Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination delivers a playable but not flawless 4K experience in Doom, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary constraint. At 4K, the average frame rate drops to 51 FPS on High settings, which is a 65% reduction from the 147 FPS achieved at 1080p on the same preset. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution overwhelms the Radeon RX 6650 XT's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 2048 shading units. The data shows that the CPU, with its 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock, is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions; instead, the GPU's raw throughput and memory bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s dictate the performance ceiling.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU saturation. Moving from 1080p to 1440p on High settings, the average frame rate drops from 147 FPS to 95 FPS, a 35% reduction. This is a significant hit, but the game remains highly fluid. However, the jump from 1440p to 4K is far more punishing, with the average falling from 95 FPS to 51 FPS, a 46% decline. This non-linear scaling is a classic sign that the GPU is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. The RX 6650 XT's 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB VRAM are simply not sufficient for the 8.3 million pixels at 4K, leading to the dramatic performance collapse.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases, further confirming the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p, the difference between Low (200 FPS) and Ultra (120 FPS) is 80 FPS, or 40%. At 4K, the same comparison sees the average drop from 70 FPS on Low to 42 FPS on Ultra, a 40% reduction as well. Interestingly, the percentage difference is consistent, but the absolute frame rates at 4K are already near the edge of playability. The data indicates that the CPU is powerful enough to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the GPU's compute units are the sole determinant of performance.

The Medium preset provides the only complete dataset with min and max FPS values, offering insight into frame pacing. At 4K Medium, the average is 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. This 18 FPS spread suggests some instability, but the minimum is still above the 50 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1440p Medium, the average rises to 113 FPS, with a min of 96 and max of 129, showing a tighter 33 FPS variance. The 1080p Medium result is exemplary, with an average of 174 FPS, a min of 148, and a max of 200, indicating the combo is well-balanced at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K gaming, the data strongly suggests that High settings are the practical ceiling. The average of 51 FPS at 4K High is playable, but the lack of min/max data means frame dips could be noticeable. Dropping to Medium yields 61 FPS, a 20% improvement, which provides a more comfortable margin for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as the 42 FPS average will feel sluggish in fast-paced combat. Low settings at 4K offer 70 FPS, but the visual fidelity loss is substantial for a game that benefits from its atmospheric lighting.

At 1440p, the combo shines. High settings deliver 95 FPS, which is excellent for a 144Hz monitor. Ultra settings drop to 78 FPS, which is still playable, but the 17 FPS penalty may not justify the visual upgrade. Medium at 1440p hits 113 FPS, providing a smooth experience with a 96 FPS minimum, which is ideal for competitive play. The sweet spot for most users would be High at 1440p, balancing visual quality with a high refresh rate.

1080p is where this combo excels, with all presets exceeding 120 FPS. Ultra settings at 120 FPS are the best choice for a premium visual experience, as the GPU has enough headroom to handle the effects without sacrificing smoothness. High at 147 FPS and Medium at 174 FPS are also excellent options for high-refresh-rate displays. Low at 200 FPS is redundant unless chasing absolute maximum frame rates for esports-style play, as the visual compromise is severe. The data indicates that 1080p Ultra is the optimal configuration for this combination, providing a fully immersive experience without any performance concerns.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High is the sweet spot, delivering 95 FPS average with no reported minimum dips, while 1080p Ultra is the best for maximum visual fidelity at 120 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but with compromises. The average FPS at 4K High is 51, which is playable, but Medium at 61 FPS is safer for consistent framerates.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from Ultra to Low at 1080p?

A: The average FPS drops from 200 on Low to 120 on Ultra, a 40% reduction in performance. This shows the GPU is heavily taxed by Ultra settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 17 FPS drop from High (95 FPS) to Ultra (78 FPS) at 1440p. The CPU's performance is sufficient to keep up.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues at 4K?

A: The data suggests it does. The 4K Ultra preset only averages 42 FPS, indicating the GPU is struggling with memory bandwidth and capacity, not just compute.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the min FPS is 148 and max is 200, showing a 52 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the spread is 33 FPS, and at 4K it is 18 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination ranks 1886 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all possible pairings, which is expected given the GPU's mid-range positioning. The GPU's percentile rank of 65 versus all GPUs indicates it outperforms a majority of graphics cards, but the specific demands of Doom at high resolutions expose its limitations. The CPU's percentile rank of 90 shows it is a top-tier processor, but in this game, the pairing is held back by the GPU.

The combo's rank is not a reflection of poor individual components, but rather a mismatch in performance class. The CPU is capable of driving frame rates well beyond 200 FPS at 1080p, as seen in the Low preset, but the GPU cannot sustain those levels at higher resolutions. When compared to other tested combos, this pairing is likely similar to other mid-range GPUs paired with high-end CPUs. The data shows that to move up in the rankings, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, as the CPU already has significant headroom.

The performance deltas between the CPU's nearest rivals are minimal, with all being within 0.8% of its average benchmark score. This means the CPU choice has negligible impact on the gaming results. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 and AMD FirePro W7000, have similar average scores, but these are workstation cards not optimized for gaming. The RX 6650 XT's gaming performance in Doom is therefore decisively better than its raw benchmark score suggests, as the game's Vulkan API and fast-paced action favor its RDNA 2 architecture.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 2055 MHz, with a boost clock of 2635 MHz and a game clock of 2410 MHz. These clocks are relatively high for the 6000 series, allowing the GPU to maintain competitive performance in Doom. The 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are responsible for the pixel output, with a theoretical pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s.

In Doom, the GPU's role is paramount. The game's id Tech 6 engine is highly optimized for Vulkan, and the RX 6650 XT's support for Vulkan 1.4 ensures full compatibility. The 32 ray accelerators are not heavily utilized in this title, but the raw compute power of 10.79 TFLOPS FP32 is what drives the frame rates. The memory bandwidth becomes the critical factor at 4K, where the 8 GB VRAM is insufficient for high-resolution textures, leading to the performance drop from 61 FPS at Medium to 51 FPS at High.

The GPU's power consumption is rated at 176 W TDP, which is modest for the performance delivered. The 8-pin power connector and 450 W suggested PSU indicate the system requirements are reasonable. The GPU's production status is end-of-life, but its driver support remains robust. The benchmark results show that the GPU is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but 4K is a stretch. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra of 42 FPS confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the lack of memory bandwidth and pixel throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings achieve 200 FPS average, Medium hits 174 FPS with a minimum of 148 and maximum of 200, High reaches 147 FPS, and Ultra manages 120 FPS. These numbers indicate a highly responsive experience, with even the most demanding preset maintaining a frame rate above the 120 FPS threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the GPU's strain. Low settings produce 129 FPS, Medium averages 113 FPS with a 96 FPS minimum and 129 FPS maximum, High drops to 95 FPS, and Ultra falls to 78 FPS. The 4K resolution at 3840x2160 is the challenging territory. Low settings yield 70 FPS, Medium averages 61 FPS with a 52 FPS minimum and 70 FPS maximum, High drops to 51 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 42 FPS. These figures underscore the GPU's limitations at 4K, where even the lowest settings cannot reach the 144 FPS mark that is achievable at 1080p.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the native resolution for this combo, 1440p is a viable compromise, and 4K is only for those willing to accept lower frame rates. The Medium preset at each resolution provides the most stable frame pacing, as evidenced by the min/max data. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below the 45 FPS playability bar, making it unsuitable for serious gaming. The breakdown confirms that the RX 6650 XT is a 1080p-class GPU that can handle 1440p with adjusted settings, but it is not a 4K solution.