Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a very specific performance profile in Doom, one that is heavily dictated by the integrated graphics solution. The data reveals a system that can handle the game at 1080p with playable frame rates but struggles significantly at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured results, placing them in the context of other tested combinations and the hardware's inherent capabilities.

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 25 W TDP, using system shared memory. Its benchmark percentile of 5 indicates it is at the very bottom of the performance hierarchy for GPUs. This is the single most important factor in interpreting the FPS data for this combo, as it acts as the primary bottleneck in every scenario. The CPU, by comparison, is a high-end desktop processor with a 94th percentile ranking, indicating a massive imbalance in this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and clearly illustrates the GPU's limitations. At 1080p High settings, the combo achieves an average of 71 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 46 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 25 FPS, which is a 65% reduction from 1080p and only 35% of the 1080p frame rate. This steep decline is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload scales with pixel count and quickly overwhelms the graphics processor.

The pattern holds across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS goes from 96 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p (a 35% drop) and then to 34 at 4K (a 65% drop from 1080p). The scaling is consistent, showing that the limiting factor is the GPU's raw throughput rather than a specific setting. The Arc B370's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K, regardless of how much the visual load is reduced.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. The Core Ultra 7 265K, with its 20 cores and 5.50 GHz boost clock, is far more capable than the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance gap between 1080p and 4K, as the higher resolutions would put more load on the GPU. Instead, the consistent and large FPS drops across all resolutions point directly to the Arc B370 as the component that determines the playable experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2696 out of 2930 combos for Doom. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested. The ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU's poor performance relative to the rest of the field. While the CPU is a top-tier part, the overall combo is dragged down by the integrated graphics.

This low ranking is consistent with the GPU's own percentile ranking. The Arc B370's 5th percentile score in its own benchmark category means it outperforms only a tiny fraction of other GPUs. In a game like Doom, which can be demanding on hardware, this low-performance GPU ensures the combo sits near the bottom of the leaderboard. The system is effectively a high-end CPU with entry-level integrated graphics, leading to a very unbalanced gaming experience.

The rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capability but of the system's overall gaming performance. A user with this CPU would see a massive improvement in this ranking by pairing it with a discrete graphics card. The data makes it clear that the CPU is not the limiting factor; it is the GPU that holds the system back, resulting in a combo rank that is among the lowest in the database.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the defining component of this combo's gaming performance. As an IGP with 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, it is architecturally similar to a low-end discrete GPU but shares system memory and power resources with the CPU. Its boost clock of 2400 MHz and base clock of 300 MHz are typical for a power-efficient integrated solution, but they do not compensate for the low shader count and memory bandwidth limitations.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning its bandwidth is "System Dependent." This is a major disadvantage in a game like Doom, which requires fast and consistent memory access. The shared memory architecture limits the effective bandwidth available to the GPU, contributing to the low frame rates observed at higher resolutions. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, which places it below the ATI Radeon HD 5770, confirms its performance class.

The data shows that the GPU's 25 W TDP and IGP form factor are not conducive to high-end gaming. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are modest figures that limit the fill rate. In Doom, this translates to an inability to handle the game's visual effects and geometry at higher resolutions, resulting in the 4K averages of 20-34 FPS. The GPU is the clear and unequivocal bottleneck in this system.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1080p with the Low or Medium presets. The Low preset achieves an average of 96 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset, with an average of 84 FPS and a minimum of 71 FPS, also provides a very playable and visually better experience without dropping below 60 FPS. The High preset at 1080p, at 71 FPS average, is also acceptable, but the Medium preset offers a better balance of visual quality and performance headroom.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more difficult. The Low preset is the only one that maintains an average above 60 FPS, hitting 62 FPS. The Medium preset, at 54 FPS average with a minimum of 46 FPS, is playable but may experience noticeable stutters in intense scenes. The High preset at 46 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 37 FPS will feel sluggish. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 1440p, the Low preset is the only viable option.

The 4K resolution is not practical for this combo. Even the Low preset only achieves an average of 34 FPS, which is below the threshold for acceptable gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K produces an average of 20 FPS, which is unplayable. The data clearly indicates that 1080p is the intended resolution for this system, and users should avoid 1440p and 4K for a smooth experience. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs only 12 FPS on average but provides a significant visual upgrade, making it the recommended preset for most users.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured data provides a clear picture of the system's performance. At 1080p, the average FPS for each preset is as follows: Low at 96, Medium at 84, High at 71, and Ultra at 58. The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset is 71, which is the same as the High preset's average, showing that the Medium preset is more stable. The Ultra preset, with an average of 58 FPS, is just below the 60 FPS target.

Moving to 1440p, the averages are: Low at 62, Medium at 54, High at 46, and Ultra at 37. The minimum for the Medium preset is 46 FPS, which is the same as the High preset's average. This indicates that the Medium preset at 1440p can dip to the performance level of the High preset, making it a less stable choice. The Low preset is the only one that consistently stays above 60 FPS.

At 4K, the performance collapses. The averages are: Low at 34, Medium at 29, High at 25, and Ultra at 20. The Medium preset has a minimum of 25 FPS and a maximum of 34 FPS, which are the same as the High and Low averages, respectively. This shows that at 4K, the GPU is completely saturated, and the settings have a minimal impact on the final frame rate. All presets at this resolution are below 35 FPS and are not recommended for play.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K plays a minimal role in the gaming performance of this combo, as it is vastly more powerful than the GPU. With 20 cores and 20 threads, a base clock of 3.90 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, it is a high-end processor designed for demanding workloads. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35850 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2713, place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

In Doom, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the frame rates are entirely dictated by the GPU's performance. At 1080p Low, the 96 FPS average is likely near the limit of what the Arc B370 can produce, and the CPU is more than capable of keeping up. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and high single-thread performance are sufficient for the game's requirements.

The nearest rivals to the 265K, such as the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, have similar average benchmark scores, with deltaPct values of 1% and 1.3% respectively. However, any of these CPUs would produce identical results in this combo because the GPU is the primary limiter. The data indicates that the CPU's performance is essentially irrelevant to the FPS numbers shown, as the Arc B370's low 5th percentile score creates an insurmountable bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Doom at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p resolution. The measured data shows 96 FPS on Low and 84 FPS on Medium presets. At 1440p, the Low preset is the only one that exceeds 60 FPS, with an average of 62 FPS. All 4K presets fall well below this target.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this system at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset is recommended. It achieves an average of 84 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS, providing a smooth experience while offering better visual quality than the Low preset, which runs at 96 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2696 out of 2930 total combinations for Doom. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested, primarily due to the low performance of the Intel Arc B370 integrated GPU.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K or the Intel Arc B370 the bottleneck?

A: The Intel Arc B370 is definitively the bottleneck. The GPU has a benchmark percentile of 5, while the CPU has a percentile of 94. The FPS data shows a massive drop in performance as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-limited system.

Q: Is it possible to play Doom at 4K with this hardware?

A: Technically, yes, but the experience will be poor. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 34 on the Low preset. The Ultra preset averages only 20 FPS. None of the 4K presets provide a playable frame rate.

Q: Does the CPU's high core count help in this game?

A: No, the CPU's performance is not a factor in the final frame rates. The 20-core, 20-thread Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is far more capable than the GPU. Even a much weaker CPU would likely produce the same FPS numbers, as the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component in all scenarios.