Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT delivers a highly capable 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, with the data showing a clear shift from a CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound one as pixel count rises. At 1080p, the combo achieves 141 FPS on High settings, demonstrating the CPU's strength in this older title, while at 4K on Ultra, the frame rate drops to 40 FPS, indicating the GPU becomes the limiting factor. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions, settings, and component roles based solely on the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable yet significant performance degradation as resolution increases, highlighting the changing bottleneck between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 141 FPS, which is already well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset, the average drops to 91 FPS, a reduction of 50 FPS (35.5%) from the 1080p result. This substantial drop indicates that while the resolution increase demands more from the GPU, the CPU still has enough headroom to keep the frame rate high. However, the most dramatic scaling occurs when jumping to 3840x2160, where the High preset average falls to 49 FPS, a further 42 FPS reduction (46.2%) from the 1440p figure.

The scaling pattern across all settings is consistent, with the largest absolute FPS losses occurring between 1440p and 4K. For instance, at Low settings, the average FPS moves from 192 at 1080p, to 124 at 1440p, and finally to 67 at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 1440p is 68 FPS, while the delta between 1440p and 4K is 57 FPS, showing that the performance hit is slightly more pronounced at the lower resolution step for this preset. This suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is heavily engaged, and the initial resolution increase begins to offload work to the GPU. In contrast, at Ultra settings, the frame rates are 115, 75, and 40 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively, with deltas of 40 and 35 FPS. The more uniform scaling at Ultra indicates that the GPU is already the primary constraint even at 1080p, as the higher graphical load prevents the CPU from being the sole limiting factor.

The data indicates that the RX 6600 XT is the limiting component at 4K, as even the lowest settings (Low) yield only 67 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 124 FPS seen at 1440p Low. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely the primary constraints at this resolution, as the increased pixel count demands more memory bandwidth and capacity. Conversely, at 1080p, the CPU's 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock are sufficient to drive high frame rates, but the GPU still manages to scale well with the lower resolution, producing 192 FPS at Low settings. The results show that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high refresh rates, while 4K gaming is only viable at lower settings with reduced frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 141, which is a strong result for this resolution and setting combination.

Q: How does the frame rate drop from 1440p to 4K on Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the average FPS is 108, while at 3840x2160 Medium, it drops to 59 FPS. This represents a 49 FPS reduction (45.4%) as the resolution increases.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 192, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The minimum FPS for this configuration is not listed, but the maximum is also 192.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 40, which is the lowest recorded figure. Given the GPU's specifications and the high pixel count, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the limiting component in this scenario, as the CPU has sufficient processing power for this title.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1080p High is 141, while at 1440p High it is 91. The difference is 50 FPS, indicating a 35.5% reduction in frame rate when moving to the higher resolution.

Q: Are there any recorded minimum FPS values for the Ultra preset?

A: No, the data does not include minimum FPS values for any Ultra settings across the three resolutions. Only the Medium presets have recorded minimum FPS values, which are 142, 92, and 50 for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested configurations for Doom, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT holds a rank of 2080 out of 2930 total combos. This places the combo in the 71st percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it performs better than roughly 71% of other CPU-GPU pairings in this game. The rank suggests that while this is not a top-tier enthusiast setup, it delivers a solid mid-range performance that is well above average for the tested pool.

The CPU's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 90, while the GPU's percentile against all GPUs is 70. This disparity is notable, as it implies the CPU is a stronger component relative to its peers than the GPU is relative to its own peers. The combo's overall rank in Doom is likely pulled down by the GPU, which, despite being capable, is not as high-performing as the CPU when compared to other options on the market. The nearest rivals for the CPU, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and AMD Ryzen 9 7900, have average scores that are within 0.5% of the Ultra 5 245, meaning the CPU performance is highly competitive. For the GPU, the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 and the Intel Arc A350M, with score deltas of 0.7% and -0.8% respectively, showing that the RX 6600 XT is closely matched with these alternatives in synthetic benchmarks.

The measured FPS data aligns with the combo's rank, as the system is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p but struggles at 4K. The rank of 2080 out of 2930 indicates that many other combos can achieve better performance, particularly at higher resolutions or with more powerful GPUs. However, for a 1080p or 1440p gaming setup, this combination offers a balanced experience that is likely sufficient for most users. The high CPU percentile and moderate GPU percentile suggest that the system is well-balanced for CPU-intensive titles like Doom, which can benefit from the processor's strong single-threaded performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 192 FPS, Medium settings produce 167 FPS with a minimum of 142 and a maximum of 192, High settings achieve 141 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 115 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a clear performance cost, with the Ultra preset being 77 FPS slower than Low, representing a 40.1% reduction. This indicates that the game's Ultra settings impose a significant graphical load on the GPU, even at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 124 for Low, 108 for Medium (with a minimum of 92 and a maximum of 124), 91 for High, and 75 for Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p results in a 49 FPS drop (39.5%), which is similar in percentage to the 1080p scaling. However, the absolute frame rates are lower, confirming that the resolution increase has a substantial impact on performance. At 4K (3840x2160), the averages are 67 FPS for Low, 59 FPS for Medium (minimum 50, maximum 67), 49 FPS for High, and 40 FPS for Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 27 FPS (40.3%), consistent with the other resolutions, but the overall performance is much lower, making 4K playable only at reduced settings.

