Doom

The benchmark data for Doom (2016) with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER presents a clear picture of a system where the graphics card is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom for high refresh rate gaming at 1080p. The measured frame rates across the resolution and settings matrix show a consistent scaling pattern that allows for distinct recommendations depending on the target display.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals the bottleneck dynamics of this pairing. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 192 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 124 FPS, a reduction of 68 FPS. Scaling further to 3840x2160 at Low yields an average of 67 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is being saturated as pixel count increases, while the CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads are not limiting at these lower settings.

The trend holds across all presets. For High settings, the average FPS moves from 141 at 1080p to 91 at 1440p and finally to 50 at 4K. The Ultra preset shows a similar pattern: 115 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K. The consistent percentage drop between each resolution step suggests the workload is scaling almost entirely with the GPU's fill rate and shading power. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the game's data at these resolutions, but the raw compute throughput of 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 becomes the limiting factor.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (192 FPS) and Ultra (115 FPS) is 77 FPS. At 4K, the same comparison shows a difference of only 27 FPS (67 FPS Low vs 40 FPS Ultra). This compression of the settings delta at 4K confirms that the GPU is the hard limit; even reducing graphical quality cannot overcome the pixel throughput demands. The data shows that 4K performance is only viable for less demanding presets, while 1440p offers a balanced sweet spot between fidelity and frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target refresh rate and resolution. For 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally capable. The Low preset delivers 192 FPS, which is suitable for competitive play, but the Ultra preset still achieves an average of 115 FPS, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset offers a middle ground at 167 FPS, but the data suggests that Ultra at 1080p is the best experience for visual quality without sacrificing playability, as 115 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 91 FPS provides a strong balance. The Ultra preset drops to 75 FPS, which is still playable but begins to approach the lower end of high refresh rate expectations. The Low preset at 124 FPS is the maximum performance option, but the visual compromise is significant. For a 144Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 108 FPS is the recommended choice, as it stays above 100 FPS while offering better visual fidelity than Low. For a standard 60Hz display, the Ultra preset at 75 FPS is the clear winner, providing the best image quality with a comfortable margin above the refresh rate.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset averages 67 FPS, which is barely above 60 FPS and would be the only playable option for a 60Hz 4K monitor. The Medium preset drops to 59 FPS, which is technically playable but falls below the standard 60 FPS mark. The High preset at 50 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay. Therefore, for 4K, the Low preset is the only viable choice, and even then, the experience is marginal. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium/High.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2056 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the lower half of all possible pairings, reflecting that the GPU is a mid-range part from a previous generation. The CPU, however, is a modern high-performance part, ranking in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 36938 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which scores 36945 with a deltaPct of 0. The CPU also edges out the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (-0.4% delta).

The GPU, in contrast, sits in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 18093 is slightly below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, deltaPct -0.4) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, deltaPct -0.5). It is also close to the AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, deltaPct -1.5). This indicates that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU is the weak link, dragging the overall combo ranking down. The rank of 2056 out of 2930 suggests that many other CPU/GPU pairings achieve better frame rates in this game, likely due to more powerful graphics cards.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably across all presets. The Low setting yields an average of 192 FPS, with the Medium preset at 167 FPS (min 142, max 192). High settings produce 141 FPS, and Ultra drops to 115 FPS. These numbers show that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution; even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains a high frame rate, indicating the game is well optimized for multi-core processors.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but begin to show GPU limitations. Low settings average 124 FPS, while Medium averages 108 FPS (min 92, max 125). High settings produce 91 FPS, and Ultra falls to 75 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 49 FPS, which is narrower than at 1080p (77 FPS), confirming the growing GPU constraint.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 67 FPS, Medium averages 59 FPS (min 50, max 67), High drops to 50 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 40 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 50 FPS indicates potential stuttering on 60Hz displays, and the Ultra preset's 40 FPS average is borderline unplayable for a fast-paced FPS. The data shows a definitive performance cliff at 4K, with no preset achieving a comfortable 60 FPS average.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with High settings averaging 91 FPS. 1920x1080 is ideal for maximum frame rates, with Ultra at 115 FPS, while 3840x2160 is only playable at Low settings (67 FPS).

*Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which average 67 FPS. Medium settings fall to 59 FPS, and High and Ultra drop to 50 FPS and 40 FPS respectively, which are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, which is identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945). It is slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2%) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (-0.4%).

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, which is slightly below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, -0.4%) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, -0.5%). It is also close to the AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, -1.5%).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 192 FPS, while Ultra settings average 115 FPS. This is a difference of 77 FPS, showing that the game is highly scalable on this hardware.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom, as evidenced by high frame rates even at Ultra. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as frame rates drop dramatically across all settings, indicating the RTX 2060 SUPER is maxed out.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 features 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This modern Arrow Lake-S architecture on a 3 nm process provides substantial single-thread performance, as shown by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655. In Doom, which is known for its efficient multi-threading, the CPU's strong single-core performance is crucial for maintaining high frame rates. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 192 FPS, a frame rate that would be impossible if the CPU were the limiting factor.

The CPU's multi-core performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891. This ensures that background tasks and game logic do not interfere with frame pacing. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample data storage for game assets, reducing latency. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its high performance level. Its average benchmark score of 36938 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, indicating that these two processors are interchangeable in terms of raw compute power. In this game, the CPU is never the bottleneck at any resolution tested, as the frame rate scaling is almost entirely dependent on the GPU's load.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing architecture GPU with 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It has a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus offers a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for Doom's texture data. The GPU's compute capability is 7.181 TFLOPS FP32, and its pixel rate is 105.6 GPixel/s.

The measured frame rates indicate that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary performance determinant. At 4K, the GPU's pixel fill rate and shading throughput are overwhelmed, resulting in average FPS of 67 at Low and 40 at Ultra. The GPU's 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier. Its average benchmark score of 18093 is slightly below the RTX 3060 Mobile, but the desktop RTX 2060 SUPER offers consistent performance without thermal throttling concerns. The 175W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a power-hungry but manageable card. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is a key asset; without it, the 4K Low setting would likely be even lower than 67 FPS. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K, while at 1080p it has enough headroom to deliver high refresh rates.