Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a varied performance profile in Doom, heavily dependent on resolution and graphical preset. The measured data indicates a system that can deliver high refresh rates at 1080p but begins to strain at 4K, where the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the role of each component, and how the combination ranks against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals a clear bottleneck shift. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 156 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same preset, the average FPS drops to 101, a reduction of 55 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 55 FPS, which is exactly half of the 1080p result. This scaling pattern indicates that the system is largely GPU-bound at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops proportionally with the increase in pixel count.

The data shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become limiting factors at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (212 FPS) and Ultra (127 FPS) is 85 FPS. At 1440p, the same comparison yields a 55 FPS difference (137 vs. 82). At 4K, the spread narrows to just 29 FPS (74 vs. 45), suggesting that at 4K, the GPU’s compute and memory throughput are saturated even at Low settings, leaving less headroom for quality improvements.

The scaling efficiency is worth noting. From 1440p to 4K at High settings, the FPS drops by 46%. This is a steeper decline than the 35% drop seen from 1080p to 1440p, confirming that the GPU is operating near its limits at 4K. For users targeting 4K, the data suggests that Medium settings (65 FPS) are the highest playable option, while High (55 FPS) and Ultra (45 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 160 TMUs are simply insufficient for maximum quality at this resolution.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 212, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the same resolution with Ultra settings, the average drops to 127 FPS.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Doom?*

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 45 (Ultra) to 74 (Low). Only the Low setting exceeds 60 FPS, while Medium averages 65 FPS, making it the highest preset that maintains playable performance at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU's core count affect performance here?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 features 14 cores and 14 threads, which is sufficient for Doom's engine. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 212 FPS, indicating the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions where GPU load is lighter.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 101 FPS, while Ultra averages 82 FPS. This 19 FPS difference demonstrates the cost of the highest quality settings on the RTX 2070 SUPER.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER's VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The measured FPS data shows playable results at all presets, including 4K Ultra (45 FPS), suggesting that VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor for Doom at the tested settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 1654 out of 2930 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the 56th percentile. This indicates a mid-tier position, with 1276 combos performing better and 1276 performing worse.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235, based on the Arrow Lake architecture, provides 14 cores and 14 threads, a configuration that is well-suited for modern gaming loads. With a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, the CPU can deliver high single-thread performance, which is critical for Doom's frame generation. The CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 4516 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 indicate strong per-core capabilities.

In the context of Doom, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system reaches 212 FPS, which is a scenario where the GPU is not fully saturated, allowing the CPU to push the frame rate higher. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps with data locality, and its DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth reduces memory latency bottlenecks. However, the data shows that the CPU is not the primary constraint at higher resolutions; the FPS drops are more attributable to the GPU's pixel processing limits.

The CPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 89th percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% slower) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% faster), indicating that the Ultra 5 235 sits at a competitive performance tier. For Doom specifically, the CPU's capability to sustain over 200 FPS at 1080p Low demonstrates that it is not a limiting factor until the GPU is the sole bottleneck. The 14-core design ensures that background tasks and frame pacing do not interfere with the game's rendering thread, which is particularly relevant for maintaining consistent frame times.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p users with a 144 Hz monitor, the High preset (156 FPS) is the best choice, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Low (212 FPS) while still exceeding 144 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p (127 FPS) is viable for 120 Hz displays but may not fully saturate a 144 Hz panel. The Medium preset (184 FPS) is a strong middle ground for those prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the High preset (101 FPS) is the recommended choice for 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitors, as it balances visual quality with performance. The Medium preset (119 FPS) is better suited for 120 Hz displays, offering a 18 FPS advantage over High. The Ultra preset (82 FPS) is playable on 75 Hz or 85 Hz monitors but is not ideal for high refresh rate gaming. For 4K, the Medium preset (65 FPS) is the highest playable option, while Low (74 FPS) provides a smoother experience if frame rate is prioritized. The Ultra preset (45 FPS) is only suitable for 30-45 Hz displays or for users who prioritize image quality over smoothness.

The data suggests that the Ultra preset offers diminishing returns in Doom for this hardware. The gap between High and Ultra at 1440p is 19 FPS, which is a 19% reduction in frame rate for potentially minor visual improvements. For most users, High or Medium settings provide the best experience, ensuring that the system stays above 60 FPS at all resolutions except 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER achieves a rank of 1654 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places the system in the 56th percentile, meaning it outperforms 56% of all tested configurations. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where the CPU is not overly powerful for the GPU, nor is the GPU excessively strong for the CPU.

Given that the CPU sits in the 89th percentile versus all CPUs and the GPU sits in the 65th percentile versus all GPUs, the combination is slightly CPU-heavy. This is evident in the FPS data at 1080p, where the system exceeds 200 FPS, indicating that the CPU can push beyond the GPU's limits. However, at 4K, the GPU's performance becomes the primary factor, pulling the combo's overall rank down relative to configurations with stronger GPUs.

The rank of 1654 suggests that there are 1276 combos with better performance in Doom, likely featuring newer or higher-tier GPUs. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Arc B570 (1.3% faster) and the Intel Arc A750 (1.5% faster), show that the GPU is competitive but not leading-edge. For users with this combo, the data indicates that upgrading the GPU would yield the most significant FPS gains at 1440p and 4K, while the CPU can handle a more powerful GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers the following average FPS: Low (212), Medium (184), High (156), and Ultra (127). The Medium preset has a reported min FPS of 157 and max FPS of 212, indicating some frame variability but consistent performance.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are: Low (137), Medium (119), High (101), and Ultra (82). The Medium preset shows a min FPS of 101 and max FPS of 137, aligning with the High and Low averages respectively. This suggests that the Medium preset at 1440p provides a frame rate range that overlaps with both adjacent settings, offering flexibility.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values drop to: Low (74), Medium (65), High (55), and Ultra (45). The Medium preset at 4K has a min FPS of 55 and max FPS of 74, which matches the High and Low averages. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor, and the differences between settings become less pronounced in terms of frame rate, as the rendering pipeline is consistently saturated. The Ultra preset at 4K (45 FPS) is the lowest measured average, confirming that this setting is not recommended for this hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, based on the Turing architecture, is the primary performance driver in this configuration for Doom. With 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, the GPU delivers a theoretical FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS. Its base clock of 1605 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz provide the computational throughput needed for the game's rendering tasks.

The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. For Doom, this bandwidth is sufficient, as evidenced by playable FPS at all tested settings. The GPU's pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s directly impact the game's ability to fill the screen with detail, which becomes the bottleneck at 4K.

The RTX 2070 SUPER’s performance in Doom is characterized by its ability to maintain high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but it struggles at 4K. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the GPU can only manage 45 FPS, which is 55% of the 1080p Ultra result (127 FPS). This drop is consistent with the GPU's compute and memory limitations at higher pixel counts. The GPU's average benchmark score of 20282 and its 65th percentile ranking versus all GPUs indicate that it is a mid-range performer, falling behind more modern GPUs like the Intel Arc B570 by 1.3% in synthetic benchmarks.

In Doom, the GPU's role is most critical at higher resolutions and settings. The measured FPS at 4K High (55 FPS) and 4K Ultra (45 FPS) suggest that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU's performance would allow for higher frame rates if the GPU could keep up. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores do not play a significant role in Doom's non-ray-traced rendering, but its traditional rasterization performance is adequate for a smooth experience at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings.