Doom

Doom’s 2016 engine is famously scalable, and the data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT confirms this, but with a clear caveat: the RX 6650 XT’s 8 GB VRAM and mid-range compute power dictate the experience. The measured frames per second (FPS) show a steep drop as resolution climbs from 1080p to 4K, revealing a graphics-card-bound scenario at higher settings. At 1080p, the combo delivers excellent headroom for high-refresh monitors, while at 4K, only the Low preset approaches playable fluidity. This analysis breaks down the measured rows, places the combo in the broader benchmark database, and explains the division of labor between the Ultra 5 235 and the RX 6650 XT.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression across resolutions tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 147 FPS to 95 FPS, a 35% reduction. The subsequent jump from 1440p to 3840x2160 at High is even more punishing, with the average falling to 51 FPS, a further 46% decline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-limited workload—the Ultra 5 235’s single-thread strength cannot compensate for the RX 6650 XT’s pixel-pushing limits as pixel count quadruples from 1440p to 4K.

At Low settings, the scaling is less severe but still pronounced. The average goes from 200 FPS at 1080p, to 129 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 70 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is notable because it represents a 65% drop from 1080p Low, indicating that even with reduced shading and texture work, the GPU’s raw fill rate and bandwidth are the limiting factors. In contrast, the CPU’s 14 cores and 24 MB of L3 cache appear sufficient to keep feeding the GPU at these lower settings, as the frame rates at 1080p are exceptionally high.

Examining the delta between Low and Ultra at each resolution clarifies the GPU’s role. At 1080p, the spread is 80 FPS (200 vs 120). At 1440p, the spread narrows to 51 FPS (129 vs 78). At 4K, the spread tightens further to 28 FPS (70 vs 42). This compression of the settings-related performance gap at higher resolutions is a classic sign of pixel-throughput saturation. The GPU is so overwhelmed at 4K that cranking up the graphics settings has diminishing returns on frame rate, while at 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to render more complex effects without tanking performance.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the primary performance arbiter in this pairing, particularly as resolution increases. The GPU’s specifications—8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, a boost clock of 2635 MHz, and a game clock of 2410 MHz—frame its capabilities. The 8 GB VRAM is a critical consideration for Doom’s Ultra preset at higher resolutions. While the measured data does not include VRAM usage, the FPS figures suggest that texture-heavy settings may be causing memory pressure, contributing to the significant drop from High to Ultra at 4K (51 to 42 FPS).

The GPU’s 280.3 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, where the measured frame rates are high. However, at 4K, the 128-bit bus and corresponding bandwidth become a limiting factor. The pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s are modest by modern standards, and the data reflects this: even at 4K Medium, the average FPS is 61, which is playable but not smooth, and the minimum FPS of 52 indicates potential stutter in intense scenes.

The RX 6650 XT’s 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs handle Doom’s Vulkan-based rendering efficiently, as evidenced by the 200 FPS average at 1080p Low. However, the GPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database—such as the NVIDIA Tesla K40m and AMD FirePro D300—are professional or older cards that score slightly higher or lower in aggregate benchmarks, but none are designed for 4K gaming. The GPU holds the 65th percentile among all GPUs, meaning it outperforms a majority of the field, but the data shows it is out of its depth at 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU-GPU combinations, this pairing ranks 1886 out of 2930 combos for Doom. This rank places it in the lower half of all tested configurations, which may seem surprising given the strong 1080p results. The rank is a composite measure across all resolutions and settings, and the 4K Ultra score of 42 FPS significantly drags down the overall standing. Many competing combos likely include higher-tier GPUs that can maintain higher averages at 4K, thus pushing this specific pairing down the list.

The CPU’s percentile ranking is strong—the Ultra 5 235 sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs—but the GPU’s 65th percentile ranking is the weaker link. When combined, the system’s performance is dictated by the lower common denominator. The combo’s rank relative to the 2930 total combos suggests that while the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates, the GPU prevents the system from achieving the top-tier performance that would place it in the upper quartile. The data implies that this is a balanced pairing for 1080p or 1440p gaming, but it falls behind system configurations that pair the Ultra 5 235 with stronger GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frames per second provides a granular view of the system’s behavior. At 1920x1080, the results are consistently high across all settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 200 FPS, with the Medium preset achieving 174 FPS (minimum 148 FPS, maximum 200 FPS). The High preset yields 147 FPS, and Ultra pulls 120 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system can easily drive a 144Hz monitor even at Ultra settings, with 120 FPS providing a smooth experience. The minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium is 148, which suggests that even in demanding scenes, frame pacing remains stable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains respectable but begins to show the GPU’s strain. The Low preset averages 129 FPS, which is still high enough for competitive play. Medium averages 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS. High drops to 95 FPS, while Ultra falls to 78 FPS. At 1440p, the system is capable of delivering a good experience on High settings, but the Ultra preset’s 78 FPS average may not be ideal for fast-paced action.

