Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom (2016), with performance scaling predictably as resolution increases. The data shows this combination is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance ensures high frame rates at lower settings. In the benchmark database, this pairing ranks 2418th out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the lower half of all systems, yet the measured frame rates indicate a smooth experience for the game’s fast-paced action.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combination achieves an average of 120 FPS. This is the lowest average at this resolution, but it remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU's core count affect performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K features 20 cores and 20 threads. In Doom, the benchmark results indicate that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, meaning the CPU’s high core count is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the graphics card.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth, and does it matter for this game?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT has a memory bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. This bandwidth is adequate for the game’s textures and geometry, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at 1440p High settings, which average 95 FPS.

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

A: The data suggests both are viable. At 1080p, all settings presets deliver over 120 FPS on average. At 1440p, the average frame rate ranges from 78 FPS on Ultra to 129 FPS on Low, indicating a strong experience for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of the GPU compared to all other GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs. This indicates it performs better than the majority of graphics cards in the database, which aligns with its ability to produce high frame rates in this title.

Q: How much faster is the CPU in multi-core benchmarks compared to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores 35,850 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. This is 1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, which scores 69,996 in average benchmark score, but the specific multi-core delta is not provided for that rival.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with 30 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications give it a 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70,879. In synthetic tests, it achieves 2,020 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 2,713 in Geekbench single-core, demonstrating excellent per-thread performance.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The game is not particularly demanding on multi-threaded workloads, so the 265K’s strong single-core performance is more critical. The benchmark data confirms this: at 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 200 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. This high frame rate is a direct result of the CPU’s ability to process game instructions quickly, avoiding any bottleneck that would cap the frame rate below the GPU’s potential.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Xeon 6511P, which scores 71,051 on average, a mere 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70,163, which is 1% slower. These comparisons show the 265K is competitively positioned among high-end desktop processors. However, the game’s performance at higher resolutions suggests that the CPU’s power is not fully utilized. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 42, which is a 79% reduction from the 1080p Low result. This indicates that the GPU is the primary constraint, not the CPU.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, featuring 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It has a boost clock of 2635 MHz and a game clock of 2410 MHz. The GPU is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its compute power is rated at 10.79 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. In the database, it holds a 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,765.

The GPU’s performance in Doom is the defining factor for this combo’s results. At 1080p, the GPU is able to render frames at an average of 200 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 120 FPS on Ultra. The scaling is consistent, with each step from Low to Ultra reducing the average frame rate. At 1440p, the average frame rates range from 129 FPS on Low to 78 FPS on Ultra, showing that the GPU still has headroom at this resolution. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with average frame rates falling to 70 FPS on Low and 42 FPS on Ultra.

The GPU’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, which scores 19,885 on average (0.6% higher), and the AMD FirePro W7000, which scores 19,905 (0.7% higher). These comparisons are based on synthetic benchmarks, but in gaming, the RX 6650 XT’s architecture is more modern and efficient. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Doom at all tested settings, as the game’s textures do not exceed this capacity at 4K Ultra, though the performance drop indicates the GPU’s compute limits are being reached.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination ranks 2418th out of 3,712 tested combos in Doom. This places the system in the 35th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning that roughly 65% of other combinations in the database deliver higher frame rates. This ranking is primarily driven by the GPU’s mid-range positioning, as the CPU is in the top 6% of all processors.

Despite the relatively low combo ranking, the measured frame rates are respectable for a mid-range GPU. At 1080p, the system achieves an average of 147 FPS on High settings, which is above the 144 Hz refresh rate of many gaming monitors. At 1440p, the average of 95 FPS on High settings is still smooth for most players. The ranking reflects the absolute performance compared to all combos, which includes systems with much more powerful GPUs like the RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX, but for its class, the RX 6650 XT performs adequately.

The data shows that the combo’s performance is not limited by the CPU. At 1080p Low, the system hits 200 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 42 FPS. This is a 79% reduction in frame rate, which is a typical pattern for a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s high single-core score of 2,020 in Cinebench R23 ensures that it can keep up with the GPU’s demands even at lower resolutions, making the RX 6650 XT the sole determinant of the combo’s ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 200, which is the maximum measured in the entire dataset. Medium settings reduce the average to 174 FPS, with a minimum of 148 and a maximum of 200. High settings yield an average of 147 FPS, and Ultra settings produce an average of 120 FPS. This progression shows a consistent 20-30 FPS drop for each step up in quality preset.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the GPU’s workload. The Low preset averages 129 FPS, which is a 35% reduction from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS, indicating that the system can maintain frame rates above 90 FPS in most scenes. High settings drop to an average of 95 FPS, and Ultra settings produce an average of 78 FPS. The 1440p results are all above 60 FPS, making this resolution viable for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset averages 70 FPS, which is playable but far from the 144 Hz target. Medium settings average 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 and a maximum of 70, showing that frame times can be inconsistent. High settings drop to an average of 51 FPS, and Ultra settings produce an average of 42 FPS. The 4K results indicate that this combo is not ideal for 4K gaming, as the average frame rates fall below the 60 FPS threshold on High and Ultra presets.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience on this system, the data suggests prioritizing 1080p or 1440p with High settings. At 1080p High, the system averages 147 FPS, which is ideal for fast-paced shooters where high frame rates are crucial. This preset balances visual quality with performance, avoiding the 120 FPS average of Ultra while still providing a significant upgrade over Medium’s 174 FPS in terms of visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the High preset is the recommended choice, averaging 95 FPS. This is above the 90 FPS threshold that many gamers consider smooth, and it offers a sharper image than 1080p. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 78 FPS, which is still playable, but the 17 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the visual improvements. For players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 1440p provides 113 FPS, which is a good compromise.

At 4K, the data does not recommend this combo for a smooth experience. The Medium preset averages 61 FPS, which is just above 60 FPS, but the minimum of 52 FPS suggests occasional stutters. The Low preset at 4K averages 70 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that maintains a consistent 60+ FPS experience. However, the visual downgrade to Low is significant, and most players would likely prefer 1440p High over 4K Low for a better balance of clarity and performance.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear GPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system averages 200 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 129 FPS, a 35.5% reduction. At 4K Low, the average is 70 FPS, a 45.7% reduction from 1440p and a 65% reduction from 1080p. This scaling pattern is typical for a GPU-limited scenario, where the number of pixels being rendered increases exponentially with resolution.

The scaling is even more pronounced at higher settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 120 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 78 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 4K Ultra, the average is 42 FPS, a 46% reduction from 1440p and a 65% reduction from 1080p. The consistent percentage reductions across settings indicate that the GPU’s rendering capabilities are the primary constraint, as the CPU’s workload does not change significantly with resolution.

The data also shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at a certain level regardless of resolution. Instead, the frame rates continue to drop as resolution increases, confirming that the RX 6650 XT is the limiting component. The CPU’s high single-core performance, as evidenced by its 2,020 Cinebench R23 score, ensures that it can keep up with the GPU’s rendering demands even at 1080p, where the GPU is not fully saturated. This combination is therefore well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the GPU prevents it from being viable at 4K.