Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination delivers a thoroughly playable experience in Doom, with the data showing a clear progression from 1080p high-refresh dominance to 4K near-capability. Across all tested resolutions and presets, the average frame rates remain above 50 FPS, which is a strong result for a game released in 2016. The pairing of a 20-core, 20-thread Arrow Lake processor with a Blackwell-based GPU produces a balanced system where neither component becomes a consistent bottleneck, though the scaling patterns reveal where the limits lie.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 brings substantial processing headroom to this pairing. With 20 cores and 20 threads, it is a high-core-count desktop part built on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. The base clock of 2.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz provide both efficiency and burst performance. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache, all feeding a dual-channel DDR5 memory interface with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

In Doom, which is a fast-paced FPS with heavy geometry and particle effects, the CPU’s role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and maintain consistent frame pacing. The benchmark results show that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 243 average FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU is not limiting performance at lower resolutions. The processor’s single-thread performance is solid—its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960 places it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs—which matters for a game engine that relies heavily on a few main threads.

The multi-threaded capability is equally impressive. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 shows that the 20 cores are well-utilized, and the PassMark multithread score of 49682 reinforces this. For Doom, the 20-thread configuration is overkill in the sense that the game does not scale perfectly to that many threads, but it ensures that background tasks and driver overhead never cause hitches. The processor’s nearest rivals in overall benchmark average score include the AMD EPYC 4464P (0.3% higher average score) and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (0.3% lower), indicating that this CPU sits in a very tight performance cluster.

The 65W TDP and active production status suggest this is a mainstream part, and its PCIe Gen 5 support with 20 lanes provides ample bandwidth for the RTX 5060’s PCIe 5.0 x8 interface. In practical terms for Doom, the CPU’s job is done well: the frame rates scale almost linearly with resolution, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario rather than a CPU-bound one. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 51, which is more about the GPU’s limits than any CPU shortfall.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—across three resolutions. The best experience depends on the target display refresh rate, but the data suggests a clear sweet spot. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 179 average FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz threshold for most gaming monitors. The Medium preset sits at 211 average FPS, and Low reaches 243 average FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 146 average FPS, which is still excellent but represents a 23% drop from High.

At 1440p, the High preset produces 116 average FPS, which is ideal for 120 Hz displays. Medium gives 137 average FPS, and Low reaches 157 average FPS. Ultra at 1440p drops to 95 average FPS, which is still playable but loses the high-refresh advantage. For 4K, the High preset manages 63 average FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target for most TVs. Medium at 4K delivers 74 average FPS, and Low reaches 85 average FPS. Ultra at 4K falls to 51 average FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard.

The data indicates that High is the most balanced preset across all resolutions. It offers a meaningful visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining frame rates that are either at or above the 60 FPS threshold at 4K, above 100 FPS at 1440p, and above 170 FPS at 1080p. The Medium preset is the next best choice if the user prioritizes frame rate above all else, especially at 1440p and 4K, where it provides a 13-18% FPS boost over High. Ultra is only recommended for 1080p, where the 146 average FPS remains competitive, but at higher resolutions it sacrifices too much performance for marginal visual gains.

The min FPS data is limited to the Medium preset at each resolution: 180 FPS at 1080p, 116 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. These minimums are within 15% of the averages, indicating consistent frame pacing without major stutters. This suggests that High, which has no reported min FPS but similar average-to-minimum ratios in comparable games, would likely maintain similar stability.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K follows a predictable pattern that reveals the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 179 at 1080p to 116 at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and further to 63 at 4K (a 65% reduction from 1080p). This is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering resolution directly impacts the fill rate and shading workload.

At Low settings, the scaling is similar: 243 FPS at 1080p drops to 157 at 1440p (35% reduction) and then to 85 at 4K (65% reduction from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across presets is telling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the 1080p frame rates to plateau or the scaling to become non-linear as the CPU saturates. Instead, the linear scaling suggests that the RTX 5060’s 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being fully utilized, and the GPU’s 3840 shading units are the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The 4K to 1440p ratio is also informative. For High settings, 4K (63 FPS) is 54% of 1440p (116 FPS), which is slightly better than the theoretical 56% scaling from pixel count alone (4K has 2.25x the pixels of 1440p, so 116/2.25 ≈ 51.5 FPS expected). This indicates that the GPU has some headroom at 1440p that partially compensates for the increased pixel count at 4K. However, the jump from 1440p to 1080p is steeper: 116 to 179 FPS is a 54% increase, which is less than the 2.25x pixel reduction would suggest (116*2.25 ≈ 261 FPS). This gap indicates that at 1080p, the system is approaching a different limit—likely the CPU’s ability to issue draw calls or the game engine’s frame rate ceiling.

