Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers an exceptional 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, with frame rates that easily exceed the refresh rates of most high-end monitors. At 4K, the combination remains highly playable, though the performance curve clearly indicates the GPU is the primary scaling factor as resolution increases. The data shows this combo ranks in the 81st percentile (563 out of 2930 tested combinations) for this title, placing it firmly in the upper echelon of systems while leaving headroom for more extreme hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a predictable yet steep performance curve as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 247 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops performance to 160 FPS, a 35% reduction. Stepping up to 4K High yields 87 FPS, which is a 46% reduction from the 1440p figure and a 65% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This pattern indicates that the RTX 5070 is the limiting component at higher resolutions, with the CPU providing ample headroom at lower pixel counts.

The scaling behavior is more pronounced at lower settings, which is typical for a GPU-bound title at high resolutions. At Low settings, the combo achieves 335 FPS at 1080p, 217 FPS at 1440p, and 118 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops between resolutions are remarkably consistent: 35% from 1080p to 1440p, and 46% from 1440p to 4K. This uniformity suggests the game engine scales predictably with pixel count, and the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are the determining factors.

Ultra settings tell a similar story with lower absolute numbers. The combo produces 202 FPS at 1080p, 131 FPS at 1440p, and 71 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 46%, mirroring the scaling seen at other settings. This consistency across all quality presets indicates that Doom's resolution scaling is independent of the graphical feature set being used, a sign of a well-optimized engine.

The fact that 4K performance at High (87 FPS) is still comfortably above 60 FPS suggests the system is not overtaxed at this resolution. However, the 4K Ultra result of 71 FPS shows that maxing out every setting at 4K pushes the GPU significantly. The data suggests that users targeting 4K should expect to make a choice between visual fidelity and frame rate headroom, as the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 47 FPS, representing a 40% performance swing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance is achieved at High settings for most users. At 1080p, High settings deliver 247 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any current display technology. The jump to Ultra at 1080p costs 45 FPS (18% reduction) while providing diminishing visual returns in a fast-paced FPS title. For competitive play, the Low preset at 1080p offers 335 FPS, which provides the maximum responsiveness for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 1440p, High settings produce 160 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz and 165Hz displays. The Medium preset at 189 FPS offers additional headroom for 185Hz or 200Hz panels, though the difference between Medium and High is only 29 FPS. Ultra at 1440p drops to 131 FPS, which still clears the 120Hz threshold but leaves less margin for demanding scenes. The data indicates that Medium or High is the sweet spot at this resolution, with Ultra being viable for users who prioritize image quality over maximum frame rates.

For 4K displays, the recommendation shifts to High settings, which delivers 87 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS standard and approaches the 90 FPS mark that many consider the threshold for premium experiences. The Medium preset at 102 FPS is the better choice for users with 100Hz or 120Hz 4K panels, as it provides a 17% performance boost over High. Ultra at 4K should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept 71 FPS, which may introduce perceptible stuttering in fast-paced combat scenarios.

The Low preset at 4K (118 FPS) is not recommended for visual quality reasons, as the graphical compromises are too severe at this resolution. The data shows that the performance gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 16 FPS, which is small enough that the visual upgrade to Medium is almost always worth the minor frame rate cost. Overall, the measured results suggest that High settings provide the best experience across all three resolutions, with Medium as a viable alternative for higher refresh rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 563rd out of 2930 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 19% of all systems tested. This percentile ranking reflects a strong overall package that should satisfy the vast majority of gamers. The CPU itself sits in the 89th percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 with an average score of 46030 (0.1% difference) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX at 46098 (-0.1% difference), indicating the Ultra 5 235 is performance-competitive with top-tier mobile and desktop parts.

The GPU ranks in the 82nd percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 580 at 40318 (0.1% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 at 40063 (0.8% higher). These rival comparisons show that the RTX 5070 is positioned in a competitive performance tier, though the specific game-level ranking of 563 suggests that Doom is particularly favorable to this combination.

