Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture and TSMC’s 3 nm process. It operates with a 3.90 GHz base clock and a 5.50 GHz boost clock, backed by 30 MB of shared L3 cache and a dual-channel DDR5 memory interface delivering 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. In synthetic testing, the chip scores 50,009 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7,060 in single-core, placing it in the 97th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 79,102. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF and Core i9-14900KF, both of which score marginally higher at 79,240 and 79,245 respectively, representing a delta of -0.2% for the 265K. The Core i9-14900K scores 79,824 (-0.9%), and the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80,041 (-1.2%). For Doom, a game from 2016 built around fast-paced single-player combat, these CPU results are more than adequate. The measured FPS data shows the processor is not a bottleneck at any resolution, as even at 1080p Low, the system reaches 339.4 FPS, which is far beyond display refresh rates for most monitors. The data indicates that the 265K provides enough headroom for the GPU to operate at its limits, particularly at lower resolutions where frame rates are highest. The 20 threads and high boost clock ensure that the game’s physics and AI routines are handled without issue, though the game’s engine is older and does not scale heavily with core counts beyond a certain point.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Core Ultra 7 265K’s 20 cores and 20 threads are a strong match for Doom’s engine, which was designed to run well on systems from 2016 but benefits from modern single-thread performance. The 5.50 GHz boost clock is the key driver here, as the game’s rendering thread is largely single-threaded. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7,060 reflects strong per-core performance, which translates directly to consistent frame pacing in Doom. In contrast, the multi-core score of 50,009 shows that the CPU can handle background tasks and streaming without stealing resources from the game. The 97th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that this processor sits near the top of the stack, and the nearest rival comparisons show it is effectively tied with the 265KF and i9-14900KF, which are within -0.2% of its average score. This means that in Doom, swapping between these CPUs would yield no perceptible difference in FPS. The 30 MB L3 cache helps with data locality, though Doom’s level geometry and textures are more dependent on GPU memory bandwidth than CPU cache. The 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for the game’s needs, as DDR5 at this speed does not starve the 20 cores. Overall, the CPU role here is to stay out of the GPU’s way, and the measured FPS numbers—ranging from 70 FPS at 4K Ultra to 339.4 FPS at 1080p Low—show that it does exactly that.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, and the card features 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The 12 GB VRAM is more than enough for Doom at any resolution, as the game’s maximum texture quality at 4K Ultra fits comfortably within this capacity. The GPU’s 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,687, places it in the upper mid-range, and its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (0.2% higher), NVIDIA Tesla M40 (-0.5%), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (0.6% higher). This is interesting because the RTX 3090 is an older, higher-tier card, but the RTX 5070 matches it in synthetic benchmarks. In Doom, the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as shown by the FPS scaling. At 4K Ultra, the card produces 70 FPS, which drops from 84.6 FPS at High. The 28 Gbps effective memory speed provides ample bandwidth for the game’s textures, but the 192-bit bus width means that 4K Ultra settings push the card to its limits. The FP32 performance of 30.87 TFLOPS is sufficient for the game’s Vulkan and OpenGL paths, and the 48 RT cores are not utilized in Doom, as the game lacks ray tracing. The 12 GB VRAM does not cause any texture streaming issues, as the game was designed around 4 GB cards originally, so the RTX 5070 has a massive headroom advantage.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates drop proportionally, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions while the CPU holds up well. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 339.4 FPS, which drops to 220.6 FPS at 1440p Low, a reduction of 35%. Moving to 4K Low yields 120.7 FPS, another 45% drop. This scaling is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 5070’s pixel throughput (201.0 GPixel/s) is taxed more heavily as pixel count increases. At High settings, the pattern continues: 252.9 FPS at 1080p, 163.6 FPS at 1440p, and 84.6 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 48%, which is close to the 50% reduction in pixel count (3.7 million to 8.3 million), confirming that the GPU is the sole bottleneck at this stage. At Ultra settings, the 1080p score is 202 FPS, 1440p is 133.1 FPS, and 4K is 70 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest measured, and the fact that it is 65% lower than the 1080p Ultra score suggests that the card’s memory bandwidth (672.0 GB/s) is being saturated. The CPU is not the limiting factor because the 1080p Low result of 339.4 FPS is far above the 1440p and 4K numbers, meaning the CPU has more headroom that is never used. In short, the data shows that for 1080p and 1440p gaming, the RTX 5070 is the primary driver, but at 4K, the card’s raw compute and bandwidth are the constraining factors.

