Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics presents a unique, if constrained, option for playing Doom. The dataset shows this combo is capable of running the game, but the experience is heavily dependent on resolution and settings. The measured frames per second (FPS) indicate that this configuration sits at the lower end of the performance spectrum, making it suitable for 1080p gaming with specific settings compromises rather than a high-refresh-rate powerhouse.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend entirely on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the best performance, with an average of 107 FPS. This is the only setting that approaches the 100 FPS mark, providing a smooth and responsive experience for a fast-paced FPS. The Medium preset is also viable, offering a more balanced 93 FPS average, which remains highly playable. Choosing High drops the average to 78 FPS, which is still acceptable for most players, but the jump to Ultra significantly reduces performance to 64 FPS, a noticeable step down in fluidity.

The situation changes drastically at 2560x1440. Here, the Low preset is the only one that maintains a consistently playable frame rate, averaging 69 FPS. The Medium preset falls to a 60 FPS average, which is borderline for competitive play. The data shows a clear pattern: High at 1440p yields 51 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41 FPS. Given the demanding nature of the resolution, the Low preset is the recommended choice, as it provides the best chance of maintaining a smooth experience, though users must accept a significant visual downgrade.

At 4K (3840x2160), the performance is severely constrained. The Low preset produces an average of 37 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play in a fast-paced shooter. The Medium preset averages 33 FPS, High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra only manages 22 FPS. None of these settings offer a playable experience for a game that requires quick reactions. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable option for this hardware combination, regardless of the settings chosen. For the best overall experience, the Low preset at 1080p is the clear winner, as it is the only configuration that consistently delivers frame rates above 100 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 37 on the Low preset. This is below the typical threshold for smooth, responsive gameplay, indicating that 4K is not a practical resolution for this hardware in Doom.

Q: What is the best setting for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: To achieve an average of at least 60 FPS, the user must play at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset (93 FPS average) or High preset (78 FPS average). At 2560x1440, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS with an average of 69 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there between 1080p and 1440p on the High preset?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 78. Lowering the resolution to 2560x1440 with the same High preset reduces the average FPS to 51, a drop of 27 FPS.

Q: Which preset offers the most consistent frame times at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration with recorded min and max FPS data (79 min, 107 max). This data indicates a wider variance than the average suggests, but the 93 FPS average still provides a solid baseline.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 or the Intel Arc B390 the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data shows that at 1080p, the performance scales significantly with settings, from 107 FPS on Low to 64 FPS on Ultra. This scaling indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as increasing graphical load has a direct and substantial impact on frame rate.

Q: How does this combo's performance rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo is ranked 2580 out of 2930 tested combinations for Doom. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems, confirming its status as a low-performance configuration for this title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, and its role in this combo is the definitive performance limiter. Its memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This architecture means the GPU's performance is heavily reliant on system memory bandwidth, which is noted as "System Dependent."

The GPU's benchmark data reinforces its low-end positioning. It has a percentile ranking of 9 among all GPUs, indicating it performs better than only 9% of its peers. Its single benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad is 1482, which is closely matched by rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), showing a performance delta of 1.3% and 1.5% respectively. This places its raw graphical compute power in the same tier as decade-old entry-level discrete GPUs.

In Doom specifically, the GPU's limitations are evident. The core clock boosts to 2500 MHz, and the chip has 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs, but its integrated nature and shared memory architecture severely restrict its fill rate and memory bandwidth. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions. For instance, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 22, a direct consequence of the GPU's inability to process the increased pixel count and texture data. The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, but this raw compute power doesn't translate to playable frame rates in Doom at higher resolutions, highlighting the importance of memory bandwidth and ROP throughput for real-world gaming performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2580 out of 2930 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the bottom percentile of systems tested for this game, indicating that it is a very low-performance configuration. The CPU itself is a strong performer, with a percentile ranking of 90 against all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 48995. This places it in direct competition with high-end desktop parts like the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (score 49228, delta -0.5%) and the Intel Core i5-14600K (score 48618, delta 0.8%), showing that the processor is not the primary cause of the low combo ranking.

The GPU, however, is the polar opposite. Its percentile ranking of 9 against all GPUs is a stark contrast to the CPU's 90. This massive discrepancy is the reason for the low combo rank. The GPU's average benchmark score of 1482 is a fraction of the CPU's score, and its nearest rivals are all low-end NVIDIA parts from the past, such as the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446) and GeForce GT 710 (1443). The data clearly shows a system where a high-end CPU is paired with an entry-level integrated GPU, creating a massive bottleneck.

This bottleneck is evident in the game's FPS data. While the CPU is capable of handling the game's logic and physics, the GPU cannot keep up with the rendering demands. The result is a combo that underperforms relative to its CPU's potential. The ranking of 2580 out of 2930 confirms that this is a niche configuration, likely intended for basic computing tasks rather than serious gaming. The data suggests that for Doom, this pairing is heavily unbalanced, with the GPU's performance ceiling capping the entire system's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear and predictable performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 107 FPS. Moving to 1440p lowers this to 69 FPS, a drop of 38 FPS or roughly 36%. Scaling further to 4K reduces the average to 37 FPS, a further drop of 32 FPS from the 1440p result. This pattern is consistent across all settings.

The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions. The percentage of FPS lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p is substantial, and the loss from 1440p to 4K is even more severe in terms of raw frame rate. This is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where increasing the resolution directly increases the pixel count and texture load, which the integrated GPU cannot handle efficiently.

The difference between 1080p and 1440p is significant. For example, on the High preset, the average FPS drops from 78 to 51, a 27 FPS reduction. This shows that even a modest resolution increase has a large impact on the Arc B390. The jump to 4K is even more punishing, with the High preset averaging only 28 FPS. This demonstrates that the GPU's rendering capabilities are severely overwhelmed at 4K, making the game effectively unplayable at that resolution.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a total performance loss of roughly 65% on the Low preset (107 FPS to 37 FPS). This is a clear indicator that the system is not just GPU-limited, but severely GPU-limited. A more balanced system with a discrete GPU would show a less dramatic FPS drop, as the CPU would be able to pick up some of the slack. Here, the data suggests that the Arc B390's shared memory architecture and limited bandwidth are the primary culprits, as the system must share memory resources between the CPU and GPU, which becomes a larger bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 107 FPS average.
• Medium: 93 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 107 FPS.
• High: 78 FPS average.
• Ultra: 64 FPS average.

This resolution is the only one where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates. The spread from 107 FPS on Low to 64 FPS on Ultra shows a 43 FPS difference, highlighting the GPU's sensitivity to graphical settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops considerably:

• Low: 69 FPS average.
• Medium: 60 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 69 FPS.
• High: 51 FPS average.
• Ultra: 41 FPS average.

Here, the Low preset is the only one that stays comfortably above 60 FPS. The Medium preset is right at the 60 FPS mark, but the minimum of 51 FPS suggests it may not be consistently smooth.

At 3840x2160, the performance is not suitable for playable gaming:

• Low: 37 FPS average.
• Medium: 33 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 28 FPS and maximum of 37 FPS.
• High: 28 FPS average.
• Ultra: 22 FPS average.

All configurations at 4K fall below the 40 FPS threshold, which is generally considered too low for a smooth experience in a fast-paced FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern across all settings: the higher the resolution, the lower the FPS, with the Ultra preset at 4K being the absolute worst-case scenario. The recorded min/max FPS for the Medium preset at each resolution also provides insight into frame time consistency, showing that the variance increases at higher resolutions.