Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti combination delivers a fundamentally GPU-bound experience in Doom, with the processor's substantial single-thread capabilities ensuring it never becomes the primary constraint at any tested resolution. The 14-core, 14-thread Arrow Lake chip, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost of 5.10 GHz, posts a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648, which is the type of headroom that keeps frame pacing stable even when the GPU is saturated. While the CPU's multi-core result of 32924 in the same test places it in the 90th percentile of all processors, Doom's engine relies more heavily on per-thread performance for its game logic and draw-call processing, meaning the 5.10 GHz boost clock is the more relevant specification for this title. The measured data supports this interpretation: at 1080p Low, the average frame rate reaches 236 FPS, a figure that still falls short of the CPU's theoretical ceiling because the GPU is already at its output limit, yet the absence of any reported minimum frame rate below 175 FPS at Medium settings indicates consistent frame delivery rather than CPU stutter.

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 desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC, and it operates within a 65 W TDP envelope. Its base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz are the primary contributors to its strong single-threaded showing, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648. In Doom, a game released in 2016 with a Vulkan-based engine that scales well with multiple threads but remains sensitive to per-core speed, this processor's architecture is well-suited. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 50 FPS, while at 4K Low it climbs to 83 FPS; this 33 FPS spread across settings at the same resolution indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the GPU is clearly responding to changes in graphical load. The processor's PassMark single-thread score of 4394 and its percentile ranking of 90th among all CPUs further reinforce that it has ample headroom for this workload. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 245 sits within a tight performance band: it is 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, 0.6% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, and 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K in average benchmark scores. These deltas are negligible for gaming purposes, meaning any of these CPUs would likely deliver identical Doom frame rates when paired with the same GPU, reinforcing that the processor is not the bottleneck here. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput for the game's level streaming, but again, the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings shows a pattern consistent with GPU limitation rather than CPU or memory starvation.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing, and the benchmark data makes its role unambiguous. Built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip on Samsung's 8 nm process, this GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock of 1410 MHz and boost clock of 1665 MHz, combined with 4864 shading units, produce an FP32 throughput of 16.20 TFLOPS, which is substantial for a card that launched in the GeForce 30-series generation. In Doom, the GPU's influence is directly visible in the scaling of frame rates with settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 142 at Ultra to 236 at Low, a 94 FPS difference that is purely a function of the GPU's workload. At 1440p, the same settings range yields 92 to 153 FPS, and at 4K, it narrows to 50 to 83 FPS. The narrowing spread at higher resolutions is characteristic of a GPU that is becoming more fully utilized, and the fact that even at 4K Low the card manages 83 FPS indicates it has enough raw throughput for this older title. However, the 8 GB VRAM capacity is a potential concern for modern titles, though for Doom specifically, the measured results show no catastrophic frame drops that would indicate memory paging, as the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium is 175 and at 1440p Medium is 113. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 20349 places it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 9060 at 0.7% ahead, the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M at 1.4% behind, and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT at 1.4% behind. These close margins suggest that the RTX 3060 Ti's performance tier is well established, and in Doom, it is clearly the component that determines the final frame rates, with the CPU providing more than enough support.

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

The resolution scaling data reveals a textbook GPU-bound scenario. Starting at 1080p High, the average FPS is 174; moving to 1440p High drops this to 113, a 35% reduction; and at 4K High, it falls to 61, a 46% reduction from 1440p. This consistent degradation with increasing pixel count is the definitive signature of a GPU-limited system, as the CPU's workload does not change meaningfully with resolution—only the GPU's fill rate and shading demand do. At Low settings, the pattern holds: 236 FPS at 1080p, 153 FPS at 1440p, and 83 FPS at 4K, with the 4K result representing a 65% drop from 1080p. The fact that even at 4K Low the card produces 83 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, suggests that the RTX 3060 Ti is capable of handling this game at high resolutions, but the user must be mindful of settings. The Ultra preset tells a similar story: 142 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K, where the 4K result finally dips below the 60 FPS mark. This is the only tested configuration that fails to maintain 60 FPS, and it confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU. If the processor were the bottleneck, the frame rates would cluster together across resolutions at the same settings, but they do not; instead, they scale inversely with pixel count, which is the expected behavior for a GPU-constrained system. The CPU's role is further minimized by the fact that the 1080p Low result of 236 FPS is still far below what a processor with a 5.10 GHz boost clock and 90th percentile ranking could theoretically push, meaning the GPU is the ceiling even at the lowest graphical load.