The RTX 5060’s benchmark scores support this interpretation. Its PassMark G3D score of 20891 places it in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (1.2% higher average score) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (0.8% lower). This mid-range positioning means that 4K Ultra is a stretch, which the 51 FPS result confirms. The GPU’s 19.18 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 299.6 GTexel/s texture rate are respectable but not flagship-level, so the scaling behavior is exactly what a hardware analyst would predict.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the benchmark database’s collection of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Doom, this pairing holds a rank of 1259 out of 2930 combos. This places it in the upper half of all tested systems, specifically at the 57th percentile (since 1259/2930 ≈ 0.43, meaning 57% of combos rank below it). This is a respectable position for a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU.

The rank is somewhat surprising given the CPU’s strong benchmark profile. The Core Ultra 7 265 scores in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, but the RTX 5060’s 72nd percentile GPU ranking drags the combo down. The data suggests that for Doom, the GPU is the more significant differentiator in overall combo ranking, as the game is not exceptionally CPU-intensive at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 51 FPS is likely what prevents this combo from ranking higher, as many combos with more powerful GPUs will achieve 60+ FPS at 4K Ultra.

The combo rank also reflects the balance of the pairing. With a CPU that outperforms its rivals (the nearest CPU rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, is only 0.3% faster) and a GPU that sits in the middle of its class, the system is well-matched for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The rank of 1259 suggests that there are many combos with stronger GPUs and weaker CPUs that still outperform this pairing in Doom, particularly at 4K. However, for the target resolution of 1440p High, this combo’s 116 FPS puts it in a strong position compared to the broader field.

FAQ

*Q: Is this CPU-GPU combo capable of running Doom at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only at lower presets. The data shows 85 FPS average at 4K Low, 74 FPS at 4K Medium, and 63 FPS at 4K High. The 4K Ultra preset drops to 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard.

Q: What is the best preset for a 144 Hz monitor at 1080p?

A: The High preset delivers 179 FPS average, which exceeds 144 Hz. The Medium preset provides 211 FPS, and Low reaches 243 FPS. Ultra at 1080p is still viable at 146 FPS, but High offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5060’s average benchmark score is 26331. The AMD Radeon 860M is 0.3% lower, the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 is 0.3% lower, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary is 0.8% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is 1.2% higher.

*Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 bottleneck the RTX 5060 in Doom?*

A: No. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent GPU-bound pattern. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 243 FPS, which is high enough to indicate the CPU is not the limiting factor. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960 supports strong per-thread performance.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for the Medium preset?

A: The measured data reports min FPS of 180 at 1080p, 116 at 1440p, and 63 at 4K for the Medium preset. These minimums are close to the averages, indicating stable performance.

*Q: How does this combo’s rank in Doom compare to the total number of tested combinations?*

A: This combo ranks 1259 out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of the database. This is a solid mid-pack result, driven more by the GPU’s mid-range positioning than the CPU’s high-end performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table details the average FPS for each resolution and preset combination, with the Medium preset also reporting min and max FPS values.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 243 FPS average
• Medium: 211 FPS average, 180 FPS min, 243 FPS max
• High: 179 FPS average
• Ultra: 146 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 157 FPS average
• Medium: 137 FPS average, 116 FPS min, 157 FPS max
• High: 116 FPS average
• Ultra: 95 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 85 FPS average
• Medium: 74 FPS average, 63 FPS min, 85 FPS max
• High: 63 FPS average
• Ultra: 51 FPS average

The data shows a consistent 27-29% performance drop when moving from Low to Medium across all resolutions, and a further 21-23% drop from Medium to High. The jump from High to Ultra is steeper, with a 35-38% reduction depending on resolution. This non-linear scaling from High to Ultra suggests that the Ultra preset enables more demanding effects that disproportionately impact the RTX 5060’s resources. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is not explicitly tested in the frame data, but the 4K Ultra result of 51 FPS indicates the GPU is reaching its limits in both compute and memory bandwidth.

The Medium preset’s min FPS values are worth noting: at 1080p, the minimum of 180 FPS is 85% of the average; at 1440p, the minimum of 116 FPS is 85% of the average; at 4K, the minimum of 63 FPS is also 85% of the average. This consistent ratio indicates that the frame pacing is stable across resolutions, with no anomalous spikes or drops. The max FPS values match the Low preset averages exactly (243 at 1080p, 157 at 1440p, 85 at 4K), which suggests that the Medium preset occasionally hits the same ceiling as Low, likely in simpler scenes.

For users targeting 60 FPS at 4K, the High preset (63 FPS) is the minimum viable option, while Medium (74 FPS) provides a comfortable margin. At 1440p, all presets except Ultra exceed 116 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for high-refresh gaming. The 1080p results show that the combo is capable of exceeding 240 FPS at Low settings, which is suitable for the fastest esports displays. Overall, the measured data presents a coherent picture: this is a 1080p and 1440p powerhouse that can handle 4K with adjusted settings, all while maintaining stable frame delivery.