Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Doom, but the data reveals a clear narrative about where the performance ceiling lies. This pairing demonstrates that the GPU is overwhelmingly the dominant factor in this title, with the CPU providing ample headroom across all tested configurations. The measured frame rates scale almost perfectly with pixel count, offering a clear case study in how a mature, well-optimized engine behaves under different hardware loads.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K in Doom displays the expected inverse relationship with pixel count, but the magnitude of the drops is particularly telling. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 271 FPS at 1920x1080 to 176 FPS at 2560x1440, then to 95 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 35% decrease when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46% decrease when stepping up to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, which suggests a purely resolution-bound scenario.

The data indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti is the limiting component in this configuration. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at higher resolutions, with the gap between 1080p and 1440p being much smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K. Instead, the scaling is remarkably linear when considering the pixel count differences. The jump from 1080p (2.07 million pixels) to 1440p (3.69 million pixels) is a 78% increase in workload, and the frame rate drops by roughly 35-38% across all settings. Similarly, moving from 1440p to 4K (8.29 million pixels) represents a 125% workload increase, and the frame rate drops by about 46-47%. This proportionality is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario.

At Ultra settings, the pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. The 4K Ultra average of 57 FPS is notably close to the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay, while the 1080p Ultra average of 163 FPS shows there is substantial headroom at lower resolutions. The interesting observation is that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (271 FPS) and Ultra (163 FPS) is 108 FPS, while at 4K, the difference shrinks to 38 FPS (95 FPS vs 57 FPS). This compression at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is working near its limits at 4K, leaving less room for settings to impact performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 brings 14 cores and 14 threads based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The L3 cache is 24 MB shared. In the context of Doom, a 2016 title built on the id Tech 6 engine, the game's threading model is well-suited to this processor's configuration. The engine was designed during an era when high-core-count CPUs were becoming mainstream, and it can utilize multiple threads effectively.

The benchmark results for the CPU show strong single-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4394. This matters for Doom because the game's main thread handles game logic and physics, and a strong single-core performance ensures that this thread does not become a bottleneck. The multi-threaded performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a PassMark multithread score of 38706. The PassMark physics score of 2569 indicates solid performance in physics calculations, which are often threaded across multiple cores in modern engines.

The fact that frame rates scale so cleanly with resolution, and that even at 1080p Low settings the average reaches 271 FPS, suggests that the CPU is never the limiting factor in this configuration. If the CPU were struggling, we would expect to see a ceiling around 200-250 FPS regardless of resolution or settings, but the data shows the GPU is clearly setting the pace. The CPU's PassMark data compression score of 400942 and integer math score of 91187 further indicate a processor that can handle the background tasks and game logic without creating a performance bottleneck. The CPU's percentile ranking of 90 against all CPUs puts it in the top 10% of processors, which is more than adequate for this title's demands.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks at position 999 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the 66th percentile of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the systems in the database. Given that the RTX 3070 Ti sits at the 75th percentile among all GPUs and the CPU at the 90th percentile, the combo's relative ranking is somewhat lower than what the individual component percentiles might suggest. This is likely because Doom is a GPU-intensive title, and the GPU's percentile ranking has more influence on the final result.

The data shows that the combo's ranking of 999 is influenced by the fact that many tested configurations include higher-end GPUs that are better suited to high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and 4K. The RTX 3070 Ti's nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% faster), AMD Radeon RX 6800 (0.5% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (0.5% faster). These GPUs represent the performance class that this combo competes against, and the measured frame rates in Doom align with what we would expect from this tier of hardware. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, is 0.8% faster in average benchmark score, which is a negligible difference in real-world gaming scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The most complete data set comes from the Medium settings preset, which includes minimum and maximum frame rates alongside averages. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 236 FPS, with a minimum of 201 FPS and a maximum of 272 FPS. The tight range between minimum and maximum (a 35% spread) suggests consistent frame pacing with no major dips. Moving to 2560x1440 Medium, the average drops to 153 FPS, with a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 176 FPS. The spread remains similar at 35%, indicating that the GPU is handling the increased pixel load without introducing instability.

At 3840x2160 Medium, the average falls to 83 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS. The spread here is also 35%, showing that the game maintains its frame consistency even at 4K. This is an important observation because it means that the 4K experience, while lower in absolute frame rate, does not suffer from stuttering or frame-time spikes. The minimum of 70 FPS at 4K Medium is above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth experience.

