Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers an extraordinary performance profile in Doom, one that is almost entirely dictated by the graphics card’s immense raw power. The data shows a combination capable of obliterating even the most demanding settings at 4K, while at lower resolutions, the frame rates climb to levels that far exceed the refresh rates of virtually all consumer displays. This analysis breaks down the measured results, placing the combo’s performance in context against its rivals and the broader benchmark database.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic shift in bottleneck dynamics, though the sheer horsepower of the RTX 4090 ensures that even the most extreme resolution remains firmly in high-performance territory. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 444 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 287 FPS, a reduction of 157 FPS (approximately 35%). At 4K Low, the average falls to 156 FPS, which is a further 131 FPS drop from 1440p. This steep decline of nearly 65% from 1080p to 4K indicates that while the GPU is massively powerful, the CPU is beginning to show its limits at very high frame rates.

However, the story changes when looking at the most demanding preset. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages an average of 94 FPS, demonstrating that the RTX 4090’s 82.58 TFLOPS of compute power is sufficient to handle the game’s maximum visual fidelity without collapsing. The scaling pattern here is telling: the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (444 FPS) and Ultra (267 FPS) is 177 FPS. At 4K, the same comparison shows a difference of 62 FPS (156 FPS vs 94 FPS). This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is the limiting factor, preventing the GPU from stretching its legs fully. As resolution climbs, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, and the Core Ultra 5 225’s 10 cores and 10 threads are less of a bottleneck.

The data points to a system where the RTX 4090 is the dominant component. The 4K Medium result of 136 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS shows a tight frame pacing that suggests the GPU is being fully utilized. The fact that 4K Ultra still delivers nearly triple-digit average frame rates reflects the card’s architecture. The 1080p Low result of 444 FPS is likely near the ceiling of what the CPU can feed to the GPU, as the frame rate does not scale linearly with the reduction in pixel count. This is a classic sign of a CPU bottleneck emerging at extreme frame rates, even with a processor that holds an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings recommendation depends heavily on the target display’s refresh rate and resolution. For users on a 4K display, the Ultra preset is the clear choice for a visual showcase, as the 94 FPS average is well within the range of smooth, playable performance for a fast-paced FPS. The High preset at 4K offers a substantial boost to 115 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate 4K panels (120Hz+), and the minimal visual difference between High and Ultra is likely imperceptible in the heat of combat. The Medium preset at 4K provides a middle ground at 136 FPS, but given the small performance cost of High over Medium (21 FPS), High is the superior choice for the extra visual fidelity.

For 1440p displays, the data shows that the High preset at 211 FPS is the sweet spot for competitive play, offering a massive frame rate advantage that will satisfy even the most demanding esports titles. The Ultra preset at 173 FPS is still exceptionally high and would be the recommendation for those who prioritize visual quality over raw speed, as the 38 FPS difference is relatively modest. The Low preset at 287 FPS is unnecessary for most users, as the visual degradation is not worth the frame rate increase unless using a 240Hz+ monitor. At 1080p, the High preset at 327 FPS is the most balanced option, providing a frame rate that exceeds the capabilities of all but the most exotic 360Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 267 FPS is also a fantastic choice, and the Low preset at 444 FPS is only relevant for benchmarking purposes or extreme frame rate chases.

The benchmark results indicate that the High preset offers the best experience per the measured rows across all resolutions. It provides a significant performance headroom over Ultra while maintaining a level of visual quality that is nearly indistinguishable in gameplay. The Medium preset, while stable with a minimum FPS close to the average, does not offer enough of a performance advantage over High to justify its reduced quality. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 4K users who want the absolute best image quality and are willing to accept a frame rate in the 90s.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of the benchmark database, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a combo rank of 76 out of 2,930 tested combinations. This places the system in the top 2.6% of all tested configurations, which is an exceptional result. The high ranking is almost entirely attributable to the RTX 4090’s performance, as the GPU holds an 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the CPU is slightly lower at an 85th percentile.

