Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT delivers a playable experience across the board in Doom, but the performance curve reveals a system that is firmly GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The data shows a clear and consistent hierarchy: 1080p delivers triple-digit frame rates at every preset, 1440p remains highly competitive, and 4K pushes the graphics card to its limits, where only the Low preset maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. This is a pairing that favors high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming but requires careful settings management for 4K displays.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating that the Radeon RX 6650 XT is the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases. At the High preset, the average FPS falls from 147 at 1920x1080 to 95 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 52 FPS (approximately 35%). Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings, the average drops from 95 to 51 FPS, a further 44 FPS decrease (about 46%). This pattern holds across all presets: the scaling factor from 1080p to 4K is roughly 2.4x to 2.9x, which aligns with the 4x pixel count increase but shows that the GPU cannot maintain proportional performance.

Looking at the Low preset, 1080p yields 200 FPS average, while 1440p drops to 129 FPS, and 4K falls to 70 FPS. The 1440p result is 64.5% of the 1080p score, and the 4K result is 35% of the 1080p score. This dramatic falloff suggests that the RX 6650 XT's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are saturated at higher resolutions, particularly when texture quality increases with the preset level. The Medium preset shows the most balanced scaling, with 174 FPS at 1080p, 113 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K, though the minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 52, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with 120 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p, and only 42 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the playable threshold for most users, confirming that this combination is not suited for maximum settings at 4K. Overall, the scaling data indicates that the CPU has ample headroom; even at 1080p Low, the system reaches 200 FPS, which is likely near the engine's practical limit for this hardware, while the GPU becomes the bottleneck at every resolution above that.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the workhorse in this pairing, and its specifications explain the performance ceiling observed in the measured data. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K, especially with higher presets that demand more VRAM for textures and geometry. The 4K Ultra result of 42 FPS average strongly suggests memory bandwidth constraints, as the core clock speed is not the sole bottleneck.

The GPU's clock speeds are relatively high for its class: a base clock of 2055 MHz, a game clock of 2410 MHz, and a boost clock of 2635 MHz. These clocks allow the card to perform well at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 200 FPS average at 1080p Low. The boost clock is particularly relevant for bursty workloads in fast-paced FPS games like Doom, where the GPU can ramp up to 2635 MHz during intense combat sequences. However, the 176 W TDP and the need for a 450 W suggested PSU indicate that this is a power-hungry card for its performance tier, and sustained loads at 4K may cause thermal throttling if cooling is inadequate.

The GPU's architecture is RDNA 2.0, built on a 7 nm process with 11,060 million transistors. It has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, which are modest numbers for 4K rendering. The pixel rate is 168.6 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 337.3 GTexel/s, both of which are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but insufficient for 4K at high settings. The FP32 performance of 10.79 TFLOPS is competitive for this tier, but the memory subsystem ultimately caps the card's 4K potential. The card also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with Doom's modern rendering paths.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range positioning. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 17166 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1859. These scores place it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, which is respectable but not exceptional. Its nearest rivals include professional workstation cards like the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 and AMD FirePro W7000, which are not gaming-focused, indicating that the RX 6650 XT's gaming performance is competitive for its price tier. The 8 GB VRAM is becoming a concern for newer titles, but for Doom, released in 2016, it is sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, though 4K Ultra pushes it to its limits.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K 60 FPS?

A: No, not at any preset. The highest 4K average is 70 FPS at Low settings, but the Medium preset drops to 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS, and High and Ultra are 51 FPS and 42 FPS respectively. For a consistent 60 FPS at 4K, you would need to use Low settings, and even then, the margin is slim.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Doom?

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, the average FPS is 95, and at Medium it is 113, both well above 60 FPS. This resolution provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining smooth frame rates, unlike 4K which requires Low settings for playable performance.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 78 FPS, while High averages 95 FPS. This is a 17 FPS difference (about 18% faster for High), which is substantial. Given that the visual difference between High and Ultra in Doom is often minimal, High is the recommended choice for this resolution.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p. The system reaches 200 FPS at Low settings and 147 FPS at High settings, which are high enough to indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has 10 cores and 10 threads with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, which is ample for Doom's engine.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 4K Medium, and is it playable?