For the other settings presets, only average frame rates are available. At 1080p, the progression is: Low (271 FPS), Medium (236 FPS), High (200 FPS), and Ultra (163 FPS). At 1440p: Low (176 FPS), Medium (153 FPS), High (129 FPS), and Ultra (106 FPS). At 4K: Low (95 FPS), Medium (83 FPS), High (70 FPS), and Ultra (57 FPS). The step-down from High to Ultra settings costs approximately 18-19% of frame rate at every resolution, while the step from Low to Medium costs about 13-15%. The High preset sits roughly midway between Medium and Ultra in terms of performance, making it a balanced choice.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture using Samsung's 8 nm process, featuring the GA104 chip with 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. It comes equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6X memory running at 19 Gbps effective, delivering 608.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth across a 256-bit bus. With 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, the GPU offers a raw compute capability of 21.75 TFLOPS FP32. The boost clock of 1770 MHz and base clock of 1575 MHz provide the clock speeds that drive this compute throughput.

In Doom, the GPU's memory configuration is sufficient for the game's requirements, even at 4K Ultra settings. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is adequate because the game's textures, while detailed for its era, do not exceed this capacity at any tested setting. The memory bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s proves to be a critical asset, as the game's engine is known for its aggressive texture streaming. The smooth frame pacing observed in the Medium settings data suggests that the memory subsystem is not being overwhelmed, which would manifest as sudden frame drops or stutters.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 23356 places it in the 75th percentile of all GPUs, and its performance in Doom aligns with this ranking. The fact that the 4K Ultra average is 57 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold, indicates that the GPU is reaching its practical limit at this resolution and settings combination. The 4K High average of 70 FPS shows that dropping from Ultra to High provides a 23% performance increase, which is a significant gain for a visual quality reduction that is often barely perceptible in fast-paced gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the High settings preset at 2560x1440 provides the most balanced experience. The average of 129 FPS is well above the 120 FPS threshold that many competitive players target, and the visual quality improvement over Medium is noticeable. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 200 FPS average, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors in the 144-240 Hz range. The Ultra preset at 1080p (163 FPS) is also viable, but the performance cost of 18% over High for marginal visual gains makes High the more sensible choice.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset at 83 FPS average (70 FPS minimum) is the recommended option. The High preset at 70 FPS average is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes, while the Ultra preset at 57 FPS average dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The data suggests that 4K Medium provides the best combination of visual quality and performance, with the minimum FPS comfortably above 60. For players prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity at 4K, the Low preset at 95 FPS average offers a smooth 90+ FPS experience, though the visual downgrade is significant.

At 1440p, the High preset stands out as the sweet spot. The 129 FPS average provides a fluid experience on 144 Hz monitors, and the visual quality is excellent. The Ultra preset at 106 FPS is still highly playable, but the 18% performance reduction from High to Ultra does not translate to a proportional visual improvement in this title. The Medium preset at 153 FPS is ideal for players with 165 Hz monitors who want extra headroom, but High offers a better visual experience for those with 144 Hz displays.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 at High settings provides the best balance, with an average of 129 FPS. This resolution offers excellent visual quality while maintaining frame rates well above 120 FPS. At 4K, the Medium preset at 83 FPS average is the recommended choice, as higher settings dip below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 Ti a bottleneck for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 in this game?

A: Yes, the data clearly shows the GPU is the limiting component. Frame rates scale proportionally with pixel count across all settings, with no evidence of a CPU-induced plateau. Even at 1080p Low settings, the average of 271 FPS does not suggest the CPU is holding back performance, as the GPU has more than enough headroom at this resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 236 FPS at 1080p to 153 FPS at 1440p (a 35% reduction), and then to 83 FPS at 4K (a 46% reduction from 1440p). The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, with roughly a 65% total reduction from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Can the combo achieve 60+ FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: No, the measured average at 4K Ultra is 57 FPS, which falls just below the 60 FPS threshold. To achieve a stable 60+ FPS experience at 4K, the High settings preset (70 FPS average) or Medium preset (83 FPS average) is required.

Q: How does the combo's performance compare to other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 999th out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the 66th percentile. The GPU's nearest rival, the RTX 5070 Mobile, is 0.1% faster, while the RX 6800 is 0.5% slower. The CPU is 0.8% slower than the Intel Core i5-14600K, its nearest rival.

Q: Is frame pacing consistent across resolutions?

A: The Medium settings data shows consistent frame pacing at all resolutions. The spread between minimum and maximum FPS is approximately 35% at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 70, ensuring no drops below comfortable playability thresholds.