Doom

The AMD Radeon RX 570 paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 produces playable frame rates in Doom at 1080p, but the experience degrades sharply at higher resolutions. Benchmark data shows the combo ranks 2812 out of 2930 tested configurations in this game, placing it in the bottom 4% of all hardware pairings. The Core Ultra 5 245, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, offers substantial processing headroom, while the RX 570’s 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and GCN 4.0 architecture become the primary constraint as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset still delivers 56 FPS on average, but at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only manages 32 FPS. This indicates a system where the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution tested, though the CPU’s strong single-thread performance prevents any additional bottlenecking.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor built on the Arrow Lake-S architecture using a 3 nm process from TSMC. It operates at a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boosts up to 5.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor includes 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core, along with 192 KB of L1 cache per core. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, providing 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU’s integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG with 64 execution units, though the discrete RX 570 handles all rendering in these tests.

Benchmark results for the Core Ultra 5 245 show strong multi-threaded capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 32924 in multi-core and 4648 in single-core tests. PassMark multithread score is 38706, with a single-thread score of 4394. The processor’s percentile versus all CPUs is 90, meaning it outperforms 90% of tested processors. Its average benchmark score is 48995, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196, -0.4% delta), AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, -0.5% delta), Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, +0.6% delta), and Intel Core i5-14600K (48618, +0.8% delta). These deltas are all within 1%, indicating the Core Ultra 5 245 sits in a tightly competitive performance band.

For Doom, a fast-paced FPS from 2016, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates. The 5.10 GHz boost clock ensures high single-thread performance, which is critical for older game engines that may not fully utilize many cores. The 14 cores provide ample parallel throughput for background tasks and any engine threads that scale. However, the measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 92 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it drops to 56 FPS. This 36 FPS difference across settings at the same resolution suggests the GPU workload scales with visual fidelity, while the CPU maintains consistent performance. The Core Ultra 5 245’s single-thread score of 4648 in Cinebench R23 and 4394 in PassMark indicates it is more than capable of handling Doom’s engine demands, as frame rates at 1080p are not CPU-limited in any measured configuration.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is built on the Polaris 20 chip using GCN 4.0 architecture with a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus. Memory capacity is 4 GB of GDDR5, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card’s FP32 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS, with a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s. It has a 150 W TDP and requires a 450 W suggested power supply, using a single 6-pin power connector.

The RX 570’s benchmark scores include 880 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 39349 in Geekbench Metal, 32084 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 42752 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its percentile versus all GPUs is 74, with an average benchmark score of 28766. Nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (28874, -0.4% delta), AMD Radeon R9 M295X (28580, +0.7% delta), AMD Radeon RX 470 (28996, -0.8% delta), and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (28421, +1.2% delta). The RX 570 is effectively tied with these GPUs in aggregate performance, with all deltas under 1.2%.

In Doom, the RX 570’s 4 GB VRAM becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 19, which is unplayable. Even at 3840x2160 Low, the average is only 32 FPS. The 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p, where the card delivers 92 FPS at Low and 68 FPS at High. At 2560x1440, the card manages 60 FPS at Low but drops to 44 FPS at High. The 4 GB frame buffer likely causes texture thrashing at 4K, as Ultra settings in Doom can exceed 4 GB of VRAM usage. The 32 ROPs and 2048 shading units also limit fill-rate and shading throughput at high pixel counts. The GPU’s GCN 4.0 architecture supports DirectX 12 (12_0), which Doom can use, but the Vulkan API’s 1.3 support may offer better performance in this title, given the RX 570’s Geekbench Vulkan score of 42752 versus OpenCL’s 32084.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the average FPS across settings ranges from 56 (Ultra) to 92 (Low). At 2560x1440, the range is 36 (Ultra) to 60 (Low). At 3840x2160, the range is 19 (Ultra) to 32 (Low). This scaling reveals that the RX 570 is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU’s performance does not change with resolution. The Core Ultra 5 245’s strong single-thread and multi-thread scores suggest it is not limiting these frame rates.

Comparing specific settings across resolutions, the Low preset delivers 92 FPS at 1080p, 60 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. The High preset delivers 68 FPS at 1080p, 44 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K, with drops of 35% and 45% respectively. The Ultra preset delivers 56 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K, with drops of 36% and 47%. The consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that the GPU’s rendering throughput scales roughly linearly with pixel count, which is expected for a fill-rate-limited scenario.

