Doom

# Doom — Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + Intel Arc B370

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a playable but constrained experience in Doom, with benchmark results showing a system that is heavily GPU-limited at every resolution tested. The combo ranks 2696 out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested hardware pairings for this title. Across the twelve measured data points, average frame rates range from a low of 20 FPS at 4K Ultra settings to a high of 96 FPS at 1080p Low settings, indicating that the Arc B370's integrated-class performance is the primary bottleneck rather than the 14-core Arrow Lake processor.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 71 at 1920x1080 to 46 at 2560x1440, then further to 25 at 3840x2160. This represents a 35% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 46% reduction when stepping up to 4K. The Low preset tells a similar story: 96 FPS at 1080p falls to 62 at 1440p and 34 at 4K — a decline of 35% and 45% respectively across the same resolution steps.

These proportional drops across all settings presets indicate that the limiting component is the GPU. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see smaller frame rate differences between 1080p and 1440p, with the gap widening only at higher resolutions. Instead, the consistent ~35% penalty from 1080p to 1440p and the additional ~45% penalty from 1440p to 4K suggest that the Arc B370's compute and memory resources are being saturated at every resolution. The system-shared memory configuration means bandwidth is system-dependent, and the data shows this manifests as a steep resolution scaling curve.

At Ultra settings, the resolution scaling is even more punishing. The 58 FPS at 1080p drops to 37 at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and then to 20 at 4K (a 46% reduction from 1440p). The Ultra preset's additional graphical demands amplify the GPU bottleneck, with the 4K Ultra result of 20 FPS falling below the generally accepted threshold for smooth gameplay. The pattern across all four settings presets is remarkably consistent, reinforcing that resolution scaling is governed almost entirely by the GPU's rendering throughput rather than any CPU-side limitation.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo in Doom?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 96 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset. The next best results are 84 FPS at 1080p Medium and 71 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 3840x2160, the best average frame rate is 34 FPS on Low settings. Medium settings yield 29 FPS, High settings produce 25 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 20 FPS. None of these 4K results reach 60 FPS, and only the Low preset approaches a minimally acceptable frame rate.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in GPU benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher), and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (1.4% lower). These are all extremely close scores, placing the Arc B370 in the 5th percentile of all GPUs.

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

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra settings produce an average of 58 FPS while Low settings produce 96 FPS. This is a 38 FPS difference, representing a 66% improvement in frame rate when dropping from Ultra to Low. Medium settings land at 84 FPS and High at 71 FPS, showing a clear linear progression.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 perform relative to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, scores 46030 (0.1% lower). The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098 (0.1% higher), the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 45970 (0.2% lower), and the AMD EPYC 7303 scores 45960 (0.2% lower). These differences are negligible in real-world terms.

Q: Is the frame rate more dependent on CPU or GPU for this combo in Doom?

A: The data strongly indicates GPU dependency. The Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the Ultra 5 235 sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. The steep resolution scaling curves, combined with the fact that even Low settings at 4K only reach 34 FPS, point to the GPU as the limiting factor in every measured scenario.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution and the user's frame rate preferences. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 71 FPS on average, which provides a smooth experience for most gameplay scenarios in Doom. The Medium preset offers 84 FPS, and while the Low preset reaches 96 FPS, the visual quality trade-off may not be worth the additional 12 FPS over Medium. For users prioritizing frame rate above all else at 1080p, Low settings at 96 FPS are the clear choice, but Medium at 84 FPS represents the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more constrained. The High preset averages 46 FPS, which is marginally playable but may feel inconsistent during intense action sequences. The Medium preset at 54 FPS offers a better experience, and the Low preset at 62 FPS is the only 1440p option that consistently stays above 60 FPS. For 1440p gaming, Low settings are recommended for a consistently smooth experience, while Medium can be used if the user accepts occasional dips below 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings presets deliver a fully satisfactory experience. The Low preset at 34 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, and even this will involve significant compromises in visual quality. Medium at 29 FPS, High at 25 FPS, and Ultra at 20 FPS all fall below the minimum threshold for responsive gameplay. For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, and users may want to consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better overall experience. The data shows that the Medium preset at 1440p (54 FPS) provides a better frame rate than the Low preset at 4K (34 FPS), making 1440p Medium the recommended compromise for users who want both resolution and playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured frame rates show a clear progression across settings. Low settings produce an average of 96 FPS, Medium produces 84 FPS with a minimum of 71 and maximum of 96, High produces 71 FPS, and Ultra produces 58 FPS. The minimum and maximum values for Medium at 1080p span from 71 to 96 FPS, which exactly matches the average values for High and Low respectively, indicating that the Medium preset's frame pacing is bounded by the same performance limits as the neighboring presets.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly. Low settings average 62 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS with a range of 46 to 62 FPS, High averages 46 FPS, and Ultra averages 37 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p exhibits the same minimum and maximum values as the High and Low presets at that resolution, with 46 FPS matching the High average and 62 FPS matching the Low average. This pattern suggests that the Medium preset's performance envelope is determined by the same underlying GPU constraints that define the High and Low presets.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall to their lowest levels. Low settings average 34 FPS, Medium averages 29 FPS with a range of 25 to 34 FPS, High averages 25 FPS, and Ultra averages 20 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 25 FPS and maximum of 34 FPS, again corresponding exactly to the High and Low averages at that resolution. This consistent pattern across all three resolutions indicates that the Medium preset performance is directly bracketed by the High and Low presets, with the GPU delivering a predictable range of frame rates regardless of the specific settings configuration.

