Doom

Doom’s performance on the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and AMD Radeon RX 7800M combination is heavily dictated by resolution, with the GPU acting as the primary scaling factor. The data shows a clear and predictable drop in frame rates as pixel count increases, moving from a highly playable 144 FPS average at 1080p High to a just-below-60 FPS experience at 4K High. This pattern confirms that while the CPU provides ample headroom at lower resolutions, the Radeon RX 7800M becomes the limiting component as the rendering load intensifies, a relationship that defines the optimal settings for this hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling curve for this combo in Doom. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 144 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth for a fast-paced FPS. Dropping the resolution to 2560x1440 at the same High preset reduces the average to 93 FPS, a 35% performance decrease from the 1080p figure. This substantial drop indicates that the GPU is already working harder to fill the additional pixels, but the result remains above the 60 FPS threshold for a fluid experience. The scaling continues to 4K, where the average FPS at High settings falls to 50, a further 46% reduction from the 1440p result. This steep decline from 1440p to 4K strongly suggests that the RX 7800M’s processing power is being saturated, and the experience becomes less ideal for competitive play.

The trend is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, at Low settings, the average FPS goes from 195 at 1080p, to 126 at 1440p, and finally to 68 at 4K. The percentage drops between each resolution step are roughly similar, reinforcing that the performance penalty is primarily a function of pixel throughput rather than a sudden change in bottleneck. Even at the lowest preset, the 4K average of 68 FPS shows the GPU is struggling to maintain the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions. The Medium preset tells the same story, with averages of 170 FPS at 1080p, 110 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K, with the 4K result including a minimum FPS of 51 and a maximum of 69, indicating some frame time variance.

The limiting component at 4K is unambiguously the GPU. The CPU’s performance, as indicated by its high multi-threaded benchmark scores, does not exhibit a similar scaling bottleneck. The data shows that the frame rate is directly tied to resolution, which is the primary workload for the graphics card. At 1080p, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU fast enough to reach 144 FPS on High, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s rendering time per frame increases, and the CPU has more idle time. This means that for users targeting 4K, the RX 7800M is the ceiling for performance, and the CPU’s potential is left untapped. For 1080p and 1440p gaming, the combo is well-balanced, but the scaling pattern is a clear indicator of where the system’s limits lie.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset is the clear recommendation, delivering a 144 FPS average. This is a significant performance tier above the 60 FPS baseline and provides a responsive experience for fast-paced action. While the Low preset achieves a higher 195 FPS average, the visual quality trade-off is substantial, and the Medium preset’s 170 FPS is also above the High setting’s result. However, the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and high refresh rate performance, making it the superior choice for most players. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 117 FPS, which is still smooth, but the performance gain from High to Ultra is not worth the 27 FPS loss when High already looks excellent.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is also the sweet spot, with a 93 FPS average. This is a very playable frame rate for a single-player FPS, and it maintains a high level of visual detail. The Medium preset at 110 FPS offers an alternative for those who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but the jump to High is recommended for a more immersive experience. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields a 76 FPS average, which is still above 60 FPS, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often subtle in Doom, making the High preset a more efficient choice. The Low preset at 126 FPS is the highest frame rate option, but it severely compromises the game’s atmosphere and is not recommended for a game that can look this good.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes drastically. The High preset’s 50 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset achieves exactly 60 FPS, but its minimum FPS of 51 suggests occasional dips that could be noticeable. The Low preset is the only one that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, with a 68 FPS average, but it does so at a significant cost to visual quality. For 4K, the recommendation is to use the Medium preset if you can tolerate occasional frame dips, or the Low preset if you demand a more stable frame rate. The Ultra preset at 41 FPS is not recommended for playable performance. Ultimately, the data suggests that 1440p High is the best overall experience for this combo, offering a high frame rate and high visual quality without the compromises required at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested hardware combinations in Doom, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and AMD Radeon RX 7800M ranks at position 1938 out of 2930 total combinations. This places it in the 34th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it is a mid-to-lower tier performer for this specific game. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU’s performance at higher resolutions, where the 4K results drag down the overall standing. While the 1080p performance is strong, the inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K prevents this combo from ranking higher.

