Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide a substantial data reservoir for the game’s engine, which is a 2016 title but still benefits from rapid cache access. In this Doom configuration, the CPU’s role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics data. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 330 FPS, a figure that suggests the processor is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions where the GPU has spare capacity. The processor’s PassMark single-thread score of 3468 and multithread score of 24873 indicate strong per-core performance, which is critical for a game engine that often relies on a few heavily loaded threads for main game logic. The Cinebench R23 scores of 15028 multi-core and 1743 single-core further confirm a balanced throughput profile, allowing the CPU to maintain high frame pacing even when the GPU is pushing hundreds of frames per second. The 28 W TDP classifies this as a mobile chip, but its turbo capabilities up to 4.80 GHz ensure that short bursts of intense activity, such as loading new areas or processing enemy AI clusters, are handled without stutter. In the context of this game, the data indicates that the Core Ultra 7 155H is more than sufficient; at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 70, the limiting factor is clearly the GPU, not the processor, as the CPU’s workload does not scale linearly with resolution. The processor’s percentile rank against all CPUs is 83, placing it above the majority of tested chips in general compute, which aligns with its ability to sustain high FPS in this title without becoming a constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a combo rank of 788 out of 3712 tested combinations in Doom. This places the pairing in the top 21st percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it is not the absolute fastest configuration possible, it delivers a very high level of performance that exceeds the vast majority of alternatives. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 32697 places it in a tight cluster with its nearest rivals: the Intel Core i5-14600T scores 32707 with a delta of 0%, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 scores 32662 with a delta of 0.1%, the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F scores 32750 with a delta of -0.2%, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H scores 32812 with a delta of -0.4%. These deltas are negligible, meaning the processor’s raw compute capability is statistically indistinguishable from its closest competitors, yet the overall combo rank is determined by the interaction with the RTX 5090. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 79842 is similarly close to its nearest rivals: the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605 with a delta of 0.3%, the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396 with a delta of 0.6%, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940 with a delta of 1.1%, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959 with a delta of -1.4%. The data shows that this combo’s rank is not limited by either component individually, as both sit near the top of their respective benchmark charts, but rather by the specific demands of Doom, which may favor other CPU-GPU pairings with different memory bandwidth or cache hierarchies. The rank of 788 suggests that there are 787 other combinations that produce higher average FPS, likely including desktop-class processors with higher boost clocks and more aggressive power limits. Nevertheless, for a mobile processor paired with a flagship desktop GPU, this rank demonstrates that the 155H does not cripple the RTX 5090’s potential, allowing the combo to achieve frame rates that are competitive with many high-end desktop setups.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 330, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the peak performance of the CPU-GPU pairing when the graphical load is minimized, allowing the RTX 5090 to operate at its fullest capacity without resolution-induced constraints.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average FPS of 70. This is the lowest average across all tested configurations, indicating that the game’s most demanding visual preset at 4K pushes the GPU to its limits, yet the frame rate remains playable for a single-player FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter even at 1080p, as the average FPS scales significantly with settings changes, from 330 FPS at Low to 198 FPS at Ultra. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant across settings, but the 132 FPS drop from Low to Ultra indicates the GPU’s rendering workload is the dominant factor.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures recorded for this combo?

A: Minimum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 244 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 158 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 86 FPS. These figures show that even in the most demanding moments captured, the frame rate stays well above playable thresholds.

Q: How does the combo’s rank compare to its component benchmarks?

A: The CPU ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU ranks in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs. However, the combo ranks 788th out of 3712, which is approximately the 79th percentile. This discrepancy indicates that the pairing does not perfectly translate individual component strengths into game-specific performance, likely due to the game’s engine characteristics.

