Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a study in contrasts: a mobile, efficiency-focused processor harnessed to a desktop-class, triple-slot flagship GPU. In Doom, this combination delivers a benchmark profile that is defined almost entirely by the graphics card, leaving the CPU as a supporting actor that rarely, if ever, becomes the bottleneck. The measured data shows a system capable of extreme refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, while still maintaining very playable performance at 4K, although the margin for error at the highest resolution is notably thinner.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of 3,712 tested CPU and GPU combinations for Doom, this pairing holds the 823rd position. This places it comfortably in the top quarter of all tested configs, which is a strong result, but the ranking also reveals a significant nuance: the RTX 4090 is being held back. A combo featuring the 4090 should, in theory, be closer to the top of the leaderboard. The fact that it sits at 823, rather than in the top 100, suggests that the Ultra 5 135H is limiting the absolute peak performance, particularly in lower-resolution scenarios where the CPU's role in frame pacing becomes more pronounced.

The data indicates that this is a GPU-bound pairing in most situations, but not all. At 4K, the sheer pixel-pushing workload leverages the RTX 4090's immense compute power, and the CPU's relative weakness is less exposed. However, as resolution drops, the frame rate climbs, and the onus shifts to the processor to feed the GPU with data. The measured FPS at 1080p, while exceptionally high, do not scale as aggressively as one might expect from a 4090, pointing to a CPU ceiling that prevents the combo from ranking higher. Essentially, this is a 4090 system with a governor installed, and that governor prevents it from fully unlocking its top-tier potential.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed engine of this system. With a massive 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, it offers a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This enormous memory pool is a critical asset for a game like Doom, ensuring that texture streaming and high-resolution assets never cause a stutter or a drop in frame time. The 76,300 million transistors on TSMC's 5 nm process form the Ada Lovelace architecture, which powers the card's 16,384 shading units and 512 tensor cores.

Clock speeds are high, with a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz. These clocks, combined with the 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, translate directly into the raw rasterization power that Doom's id Tech 6 engine exploits so effectively. The card's transistor density of 125.3M / mm² on a 609 mm² die allows for this level of performance, but it also explains the 450 W TDP and the need for a triple-slot cooler and a 1x 16-pin power connector.

In the context of Doom, the GPU's role is everything. The measured data shows a linear and predictable scaling of performance with settings at each resolution, which is the hallmark of a GPU that is not being artificially constrained. The RTX 4090 is so powerful that even at 4K Ultra, it manages an average of 67 FPS, proof of its brute force. At lower settings, the frame rate jumps dramatically, showcasing headroom that could be used for higher refresh rates or future, more demanding titles. The GPU is the clear star here; its performance is the primary driver of every single measured frame.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for this combo points to a simple, effective strategy: prioritize the Ultra preset at 1080p and 1440p, and drop to High at 4K. The trade-offs are clear and heavily favor the higher visual fidelity offered by the Ultra preset. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 190 FPS, which is still far beyond the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. Choosing High (232 FPS) or Medium (275 FPS) offers no practical benefit for a standard 144Hz display, as you are already well past that threshold. The visual uplift from Ultra is the only meaningful variable, so it should be taken.

At 2560x1440, the same logic applies. Ultra delivers 123 FPS, which is excellent for a high-refresh-rate 1440p monitor. Dropping to High increases the average to 150 FPS, but again, the difference between 123 and 150 FPS is far less impactful than the difference between High and Ultra settings on a fast-paced FPS. The data suggests that the RTX 4090 has enough headroom to absorb the Ultra settings' cost while maintaining a fluid experience.

The 3840x2160 resolution is where a compromise becomes necessary. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 67 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a competitive shooter where high frame rates are paramount. The High preset, at 81 FPS, offers a more comfortable margin, and at Medium, the average climbs to 96 FPS. For the best balance of visual quality and performance at 4K, the High preset is the optimal choice. It sacrifices some of the more demanding visual effects to keep the frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smoother and more responsive experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The performance envelope of this combo is best understood by examining the measured FPS at each resolution and settings level.