Comparing the individual components to their nearest rivals provides more context. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 29093, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X’s score of 29123, a negligible difference of -0.1%. It also sits close to the Intel Core i5-13500HX, which scores 29270, a -0.6% delta. This indicates that the Ultra 5 135H’s processing power is competitive with these desktop-class chips, meaning it is not a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios. The GPU’s average benchmark score is 27883, which is slightly below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti’s score of 28020, a -0.5% delta, and just above the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X’s score of 27973, a -0.3% delta. This places the RX 7800M in a similar performance class to these older high-end cards, which explains its struggles at 4K in a modern title like Doom.

The combo rank of 1938 suggests that while the individual components are respectable, their combined performance in Doom is not exceptional. The CPU is clearly capable, but the GPU’s mid-range standing holds the system back from achieving a higher rank. The data implies that for this game, a stronger GPU would be a more impactful upgrade than a faster CPU. The rank is a useful metric for positioning this hardware, but it should be interpreted with the understanding that it is an aggregate score, and the experience can vary wildly depending on the resolution and settings chosen.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 144 FPS average?

A: The data shows that the 1920x1080 High preset achieves a 144 FPS average. This is the only resolution and setting combination that hits this exact frame rate target.

Q: Can this hardware play Doom at 4K with a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: Yes, but with a caveat. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 achieves a 60 FPS average, but its minimum FPS is 51, meaning there will be noticeable dips below 60. The Low preset offers a more stable 68 FPS average.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H has an average benchmark score of 29093, which is only 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X’s score of 29123. Their performance is effectively identical.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the main bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the limiting component at 4K. The frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases to 3840x2160, indicating the AMD Radeon RX 7800M is the primary factor in performance.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with the High preset?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 with the High preset is 93 frames per second. This is a very playable frame rate for a fast-paced FPS.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems for Doom?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and AMD Radeon RX 7800M ranks at position 1938 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is the primary driver of frame rates in this pairing, and its specifications explain the observed performance scaling. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for Doom’s textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it is not a limiting factor until the higher resolution and memory pressure of 4K. The GPU’s boost clock is 2335 MHz, with a game clock of 2145 MHz, and it is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a 5 nm process. These specifications contribute to its raw compute power of 35.87 TFLOPS, which is substantial for a mobile part.

The GPU’s performance, as measured by its benchmark scores, places it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 27883 is close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, which scores 28020, showing a -0.5% delta. This comparison is telling, as the GTX 980 Ti is a previous-generation high-end desktop card that also struggles with modern games at 4K. The RX 7800M’s performance in Doom reflects this positioning: it is capable of excellent frame rates at 1080p and good frame rates at 1440p, but it cannot maintain high performance at 4K. The 4K High preset’s 50 FPS average is a direct consequence of the GPU’s rendering limits, not a CPU bottleneck.

The interplay between the GPU’s VRAM and clock speeds is evident in the results. At 1080p, the GPU can operate at high utilization, and the 12 GB VRAM is more than enough, allowing the boost clock to sustain high frame rates. At 4K, the increased pixel fill rate demand and larger texture memory footprint cause the GPU to work harder, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The data shows that the GPU is the definitive performance ceiling for this system, and users should look to it as the primary upgrade path for higher-resolution gaming. Its 180 W TDP is a consideration for mobile systems, but it is the performance that matters most for this analysis.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H serves as the system’s foundation, and its benchmark results indicate it is more than capable of supporting the GPU in Doom. The CPU has 14 cores and 18 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. It also has a substantial 18 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications result in a strong multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 22422. Its single-thread performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1700.

The CPU’s average benchmark score is 29093, which places it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, scores 29123, a negligible -0.1% difference. This indicates that the Ultra 5 135H offers desktop-class processing power in a mobile package. In Doom, this means the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution. The evidence for this is in the resolution scaling: if the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be more consistent across resolutions. Instead, the frame rates drop dramatically as resolution increases, which is a clear sign that the GPU is the constraint.

The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and its high core count and clock speeds ensure it can do so without stuttering. At 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU’s capability allows the system to reach 144 FPS on High settings, showing that it can keep up with the GPU’s output. At 4K, the CPU is likely underutilized, as the GPU takes longer to render each frame. The data suggests that for this game, the CPU provides ample headroom, and its performance is a non-issue. The bottleneck is squarely on the GPU, and any performance improvement would come from a more powerful graphics solution, not a faster processor.