Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers a formidable performance profile in Doom, leveraging a high-core-count mobile processor and a flagship-tier GPU to produce frame rates that dominate at 1080p and remain highly playable at 4K. The data indicates a system that is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread capabilities ensure the pipeline stays fed even at extreme framerates.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Doom?*

A: The combo ranks 745th out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the top 25% of all systems tested for this title.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in general benchmark scores?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63173. It is effectively tied with the Intel Core i7-13790F, which scores 63080 (a delta of 0.1%), and sits just ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G, which scores 63331 (a delta of -0.2%).

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all other graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 sits in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of graphics cards in the database.

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate recorded in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 309 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the system first drop below 60 FPS on average?

A: The system never drops below 60 FPS on average in the measured data. The lowest average frame rate recorded is 65 FPS at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a total memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread mobile processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, characteristics that matter significantly for Doom, a game that can scale well with high-frequency cores. The processor's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5737, is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in the game's primary game logic thread.

The data shows that this CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the GPU at high frame rates. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 309 FPS. This extreme frame rate indicates that the CPU's single-thread throughput is sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck even when the GPU is operating at its absolute maximum output. The processor's strong PassMark single-thread score of 4500 further confirms its ability to handle the per-frame computations required by Doom's engine.

While the CPU has a robust multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 40642 from its 20 cores, the game's performance scaling suggests that the single-thread speed is the more critical factor in this specific title. The data shows a clear progression of average frame rates that correlate with resolution and settings, which is the typical pattern of a GPU-bound scenario. However, the fact that the system can reach over 300 FPS at 1080p Low implies that the CPU's high boost clock of 5.30 GHz is effectively eliminating any potential CPU-induced frame rate ceiling in this test suite.

The processor's memory support for DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s provides a solid foundation for feeding the GPU with data. This is particularly important in a fast-paced FPS where texture streaming and asset loading are constant. The combination of high core count for background tasks and exceptional single-thread performance for the primary game thread makes the 265HX a well-balanced partner for a high-end GPU in this title. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13790F, scores nearly identically on average (63080 vs 63173), suggesting that in CPU-bound scenarios, the performance difference would be negligible.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the primary driver of performance in Doom for this combo. Built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture (GB203 chip) using a 5 nm process, this GPU is equipped with substantial resources, including 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 render output units. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus yields a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s, a figure that becomes increasingly critical at higher resolutions and texture settings.

The GPU's clock speeds are high, with a base of 2295 MHz and a boost of 2617 MHz. This translates to a pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s. These specifications directly influence the measured frame rates, particularly at 3840x2160 resolution. At this resolution, the system averages 80 FPS on High settings, 94 FPS on Medium, and 108 FPS on Low. The scaling from Low to High shows a 28 FPS drop, while Ultra settings further reduce the average to 65 FPS, highlighting the GPU's workload at 4K.

The RTX 5080's position in the 87th percentile of all GPUs is reflected in these numbers. It is capable of pushing Doom past 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, a demanding feat. The data shows a clear relationship between settings and performance, with the gap between Low and Medium (14 FPS at 4K) being narrower than the gap between High and Ultra (15 FPS). This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces a significant increase in rendering complexity that taxes the GPU's shader and memory subsystems.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 5080 holds a slight edge over the AMD Radeon 8060S, which has an average score of 55757 (a delta of 0.6%), and a more substantial lead over the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, which scores 54828 (a delta of 2.3%). The only rival that scores higher is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, with a delta of -2.2%, but the RTX 5080's real-world performance in this game, as shown by the measured FPS, proves its capability. The GPU's 960.0 GB/s bandwidth is likely a key factor in maintaining high average frame rates even with the game's fast-paced texture streaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of the system's performance scaling across three resolutions and four quality presets. The system demonstrates a predictable pattern where frame rates decrease as resolution and settings increase, with the GPU being the primary limiting factor in most scenarios.

At 1920x1080, the system is clearly GPU-bound, producing exceptionally high frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 309, which increases the demand on the CPU. Medium settings yield an average of 269 FPS with a minimum of 229 and a maximum of 310. High settings drop the average to 227 FPS, and Ultra settings reduce it further to 186 FPS. The scaling here shows a 123 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and shading power are heavily utilized even at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the resolution increase puts more pressure on the GPU. The average frame rates remain high but show a clear step down. Low settings average 200 FPS, Medium averages 174 FPS (with a minimum of 148 and maximum of 200), High averages 147 FPS, and Ultra averages 120 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is roughly a 35-40% decrease in average FPS across all settings, which is consistent with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the system finally begins to show signs of GPU limitation, though it remains highly playable. Low settings produce an average of 108 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 200 FPS at 1440p. Medium settings average 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 109. High settings average 80 FPS, and Ultra settings average 65 FPS. The 4K data shows that the system is capable of maintaining above 60 FPS even at the highest quality preset, a signal of the RTX 5080's raw compute power. The difference between 1440p and 4K is more pronounced, with the average FPS roughly halving, which underscores the immense workload that 4K rendering places on the GPU's 10752 shading units.

The minimum FPS values recorded for Medium settings at each resolution (229 at 1080p, 148 at 1440p, 80 at 4K) provide insight into frame time consistency. These values suggest that the system does not experience significant stuttering, and the minimums are well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay even at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is placed 745th out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom, which is a strong showing. This rank places it in the top 25% of all systems tested, which is a notable achievement considering the diversity of hardware configurations in the database. The ranking reflects the system's ability to deliver high average frame rates, particularly at 1440p and 1080p, where it dominates.

The rank is a composite measure of the system's overall performance, and the data suggests that the RTX 5080 is the primary driver of this high placement. The GPU's 87th percentile ranking among all GPUs is a clear indicator of its capability, and the CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs ensures that the system is not held back by processing power. The synergy between these two components is evident in the measured FPS, where the system rarely dips below 60 FPS even under the most demanding settings tested.

The nearest rivals for the CPU, such as the Intel Core i7-13790F, have nearly identical average scores, and the GPU rivals, like the AMD Radeon 8060S, are also close in synthetic benchmarks. However, the combination's rank in Doom is ultimately determined by the real-world FPS measurements. The data shows that this combo is 2930th out of a large pool, and the 745th rank indicates that it outperforms the majority of systems, including those with potentially similar components but different configurations. This ranking is a strong endorsement of the balance between the 20-core CPU and the high-memory-bandwidth GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, the system has an abundance of performance headroom. The Ultra preset, with an average of 186 FPS, is the best choice for players with high-refresh-rate monitors. Even at this demanding preset, the frame rate is far above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many gaming displays. There is no reason to lower settings below High (227 FPS) at this resolution, as the visual fidelity gains from Ultra are substantial and the performance cost is relatively minor.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset provides an average of 120 FPS, which is excellent for smooth gameplay. This is the recommended setting for this resolution, as it delivers a high level of visual detail while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 147 FPS offers a slight performance boost for those seeking to maximize frame rates on a 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often negligible in fast-paced action.

At 3840x2160, a more careful approach is needed. The Ultra preset averages 65 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target but may experience occasional dips in intense scenes. The High preset, averaging 80 FPS, is the safest recommendation for 4K, providing a smoother experience with only a minor reduction in visual quality. The Medium preset, at 94 FPS, is an excellent choice for players who prioritize high frame rates over maximum fidelity, as it ensures a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Low preset at 108 FPS is unnecessary for a game like Doom, which benefits greatly from higher texture quality and shadow details, so High is the sweet spot for 4K. In summary, the data supports using Ultra at 1080p and 1440p, and High at 4K for the best balance of visual quality and performance.