Doom

Doom, the 2016 id Software shooter, remains a demanding title for modern hardware, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 produces a broad spectrum of results across resolutions and presets. The data indicates that this pairing is capable of delivering high refresh rate experiences at 1080p and solid 1440p performance, while 4K gameplay requires more conservative settings. The benchmark rows show a clear hierarchy of performance that scales predictably with resolution and image quality, but the margins between presets reveal where the GPU’s capabilities are stretched and where the CPU’s headroom allows for maximum frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

For the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and RTX 3070 combination, the measured data points to Medium as the optimal preset for most users, as it provides the best balance between visual fidelity and frame rate stability across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium produces an average of 225 FPS with a minimum of 191 FPS, ensuring that even the most intense combat scenes remain well above the 144Hz refresh rate threshold that many competitive players target. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 35 FPS on average, dropping to 190 FPS, which is still excellent but begins to introduce occasional dips that could be noticeable on high-refresh displays.

At 2560x1440, Medium again proves to be the sweet spot, delivering 145 FPS average with a 124 FPS minimum. This maintains a comfortable margin above 120Hz displays, while High drops to 123 FPS average, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 1440p, at 100 FPS average, is viable for 60Hz or 100Hz displays but sacrifices the smoothness that the Medium preset provides. For 3840x2160, Medium is the highest reasonable choice, offering 79 FPS average with a 67 FPS minimum, which is just above the 60 FPS console-like standard; High at 67 FPS average is borderline, and Ultra at 54 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS target. The Low preset, while delivering 258 FPS at 1080p and 167 FPS at 1440p, is only recommended for extreme competitive scenarios where every frame matters, as the visual degradation is significant.

The data suggests that for a general-purpose gaming experience, the Medium preset is the default recommendation, as it consistently outperforms High by 15-18% while maintaining minimum frame rates that are only slightly lower, indicating a well-optimized scaling curve. The gap between Medium and Low is larger in percentage terms, but the visual cost of Low makes it a poor trade for the extra 33 FPS at 1080p or 22 FPS at 1440p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is the primary determinant of performance in Doom at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU’s 5888 shading units and 184 texture mapping units, running at a boost clock of 1725 MHz, deliver the raw compute power needed to maintain the frame rates observed in the data. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this game at all tested settings, as no memory-related stutters or crashes are indicated in the measured rows, but the bandwidth and compute throughput become the limiting factors when moving from 1080p to 1440p and 4K.

The GPU’s performance percentile of 61 among all GPUs suggests it sits in the upper-midrange tier, and its average benchmark score of 17208 places it near the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which scores 0.7% higher. The RTX 3070’s FP32 compute of 20.31 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s are well-suited to Doom’s fast-paced rendering, but the data shows that the GPU’s capabilities are fully utilized only at 4K, where the average frame rates drop to 54-90 FPS depending on the preset. At 1080p, the GPU is often not the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 258 FPS Low result, which suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU more frames than it can render at higher settings.

The 220 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate that the RTX 3070 requires a capable power supply, but the benchmark results show no thermal throttling artifacts, as the frame rates scale consistently with settings. The transition from High to Ultra at any resolution costs roughly 20-25% of the average FPS, which is a typical trade-off for the additional visual effects, but the RTX 3070’s 8 GB memory and 448 GB/s bandwidth appear to be the constraining factors at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 54 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear and consistent scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K, with the RTX 3070 and Core Ultra 5 225 combination demonstrating that the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck as resolution increases. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 225 at 1080p to 145 at 1440p, a 35.6% reduction, and then to 79 at 4K, a further 45.5% reduction from the 1440p figure. This scaling is roughly in line with the pixel count increase, indicating that the GPU is being fully utilized at these resolutions and that the CPU is not a limiting factor.

