Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 presents a stark generational contrast in the 2016 classic Doom. The CPU is a modern 10-core Arrow Lake part, while the GPU is a 2017 Polaris design that has since been marked end-of-life. Benchmark results in this title show a combo that is heavily constrained by its graphics card, with the processor rarely breaking a sweat. This analysis explores the measured frame rates, the scaling across resolutions, and the distinct roles each component plays in delivering the final experience.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall ranking of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + AMD Radeon RX 580 combo in Doom?*

A: The combo ranks 2675th out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the lower percentile of systems for this specific game.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU bottleneck the system at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 62. Since the CPU is a high-end 10-core part and the GPU is a mid-range 2017 model, the data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by its 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 53rd percentile.

Q: How much faster is the Core Ultra 5 225 compared to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F?

A: According to the average benchmark scores, the Core Ultra 5 225 scores 36938, while the Ryzen 5 5600F scores 36945. This results in a delta percentage of 0, meaning their average performance is essentially identical.

Q: What is the maximum FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 102, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The maximum FPS for a single run was 103, also at 1080p but with Medium settings.

Q: How much VRAM does the RX 580 have, and does it seem sufficient for this game?

A: The RX 580 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus. For a game from 2016 like Doom, this capacity is more than adequate, even at 4K, as the performance drops are more likely tied to the GPU's compute power (6.175 TFLOPS) than memory capacity.

Q: Between 1080p and 4K, how significant is the average FPS drop at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 75 at 1920x1080 to 49 at 2560x1440, and finally to 26 at 3840x2160. This represents a 65% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this combination at rank 2675 out of 2930 tested combos. This puts it in the bottom 10% of all systems tested for Doom, which is a surprising result for a CPU that outperforms the vast majority of its peers. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the Intel Core i9-12900T, score nearly identically (36945 and 37112, respectively), with delta percentages hovering around 0.0% to -0.5%. This indicates that the CPU is a top-tier performer in synthetic tests.

However, the GPU tells a different story. The AMD Radeon RX 580 has a 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, placing it squarely in the middle of the pack. Its average benchmark score is 12928, and it trades blows with parts like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and the GTX 1660 SUPER. The massive discrepancy in percentile rankings between the CPU (85th) and GPU (53rd) is the primary reason for the low combo rank. The system's overall performance is dragged down by the GPU's inability to match the CPU's potential. The low rank in-game is a direct reflection of this bottleneck, showing that a powerful processor cannot compensate for a mid-range graphics card in a GPU-intensive title like Doom.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the clear limiting component in this configuration. Based on the benchmark data, the GPU's role is to render the game's frames, and its architecture determines the ceiling for performance. The card features a Polaris 20 chip built on a 14 nm process, with 2304 shading units and 32 ROPs. It operates at a boost clock of 1340 MHz and delivers a fill rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s. These specifications, while respectable for its time, are now dated and cap the frame rates seen in the measured data.

The 8 GB of GDDR5 memory is a key asset. With a 256-bit bus and 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has sufficient memory throughput and capacity for Doom at all tested settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 22, which is unplayable. Even at 4K Low, the average is only 36 FPS. This suggests that while memory capacity isn't an issue, the GPU's raw compute power (6.175 TFLOPS) is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions. The card's position in the market, with a 53rd percentile ranking and a launch MSRP of 229 USD, confirms its historical mid-range status, which is now showing its age in this benchmark.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the RX 580 delivers playable frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 102, which is excellent for a fast-paced FPS. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 103. High settings yield an average of 75 FPS, still very smooth. Pushing to Ultra, the average falls to 62 FPS, which remains playable but shows a significant 39% performance hit compared to Low settings.

At 2560x1440, the pressure on the GPU increases. Low settings produce an average of 66 FPS, which is still fluid. Medium settings bring the average down to 58 FPS (min 49, max 66). High settings average 49 FPS, which is on the edge of what many consider smooth for a shooter. Ultra settings drop the average to 40 FPS, making for a less-than-ideal experience in intense combat.