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

Based on the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combination across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 206 with a minimum of 175 and a maximum of 237, which is comfortable for high-refresh-rate displays and leaves headroom for any background tasks. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 133 FPS with a minimum of 113, still well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for 144 Hz monitors. Even at 4K Medium, the average is 72 FPS with a minimum of 61, meaning the experience remains playable without dropping below the critical 60 FPS floor. In contrast, the High preset at 4K yields 61 FPS average, which is technically playable but offers no margin for dips, and the Ultra preset at 4K falls to 50 FPS average, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The Low preset, while producing the highest frame rates (236 FPS at 1080p, 153 FPS at 1440p, 83 FPS at 4K), sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a game that is already running well above playable thresholds at Medium. The data indicates that the jump from Low to Medium costs roughly 13% performance at 1080p (236 to 206 FPS) and 12% at 1440p (153 to 133 FPS), but the visual improvements in texture filtering and shadow quality are substantial. For 4K users, Medium is the clear choice, as it is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS without dropping below 61 FPS at any measured point. Users with 1080p or 1440p displays could also consider High, which delivers 174 and 113 FPS respectively, but the Medium preset's higher minimum frame rates make it the safer recommendation for consistent frame pacing.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti ranks 1420 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the 52nd percentile of all systems evaluated. This mid-pack ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual components' performance, but it reflects the reality that Doom is an older title that many modern systems can run at very high frame rates, and the RTX 3060 Ti, while capable, is not a top-tier GPU. The rank of 1420 means that roughly 48% of tested combinations achieve higher average frame rates, which is consistent with the GPU's 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs and the CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile and the combo's mid-pack rank underscores that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing. Had the system been paired with a stronger GPU, the combo rank would likely be higher, as the CPU has demonstrated it can support frame rates well above what the RTX 3060 Ti delivers. Conversely, the 1420 rank is not a poor showing; it means this system outperforms 1510 other tested combos, and for a 2016 game like Doom, the measured frame rates are generally excellent, with only the 4K Ultra preset falling below 60 FPS. The rank also suggests that users with this hardware should not expect to top any leaderboards, but rather to have a solid, reliable experience that is well above the playability threshold for the vast majority of settings and resolutions. The gap between this combo and the top performers is attributable almost entirely to the GPU, as a system with a similarly capable CPU but a higher-tier graphics card would rank significantly higher, given the CPU's demonstrated headroom.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but with a caveat. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 72 with a minimum of 61, which is playable. At 4K High, the average is 61 FPS, which is borderline, and at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 50 FPS, which is not recommended. The 4K Low preset yields 83 FPS average.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The Medium preset is the safest choice, delivering 133 FPS average with a minimum of 113 FPS. High is also viable at 113 FPS average, but the lower minimum frame rate of Medium provides more consistent pacing. Ultra runs at 92 FPS average.

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

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting component. Evidence comes from resolution scaling: at 1080p Low, the system hits 236 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 83 FPS, a 65% reduction. The CPU's performance, with a 5.10 GHz boost clock and a 90th percentile ranking, is more than sufficient for this game.

Q: How does the RTX 3060 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In average benchmark scores, the RTX 3060 Ti is 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9060, 1.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, and 1.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT. These are very small differences, indicating similar performance tiers.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this system can achieve in Doom?

A: The highest measured average is 236 FPS, which occurs at 1080p with the Low preset. The maximum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium is 237, but the average for that preset is 206 FPS. At 4K Low, the average is 83 FPS.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 3060 Ti cause any issues in Doom?

A: The measured data shows no evidence of VRAM-related problems. The minimum FPS at 1080p Medium is 175 and at 1440p Medium is 113, with no sudden dips that would indicate memory paging. The game's 2016 release date means its texture requirements are well within 8 GB capacity.