Doom

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a combo rank of 788 out of 3,712 tested combinations in Doom. This places the pairing in the top 21.2% of all tested combos, indicating a strong overall performance tier for this 2016 FPS title. The rank reflects the combined capability of both components working together, rather than either part in isolation.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 29,093 places it within a tight cluster of rivals. It sits just 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, 0.5% behind the Intel Xeon Phi 7210, and 0.6% behind the Intel Core i5-13500HX. Meanwhile, it edges out the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT by 0.5%. This grouping shows that the Core Ultra 5 135H delivers compute performance nearly indistinguishable from several established desktop and mobile parts, despite being a mobile processor with a 28W TDP.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090's average benchmark score of 79,842 places it in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in aggregate scoring are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% ahead), the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6% ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% ahead), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (1.4% behind). These delta values are all within a narrow band, suggesting the RTX 5090's raw compute performance is competitive with data-center and high-end mobile parts, though its real strength in Doom manifests through the measured frame rates.

The measured FPS data shows that this combination delivers playable performance across all tested settings at every resolution, from 1080p Low at 330 FPS average down to 4K Ultra at 70 FPS average. The rank of 788 out of 3,712 is notably strong given that the CPU is a mobile part; the data suggests the GPU carries the bulk of the workload in this game, with the CPU providing sufficient support to avoid major bottlenecks at lower resolutions.

# FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo in Doom?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 330, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At Medium settings the average drops to 287 FPS, and at High it reaches 243 FPS. Even at Ultra, the 1080p average remains at 198 FPS.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, the data shows 4K (3840x2160) performance ranges from 70 FPS average at Ultra settings to 116 FPS average at Low settings. The Medium preset yields 101 FPS average with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS, indicating smooth gameplay throughout.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score of 79,842 places it 0.3% behind the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, 0.6% behind the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, and 1.1% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. It sits 1.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X. All four rivals fall within a 2.5% band, making them statistically close in compute performance.

Q: What is the CPU's multithreaded performance relative to its rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 135H scores 11,875.5 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 7,834 in Cinebench R20 multicore. Its overall average benchmark score of 29,093 is essentially tied with the Ryzen 7 5800X (29,123, -0.1%) and within 0.6% of the Core i5-13500HX (29,270, -0.6%).

Q: Does the combo maintain consistent frame rates, or are there drops?

A: The measured data includes minimum and maximum FPS for Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range is 244 to 331 FPS against a 287 average. At 1440p Medium, the range is 158 to 214 FPS against a 186 average. At 4K Medium, the range is 86 to 116 FPS against a 101 average. These ranges suggest stable performance without severe frame-time spikes.

Q: How does the CPU's single-threaded performance compare to its aggregate standing?

A: The CPU scores 1,700 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3,521 in Passmark single-thread. Its 81st percentile ranking among all CPUs reflects strong single-core capability, which is relevant for Doom's engine that relies on per-thread performance. The data shows the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution tested.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, every preset delivers well above 144 Hz refresh rates: Low averages 330 FPS, Medium 287 FPS, High 243 FPS, and Ultra 198 FPS. For players with standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitors, the Ultra preset at 1080p offers the best visual quality while still maintaining an average above 190 FPS. The High preset is a reasonable middle ground if visual fidelity is less critical than headroom.

At 2560x1440, the situation remains comfortable. Ultra averages 128 FPS, which is sufficient for high-refresh gaming up to 120 Hz. High averages 157 FPS, Medium 186 FPS, and Low 214 FPS. For most users, the Ultra preset at 1440p provides the best experience, as it exceeds 120 FPS average and only drops to a minimum of 158 FPS at Medium (the only preset with min/max data). The gap between High and Ultra is 29 FPS (157 vs 128), which may be acceptable depending on preference for visual effects versus frame rate headroom.

At 3840x2160, the choices become more consequential. Ultra averages 70 FPS, which is playable but below the 90 FPS threshold many players prefer for fast-paced shooters. High averages 85 FPS, Medium averages 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS, and Low averages 116 FPS. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for 4K: it delivers a 101 FPS average, maintains a minimum above 85 FPS, and provides a significant improvement over High (85 to 101 FPS, a 19% increase). The step from Medium to Low (101 to 116 FPS) is smaller in relative terms and comes at the cost of reduced visual quality. For players prioritizing frame rate above all else at 4K, Low at 116 FPS average is viable, but Medium offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, yielding twelve data points. At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces the highest average of 330 FPS. Medium follows at 287 FPS with a minimum of 244 FPS and a maximum of 331 FPS. High reduces the average to 243 FPS, and Ultra brings it down to 198 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 132 FPS, representing a 40% reduction in average frame rate when enabling the highest preset.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 214 FPS. Medium averages 186 FPS with a range of 158 to 214 FPS. High averages 157 FPS, and Ultra averages 128 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 86 FPS, a 40% drop that mirrors the 1080p scaling pattern. The Medium preset's minimum of 158 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating consistent performance.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 116 FPS. Medium averages 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS. High averages 85 FPS, and Ultra averages 70 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is 46 FPS, a 40% decrease that matches the pattern seen at lower resolutions. The Medium preset's minimum of 86 FPS is the only measured minimum below 100 FPS across all presets and resolutions, though it remains comfortably playable.

