lower side, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F scores 64438, 0.3% lower, and the AMD EPYC 7343 scores 64202, 0.7% lower. In gaming, these differences are within the margin of error; users would not perceive a meaningful FPS change between these processors, as the frame rates are likely governed by the GPU at most settings.

For the GPU, the RTX 4060's nearest rivals are older or integrated solutions. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 has an average score of 17666, a 0.2% margin over the 4060. The AMD Radeon 780M (integrated graphics) scores 17588, 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 and Pro 460 score 17551 and 17509, respectively. While these synthetic scores are close, the RTX 4060's modern feature set (e.g., ray tracing cores) and driver support would likely provide a better gaming experience, particularly in titles that leverage newer APIs. However, based purely on the data pack, these rivals would behave similarly in raw compute benchmarks.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC can run Doom effectively across all tested resolutions. At 3840x2160, the system is playable on Low and Medium settings, with Medium providing the best balance at 70 FPS. The High preset misses the 60 FPS target by one frame (59 FPS), and Ultra is not recommended due to the 48 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the system clears 60 FPS on every preset, with Ultra achieving 89 FPS. This makes 1440p the sweet spot for high-fidelity gaming, offering a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a comfortable performance margin.

At 1920x1080, the system excels. The Ultra preset runs at 137 FPS, and every other preset exceeds 160 FPS. This configuration is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, as even the most demanding settings provide a fluid experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Doom, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and RTX 4060 ranks 2001 out of 3712 combinations. This places it in the upper-middle tier of tested systems. The percentile position suggests that while it is not a top-tier enthusiast build, it outperforms a majority of the tested configurations. The high rank is likely driven by the strong CPU performance, which helps maintain high average frame rates at 1440p and 1080p, even when the GPU is the more modest component.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in component importance based on resolution.

At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, but the CPU has ample headroom. The FPS scales from 228 (Low) to 137 (Ultra), a spread of 91 FPS. This wide gap is typical of GPU-bound scenarios where lower settings reduce the pixel shading workload. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, is more than sufficient to handle the game's logic and draw calls, as evidenced by the high frame rates even on Low settings.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly. The FPS ranges from 147 (Low) to 89 (Ultra), a spread of 58 FPS. The reduced delta compared to 1080p indicates that the GPU is taking on more work, but the CPU is still keeping up. The fact that Ultra can maintain 89 FPS suggests the GPU has enough compute power to handle the increased pixel count, and the CPU is not introducing a bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The FPS ranges from 80 (Low) to 48 (Ultra), a spread of just 32 FPS. This narrowing spread is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU is likely waiting on the GPU to finish rendering frames, meaning that upgrading the graphics card would yield the most significant performance gains at this resolution. The CPU's role is diminished here, as even the Low preset cannot push the frame rate much higher than 80 FPS, which is likely the ceiling imposed by the GPU's pixel throughput.