Doom

The pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the AMD Radeon RX 570 produces benchmark results that are heavily constrained by the graphics card in almost every measurable scenario. The data indicates a configuration that can handle the game at 1080p with playable frame rates, but which falls off sharply as resolution increases. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to determine the role each component plays, how the combo ranks against other tested configurations, and which settings offer the most practical experience.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It operates at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and can boost up to 5.00 GHz. With a 65W TDP and a 24 MB shared L3 cache, this CPU is positioned as a high-end desktop part, evidenced by its 89th percentile ranking against all tested CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 46062 places it in a tight cluster with rivals: it is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and 0.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P, while sitting 0.1% behind the Intel Core i9-13900HX.

For a game like Doom, which was released in 2016, the CPU's responsibilities are primarily related to game logic, physics, and draw call submission. The Core Ultra 5 235’s high boost clock of 5.00 GHz should provide ample single-thread performance for these tasks. However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this configuration. When comparing the 1080p Low preset (92 average FPS) to the 1080p Ultra preset (56 average FPS), the dramatic drop is not caused by CPU workload changes but by the GPU struggling with increased graphical fidelity. Even at the lowest settings, the frame rate is likely capped by the GPU’s ability to render frames, not the CPU’s ability to feed it data.

The data shows a clear pattern: across all resolutions, the difference between Low and Ultra presets is significant, which points to a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different presets at a given resolution, as the CPU workload would remain constant. Instead, the frame rates scale inversely with preset quality. This indicates that the Core Ultra 5 235 has headroom to spare, and its performance characteristics—14 cores, 5.00 GHz boost, and 24 MB of L3 cache—are more than sufficient to keep up with the RX 570 in this title. The processor’s multi-threaded capability, as shown by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769, is not fully utilized in this game scenario, further confirming that the GPU is the dominant performance gate.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is a much older and less powerful component than the CPU, and the benchmark data reflects this imbalance. Built on the Polaris 20 chip with GCN 4.0 architecture and a 14 nm process, this GPU is a legacy product. It features 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. The 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s 74th percentile ranking against all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 28766, place it in a modest performance tier. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (0.4% faster), the AMD Radeon R9 M295X (0.7% slower), and the AMD Radeon RX 470 (0.8% slower).

In Doom, the RX 570’s 4 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are the primary constraints. At 1080p, the GPU manages to deliver playable results, but the frame rates are far from the CPU’s potential. The measured FPS shows a steady decline as resolution increases, which is a classic symptom of a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates fall to between 19 and 32 FPS depending on the preset, which is largely unplayable. This is not a surprise given the GPU’s specifications; the 256-bit memory bus and 4 GB capacity are simply not suited for 4K rendering in a modern context, even for a 2016 title.

The GPU’s performance is also reflected in its synthetic benchmarks. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 42752 and OpenCL score of 32084 show moderate compute capabilities. The data consistently shows that the RX 570 is the bottleneck. For instance, at 1440p, the frame rate drops from 60 FPS (Low) to 36 FPS (Ultra), and at 1080p, it drops from 92 FPS (Low) to 56 FPS (Ultra). These drops are far too large to be attributed to CPU overhead. The GPU's fillrate (39.81 GPixel/s) and texture rate (159.2 GTexel/s) are simply not high enough to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions and quality settings. The conclusion is that while the CPU is overqualified for this pairing, the GPU is the definitive limiting factor in all tested scenarios.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 92 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. This is the only setting in the data that approaches the refresh rate of a standard 60Hz monitor with significant headroom.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1440p compared to 1080p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rates range from 36 FPS (Ultra) to 60 FPS (Low). This represents a significant drop from the 1080p results, where the range was 56 FPS (Ultra) to 92 FPS (Low). The data shows that moving from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 30-35% of the frame rate across all presets.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The evidence is that frame rates drop dramatically as resolution and preset quality increase. For example, at 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 92 (Low) to 56 (Ultra). If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be more consistent across different presets at the same resolution.

Q: What are the frame rate ranges for the Medium preset at different resolutions?

A: The Medium preset shows the most complete data with min and max FPS values. At 1920x1080, the average is 80 FPS with a range of 68 to 93 FPS. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 52 FPS with a range of 44 to 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average is 28 FPS with a range of 24 to 32 FPS.

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

A: No, the data indicates it cannot. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate is 32 FPS (Low preset), and the lowest is 19 FPS (Ultra preset). These frame rates are well below the threshold for smooth, playable performance.

Q: How does the combo's overall rank compare to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2812 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the bottom 4% of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's age and performance limitations, despite the CPU's strong benchmark scores.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The overall ranking for this CPU and GPU pairing in Doom is 2812 out of 2930 tested combos. This places the configuration in the bottom 4% of all systems tested, which is a poor result. The ranking is a composite measure that reflects the system's ability to run the game across all tested resolutions and settings. Given that the data shows the GPU is the bottleneck, this low rank is almost entirely attributable to the RX 570's performance.

