Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination delivers exceptional performance in Doom, a 2016 FPS that remains highly playable at the highest settings on modern hardware. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at 4K but transitions to a more balanced state at lower resolutions, where the CPU begins to exert its influence. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, scaling behavior, and system dynamics.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shifting bottleneck between the CPU and GPU. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 444 FPS. This figure drops to 287 FPS at 1440p and further to 156 FPS at 4K, representing a 65% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline indicates that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-limited; the RTX 4090 has ample headroom, but the Core Ultra 5 245 cannot feed it frames fast enough to push higher.

The pattern holds across other settings. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 327 FPS at 1080p to 211 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 115 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a 45% drop, which is a classic sign of the GPU becoming the primary constraint. At 4K, the pixel count demands on the RTX 4090 are so high that the CPU's role diminishes, and the frame rate is dictated almost entirely by the graphics card's raw throughput.

The transition point appears between 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 267 FPS, while at 1440p Ultra it drops to 173 FPS. The 35% reduction suggests that while the GPU is working harder, the CPU is still contributing to the ceiling. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate plummets to 94 FPS, a 46% drop from 1440p. This is a clear indicator that the RTX 4090 is now the sole limiting factor, as the resolution increase demands more than double the pixel throughput, overwhelming the GPU's capabilities.

In essence, the data reveals that this combo is exceptionally well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, where it can push beyond 200 FPS on High settings. At 4K, the system still delivers playable frame rates, but the scaling curve becomes much steeper, highlighting the immense workload placed on the GPU at that resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS values across the four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—provide a clear picture of the performance trade-offs. At 4K, the jump from Low (156 FPS) to Medium (136 FPS) is a modest 13% reduction, while the leap from Medium to High (115 FPS) is another 15% drop. Pushing to Ultra (94 FPS) incurs a further 18% penalty. For a 60 Hz display, even Ultra at 4K is more than sufficient, but for 120 Hz or higher refresh rate panels, High is the optimal choice, offering 115 FPS without the steep cost of Ultra.

At 1440p, the story is different. Low settings yield 287 FPS, Medium 250 FPS, and High 211 FPS. The difference between Low and High is 26%, which is noticeable but not game-breaking. Ultra drops to 173 FPS, a 40% reduction from Low. Given that most 1440p monitors top out at 144 Hz or 165 Hz, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering 211 FPS and comfortably exceeding any common refresh rate. Choosing Ultra would still provide 173 FPS, which is above 144 Hz, but the visual gain from High to Ultra may not justify the 18% performance hit.

At 1080p, the system is so powerful that all presets are essentially overkill. Low produces 444 FPS, Medium 387 FPS, High 327 FPS, and Ultra 267 FPS. Even at Ultra, the frame rate is nearly double what a 144 Hz monitor can display. The data suggests that for competitive play, where every millisecond counts, the Low preset at 1080p offers the absolute highest frame rate, but for general use, High or Ultra provides a superior visual experience with no perceptible downside on standard displays.

The recommendation based on the measured rows is straightforward: at 4K, use High for a balanced experience; at 1440p, High is ideal, though Ultra is viable for those prioritizing visuals; at 1080p, the choice is purely aesthetic, as all presets deliver far beyond typical refresh rate capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the performance ceiling at higher resolutions. The GPU features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This massive memory pool is more than sufficient for Doom, even at 4K Ultra, where the game's textures and assets are unlikely to exceed even a fraction of the available VRAM. The data shows no evidence of memory-related stuttering or frame drops, as the minimum FPS values at Medium settings are close to the averages (e.g., 115 min vs. 136 avg at 4K Medium), indicating consistent performance without bottlenecks.

The GPU's clock speeds are also relevant. The base clock is 2235 MHz, with a boost clock of 2520 MHz. These high frequencies, combined with the AD102 chip's 16,384 shading units, allow the RTX 4090 to maintain high utilization even at 4K. The FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS is immense, and in a game like Doom that is not particularly demanding by modern standards, this raw power translates directly into high frame rates.

However, the GPU's role changes with resolution. At 1080p, the RTX 4090 is underutilized because the CPU cannot supply data fast enough. The evidence is the 444 FPS at Low settings, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame generation capability. At 4K, the GPU becomes fully saturated, and the frame rate is directly proportional to its pixel throughput. The data shows that the RTX 4090's performance in Doom is exceptional, but its full potential is only realized at 4K, where it still manages to average 94 FPS at Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested combinations, this pairing ranks 76th out of 2,930 combos, placing it in the top 2.6% of all systems tested for Doom. This is a strong result, though not the absolute top, which suggests that while the RTX 4090 is a top-tier GPU, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is not the absolute fastest CPU for this game, and other pairings with more powerful processors may achieve higher frame rates.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 48,995, which places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (score 49,228, 0.5% faster) and the Intel Core i5-14600K (score 48,618, 0.8% slower). These small deltas indicate that the Core Ultra 5 245 is competitively positioned, but not a leader. In Doom, which is known for being CPU-sensitive at high frame rates, this minor difference in CPU performance could account for the combo's rank not being higher.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 60,347, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Arc Pro A60 (score 60,326, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (score 61,896, 2.5% faster). These comparisons are based on synthetic benchmarks, which may not perfectly reflect gaming performance, but they do show that the RTX 4090 is near the top of the stack. The combination of a 90th percentile CPU and an 88th percentile GPU results in a top-3% ranking in this game, which reflects the balance of the system, even if it is not the absolute best.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 115 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings.

Q: How does the 1080p Low preset compare to 4K Ultra?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 444, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 94 FPS. This represents a 79% reduction in frame rate.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 5 245 a bottleneck at any resolution?

A: At 1080p, the data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates plateau around 444 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as the frame rate scales directly with resolution.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 213, with an average of 250 FPS and a maximum of 288 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested systems?

A: It ranks 76th out of 2,930 total combos tested for Doom, placing it in the top 2.6% of all systems.

Q: Does the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM cause any issues in this game?

A: No, the data shows no evidence of VRAM limitations. The minimum FPS values are close to averages, indicating smooth performance without memory-related stutters.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 444 FPS, Medium 387 FPS (with a min of 329 and max of 445), High 327 FPS, and Ultra 267 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 40% reduction, but even the lowest figure is far beyond any standard display's refresh rate.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. Low averages 287 FPS, Medium 250 FPS (min 213, max 288), High 211 FPS, and Ultra 173 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p ranges from 35% at Low to 33% at Ultra, reflecting the increased GPU workload.

At 3840x2160, the system is firmly GPU-bound. Low averages 156 FPS, Medium 136 FPS (min 115, max 156), High 115 FPS, and Ultra 94 FPS. The reduction from 1440p to 4K is steep, ranging from 46% at Low to 46% at Ultra, confirming that the RTX 4090 is the primary constraint at this resolution.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the Core Ultra 5 245 and RTX 4090 combo excels at 1080p and 1440p, delivering frame rates that are multiples of typical refresh rates. At 4K, performance is still playable across all presets, but the frame rates drop to more conventional levels, making the choice of settings more impactful. The system's rank of 76th out of 2,930 combos underscores its high-end status, though it is not the absolute fastest configuration available.