3840x2160 (4K): This is the most demanding scenario. The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low settings produce an average of 111 FPS, Medium an average of 96 FPS (with a minimum of 82 and maximum of 111), High an average of 81 FPS, and Ultra an average of 67 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 44 FPS, indicating that the GPU is managing the load effectively. The Medium preset's minimum of 82 FPS is a strong indicator of stability, ensuring that even the most chaotic scenes do not cause a significant frame drop.

2560x1440 (1440p): This is the sweet spot for this hardware. The Low preset delivers a blistering 204 FPS average, while Medium (178 FPS, min 151/max 205) and High (150 FPS) both offer triple-digit averages that are ideal for high refresh rate gaming. Even the Ultra preset, at 123 FPS, remains highly playable. The scaling between settings is more compressed than at 4K, suggesting that the CPU is starting to have a minor influence on the upper bounds of performance, preventing the GPU from stretching its legs fully at the Low preset.

1920x1080 (1080p): The data shows massive frame rates, but the scaling pattern is revealing. Low settings yield an average of 316 FPS, Medium 275 FPS (min 234/max 316), High 232 FPS, and Ultra 190 FPS. While these numbers are spectacular, the jump from Low to Medium is a drop of 41 FPS, and from High to Ultra another 42 FPS. This is where the CPU's limitations become apparent. The RTX 4090 is capable of far more than 316 FPS in Doom at 1080p Low, but the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H cannot process game logic and draw calls fast enough to keep up. The frame rate is effectively capped by the CPU's single-thread performance in this scenario.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this combo?

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 is the ideal balance. At this resolution, the Ultra preset averages 123 FPS, which is excellent for a high-refresh-rate monitor. 4K is playable, but requires dropping to the High preset for a more comfortable 81 FPS average.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in Doom?

A: Yes, primarily at 1080p. The data indicates that as resolution drops, the frame rate increases but not as much as the GPU alone could deliver. For example, at 1080p Low the average is 316 FPS, while at 1440p Low it is 204 FPS. The smaller-than-expected gap suggests the CPU limits the maximum achievable frame rate at lower resolutions.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, it can. At 4K with the Ultra preset, it averages 67 FPS. However, for a more consistent experience that stays well above 60 FPS, the High preset, with an average of 81 FPS, is the better choice.

Q: How much performance is lost by using the Ultra preset instead of High?

A: The loss depends on resolution. At 4K, dropping from High (81 FPS) to Ultra (67 FPS) costs 14 FPS. At 1440p, the cost is 27 FPS (from 150 to 123 FPS). At 1080p, the cost is 42 FPS (from 232 to 190 FPS).

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its direct rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 29093, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. It is 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and 0.5% slower than the Intel Xeon Phi 7210, while being 0.5% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT and 0.6% faster than the Intel Core i5-13500HX.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's performance in this combo typical?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 60347, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, has a score of 60326, a delta of 0%. This indicates that the 4090 is performing as expected in synthetic tests, but the in-game performance at 1080p is limited by the CPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, with a TDP of just 28 W. This is a mobile-focused chip, designed for efficiency, and its performance in Doom reflects that. The CPU's L3 cache is 18 MB (shared), and it supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

In Doom, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The engine is well-optimized, but it still relies heavily on strong single-core performance to maintain high frame rates. The 135H's single-core benchmark results—1700 in Cinebench R23 and 3521 in PassMark—are respectable for a mobile chip, but they are not in the same league as the top desktop processors. This becomes a limiting factor when the frame rate is very high.

The data shows this clearly. At 4K, where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, the CPU's performance is sufficient. However, at 1080p, the average frame rates of 190-316 FPS are high enough that the CPU's processing time per frame becomes a significant portion of the total frame time. This creates a ceiling that prevents the RTX 4090 from reaching its full potential. The combo's rank of 823 out of 3712 is a direct consequence of this mismatch. The CPU is not a weak component in absolute terms; it is simply out of its depth when paired with a GPU of the 4090's caliber in a game that can run at such extreme frame rates. The data suggests that for maximum performance in Doom, a desktop CPU with higher single-thread performance, such as those in the CPU's nearest rival list (the Ryzen 7 5800X or i5-13500HX), would be a more balanced match. This pairing reflects the RTX 4090's dominance, but it is also a clear example of how a power-efficient mobile CPU can hold back a flagship graphics card.