Q: Does the combo maintain high FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 resolution with High settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 157. This is a robust result that exceeds the refresh rate of most high-refresh monitors, demonstrating that the configuration is well-suited for high-resolution gaming without compromising smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 330 at Low to 198 at Ultra. The Medium setting yields an average of 287 FPS, with a minimum of 244 and a maximum of 331, showing tight frame pacing. The High setting produces 243 FPS average, which is a 29% reduction from Medium but still exceptionally smooth. At 2560x1440, the averages are 214 FPS at Low, 186 FPS at Medium (with a minimum of 158 and maximum of 214), 157 FPS at High, and 128 FPS at Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings shows a 35% drop in FPS, from 330 to 214, indicating that the GPU is beginning to feel the increased pixel count. At 3840x2160, the averages are 116 FPS at Low, 101 FPS at Medium (with a minimum of 86 and maximum of 116), 85 FPS at High, and 70 FPS at Ultra. The transition from 1440p to 4K at Low settings results in a 46% FPS reduction, from 214 to 116, which is a significant but expected consequence of quadrupling the pixel count. The data reveals that the Medium preset offers the most consistent experience, as it is the only settings level with recorded minimum FPS values, suggesting the benchmark captured more frame time variance at this preset. The delta between Low and Ultra at each resolution is substantial: 132 FPS at 1080p, 86 FPS at 1440p, and 46 FPS at 4K. This pattern indicates that the graphical effects enabled at Ultra, such as advanced lighting and shadow detail, have a more pronounced impact at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom to render them, while at 4K the GPU is already saturated and the additional settings have relatively less absolute effect on FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this combo, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2407 MHz, combined with 21760 shading units and 176 ROPs, delivers a theoretical FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS. In Doom, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s fast-paced environments and particle effects at high frame rates. The benchmark results show that the GPU is the primary driver of FPS variance across settings. At 1080p Low, the GPU achieves 330 FPS, but this drops to 198 FPS at Ultra, a 40% reduction. This scaling is consistent with the GPU’s compute capabilities, as the Ultra preset likely enables more complex shaders and higher texture resolutions that require additional memory bandwidth and shading throughput. The 32 GB VRAM is far more than Doom requires, even at 4K Ultra, meaning the game never needs to swap textures to system memory, which helps maintain consistent frame times. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 39650 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 18355 place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, reflecting its top-tier status. Its nearest rival, the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scores 79605 in the aggregate benchmark with a delta of 0.3%, showing that the RTX 5090’s gaming performance is not drastically ahead of some workstation cards, but its architectural advantages, such as the Blackwell 2.0 design and 5 nm process, provide better game-specific optimizations. The GPU’s 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU indicate it is a power-hungry component, but the measured FPS data shows that this power translates directly into high frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not memory-bandwidth limited. In this Doom configuration, the GPU is the clear performance ceiling, as evidenced by the fact that increasing resolution from 1080p to 4K at the same settings reduces FPS by roughly 60-70%, which aligns with the GPU’s pixel throughput limitations rather than any CPU constraint.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the Medium preset stands out as the best balance, delivering 287 FPS average with a minimum of 244 FPS. This provides a substantial margin above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on high-end monitors, ensuring that even in intense combat sequences with numerous enemies and effects, the frame rate does not dip below the display’s capability. The Ultra preset at 1080p, with 198 FPS average, is also viable for 165 Hz monitors, but the 89 FPS difference between Medium and Ultra may not justify the visual improvements to all players. At 1440p, the High preset offers 157 FPS average, which is ideal for 144 Hz displays, while the Medium preset at 186 FPS provides extra headroom for 165 Hz or 240 Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p, at 128 FPS, is still playable but does not fully saturate high-refresh displays, so players with such monitors should prefer High or Medium. At 4K, the Low preset at 116 FPS is the only configuration that exceeds 100 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 120 Hz displays. The Medium preset at 101 FPS is also viable for 100 Hz monitors, but the High preset at 85 FPS and Ultra at 70 FPS are better suited for 60 Hz displays. Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides the most balanced experience, with the highest minimum FPS recorded, indicating fewer frame time spikes. This suggests that the Medium preset’s combination of texture quality, shadow resolution, and post-processing effects is well-matched to the RTX 5090’s capabilities, avoiding the performance cliffs seen at High or Ultra. For players prioritizing visual fidelity over raw frame rate, the Ultra preset at 1080p or 1440p is acceptable, but the data shows that the step from Medium to High costs roughly 15-20% performance, while High to Ultra costs an additional 20-25%, making Medium the sweet spot for consistent high-FPS gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K provides clear insights into the limiting component of this combo. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 330 at 1080p to 214 at 1440p, a 35% reduction, and then to 116 at 4K, a further 46% reduction. The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 65%, from 330 to 116 FPS. This scaling is less than the theoretical 75% reduction expected if the GPU were purely pixel-bound, indicating that the RTX 5090’s massive memory bandwidth and cache hierarchy help mitigate the increased pixel count. At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 287 at 1080p to 186 at 1440p (35% reduction) and then to 101 at 4K (46% reduction), showing a nearly identical scaling pattern to Low. This consistency suggests that the limiting factor is resolution-dependent rendering work, such as pixel shading and ROP throughput, rather than settings-specific effects. At High settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35% (243 to 157 FPS), and from 1440p to 4K is 46% (157 to 85 FPS), again mirroring the same percentages. At Ultra settings, the drops are 35% (198 to 128 FPS) from 1080p to 1440p, and 45% (128 to 70 FPS) from 1440p to 4K. The remarkable consistency of these percentage drops across all settings presets—approximately 35% for the first resolution step and 46% for the second—indicates that the GPU’s pixel processing rate is the sole limiting factor. If the CPU were involved in limiting performance, we would expect to see smaller FPS drops at higher resolutions, as the CPU workload remains constant while the GPU workload increases. The data shows the opposite: the absolute FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is larger at lower settings (214 FPS at Low) than at higher settings (128 FPS at Ultra), which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the lower settings allow the GPU to run at higher clock speeds, making the pixel count more impactful. This analysis confirms that the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H provides ample headroom for the RTX 5090, and any attempt to improve performance at 4K would require a faster GPU, not a faster CPU.