At High settings, the scaling is similar: 190 FPS at 1080p drops to 123 FPS at 1440p (-35.3%) and then to 67 FPS at 4K (-45.5%). The consistency of these percentages across presets suggests that the rendering pipeline is well-balanced and that the performance loss is primarily due to the increased pixel fill rate required rather than any memory bandwidth limitations. The Low preset shows the least dramatic scaling, with 258 FPS at 1080p dropping to 167 FPS at 1440p (-35.3%) and then to 90 FPS at 4K (-46.1%), which indicates that even at the lowest settings, the GPU’s compute resources are still the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The data reveals that the 1080p to 1440p transition is the most “free” in terms of performance cost, as the frame rates remain high enough for smooth gameplay, while the 1440p to 4K transition is more punishing, particularly at Ultra settings where the average drops below 60 FPS. This pattern confirms that the RTX 3070 is a 1080p and 1440p-class GPU for Doom, with 4K being viable only at Low or Medium settings. The minimum frame rates recorded at Medium settings (191 FPS at 1080p, 124 FPS at 1440p, 67 FPS at 4K) show that the frame pacing remains stable, with no sudden spikes or crashes, further indicating that the GPU is consistently the primary limiter at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 258 FPS, which is the highest recorded value in the entire dataset, indicating that the Core Ultra 5 225 has enough single-thread performance to push the GPU to its limits. Medium settings reduce the average to 225 FPS with a minimum of 191 FPS, while High settings drop to 190 FPS. Ultra settings, at 155 FPS average, still provide a very smooth experience for high-refresh monitors, but the 70 FPS gap between Low and Ultra highlights the GPU’s workload increase.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU’s limitations. Low settings average 167 FPS, Medium drops to 145 FPS with a 124 FPS minimum, and High falls to 123 FPS. Ultra settings average 100 FPS, which is the first time the combo dips below the 120 FPS mark at this resolution. The 1080p to 1440p scaling shows a consistent ~35% performance penalty across all presets, which is expected given the pixel count increase of 78%.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3070’s 8 GB memory and 448 GB/s bandwidth are pushed hard. Low settings average 90 FPS, Medium drops to 79 FPS with a 67 FPS minimum, and High falls to 67 FPS. Ultra settings, at 54 FPS average, are the only configuration that fails to maintain a 60 FPS average, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The 4K results show that the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as even the Low preset cannot reach the 100 FPS mark that was achievable at 1440p Medium. The minimum frame rate at 4K Medium (67 FPS) is identical to the 4K High average, indicating that the GPU is operating at its limits in this resolution range.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1226th out of 2930 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the 58th percentile of all systems tested. This ranking reflects the pairing’s strengths at lower resolutions but also its limitations at 4K, where the GPU’s mid-range status is exposed. The combo’s rank is influenced by the CPU’s 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, which provides a strong foundation for frame generation, but the GPU’s 61st percentile ranking pulls the overall result down, as Doom is a GPU-intensive title at higher settings.

Compared to other tested combos, this pairing sits in the upper-middle tier, meaning it outperforms a majority of systems but is far from the top. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta) and AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2% delta), have nearly identical average scores, indicating that the processor choice is not a differentiator in this game. The GPU’s nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (0.7% higher score) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (1% higher), show that the RTX 3070 is closely matched with contemporary and older high-end cards, but none of these rivals would significantly change the combo’s ranking in Doom.

The rank of 1226 out of 2930 suggests that this combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates, but it is not a top-tier choice for 4K enthusiasts. The data indicates that the combo’s performance is more limited by the GPU than the CPU, as the processor’s high percentile ranking and strong single-core scores (3655 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensure that it can keep up with the GPU’s demands.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for this CPU and GPU combo in Doom at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset is recommended, as it delivers 145 FPS average with a 124 FPS minimum, providing a smooth experience on 120Hz or 144Hz displays. High settings drop to 123 FPS average, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes.

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

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The data shows that Low settings average 90 FPS, Medium averages 79 FPS, and High averages 67 FPS, all of which are above the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings, at 54 FPS average, are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: Across all presets, the average FPS drops by approximately 35%. For example, at Medium settings, the frame rate goes from 225 FPS at 1080p to 145 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 80 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this combo for Doom?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings, particularly at 4K, where the frame rates drop significantly. At 1080p Low, the CPU’s capability is evident, as the combo reaches 258 FPS, suggesting the GPU is not fully saturated.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in terms of raw benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 0.7% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083) and 1% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037). It is 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla K40c (17468).

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking in Doom compared to all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1226th out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all systems. This indicates it is a capable gaming setup but not a top-tier performer for this specific title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225, with its 10 cores and 10 threads, plays a supporting but crucial role in this combo’s Doom performance. The CPU’s base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz, combined with its 20 MB of shared L3 cache, provide the single-thread performance necessary to drive high frame rates at lower resolutions. The processor’s 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938, places it in the upper tier, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 indicates strong per-core performance for game logic and draw call processing.

The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in Doom at any tested setting, as the frame rates scale consistently with GPU workload. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 258 FPS, which is likely close to the CPU’s maximum frame generation limit for this game, given that the GPU is less stressed at these settings. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta) and AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2% delta), have nearly identical average scores, indicating that any of these processors would yield similar results in Doom.

The CPU’s 10 cores and 10 threads (no hyperthreading) are more than sufficient for Doom’s multi-threaded rendering, and the high boost clock ensures that the GPU is fed a steady stream of frames. The processor’s 65 W TDP and 3 nm process node (manufactured by TSMC) suggest efficient power delivery, which helps maintain consistent clock speeds during extended gaming sessions. While the CPU’s role is less prominent at 4K, where the GPU dominates, its strong single-thread performance is essential for achieving the high frame rates seen at 1080p and 1440p, particularly in fast-paced combat scenarios where frame time consistency is critical.