The complete data set shows that moving from Low to Medium reduces frame rates by approximately 12-15% across all resolutions (96 to 84 at 1080p, 62 to 54 at 1440p, 34 to 29 at 4K). Moving from Medium to High reduces frame rates by another 15-18% (84 to 71 at 1080p, 54 to 46 at 1440p, 29 to 25 at 4K). The step from High to Ultra is the most costly, with reductions of 18-20% (71 to 58 at 1080p, 46 to 37 at 1440p, 25 to 20 at 4K). This suggests that the Ultra preset imposes disproportionately higher GPU demands compared to the incremental steps between the other presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2696 out of 2930 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested hardware pairings. This ranking reflects the GPU's position in the 5th percentile of all GPUs rather than the CPU's much stronger 89th percentile standing. The combo's rank indicates that the vast majority of tested systems deliver better performance in this title, with only 234 combinations ranking lower.

The discrepancy between the CPU's strong benchmark position and the combo's weak in-game ranking highlights the extent to which the Arc B370 constrains overall performance. The Ultra 5 235's nearest CPU rivals — the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, Intel Core i9-13900HX, AMD EPYC 4364P, and AMD EPYC 7303 — all have nearly identical average benchmark scores within 0.2% of the Ultra 5 235. However, pairing any of these CPUs with a GPU in the 5th percentile would likely produce similarly low in-game rankings, as the GPU bottleneck dominates the frame rate outcomes.

The combo's rank of 2696 out of 2930 means that approximately 92% of tested systems outperform it in Doom. This is consistent with the GPU's low percentile ranking, as the Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it alongside integrated graphics solutions from over a decade ago. The nearest GPU rivals — the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and AMD FirePro M2000 — are all legacy products, underscoring the Arc B370's position as an entry-level integrated graphics solution rather than a discrete gaming GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3nm TSMC process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 65W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

In the context of Doom, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The Ultra 5 235's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and single-core score of 2085. The PassMark multi-thread score of 37816 and single-thread score of 4516 place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, which scores 46030 on average (0.1% lower), and the Intel Core i9-13900HX at 46098 (0.1% higher).

Doom, as a 2016 title, is not particularly demanding on CPU resources by modern standards. The 14 cores and 14 threads provide ample processing power for the game's engine, and the 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-threaded performance for game logic and physics. However, the measured frame rates show no evidence of CPU limitation — if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower resolutions rather than continuing to scale downward as resolution decreases. The fact that frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings points to the GPU as the sole performance limiter in this configuration.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operation units. The GPU includes 10 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Its compute capabilities include 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 12.29 TFLOPS of FP16 performance (2:1 ratio).

The GPU's memory configuration is system-shared, meaning it draws from the same DDR5 memory pool as the CPU. The memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," which has significant implications for gaming performance. The 25W TDP and IGP slot width confirm that this is an integrated solution rather than a discrete graphics card, and it requires no power connectors.

The Arc B370's benchmark performance is extremely limited, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all legacy ATI/AMD parts from the early 2010s, with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scoring 1186 (0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scoring 1190 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scoring 1192 (0.7% higher), and the AMD FirePro M2000 scoring 1168 (1.4% lower).

In Doom, the GPU's limitations are evident across all measured settings. The maximum frame rate of 96 FPS at 1080p Low is achievable, but this represents the absolute ceiling of the GPU's performance. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions or settings, as evidenced by the 4K Ultra result of 20 FPS. The system-shared memory architecture likely contributes to the steep performance drop at 4K, where memory bandwidth constraints become more pronounced. The GPU's low percentile ranking relative to all other GPUs accurately predicts its in-game performance, and the measured FPS data confirms that the Arc B370 is the definitive bottleneck in this configuration for Doom.