The data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings remains relatively consistent in percentage terms across all resolutions, suggesting that the graphical settings have a similar relative impact regardless of resolution. However, the absolute frame rates at 4K are marginal for smooth gameplay, with even the Low preset barely exceeding 60 FPS. The Medium presets are the only ones with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, providing a range of 50-67 FPS at 4K, 92-124 FPS at 1440p, and 142-192 FPS at 1080p. This indicates that the Medium preset offers a stable performance envelope, which is useful for understanding frame time consistency.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is a discrete GPU based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1968 MHz, a boost clock of 2589 MHz, and a game clock of 2359 MHz, which defines its typical operating frequency during gaming workloads. With 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, the GPU is capable of a pixel rate of 165.7 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 331.4 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 10.60 TFLOPS, which is a modest figure for modern titles but adequate for a game like Doom that is well-optimized.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1080p, the GPU is not the primary bottleneck, as the high frame rates (192 FPS at Low) suggest that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately. However, at 4K, the GPU's limitations are exposed, with the average FPS at Ultra falling to 40. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the higher texture resolutions and memory pressure may cause performance degradation. The 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is also a constraint at 4K, as the GPU must move more data per frame to render the higher pixel count.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 70 against all GPUs indicates that it is an above-average performer, but it is not a high-end card. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 and the Intel Arc A350M, have similar average benchmark scores, with deltas of 0.7% and -0.8% respectively. The RX 6600 XT's performance in Doom is consistent with its synthetic benchmark scores, as it delivers strong 1080p performance and acceptable 1440p performance, but it struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The GPU's 160 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for this class, and its PCIe 4.0 x8 interface provides sufficient bandwidth for the card's capabilities.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake architecture and manufactured on a 3 nm process. It features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The CPU has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. With a TDP of 65 W, it is a power-efficient processor that does not require an unlocked multiplier, indicating it is not intended for overclocking.

In the context of Doom, the CPU's role is critical at lower resolutions where the game engine can leverage high single-threaded performance. The boost clock of 5.10 GHz is particularly beneficial for this title, as it allows the CPU to process game logic and draw calls quickly, enabling high frame rates at 1080p. The 14 cores are more than sufficient for this game, which is not heavily multi-threaded, and the CPU's strong single-core performance is evident in the 1080p Low result of 192 FPS. The CPU's average benchmark score of 48995 and its 90th percentile ranking against all CPUs indicate that it is a high-performing processor, with its nearest rivals being the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, both of which have average scores within 0.5% of the Ultra 5 245.

As resolution increases, the CPU's role diminishes, and the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rates are primarily determined by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is sufficient for this game, and the ECC memory support is an additional feature that does not impact gaming performance. The CPU's performance in Doom is consistent with its synthetic benchmarks, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, which reflect its strong processing power. Overall, the CPU provides a solid foundation for this combo, ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings presets are playable, with even the Ultra preset achieving an average of 115 FPS. For users with a high refresh rate monitor, the High preset at 141 FPS is a good balance between visual quality and performance, offering a smooth experience without sacrificing too much graphical fidelity. The Low preset at 192 FPS is the best choice for competitive play, where maximum frame rate is prioritized over visuals. The Medium preset at 167 FPS also provides a high frame rate with a recorded minimum of 142 FPS, ensuring consistent performance.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 91 FPS is still above 60 FPS, making it a viable option for most players. However, the Ultra preset at 75 FPS is also playable, though it may not be suitable for high refresh rate displays. The Medium preset at 108 FPS is the recommended choice for 1440p, as it offers a high frame rate with a minimum of 92 FPS, providing a good balance between performance and visual quality. The Low preset at 124 FPS is ideal for those who prioritize frame rate above all else, but it comes at the cost of reduced visual fidelity.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that this combo is not well-suited for 4K gaming, as even the Low preset only achieves 67 FPS, which is marginal for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 59 FPS is the highest settings that can maintain a playable frame rate, but it is below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 49 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are not recommended for a good experience, as they may result in noticeable stuttering or input lag. Therefore, for 4K, users should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept the Low/Medium presets with reduced performance. The best overall experience is at 1440p with the Medium preset, which offers 108 FPS average with a minimum of 92 FPS, providing a smooth and visually appealing experience for this hardware combination.