Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile delivers a dominant 4K gaming experience in Doom, with benchmark results showing the combo ranks in the 79th percentile overall for this title. The data indicates this pairing is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the processor’s substantial multi-threaded headroom ensures frame rates remain consistently high even at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: How does this CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265HX posts an average benchmark score of 63173, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. It is roughly on par with the Intel Core i7-13790F, which scores 63080, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G, which scores 63331, showing a delta of just 0.1% and -0.2% respectively.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile and who are its nearest competitors?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile achieves a PassMark G3D score of 30034 and an average benchmark score of 45152, ranking in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, which is only 0.5% slower, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is 0.8% slower.

Q: What are the key specifications of the CPU’s cache and memory?

A: The CPU features a 30 MB shared L3 cache, along with 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 per core. It supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

Q: Does the GPU support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, the RTX 5090 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it fully compatible with modern game engines and rendering techniques.

Q: What are the measured frame rates at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo delivers an average of 186 FPS, with a minimum of 158 FPS and a maximum of 214 FPS.

*Q: How does the combo rank in Doom specifically?*

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile ranks 788th out of 3712 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the top 21% of all configurations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake 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, with a TDP of 55 W. This is a high-core-count mobile part, and its benchmark results demonstrate significant headroom for gaming workloads.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with enough draw calls and game logic updates to avoid becoming the limiting factor. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 330 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that demands substantial single-thread performance. The processor’s PassMark single-thread score of 4500 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5737 indicate it has the per-core strength to handle this load. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 40642 shows that even if the game were to utilize more threads, the CPU has massive parallel processing capability.

The CPU’s 30 MB of shared L3 cache is likely a contributing factor to its strong gaming performance, as it reduces latency for frequently accessed data. The memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s via dual-channel DDR5 is also adequate to keep the processor’s cores fed. While the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates in Doom, the CPU’s capability ensures that it does not bottleneck the system, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any of the tested settings, as the performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is a flagship mobile GPU based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process. It features 10496 shading units, 328 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 82 RT cores and 328 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 990 MHz and a boost clock of 1515 MHz, with a TDP of 95 W.

The GPU is equipped with 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are crucial for Doom, which can be demanding on texture memory at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 4K Ultra settings, the GPU manages 70 FPS, while at 4K High settings, it reaches 85 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the primary component dictating performance at this resolution, as the frame rate scales directly with the graphical load.

The RTX 5090 Mobile’s compute capabilities are substantial, with an FP32 throughput of 31.80 TFLOPS. This raw compute power is what allows the GPU to handle the complex shading and lighting calculations in Doom efficiently. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 30034 places it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, is only 0.5% slower, showing that this is a high-tier part. The transition from 1080p to 4K shows a clear GPU-bound pattern, where the CPU’s performance remains constant, but the GPU’s workload increases, leading to lower frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the system performs across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers extremely high frame rates. With Low settings, it averages 330 FPS. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 287 FPS, with a minimum of 244 FPS and a maximum of 331 FPS. High settings yield an average of 243 FPS, and Ultra settings reduce this to 198 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive. Low settings produce an average of 214 FPS. Medium settings bring the average down to 186 FPS, with a minimum of 158 FPS and a maximum of 214 FPS. High settings average 157 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 128 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more moderate but are still playable. Low settings achieve an average of 116 FPS. Medium settings average 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 85 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 70 FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern where each step up in settings reduces the average FPS by a similar margin, indicating a well-balanced system that scales predictably with graphical load.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the system’s bottleneck. At 1080p High settings, the system averages 243 FPS. When moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 157 FPS, a reduction of 35.4%. At 4K High, the average falls to 85 FPS, which is a 65% drop from the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

A similar trend is visible at Medium settings. The 1080p Medium average of 287 FPS drops to 186 FPS at 1440p, and then to 101 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Medium is a 64.8% reduction in frame rate. This consistent percentage drop across settings confirms that the GPU’s rendering capabilities are the primary constraint. The CPU’s performance, as indicated by its high benchmark scores, remains constant, but the GPU’s workload increases exponentially with pixel count.

The data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this configuration. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would show a smaller difference between resolutions, as the CPU’s workload would be similar regardless of resolution. Instead, the significant frame rate drops at 4K point to the GPU being fully utilized, while the CPU has headroom to spare. This is a classic sign of a well-matched, GPU-bound gaming system.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user’s display resolution and frame rate target. For 1080p displays, the system is capable of delivering exceptionally high frame rates. Ultra settings at 1080p yield an average of 198 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. Low settings push this to 330 FPS, which is beneficial for competitive play where maximum responsiveness is key. Medium settings provide a balanced experience at 287 FPS, offering a good mix of visual quality and performance.

For 1440p displays, the system continues to offer excellent performance. High settings average 157 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Ultra settings still provide a smooth 128 FPS, making it a viable option for those who prioritize visual fidelity. Low settings at 214 FPS are excessive for most displays, but they ensure the absolute minimum latency.

At 4K, the system remains capable but requires more careful settings management. High settings average 85 FPS, which is playable and smooth for most titles. Ultra settings drop to 70 FPS, which is still within the playable range but may not be ideal for fast-paced action. Medium settings offer a better balance at 101 FPS, providing a significant boost over Ultra while maintaining good visual quality. For a 4K display, Medium or High settings are recommended to stay above 100 FPS, ensuring a responsive and fluid experience. Low settings at 116 FPS are an option for those who prioritize frame rate over everything else, but the visual compromise may be too significant for many users.