The 563rd rank out of 2930 combos indicates that while this system is not at the absolute top of the charts, it outperforms the majority of tested configurations. The top-tier combinations in the database are likely to feature more expensive CPUs and GPUs, but the gap in real-world Doom performance is mitigated by the game's excellent optimization. The data suggests that users seeking a top-500 ranking would need to upgrade either the CPU or GPU, but the practical difference in frame rates at typical gaming resolutions is minimal.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1080p, the combo produces 335 FPS on Low, 292 FPS on Medium, 247 FPS on High, and 202 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 248 FPS and a maximum of 336 FPS, indicating a tight frame pacing window. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 133 FPS, representing a 40% performance range, which gives users significant flexibility in choosing between speed and visual quality.

At 1440p, the results are 217 FPS on Low, 189 FPS on Medium, 160 FPS on High, and 131 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset records a minimum of 161 FPS and a maximum of 217 FPS, showing consistent performance with no major dips. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 86 FPS, a smaller absolute range than at 1080p but proportionally similar. The 1440p numbers indicate that this combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming, with even the Ultra preset clearing the 120 FPS mark.

At 4K, the frame rates drop to 118 FPS on Low, 102 FPS on Medium, 87 FPS on High, and 71 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 118 FPS, which means the worst-case scenario is still above the 60 FPS threshold. The 4K results demonstrate that this combo can handle 4K gaming, though the Ultra preset pushes the system to its limits with a 71 FPS average that may occasionally dip below 60 FPS in heavy scenes.

The progression across settings is linear at every resolution, with each step from Low to Medium, Medium to High, and High to Ultra costing a consistent 10-15% performance. This predictable scaling makes it easy for users to dial in their preferred balance of quality and speed. The minimum and maximum values recorded for the Medium preset provide useful context, showing that frame times are stable within a 30% range at all resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, and it contains 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The memory runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed, which provides ample bandwidth for Doom's texture-heavy environments at all tested resolutions.

The GPU's memory configuration plays a significant role in the 4K results. With 12 GB of VRAM, Doom at 4K Ultra does not appear to hit a memory capacity wall, as the frame rates remain playable at 71 FPS. The 672.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient to feed the GPU's compute units without bottlenecking, as evidenced by the smooth scaling from 1080p to 4K. The 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs are well-balanced for this game's rendering pipeline, which relies on traditional rasterization rather than heavy ray tracing.

The GPU's 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power and 201.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are key contributors to the high frame rates observed. The texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s ensures that texture-heavy scenes remain fluid. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are present but largely unused in Doom, which is a traditional rasterization title. This means the GPU's raw shading and texture throughput are the primary determinants of performance, and the data confirms that the RTX 5070 excels in this regard.

The GPU's 250 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a power-hungry but manageable card. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides ample bandwidth for data transfer, though Doom's engine does not appear to be bandwidth-limited at the tested resolutions. The 5 nm process node from TSMC with 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die represents a dense, efficient design that delivers high performance per watt.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 144 FPS?

A: At 1440p with High settings, the combo delivers 160 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 144 FPS target. At 4K, even the Low preset only reaches 118 FPS, so 1440p is the maximum resolution for 144 FPS gaming.

Q: How much performance is lost by enabling Ultra settings instead of High?

A: The performance cost of Ultra over High is consistent across resolutions: 18% at 1080p (247 to 202 FPS), 18% at 1440p (160 to 131 FPS), and 18% at 4K (87 to 71 FPS). This represents a uniform 45 FPS drop at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system for Doom?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. Performance drops by 35% from 1080p to 1440p and by 46% from 1440p to 4K at all settings, which is characteristic of GPU-bound workloads. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking and high benchmarks suggest it is not constraining performance.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming comfortably?

A: Yes, at High settings the combo produces 87 FPS at 4K, which is well above the 60 FPS standard. The Medium preset offers 102 FPS for smoother motion, while Ultra drops to 71 FPS. All settings provide playable frame rates at 4K.

Q: How does this combo's ranking compare to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 563rd out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the top 19% of systems. This ranking is consistent with the CPU's 89th percentile and GPU's 82nd percentile performance ratings.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with competitive settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 335 FPS, which is ideal for 240Hz or 360Hz competitive monitors. The Medium preset at 292 FPS still exceeds 240Hz, providing a balance of visual quality and speed for esports play.