At 3840x2160, the RX 6650 XT’s limitations are starkly apparent. The Low preset averages 70 FPS, which is playable but not optimal for a first-person shooter. Medium drops to 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS, indicating that the game can dip below 60 FPS in heavy scenes. High averages 51 FPS, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is the frontier for this combo, and only the Low preset provides a marginally smooth experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 plays a supporting role in this pairing, but it is a capable one. With 14 cores and 14 threads, a base clock of 3.40 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, the CPU has ample processing power for Doom’s game logic and physics. The architecture is Arrow Lake, built on a 3 nm process, which contributes to its efficiency. The CPU’s benchmark scores are robust, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Doom, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage the game’s simulation. The high frame rates at 1080p—up to 200 FPS—demonstrate that the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (102.4 GB/s bandwidth) ensure that data flows quickly to the GPU. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, have nearly identical aggregate benchmark scores (within 0.1-0.2%), which suggests that swapping in a similar-tier CPU would not significantly alter the Doom results.

However, the CPU’s 14 threads (as opposed to 14 cores / 28 threads on some rivals) might limit performance in heavily threaded workloads, but Doom is not one of them. The data shows that the Ultra 5 235 is more than adequate for this game, as the frame rates are consistently GPU-bound, particularly at higher resolutions. The CPU’s 5.00 GHz boost clock is crucial for maintaining high minimum frame rates, which are not explicitly listed for most settings but are implied by the smooth averages.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is the best choice for visual fidelity, as the average of 120 FPS is still high enough for a smooth experience on most monitors. If a player has a 165Hz or 240Hz display, the High preset at 147 FPS or the Medium preset at 174 FPS would be preferable, as they offer higher frame rates with diminishing visual returns. The Low preset at 200 FPS is unnecessary unless chasing the absolute maximum frame rate for competitive play.

For 1440p, the High preset at 95 FPS is the sweet spot, balancing visual quality with smoothness. The Medium preset at 113 FPS is also viable for high-refresh 1440p monitors, but the drop to 95 FPS on High is minor. The Ultra preset at 78 FPS is playable but may feel less fluid in fast-paced combat; it is recommended only for players who prioritize image quality over frame rate. The Low preset at 129 FPS is excellent for competitive play, but it sacrifices too much visual detail for most users.

For 4K, the data suggests that only the Low preset at 70 FPS is viable for a playable experience. The Medium preset at 61 FPS is borderline, with minimums dropping to 52 FPS, which could lead to perceptible stutter. The High and Ultra presets at 51 and 42 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience. Players with 4K displays should either accept the Low preset or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p to take advantage of the higher settings and frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 42 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The minimum FPS for this setting is not listed, but the average indicates significant performance limitations.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU pairing?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the best balance, with all settings exceeding 120 FPS on average. At 2560x1440, the High preset at 95 FPS is also a strong option for a sharper image.

Q: How does the RX 6650 XT compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The GPU’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla K40m and AMD FirePro D300, with deltaPct values of -0.6% and 0.7% respectively. This indicates that the RX 6650 XT performs within 1% of these cards in aggregate benchmarks, though they are not gaming-focused.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 a bottleneck for the RX 6650 XT?

A: No. The CPU’s high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085) and 5.00 GHz boost clock ensure that it can keep up with the GPU. The frame rates drop more with resolution scaling than with settings changes, indicating a GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS. This suggests a stable experience that is well-suited for 1440p gaming.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance in Doom?

A: While the data does not directly measure VRAM usage, the significant drop in FPS from High to Ultra at 4K (51 to 42 FPS) suggests that the Ultra preset’s textures may be taxing the 8 GB memory buffer, contributing to the performance decline.