Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile combination delivers exceptional performance in Doom, placing this system in the 788th position out of 3,712 tested combos, which puts it comfortably in the top 21% of all configurations. This pairing of a high-end mobile GPU with a capable Arrow Lake-HX processor produces frame rates that range from playable at 4K Ultra to extraordinarily high at 1080p Low, demonstrating that this system has more than enough headroom for the 2016 classic.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 330 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The same resolution with Medium settings still produces 287 FPS average, while Ultra settings at 1080p yield 198 FPS.

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

A: This system ranks 788th out of 3,712 total combos tested, placing it in the top 21% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the combination's overall capability across all tested settings and resolutions.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 70 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 (4K) with Ultra settings. This remains perfectly playable and indicates the GPU handles even the most demanding preset at maximum resolution.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5090 Mobile compared to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile scores 45,152 on average in GPU benchmarks, which is 0.8% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (44,795) and 1% higher than the Intel Arc A730M (45,592). The AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT scores slightly higher at 45,384, a 0.5% advantage over the 5090 Mobile.

Q: What is the CPU's single-core performance relative to its multi-core strength?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235HX achieves a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,903 and a multi-core score of 34,731. The single-core score represents roughly 14% of the multi-core score, reflecting the 14-core/14-thread configuration where all cores contribute to multi-threaded workloads.

Q: Does the system maintain consistent frame times across different settings at 1440p?

A: The data shows the Medium preset at 2560x1440 has a minimum FPS of 158 and maximum of 214, producing an average of 186 FPS. This 56 FPS spread between minimum and maximum indicates some frame time variance, though the minimum remains well above refresh rate thresholds.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX features 14 cores and 14 threads, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This Arrow Lake-HX architecture chip, built on a 3 nm TSMC process, carries 24 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The processor's 55 W TDP classifies it as a mobile part designed for high-performance laptops.

Benchmark data shows this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34,731 and a single-core score of 4,903. In Passmark tests, the CPU scores 40,849 for multithreaded performance and 4,683 for single-thread performance. The processor's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs places it well above the median, though its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (51,947, deltaPct 0.2%) and Intel Core i9-13900F (51,730, deltaPct 0.7%).

For Doom, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The single-core performance of 4,903 in Cinebench R23 suggests strong per-core capability, which matters for a game engine that often relies on a few heavily threaded tasks. The 14-core configuration ensures that background processes and less-critical threads do not interfere with the main game thread. The processor's 91st percentile ranking versus all CPUs indicates that this is not a bottleneck in most scenarios, especially given that Doom from 2016 targets lower core counts than modern titles.

The relationship between CPU and GPU in this combo becomes evident when examining the measured frame rates. At 1080p Low, the system produces 330 FPS average, which approaches the practical limits of most displays. This high frame rate suggests the CPU can issue draw calls fast enough to keep the GPU saturated even at lower resolutions where GPU load is reduced. The L3 cache of 24 MB shared across 14 cores provides sufficient capacity for game data that needs frequent access, and the 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures the CPU can stream data to the GPU without stalling.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using the GB203 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm TSMC process with 45,600 million transistors across a 378 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 990 MHz with a boost clock of 1515 MHz, and its memory runs at 1750 MHz achieving 28 Gbps effective. The 24 GB of GDDR7 memory sits on a 256-bit bus, providing 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU contains 10,496 shading units, 328 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 82 RT cores and 328 tensor cores. This configuration delivers 31.80 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 31.80 TFLOPS of FP16 performance (1:1 ratio). The pixel rate reaches 169.7 GPixel/s and the texture rate hits 496.9 GTexel/s. The 95 W TDP slots this as an integrated graphics processor package (IGP).

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5090 Mobile scores 30,034 in Passmark G3D and 20,183 in Geekbench OpenCL. Its 84th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it below the top tier, which is unusual for a 50-series part. The nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT (45,384, deltaPct -0.5%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (44,795, deltaPct 0.8%).

For Doom, the GPU's role is dominant given the game's age and the CPU's capability. The measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system still produces 70 FPS average, indicating the GPU has sufficient compute resources even at the highest preset and maximum resolution. The 24 GB of VRAM far exceeds what Doom requires, eliminating any memory capacity concerns. The 896.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports high-resolution textures and fast data transfer, which becomes relevant when comparing 1080p to 4K performance scaling.

The GPU's boost clock of 1515 MHz, while modest by desktop standards, is appropriate for a mobile part constrained by the 95 W TDP. The 31.80 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput demonstrates that raw compute capability remains high despite the lower clock speed, and this translates into the observed frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in Doom sits at 788 out of 3,712 tested configurations, placing this system in the top 21% of all combos. This ranking reflects the balance between the Core Ultra 5 235HX and RTX 5090 Mobile, where both components contribute meaningfully to the final performance. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking and the GPU's 84th percentile ranking combine to produce a system that outperforms the majority of tested hardware.

The ranking becomes more meaningful when considering the measured frame rates. At 1080p Ultra, this combo achieves 198 FPS average, which exceeds the refresh rate of most gaming monitors. At 1440p Ultra, the system produces 128 FPS average, still well above 120 Hz displays. The 4K Ultra result of 70 FPS average remains playable, though it falls below the 100+ FPS thresholds that competitive gamers might prefer.