To contextualize this rank, consider the CPU's individual performance. The Core Ultra 5 235 sits at the 89th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it is faster than 89% of processors in the database. Its average benchmark score of 46062 is comparable to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% slower) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% faster). In contrast, the RX 570 sits at the 74th percentile of GPUs, which is lower, but not disastrously so. The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile and the combo's low game rank highlights the extent of the GPU bottleneck. The system is effectively crippled by the graphics card, preventing the CPU from demonstrating its capabilities in this gaming workload.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals further illustrate the performance tier. The RX 570 is 0.4% slower than the RX 6800M, 0.7% faster than the R9 M295X, and 0.8% slower than the RX 470. These are all relatively close scores, indicating that the RX 570 is in a specific performance band. However, this band is simply too slow to achieve high frame rates in Doom at higher resolutions. The combo rank of 2812 reflects this reality, showing that while the CPU is a top-tier part, the pairing with this GPU results in a bottom-tier gaming experience for this title.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the system scales with resolution. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates across all presets are: 92 FPS (Low), 80 FPS (Medium), 68 FPS (High), and 56 FPS (Ultra). Moving to 2560x1440, these numbers drop to: 60 FPS (Low), 52 FPS (Medium), 44 FPS (High), and 36 FPS (Ultra). At 3840x2160, the numbers fall further to: 32 FPS (Low), 28 FPS (Medium), 24 FPS (High), and 19 FPS (Ultra).

The scaling pattern is consistent and steep. The drop from 1080p to 1440p represents a decrease of approximately 35% across all presets. The drop from 1440p to 4K represents an additional decrease of approximately 45-50%. This non-linear scaling is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of memory bandwidth and pixel fillrate. The RX 570 has a memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s and a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s. As resolution increases, the demand on these resources grows quadratically, and the GPU cannot keep up.

This scaling behavior strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would not decrease so dramatically with resolution, because the CPU's workload (game logic, physics) is largely resolution-independent. The fact that frame rates drop by roughly half when moving from 1080p to 4K shows that the system is entirely constrained by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The CPU, with its 5.00 GHz boost clock and 14 cores, is capable of feeding the GPU at much higher frame rates than the GPU can actually render. The resolution scaling data is a textbook example of a GPU-bound scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following data represents the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and preset combination. Min and max FPS values are only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution.

1920x1080:

• Low: 92 average FPS
• Medium: 80 average FPS (min 68, max 93)
• High: 68 average FPS
• Ultra: 56 average FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 60 average FPS
• Medium: 52 average FPS (min 44, max 60)
• High: 44 average FPS
• Ultra: 36 average FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 32 average FPS
• Medium: 28 average FPS (min 24, max 32)
• High: 24 average FPS
• Ultra: 19 average FPS

The Medium preset data shows the full range of frame times. At 1080p, the frame rate fluctuates between 68 and 93 FPS, which is a variance of 25 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 44 to 60 FPS, a variance of 16 FPS. At 4K, the range is 24 to 32 FPS, a variance of 8 FPS. This narrowing variance at higher resolutions is interesting. It suggests that as the GPU becomes more saturated, the frame times become more consistent because the GPU is consistently working at its maximum capacity, whereas at lower resolutions, there is more variability due to scene complexity changes.

The data also reveals that the High preset at 4K (24 FPS) and the Ultra preset at 4K (19 FPS) are the worst-performing configurations. Conversely, the Low preset at 1080p (92 FPS) is the only configuration that achieves a frame rate high enough for a 90Hz or 144Hz display. The step from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 12 FPS, while the step from Medium to High costs another 12 FPS, and the step from High to Ultra costs another 12 FPS. This linear drop in FPS with each preset increase at 1080p suggests that the GPU's resources are being consumed evenly as quality settings scale.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and preference for frame rate versus visual quality.

For 1080p gaming, the data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best balance. It achieves an average of 80 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The min FPS of 68 ensures that the frame rate rarely dips below playable levels. While the Low preset offers a higher average of 92 FPS, the visual fidelity improvement from Low to Medium is substantial, and the 12 FPS cost is acceptable. The High preset (68 FPS) is also playable, but it starts to approach the 60 FPS boundary, which could lead to noticeable stutters in intense scenes. The Ultra preset (56 FPS) is not recommended, as it falls below 60 FPS and the visual gains over High are typically minimal in this title.

For 1440p gaming, the data indicates that the Low preset is the only viable option for a smooth experience, delivering 60 FPS average. The Medium preset at 52 FPS is borderline, with a min FPS of 44 that could be noticeable in fast-paced action. The High and Ultra presets (44 and 36 FPS, respectively) are not recommended for competitive or smooth play. Users at this resolution should accept the Low preset's visual compromises to maintain frame rate.

For 4K gaming, the data shows that no preset delivers a playable experience. The best option is the Low preset at 32 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for some, but still too low for a smooth experience. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets (28, 24, and 19 FPS) are all unplayable. The data strongly suggests that this combo is not suitable for 4K in Doom, and users should either lower their resolution to 1440p or 1080p, or consider a different GPU.

Overall, the most balanced experience is the Medium preset at 1920x1080, which provides an average of 80 FPS with a min of 68 FPS. This configuration leverages the CPU's strength while keeping the GPU within its comfort zone, delivering a frame rate that is both smooth and visually acceptable. For users prioritizing maximum fluidity, the Low preset at 1080p (92 FPS) is the only option that provides a significant margin above 60 FPS.