Doom

# Doom: Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + AMD Radeon RX 9060 — Benchmark Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, with average frame rates ranging from 127 FPS at Ultra settings in 1080p to 211 FPS at Low settings in 1080p. The combo ranks in the 57th percentile of tested configurations (1686th of 2930), indicating a mid-pack position that leans toward high refresh rate gaming at lower resolutions while struggling to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?

A: 1440p Medium provides the best balance, delivering 119 FPS average with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 137 FPS. At 1440p High, the average drops to 101 FPS, still comfortably above 60 FPS, while 4K Ultra falls to 45 FPS average.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1686th out of 2930 tested configurations, placing it in the upper-middle tier. This position reflects a capable 1080p performer that begins to show limitations at 4K, particularly at higher quality settings.

Q: What is the CPU's core configuration?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 features 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It has 30 MB of shared L3 cache and a 65 W TDP, built on the Arrow Lake architecture with TSMC's 3 nm process.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K?

A: At 4K, the combo delivers 54 FPS at High settings, 65 FPS at Medium, 74 FPS at Low, and 45 FPS at Ultra. Only the Low and Medium presets achieve playable frame rates above 60 FPS.

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming?

A: The data shows strong 1080p performance, with 155 FPS at High and 127 FPS at Ultra. At 1440p, High settings still yield 101 FPS, making it a viable 1440p option, though 4K Ultra (45 FPS) is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 achieves a rank of 1686 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places it at approximately the 57th percentile, meaning 57% of tested configurations outperform it while 43% fall behind. The rank reflects a system that excels at 1080p gaming but loses ground at higher resolutions where the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

The CPU itself ranks in the 93rd percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 64,640. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P (average score 64,823, 0.3% ahead), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64,438, 0.3% behind), and the AMD EPYC 7343 (64,202, 0.7% behind). This clustering indicates the CPU is a strong performer, but the overall combo rank of 1686 suggests the GPU drags down the system's standing in Doom specifically.

The GPU, by contrast, ranks in the 59th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 16,014. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16,129, 0.7% ahead), the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15,862, 1% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15,852, 1% behind). The GPU's mid-pack standing aligns with the combo's overall rank, confirming that the RX 9060 is the performance bottleneck in this pairing for Doom.

The delta between CPU and GPU percentiles (93rd vs. 59th) is substantial, meaning the processor has significant headroom that the graphics card cannot fully utilize at higher resolutions. At 1080p, however, the CPU's strength helps push frame rates high, as evidenced by the 211 FPS average at Low settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 3 nm process with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. It features a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, which is ample for gaming workloads.

In Doom, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p, where frame rates are highest. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 211 FPS average, and at 1080p Medium it reaches 184 FPS with a minimum of 156 FPS and a maximum of 212 FPS. These high frame rates indicate the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently at lower resolutions, where the graphics card is not the primary constraint.

The CPU's benchmark results reinforce its strength: it scores 42,216 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5,960 in single-core. It also achieves 49,682 in Passmark multithread and 4,689 in single-thread tests. These scores place it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64,640. The nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, scores only 0.3% higher on average, indicating the Ultra 7 265 is competitive at the top tier of desktop processors.

For Doom specifically, the CPU's 20 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient, as the game is not heavily multithreaded. The high boost clock of 5.30 GHz provides strong single-thread performance, which is critical for maintaining high frame rates in FPS titles. The 30 MB of L3 cache also helps reduce memory latency, contributing to smoother frame pacing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 4K) and four quality settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), providing a comprehensive view of performance scaling.

1920x1080: At Low settings, the combo delivers 211 FPS average. Medium settings yield 184 FPS average with a minimum of 156 FPS and a maximum of 212 FPS. High settings produce 155 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 127 FPS average. All settings at 1080p exceed 120 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high refresh rate monitors.

2560x1440: Low settings achieve 137 FPS average. Medium settings deliver 119 FPS average with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 137 FPS. High settings produce 101 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 82 FPS average. All settings remain above 60 FPS, making 1440p a viable option for smooth gameplay.