The deltaPct values from the nearest rivals provide context for the component-level performance. The CPU's average benchmark score of 52,073 sits between the AMD EPYC 8124P (52,121, deltaPct -0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (51,947, deltaPct 0.2%), showing that the Core Ultra 5 235HX performs comparably to desktop parts from previous generations. The GPU's average benchmark score of 45,152 is within 1% of the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT and 0.8% above the RTX 4070 Ti, suggesting that the mobile 5090 delivers desktop-class performance despite its power constraints.

The rank of 788 means that 2,924 tested combos perform worse in Doom, while 787 perform better. Given that this ranking includes systems with potentially higher-end CPUs or more powerful desktop GPUs, the position in the top 21% demonstrates that this mobile combo punches above its weight class.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data across all four settings presets at three resolutions provides clear guidance for optimal configuration. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver excellent performance: Low averages 330 FPS, Medium averages 287 FPS, High averages 243 FPS, and Ultra averages 198 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra costs 45 FPS (18.5% reduction), while the jump from Medium to High costs 44 FPS (15.3% reduction). Given that all 1080p presets exceed 190 FPS, the Ultra preset offers the best visual experience without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues with Low at 214 FPS, Medium at 186 FPS, High at 157 FPS, and Ultra at 128 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p still maintains 128 FPS average, which exceeds the 120 Hz refresh rate common on high-end monitors. The step from High to Ultra costs 29 FPS (18.5% reduction), which is proportionally similar to the 1080p scaling. For players with 144 Hz or 165 Hz displays, the High preset at 157 FPS provides the best balance of visual quality and frame rate headroom.

At 3840x2160, the presets produce 116 FPS at Low, 101 FPS at Medium, 85 FPS at High, and 70 FPS at Ultra. The Ultra preset at 4K dips below the 75 Hz refresh rate of some monitors, making it less ideal for fast-paced gameplay. The High preset at 85 FPS offers a better experience for 4K displays, while Medium at 101 FPS provides smoother motion. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, delivering 101 FPS average with a minimum of 86 FPS and maximum of 116 FPS, which keeps frame times consistent.

The data suggests that for maximum visual fidelity, the Ultra preset is viable at 1080p and 1440p, while High or Medium is recommended at 4K. The minimum FPS values available for Medium presets show 244 FPS at 1080p, 158 FPS at 1440p, and 86 FPS at 4K, all of which remain well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low preset achieves 330 FPS average, while Medium reaches 287 FPS with a minimum of 244 FPS and maximum of 331 FPS. The High preset delivers 243 FPS average, and Ultra produces 198 FPS average. These numbers show that even at the most demanding preset, the system maintains nearly 200 FPS at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a noticeable decrease from 1080p. The Low preset averages 214 FPS, Medium averages 186 FPS with a minimum of 158 FPS and maximum of 214 FPS, High averages 157 FPS, and Ultra averages 128 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs approximately 35-40% of the frame rate across presets, which aligns with the increased pixel count of 2.25x.

At 3840x2160, the system still produces playable frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 116 FPS, Medium averages 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS and maximum of 116 FPS, High averages 85 FPS, and Ultra averages 70 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that this mobile combo can handle the highest resolution, though the Ultra preset at 70 FPS approaches the lower boundary of what most players consider smooth.

The complete FPS data shows a consistent pattern: each preset step reduces performance by roughly 15-20%, and each resolution step reduces performance by roughly 35-40%. The Medium preset provides the most complete data with minimum and maximum values, showing frame time variance of 87 FPS at 1080p (244 to 331), 56 FPS at 1440p (158 to 214), and 30 FPS at 4K (86 to 116).

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important information about the limiting component in this system. At 1080p Low, the system produces 330 FPS, while at 4K Low, it produces 116 FPS, representing a 64.8% reduction. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 198 FPS, while at 4K Ultra, it produces 70 FPS, a 64.6% reduction. This consistent percentage drop across presets indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor.

The 4K resolution contains 4 times the pixels of 1080p, yet the frame rate only drops by roughly 65%. This non-linear scaling suggests that the CPU contributes to the frame rate at lower resolutions, where the GPU is not fully saturated. At 1080p, the CPU's 5.10 GHz boost clock and 14 cores help push frame rates to 330 FPS, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the frame rate reflects the GPU's raw compute limits.

Comparing the Medium preset data, which has full minimum and maximum values, provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 287 FPS with a 244-331 FPS range. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 186 FPS with a 158-214 FPS range. At 4K Medium, the average is 101 FPS with an 86-116 FPS range. The minimum FPS values scale from 244 to 158 to 86, showing that the lower ends of the frame time distribution also decrease proportionally.

The resolution scaling data indicates that this combo is well-balanced for Doom. The CPU can drive high frame rates at 1080p, and the GPU handles the increased pixel workload at 1440p and 4K. The fact that 4K Ultra still achieves 70 FPS suggests that the GPU's 31.80 TFLOPS of compute is sufficient for this game, and the 896.0 GB/s memory bandwidth prevents bandwidth bottlenecks at high resolutions. The system demonstrates that it can adapt to different display capabilities, from high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors to 4K displays with moderate refresh rates.