The data reveals consistent scaling: each settings tier reduces average FPS by roughly 15-20% from the previous tier. From Low to Medium, the reduction is 13% at 1080p (330 to 287), 13% at 1440p (214 to 186), and 13% at 4K (116 to 101). From Medium to High, the reduction is 15% at 1080p (287 to 243), 16% at 1440p (186 to 157), and 16% at 4K (101 to 85). From High to Ultra, the reduction is 19% at 1080p (243 to 198), 18% at 1440p (157 to 128), and 18% at 4K (85 to 70). This consistency suggests the game's settings scale linearly across resolutions.

# Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior reveals how the combo handles pixel throughput pressure. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at each preset yields the following reductions: Low drops from 330 to 214 FPS (a 35% reduction), Medium from 287 to 186 FPS (35%), High from 243 to 157 FPS (35%), and Ultra from 198 to 128 FPS (35%). The uniform 35% reduction across all presets indicates that resolution scaling is independent of graphics settings.

Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 produces a larger relative drop: Low goes from 214 to 116 FPS (46% reduction), Medium from 186 to 101 FPS (46%), High from 157 to 85 FPS (46%), and Ultra from 128 to 70 FPS (45%). The pixel count increases by 125% from 1440p to 4K (3.7 million to 8.3 million pixels), while the frame rate drops by roughly 46%. This non-linear relationship suggests that the GPU is approaching a throughput limit at 4K, where memory bandwidth and pixel fill rate become more significant factors.

The scaling pattern indicates that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU's 14 cores and 18 threads provide sufficient headroom to keep the GPU fed, as evidenced by the 330 FPS Low result. At 1440p, the GPU begins to take on more of the workload, but the 35% reduction from 1080p is consistent with pure pixel-count scaling (a 78% increase in pixels for a 35% frame rate drop). At 4K, the GPU's limits become more apparent, with the 46% reduction from 1440p exceeding what would be expected from pixel count alone.

The RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth and 512-bit bus provides ample headroom for Doom's texture requirements. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the combo maintains 70 FPS average, suggesting that the GPU's compute resources, rather than memory capacity, are the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H features 14 cores and 18 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This Meteor Lake architecture part operates within a 28W TDP, making it a power-efficient mobile processor. Its cache hierarchy includes 112 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB shared L3. The CPU's aggregate benchmark score of 29,093 places it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with Cinebench R23 multicore scoring 11,875.5 and single-core scoring 1,700.

In Doom, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (330 FPS average) indicates that the CPU can sustain extremely high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck. The 14-core configuration with 18 threads provides ample parallelism for the game's task scheduler, while the 4.60 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance for the main game thread.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 135H sits within 0.6% of the Core i5-13500HX and within 0.1% of the Ryzen 7 5800X in aggregate benchmarks. This parity suggests that the mobile chip's performance is competitive with both desktop and high-end mobile parts, which is notable given its 28W TDP versus the higher power envelopes of its rivals. The Passmark multithread score of 22,422 and Passmark single-thread score of 3,521 further confirm balanced performance across both threaded and single-threaded workloads.

The data shows that the CPU does not limit performance at any resolution in this game. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work, the 330 FPS average demonstrates that the CPU can push frame rates beyond what most displays support. The consistent 35% FPS reduction from 1080p to 1440p across all settings presets indicates that the CPU continues to provide enough throughput to keep the GPU utilized, regardless of graphics load.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on a 5nm process at TSMC, featuring 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory operates across a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU runs at a 2017 MHz base clock and 2407 MHz boost clock, with 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. Its compute capabilities include 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 and 170 RT cores.

In Doom, the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the 330 FPS average shows the GPU has substantial headroom, with the bottleneck shifting toward the CPU. At 4K Ultra, the 70 FPS average demonstrates the GPU's limits under maximum pixel load. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,842, confirms its high-end positioning.

The GPU's memory configuration is particularly relevant for Doom. The 32 GB VRAM capacity far exceeds the game's requirements, eliminating any concerns about texture streaming or memory pressure. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that the GPU can access textures and geometry data without stalling, which is supported by the stable minimum FPS values at Medium settings (86 FPS minimum at 4K, 158 at 1440p, 244 at 1080p).

The RTX 5090's nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks are all within a 2.5% band, with the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB at 0.3% ahead and the Radeon RX 6850M XT at 1.1% ahead. This clustering suggests that raw compute performance is similar across these parts, but the RTX 5090's advantage in Doom likely comes from its higher memory bandwidth and modern architecture optimizations. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 39,650 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 18,355 provide additional context for its DirectX 12 performance, which aligns with the measured results in Doom.

The data indicates that the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates at 1440p and above, where the 35-46% resolution scaling drops align with the GPU's pixel throughput capabilities. At 1080p, the GPU's capabilities are so far beyond the CPU's output that the frame rate is constrained by the CPU's ability to issue draw calls, yet the CPU still delivers 330 FPS at Low settings, making the combo well-balanced for this title.