Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces a combination that ranks in the lower percentile of tested systems for Doom, at rank 2675 out of 2930 combos. This pairing brings a modern 20-core processor together with an older Polaris-based graphics card, creating a significant bottleneck where the GPU limits performance across most resolutions and settings. The benchmark data reveals a system that can handle the game at 1080p with medium settings comfortably, but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, even on lower presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU and GPU combination for Doom?

A: This combo ranks 2675 out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 9% of all systems benchmarked for this game.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 64640 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, being 0.3% slower than the AMD EPYC 4464P and 0.3% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F.

Q: What is the best measured performance this combo achieves at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system reaches an average of 102 FPS, which is the highest average frame rate recorded across all tested configurations.

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

A: No, at 3840x2160 the highest average FPS recorded is 36 on Low settings, which drops to 26 on High and 22 on Ultra, indicating the GPU is insufficient for smooth 4K gameplay.

Q: How much faster is the RX 580 compared to its nearest rival in GPU benchmarks?

A: The RX 580's average benchmark score of 12928 is 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon 740M and 0.6% higher than the AMD FirePro W5100, showing it performs nearly identically to these competitors.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 66 FPS on Low to 40 FPS on Ultra, representing a 39% decrease in performance when moving to the highest preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 brings substantial processing power to this combination, featuring 20 cores and 20 threads based on the Arrow Lake architecture. With a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, this processor is designed for high-throughput workloads, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42216 and single-core score of 5960. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provide ample data throughput for modern gaming workloads, though Doom's engine does not appear to heavily tax this processor.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 93 versus all CPUs indicates it outperforms the vast majority of processors in general benchmarks, yet in this specific game combination, the data shows the processor is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 102 FPS average, but the frame rate ceiling appears to be dictated by the GPU rather than the CPU. The processor's Passmark multithread score of 49682 and single-thread score of 4689 demonstrate strong computational capabilities that exceed what Doom's Vulkan-based engine requires for frame generation.

The Core Ultra 7 265's nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the AMD EPYC 4464P with an average score of 64823 (0.3% higher) and the AMD EPYC 9124 at 65104 (0.7% higher), while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F scores 64438 (0.3% lower). These marginal differences in CPU performance have minimal impact on gaming frame rates, as the bottleneck analysis from the measured FPS data points overwhelmingly to the graphics subsystem. The processor's 20 threads and high boost clock ensure that even at lower resolutions where CPU load increases, the Core Ultra 7 265 maintains a consistent frame delivery without becoming a constraint.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the dominant component in determining this system's Doom performance, featuring 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs based on the GCN 4.0 architecture. With 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, the card operates at a base clock of 1257 MHz and boost clock of 1340 MHz, with memory running at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The GPU's 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 193.0 GTexel/s texture rate represent mid-range capabilities from its 2017 release period, and the data shows these specifications translate to limited performance in modern game benchmarks.

The RX 580's percentile ranking of 53 versus all GPUs places it squarely in the middle of the performance distribution, with an average benchmark score of 12928. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (score 12940, 0.1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (score 12986, 0.4% higher), and the AMD Radeon 740M (score 12870, 0.5% lower). These close scores indicate the RX 580 remains competitive with other mid-range options from its era, but the measured FPS data in Doom reveals that this GPU generation struggles to maintain high frame rates at modern resolutions.

The GPU's 185 W TDP and dual-slot design with a single 8-pin power connector are consistent with its performance class, but the benchmark results show clear limitations. At 4K Ultra settings, the system only achieves 22 FPS average, which is unplayable, while even at 1080p Ultra the average drops to 62 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is not the limiting factor in most scenarios, as the performance degradation from High to Ultra settings at each resolution follows a pattern consistent with compute and fill-rate limitations rather than memory capacity exhaustion.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and AMD Radeon RX 580 achieves a rank of 2675 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the 9th percentile of all systems benchmarked. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the GPU's mid-tier performance, as the CPU's strong synthetic benchmarks would suggest a higher overall position if the graphics card were more capable. The data indicates that this pairing represents a significant imbalance, where the processor's capabilities far exceed what the GPU can utilize in this game.