3840x2160: Low settings deliver 74 FPS average. Medium settings achieve 65 FPS average with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. High settings produce 54 FPS average, while Ultra settings fall to 45 FPS average. Only Low and Medium settings maintain playable frame rates above 60 FPS, and even Medium dips below 60 FPS in demanding scenes (minimum 55 FPS).

The data shows a clear pattern: performance scales predictably with resolution and settings. The gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution is substantial, with Ultra costing roughly 40% of the frame rate at Low settings across all resolutions. The minimum FPS data at Medium settings (156 FPS at 1080p, 101 FPS at 1440p, 55 FPS at 4K) indicates that frame pacing remains consistent without severe stutters.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process with 29,700 million transistors on a 199 mm² die. It features 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, along with 28 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz.

Memory configuration consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's memory clock is 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). This 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Doom at 1080p and 1440p, but may become a constraint at 4K Ultra, where the 45 FPS average suggests both memory bandwidth and capacity limitations.

The GPU's compute capabilities include 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s, with a texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s. These specifications place it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16,014. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, scores 0.7% higher on average, indicating the RX 9060 is a mid-range performer.

In Doom, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1080p, the CPU can maintain high frame rates, but at 4K, the GPU's limitations are apparent: the 54 FPS average at High settings and 45 FPS at Ultra settings fall below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM may also contribute to the 4K Ultra performance drop, as the game's texture requirements at that resolution can exceed available memory.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning: it achieves 3,322 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 88,183 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 39,476 in Geekbench Vulkan. Passmark G3D score is 17,631, with a GPU compute score of 9,919. These numbers align with a GPU that performs well at 1080p and 1440p but struggles at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this combo, the data suggests prioritizing 1440p Medium as the optimal balance of visual quality and performance. At this setting, the combo delivers 119 FPS average with a minimum of 101 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without significant frame drops. The 101 FPS minimum is well above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a consistent experience.

At 1080p, Ultra settings (127 FPS average) are recommended for players with high refresh rate monitors, as the frame rate remains above 120 FPS while delivering maximum visual fidelity. For players who prioritize competitive play, 1080p Low (211 FPS) or Medium (184 FPS) offers exceptionally high frame rates that can take advantage of 144Hz or 165Hz displays.

At 1440p, High settings (101 FPS average) provide a good balance for players who want higher visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The 101 FPS average is sufficient for most monitors, though players with 144Hz displays may prefer Medium (119 FPS) for a more comfortable margin above the refresh rate.

At 4K, Medium settings (65 FPS average) are the highest quality option that maintains playable frame rates, though the 55 FPS minimum indicates occasional dips below 60 FPS. Players who insist on 4K should consider Low settings (74 FPS) for a more consistent experience, or accept the frame rate variability at Medium. Ultra (45 FPS) and High (54 FPS) at 4K are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU as the primary limiting component. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 155 FPS at 1080p to 101 FPS at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and then to 54 FPS at 4K (a 47% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline at 4K indicates that the RX 9060's 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot sustain performance at higher pixel counts.

At Low settings, the scaling is more gradual: 211 FPS at 1080p, 137 FPS at 1440p (35% reduction), and 74 FPS at 4K (46% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that resolution scaling is primarily GPU-bound, with the CPU maintaining sufficient headroom even at 1080p.

The gap between 1080p and 1440p (35% reduction) is less severe than the gap between 1440p and 4K (47% reduction), indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth becomes a more significant constraint at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM capacity may also contribute to the 4K performance drop, as Doom's texture requirements at 3840x2160 can approach or exceed the available memory, causing the GPU to rely on slower memory access patterns.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the combo is partially CPU-bound, as the CPU's 93rd percentile ranking allows frame rates to reach 211 FPS at Low settings. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU's 59th percentile ranking becomes the dominant factor, with frame rates scaling according to the GPU's compute and memory capabilities. Players seeking higher 4K performance would need a more powerful GPU with greater VRAM and bandwidth, as the CPU's headroom suggests it could support higher frame rates if the GPU were not the bottleneck.