Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile delivers a dominant 1080p experience in Doom, but the data reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution climbs. At 1920x1080, the system is heavily CPU-limited, with frame rates ranging from 173 FPS on Ultra to 288 FPS on Low. At 4K, the GPU takes over, and the spread narrows significantly, with the average dropping to 61 FPS on Ultra and 101 FPS on Low. The benchmark results indicate that this combination is exceptionally strong for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, but 4K Ultra settings will push the GPU to its limits, requiring compromises for a locked 60 FPS experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies in this system. The most telling metric is the performance delta between the Low and Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the gap between Low (288 FPS) and Ultra (173 FPS) is a massive 115 FPS, or roughly 66% of the Ultra score. This wide gap indicates that at 1080p, the graphics card has ample headroom, and the frame rate is being constrained by the CPU's ability to feed it draw calls and game logic. The CPU is the limiting factor here, not the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the gap between Low (186 FPS) and Ultra (112 FPS) narrows to 74 FPS. The absolute frame rates are still very high, but the scaling pattern suggests the GPU is starting to take on more of the workload. The 1440p results are arguably the sweet spot for this hardware, as the system maintains an average above 112 FPS even at Ultra settings, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate displays.

At 3840x2160, the bottleneck shifts decisively to the GPU. The gap between Low (101 FPS) and Ultra (61 FPS) compresses to just 40 FPS. This compression is a classic sign of GPU saturation; as resolution increases, the pixel fill rate and shader workload become the dominant cost, and the CPU's influence on the final frame rate diminishes. The Ultra setting at 4K produces an average of 61 FPS, which is just barely above the 60 FPS target, but the data suggests that any demanding scene could cause dips below that threshold.

The scaling efficiency is also notable. Dropping from 1080p Ultra (173 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (112 FPS) results in a 35% performance loss, which is expected given the 78% increase in pixel count. However, the drop from 1440p Ultra (112 FPS) to 4K Ultra (61 FPS) is a much steeper 46% loss, despite only a 125% increase in pixel count. This non-linear scaling further confirms that the GPU is hitting a hard performance wall at 4K, likely due to memory bandwidth and shader throughput limits. The data shows that for consistent high refresh rates, 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combination in Doom.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores are substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 40642 and a single-core score of 5737. This raw compute power is directly reflected in the 1080p results, where the CPU is the primary driver of performance. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 288 FPS, which is a figure that would be impossible if the CPU were not able to process game logic and issue draw calls at an extremely high rate.

The processor's PassMark multi-thread score of 47985 and single-thread score of 4500 place it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13790F, which has an average score 0.1% higher, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G, which is 0.2% lower. The data suggests that the 265HX is not just fast, but exceptionally well-balanced for gaming workloads, as its high single-core performance is critical for the frame time consistency needed to sustain 200+ FPS in Doom.

The 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s of dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth provide the data throughput necessary to keep the GPU fed at high resolutions. However, the benchmark results indicate that the CPU's influence wanes as resolution increases. At 4K, the average frame rate is primarily dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities, not the CPU's processing speed. The fact that the 4K Low setting (101 FPS) is still lower than the 1440p Ultra setting (112 FPS) highlights that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, regardless of the CPU's prowess. In summary, the 265HX is a powerhouse that ensures the system is never CPU-bound at 1440p or below, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K with maximum settings?

A: The data shows an average of 61 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. While this is technically above the 60 FPS baseline, the margin is thin, and the benchmark results indicate that frame pacing may suffer in complex scenes, making a high refresh rate monitor underutilized at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming?

A: The 2560x1440 resolution is the clear sweet spot. At High settings, the system averages 137 FPS, and even at Ultra, it maintains an average of 112 FPS. This allows the GPU to push frame rates well beyond 100 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz or 165Hz displays.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 288 FPS on Low to 173 FPS on Ultra, a 115 FPS reduction. This indicates a CPU bottleneck at lower settings, where the GPU is not fully utilized.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this configuration?

A: It depends on the resolution. At 1080p, the CPU is the main bottleneck, as shown by the wide gap between Low and Ultra settings. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, evidenced by the narrowing gap between settings and the overall frame rate drop.

Q: What kind of frame rate can I expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 162 FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 138 FPS and a maximum of 187 FPS. This provides a very smooth experience with no noticeable dips.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 Mobile's 12 GB of VRAM sufficient for Doom at 4K?