The rank of 2675 means that 255 other combinations performed worse in Doom, while 2674 combinations delivered higher frame rates. This places the system in the company of other legacy GPU pairings, as the RX 580's GCN 4.0 architecture lacks the modern rendering features found in newer cards. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking versus all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's 53rd percentile, demonstrating a 40-point gap in relative performance that manifests as a severe GPU bottleneck in gaming scenarios.

The combination rank reflects the measured FPS data, where even the best-case scenario at 1080p Low achieves 102 FPS average, which is respectable but not exceptional for a system with a top-tier processor. At higher resolutions and settings, the frame rates drop precipitously, with 4K Ultra yielding only 22 FPS average. This performance profile is consistent with a GPU-limited system where the processor's capabilities are largely untapped, as evidenced by the CPU's ability to maintain high scores in synthetic benchmarks while gaming performance remains constrained by the graphics card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results: Low settings produce an average of 102 FPS, Medium averages 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 and maximum of 103, High averages 75 FPS, and Ultra drops to 62 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p gaming is viable across all settings, though Ultra quality approaches the lower boundary of smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases noticeably. Low settings achieve an average of 66 FPS, Medium averages 58 FPS with a range of 49 to 66, High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 40 FPS. The 1440p results show that only Low and Medium presets maintain consistently playable frame rates, with High and Ultra requiring compromises for smooth gameplay. The step from 1080p to 1440p represents a resolution increase of approximately 78% in pixel count, and the frame rate drops reflect this additional rendering load.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become severe. Low settings average 36 FPS, Medium averages 31 FPS with a range of 27 to 36, High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra drops to 22 FPS. None of these configurations reach the 60 FPS threshold typically desired for smooth gameplay, and even the minimum frame rates on Medium (27 FPS) indicate stutter-prone performance. The 4K results clearly show that this GPU cannot handle the pixel throughput required at this resolution, regardless of quality settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience balances visual quality with smooth frame delivery. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset provides the best overall experience, averaging 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS, ensuring consistent gameplay without the visual compromises of Low settings or the frame rate drop to 62 FPS on Ultra. The High preset at 75 FPS average is also acceptable for players who prioritize visual fidelity, but Medium offers the best margin above the 60 FPS target.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset again emerges as the recommended choice, delivering 58 FPS average with a minimum of 49 FPS. While this falls slightly short of 60 FPS, the Low preset at 66 FPS average does not provide enough visual improvement to justify the frame rate difference. Players seeking smoother performance should consider Low at 66 FPS, but Medium represents the best compromise between image quality and playability at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves a playable frame rate by modern standards, with the highest average being 36 FPS on Low. The Medium preset at 31 FPS average (minimum 27 FPS) is the only configuration with recorded minimum frame data, but it remains below playable thresholds. For 4K gaming, users should either reduce resolution to 1440p or accept that the RX 580 cannot deliver a satisfactory experience at this resolution, regardless of settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 1440p to 4K reveals a clear pattern of GPU limitation. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 102 FPS at 1080p to 66 FPS at 1440p (35% decrease) and then to 36 FPS at 4K (45% further decrease). This scaling is steeper than the pixel count increase suggests, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become increasingly saturated at higher resolutions.

The Medium preset shows similar scaling: 89 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p (35% decrease), and 31 FPS at 4K (47% decrease). High settings follow the trend with 75 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p (35% decrease), and 26 FPS at 4K (47% decrease). Ultra settings exhibit the most dramatic drop: 62 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p (35% decrease), and 22 FPS at 4K (45% decrease).

The consistent 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p across all settings, followed by an additional 45-47% reduction from 1440p to 4K, indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate drops would be less pronounced at higher resolutions where CPU load decreases relative to GPU load. The data suggests that the RX 580's 256-bit memory bus and 6.175 TFLOPS compute capability are insufficient for the pixel throughput required at 1440p and 4K, making 1080p the only resolution where this combination can fully express its performance potential.