At 1080p, the system can achieve 60+ FPS on Low and Medium settings, with Medium hitting 80 FPS. This suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, as the frame rates are high enough to indicate GPU saturation. At 4K, even Low settings only reach 32 FPS, which is far below the CPU’s capability. The 4 GB VRAM is likely exceeded at 4K with any settings, causing the GPU to spill over to system memory, which is slower. The 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth becomes a constraint as well, since higher resolutions require more texture data per frame. The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo can consistently exceed 60 FPS, and even then, only on Low and Medium presets.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At this setting, the system achieves an average of 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. The minimum FPS of 68 is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, ensuring no significant stutters. The Low preset at 1080p delivers 92 FPS average, but the visual downgrade is substantial. The High preset at 1080p provides 68 FPS average, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 56 FPS, which is borderline for a fast-paced FPS where reaction time matters.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 60 FPS, which exactly hits the playability threshold. However, the Medium preset drops to 52 FPS, and High falls to 44 FPS. For 1440p users, the Low preset is the only option that maintains 60 FPS, but the quality loss may not be acceptable. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS, and the highest average is 32 FPS on Low. This resolution should be avoided with this hardware combination.

The data suggests that 1080p Medium is the sweet spot. The 80 FPS average is smooth, and the 68 FPS minimum ensures that even intense combat sequences with many enemies remain fluid. The 93 FPS maximum shows that the system has some headroom, which can absorb occasional spikes in scene complexity. The Low preset at 1080p offers 92 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is significant, and the Medium preset’s 80 FPS is only 13% lower while providing better textures and effects. For players with 144Hz monitors, the Low preset at 1080p might be preferable, but for most users, Medium provides a better overall experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Doom?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system consistently exceeds 60 FPS. At 1080p, the Low preset averages 92 FPS, Medium averages 80 FPS, and High averages 68 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset reaches 60 FPS, while at 3840x2160, the maximum average is 32 FPS on Low.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the system averages 36 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and would likely feel sluggish in a fast-paced FPS. The minimum FPS is not listed, but the average is 40% lower than the 60 FPS achieved on Low settings at the same resolution.

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

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The Core Ultra 5 245 has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. In contrast, the RX 570’s average benchmark score is 28766, in the 74th percentile of GPUs. The FPS drops from 92 at 1080p Low to 32 at 4K Low indicate GPU-limited scaling, as the CPU’s performance does not change with resolution.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1080p Medium?

A: The measured data shows a minimum FPS of 68 at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. The average is 80 FPS, and the maximum is 93 FPS. This minimum is above 60 FPS, ensuring that frame drops do not disrupt gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 28766. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, scores 28874, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon R9 M295X scores 28580, which is 0.7% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 470 scores 28996, which is 0.8% higher, and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 scores 28421, which is 1.2% lower. All deltas are within 1.2%, indicating near-identical aggregate performance.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Doom?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 32 FPS, achieved on Low settings. Medium averages 28 FPS, High averages 24 FPS, and Ultra averages 19 FPS. No settings combination reaches 60 FPS at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 92 FPS, with no minimum or maximum listed. Medium settings produce an average of 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. High settings produce an average of 68 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 56 FPS. The 36 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is the largest across all resolutions, indicating that the GPU’s shading and texture units are heavily taxed by Ultra’s additional effects.

At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. Low settings produce an average of 60 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 52 FPS, with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 60 FPS. High settings produce an average of 44 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 36 FPS. The 24 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is smaller than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is approaching its memory bandwidth limit at this resolution. The Medium preset’s minimum of 44 FPS indicates that frame drops occur during demanding scenes, which could affect gameplay smoothness.

At 3840x2160, performance is marginal at best. Low settings produce an average of 32 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 28 FPS, with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 32 FPS. High settings produce an average of 24 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 19 FPS. The 13 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is the smallest across all resolutions, indicating that the GPU is severely constrained by pixel throughput. The Medium preset’s minimum of 24 FPS is well below playable thresholds.

The data reveals that the RX 570’s 4 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K gaming in Doom. At 1080p, the memory subsystem is adequate, as evidenced by the 92 FPS Low result. At 1440p, the system can still hit 60 FPS on Low, but higher settings suffer. At 4K, even Low settings cannot maintain 60 FPS, and the 32 FPS average is only half of what would be considered smooth. The Core Ultra 5 245’s performance remains consistent across all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the sole bottleneck. For users seeking higher frame rates at 1440p or 4K, a GPU upgrade would be necessary, but for 1080p gaming, this combo delivers a solid experience on Medium settings.