A: The benchmark results show that the GPU can handle 4K rendering in Doom, with an average of 74 FPS at High settings. The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth appears adequate for this title, as the measured data does not indicate any performance collapses from memory exhaustion.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all major resolutions and quality presets. The data is presented as average FPS, with minimum and maximum values recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system exhibits exceptional performance. The Low preset delivers an average of 288 FPS, which is the highest score recorded in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 251 FPS, with a minimum of 213 FPS and a maximum of 289 FPS. The High preset averages 212 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 173 FPS. These numbers indicate that the system is capable of driving even the fastest 360Hz monitors at 1080p with ease, particularly at lower settings.

At 2560x1440, performance remains very strong. The Low preset averages 186 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 162 FPS, with a minimum of 138 FPS and a maximum of 187 FPS. The High preset averages 137 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 112 FPS. This resolution offers a balanced experience, with the Ultra preset still exceeding the 100 FPS mark, which is a significant achievement for a mobile GPU.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes more constrained. The Low preset averages 101 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. The High preset averages 74 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS. The data shows a clear trend: at 4K, the Low setting is the only one that provides a comfortable margin above 100 FPS, while the Ultra setting sits right at the edge of the 60 FPS playability threshold. The minimum FPS recorded for the 4K Medium preset (75 FPS) suggests that even at this setting, there is some headroom, but the Ultra preset's lack of a recorded minimum indicates potential instability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the driving force behind the 4K results, and its specifications explain the performance ceiling observed in the data. The GPU is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture with an AD104 chip, featuring 7424 shading units and 80 ROPs. Its boost clock is 1665 MHz, and it is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 24926 places it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 38135 is closely matched by rivals such as the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 (0.4% higher) and the GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile (0.6% higher).

The GPU's role is most apparent in the 4K data. The fact that the system can only achieve 61 FPS at 4K Ultra, despite having a top-tier CPU, points directly to the GPU's pixel processing and memory bandwidth limits. The 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth is a likely constraint, as Doom's texture-heavy environments require substantial data throughput. The FP32 performance of 24.72 TFLOPS is substantial, but the 4K workload is so demanding that the GPU's shader units are saturated, preventing higher frame rates.

At 1080p, the GPU is underutilized, as evidenced by the 288 FPS Low score. This is not a reflection of the GPU's weakness, but rather the CPU's ability to outpace it. The data shows that the RTX 4080 Mobile is a highly capable part that can handle 1440p Ultra at 112 FPS, but its 4K Ultra performance is marginal. The GPU's 58 RT cores and 232 tensor cores are irrelevant for this title, as Doom does not heavily utilize ray tracing or DLSS, but they do contribute to the GPU's overall compute capability. Ultimately, the GPU is the star of the show at 1440p, but it becomes the limiting factor at 4K, where its performance characteristics are thoroughly tested.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend entirely on the user's display and performance goals. For users with a 4K display, the High preset (74 FPS) is the recommended choice. It provides a significant improvement over the Ultra preset (61 FPS) while still delivering a visually rich experience. The data shows that the High preset at 4K is the only one that offers a comfortable buffer above the 60 FPS target, making it the most reliable choice for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 4K (101 FPS) is an option for those prioritizing frame rate above all else, but the visual quality trade-off is substantial.

For 1440p displays, the Ultra preset (112 FPS) is the clear winner. The system has enough headroom to run the highest quality settings while maintaining an average above 110 FPS, which is ideal for 120Hz or 144Hz monitors. The Medium preset (162 FPS) is a viable alternative for users with 165Hz or higher refresh rate displays, as it provides a substantial frame rate boost with only a moderate reduction in visual fidelity. The data indicates that the 1440p Ultra setting offers the best balance of image quality and performance for this hardware.

For 1080p displays, the High preset (212 FPS) is the recommended baseline, as it delivers a smooth experience on any high-refresh-rate panel. The Medium preset (251 FPS) is the best choice for competitive players or those with 240Hz+ monitors, as it pushes the frame rate high enough to minimize input latency. The Ultra preset (173 FPS) is still excellent and offers the best visual experience, but the performance gap to High is notable. The Low preset (288 FPS) is only recommended for esports-level competitiveness, as the visual degradation is significant. In summary, the data suggests that the system is best utilized at 1440p with Ultra settings, where it delivers a premium experience without any compromises.