The data shows that the CPU’s performance is comparable to several rivals, with its average benchmark score of 36,938 being virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which scores 36,945 (a 0% delta). It is also within a hair’s breadth of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37,093, -0.4% delta). This indicates that the Core Ultra 5 225 is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not the primary driver of the combo’s high rank. The GPU, on the other hand, sits in a class of its own, with its average benchmark score of 60,347 being comparable to the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60,326, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60,140, 0.3% delta), though these are professional workstation cards. The RTX 4090’s raw gaming performance, as evidenced by the measured FPS, is what propels this combo to its top-tier rank.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive view of the system’s capabilities across a full matrix of resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 444 FPS, Medium settings produce 387 FPS (with a minimum of 329 and a maximum of 445), High settings deliver 327 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 267 FPS. These numbers demonstrate that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound, as the frame rates are extraordinarily high but the scaling between settings is compressed.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar. Low settings produce an average of 287 FPS, Medium settings yield 250 FPS (with a minimum of 213 and a maximum of 288), High settings deliver 211 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 173 FPS. The scaling here is more linear than at 1080p, showing that the GPU is starting to take on more of the workload. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent drop of around 30-35% across all settings, which is a typical penalty for the increase in pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the system finally begins to show its limits, though it remains highly capable. Low settings produce an average of 156 FPS, Medium settings yield 136 FPS (with a minimum of 115 and a maximum of 156), High settings deliver 115 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 94 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more severe for the Low and Medium presets (approximately 45-50%), while the High and Ultra presets see a smaller relative drop (around 45%). This indicates that the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s and its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory are being taxed heavily at 4K, but the card’s raw compute power still allows for a playable experience at the highest settings.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo capable of running Doom at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 94 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and indicates that the RTX 4090 is powerful enough to handle the game’s most demanding visual preset at 4K.

Q: What is the best setting for a 1440p 240Hz monitor?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 yields an average of 211 FPS, which is slightly below a 240Hz refresh rate. The Low preset at 287 FPS would be necessary to fully saturate a 240Hz display, but the visual trade-off is significant. The Medium preset at 250 FPS is a strong compromise if you want to stay above the 240 FPS threshold.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36,938. This is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36,945, 0% delta) and is only 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018). It is also 0.4% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37,093). This places the CPU in a very competitive mid-range bracket.

Q: Is there a significant frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p?

A: Yes, the drop is significant. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 327 at 1080p to 211 at 1440p, a reduction of 116 FPS (approximately 35%). This shows that the system is sensitive to resolution changes, even with a top-tier GPU.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested systems?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 76th out of 2,930 tested combos. This places it in the top 2.6% of all configurations in the database.

Q: Does the RTX 4090’s performance stand out compared to its rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 60,347. This is virtually identical to the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60,326, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60,140, 0.3% delta). However, the RTX 4090’s measured gaming performance, especially in this title, shows its dominance, as it delivers over 100 FPS at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a 20 MB shared L3 cache. In the context of Doom, the data suggests that this CPU is more than sufficient to feed the RTX 4090, but it is not without its limitations. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 444 FPS, which is likely near the maximum frame rate the CPU can generate. This is because Doom is a heavily GPU-optimized title, but at such extreme frame rates, the CPU’s single-thread performance and core count become the limiting factor.

The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25,891 and single-core score of 3,655 indicate strong all-around performance, but they are not class-leading. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,412 and multi-thread score of 30,459 further solidify its position as a solid mid-range part. The 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs shows that it outperforms the majority of processors, but it is not in the top tier. In this specific game, the CPU’s role is to provide a stable platform for the GPU to work from. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (94 FPS) is likely entirely GPU-bound, as the reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K is consistent with the increase in pixel workload.

The data shows that the CPU’s 10 cores and 10 threads are not a bottleneck at standard gaming resolutions. The system is able to maintain high minimum frame rates, as evidenced by the 4K Medium result of 115 FPS minimum, which is only 21 FPS below the average. This indicates that the CPU can deliver consistent frame pacing without stutters or drops. However, the fact that 1080p Low (444 FPS) does not scale to 1080p Medium (387 FPS) in a linear fashion suggests that the CPU is hitting its limits when the GPU is not the primary constraint. For most users, this is irrelevant, as the frame rates are so high that any CPU limitation is invisible. The Core Ultra 5 225 is a capable partner for the RTX 4090, enabling it to perform at its best without holding it back in any meaningful way. The 65W TDP and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (102.4 GB/s bandwidth) provide a solid foundation for this high-performance GPU pairing.