A: The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 52, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. While the average is 61 FPS, drops to 52 FPS can cause noticeable stutter in fast-paced scenes. For a consistent experience at 4K, Low settings with a 70 FPS average is safer.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 1886 out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the 36th percentile. This means it outperforms a majority of other combos, but there are many higher-performing options. The ranking reflects the mid-range nature of both the CPU and GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks 1886 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the 36th percentile, meaning it is faster than about 64% of all tested combos but slower than the top 36%. This is a solid mid-pack result, consistent with the individual component rankings: the CPU is at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. The combo ranking is lower than the CPU's percentile, indicating that the GPU is holding the system back in this particular game.

The CPU, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, has an average benchmark score of 36938, which puts it in the top 15% of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (deltaPct -0.2), and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (deltaPct -0.4). This means the CPU is effectively on par with these processors, with less than 1% difference in average score. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Passmark single-thread score of 4412, is beneficial for Doom's engine, which relies heavily on single-threaded rendering.

The GPU, AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, has an average benchmark score of 19765, placing it at the 65th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla K40m (deltaPct -0.6), AMD FirePro D300 (deltaPct 0.7), and AMD FirePro W7000 (deltaPct -0.7). These are all professional or older cards, which underscores that the RX 6650 XT's gaming performance is competitive for its generation. The combo's 1886 rank is a reflection of the GPU's mid-range status; in a game like Doom, which is well-optimized and not overly demanding, this pairing performs admirably but cannot compete with higher-end GPUs that would push the rank much higher.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the settings should be chosen based on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it delivers 147 FPS average, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of most gaming monitors. The Ultra preset at 1080p still achieves 120 FPS, but the visual improvement over High is marginal in Doom, while the performance cost is a 27 FPS drop. For users with 240 Hz monitors, the Low preset at 200 FPS is the only option to fully utilize that refresh rate, but the visual quality trade-off is significant.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is again the best balance, with 95 FPS average. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitors. The Medium preset offers 113 FPS, which is a better choice for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, but the visual difference from High is noticeable. The Ultra preset at 78 FPS is still playable, but the 17 FPS penalty over High is not worth the small visual gains. For a smooth and visually appealing experience, High is the clear winner at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the only playable option is the Low preset, which averages 70 FPS. This is above 60 FPS but not by a large margin, so there may be occasional drops in intense scenes. The Medium preset averages 61 FPS but has a minimum of 52 FPS, which can cause stuttering. The High preset at 51 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 42 FPS is not recommended. For 4K gaming, users should accept the Low preset or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience. The data shows that 4K is not this combo's strength, and the settings should be adjusted accordingly.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across presets is as follows: Low delivers 200 FPS, Medium delivers 174 FPS with a minimum of 148 FPS and a maximum of 200 FPS, High delivers 147 FPS, and Ultra delivers 120 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 148 FPS indicates that even in the most demanding scenes, the system stays well above 144 FPS, making it a strong choice for high-refresh-rate gaming. The Low preset's 200 FPS is the maximum achievable, likely hitting the engine's frame rate cap or the GPU's rendering limit.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are: Low at 129 FPS, Medium at 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS and maximum of 129 FPS, High at 95 FPS, and Ultra at 78 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 96 FPS is still above 60 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even during heavy action. The High preset's 95 FPS average is solid, but the gap between Medium and High is only 18 FPS, which makes Medium a viable alternative for users seeking higher frame rates. The Ultra preset at 78 FPS is playable but represents a significant drop from High.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are: Low at 70 FPS, Medium at 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS and maximum of 70 FPS, High at 51 FPS, and Ultra at 42 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that maintains an average above 60 FPS, but the Medium preset's minimum of 52 FPS is concerning for consistency. The High and Ultra presets are below 60 FPS, rendering them unsuitable for smooth play. The data shows a clear progression: as resolution increases, the GPU's limitations become more pronounced, and the preset must be lowered to maintain playable frame rates. The 4K results confirm that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for users who prioritize resolution over frame rate and are willing to use Low settings.