At 3840x2160, the card struggles. Low settings average only 36 FPS. Medium settings drop to 31 FPS (min 27, max 36). High settings average 26 FPS, and Ultra settings plummet to 22 FPS. None of these averages are suitable for a responsive gaming experience. The progression from 1080p to 4K clearly demonstrates the GPU's limitations as the pixel count demands more from the Polaris architecture.

Resolution Scaling

Resolution scaling reveals the severe bottleneck imposed by the GPU. The data shows a clear and consistent decline in FPS as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound system. The CPU is likely waiting on the GPU to finish rendering each frame, meaning its performance is largely irrelevant to these results.

At High settings, the average FPS falls from 75 at 1080p to 49 at 1440p, a 35% drop. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the FPS falls from 49 to 26, another 47% drop. From 1080p to 4K, the total drop is 65%, a massive decrease.

At Low settings, the pattern is similar. The average FPS goes from 102 at 1080p to 66 at 1440p (a 35% drop), and then to 36 at 4K (a 45% drop from 1440p). The total loss from 1080p to 4K is 65%.

At Medium settings, the drop from 1080p (89 FPS) to 1440p (58 FPS) is 35%, and from 1440p to 4K (31 FPS) is 47%. At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 62 at 1080p to 40 at 1440p (35%), and then to 22 at 4K (45%).

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is telling. It indicates that the scaling is purely a function of pixel count and the GPU's fill rate limits. If the CPU were a significant factor, the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K would likely be smaller at lower resolutions, where the CPU has more relative work to do. Instead, the uniform drops point directly to the RX 580's 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate as the primary limiter.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is an exceptionally powerful processor that is not being fully utilized in this configuration. The data shows that it has 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. It is built on a 3 nm process and features 20 MB of shared L3 cache. Its synthetic benchmark scores are impressive, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655. Its Passmark multithread score of 30459 and single-thread score of 4412 further solidify its position as a high-end part.

This CPU has an 85th percentile ranking and an average benchmark score of 36938, placing it in the same performance tier as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the Intel Core i9-12900T. In a game like Doom, which is not known to be heavily multithreaded, this 10-core processor provides more than enough headroom. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 102 FPS, but the CPU is likely not the reason for this cap. The GPU is. Even at the lowest resolution and settings, the RX 580 is the component that determines the final frame rate. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game state, and given its performance, it does so without becoming a bottleneck. The evidence for this is the performance scaling data, which shows consistent FPS drops with resolution increases, a phenomenon that would not occur if the CPU were the limiting factor. The CPU is a future-proofing asset, but its power is currently untapped.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's display resolution and preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity.

For 1920x1080 displays, the High preset offers the best balance. It delivers an average of 75 FPS, which is smooth and responsive for a fast-paced FPS. The jump from High to Ultra only increases visual quality marginally but costs a 17% performance drop (from 75 to 62 FPS). While the Ultra preset is playable, the High preset ensures a more consistent and higher frame rate, which is often more beneficial in a competitive shooter like Doom. If the user prioritizes maximum frame rate, the Low preset at 102 FPS is the optimal choice, but it comes with a significant visual downgrade.

For 2560x1440 displays, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point. It provides an average of 58 FPS, which is adequate for most players. The High preset drops to 49 FPS, which may be too low for some. The Low preset at 66 FPS is the smoothest option, but again, with visual compromises. Given the data, Medium is the sweet spot, offering a playable frame rate while maintaining a level of visual quality above the bare minimum.

For 3840x2160 displays, the data indicates that this GPU cannot provide a satisfactory experience. The highest average FPS is 36 at Low settings, which is below the threshold for comfortable play in a fast-paced game. All other presets fall into the 22-31 FPS range, which would result in a stuttering and unresponsive experience. Therefore, for 4K gaming, the recommendation is to avoid this resolution with this GPU. The user would need to lower the resolution to 1440p to get a playable experience. The data suggests that the best experience for this combo is achieved at 1080p with High or Low settings, or at 1440p with Medium settings.