FAQ

Q: Can this system hit 144 FPS at 1440p in Doom?

A: Yes, at Medium and High settings. The measured results show 191.2 FPS at Medium and 163.6 FPS at High, both exceeding 144 FPS. At Ultra, the score drops to 133.1 FPS, which is below the 144 FPS target.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 240 Hz monitor?

A: 1080p is the only resolution that consistently reaches 240 FPS or higher. At 1080p, Low hits 339.4 FPS, Medium hits 293.5 FPS, and High hits 252.9 FPS. 1440p only exceeds 240 FPS at Low (220.6 FPS is below 240, so no settings at 1440p reach that target).

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to the RTX 3090 in this game?

A: The RTX 5070’s average benchmark score is 41,687, which is 0.6% higher than the RTX 3090’s score of 41,441. In Doom, the measured FPS indicates the RTX 5070 performs similarly to or slightly better than the RTX 3090, as the delta is within 1%.

Q: Is 12 GB of VRAM enough for 4K Ultra settings in Doom?

A: Yes, the measured 4K Ultra result of 70 FPS is playable, and 12 GB is sufficient for the game’s textures. Doom was released in 2016 and does not require more than 4 GB, so the RTX 5070’s 12 GB provides a large buffer.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: No. The highest FPS measured is 339.4 FPS at 1080p Low, and the CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7,060 suggests it can handle even higher frame rates. The GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions, as evidenced by the scaling pattern.

Q: Should I use Medium or High settings at 1080p?

A: If you have a 240 Hz monitor, Medium (293.5 FPS) offers a better margin over High (252.9 FPS). If you have a 144 Hz monitor, High is preferable for better visual fidelity while still exceeding the refresh rate.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience. At 1080p, Low settings (339.4 FPS) are unnecessary for most displays, as even Medium (293.5 FPS) and High (252.9 FPS) exceed the refresh rate of 240 Hz monitors. For a 144 Hz display, High (252.9 FPS) or even Ultra (202 FPS) are excellent choices, as they provide better visual quality without dropping below the refresh threshold. At 1440p, Medium (191.2 FPS) and High (163.6 FPS) both exceed 144 Hz, making High the recommended preset for most gamers, as it offers a balance of visual fidelity and performance. Ultra at 1440p (133.1 FPS) is still playable but falls below 144 FPS, so it is only recommended if you have a 120 Hz monitor. At 4K, the choice is more constrained: Medium (104.9 FPS) and High (84.6 FPS) are both above 60 FPS, making them viable for 60 Hz displays. Ultra at 4K (70 FPS) is also playable, but the jump from High to Ultra costs 14.6 FPS, which may not be worth the visual gains. Low settings at 4K (120.7 FPS) are not recommended, as they sacrifice too much visual quality for a frame rate that exceeds most 4K displays’ refresh rates. The best overall experience for a 1440p/144 Hz setup is High, while 4K users should stick to Medium for a smooth 100+ FPS experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 339.4 FPS
• Medium: 293.5 FPS
• High: 252.9 FPS
• Ultra: 202 FPS

At 1080p, the RTX 5070 is unconstrained, and the CPU’s high boost clock ensures frame rates stay above 200 FPS even at Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is 137.4 FPS, which is a 40% reduction, but even the lowest value (202 FPS) is far above any standard monitor refresh rate.

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 220.6 FPS
• Medium: 191.2 FPS
• High: 163.6 FPS
• Ultra: 133.1 FPS

At 1440p, the frame rate drops are more pronounced. Low to Ultra represents a 87.5 FPS difference (40% reduction), and the Ultra setting at 133.1 FPS is the first measured value below 144 FPS. The GPU’s 192-bit memory bus begins to show its limits here, but the card still delivers playable performance across all settings.

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 120.7 FPS
• Medium: 104.9 FPS
• High: 84.6 FPS
• Ultra: 70 FPS

At 4K, the RTX 5070 is clearly the bottleneck. The Ultra preset (70 FPS) is 50.7 FPS lower than Low (120.7 FPS), a 42% reduction. The card’s 672.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for Medium and High, but Ultra texture quality pushes the memory system harder, resulting in a 14.6 FPS drop from High to Ultra. All 4K settings remain above 60 FPS, making 4K gaming viable, but only at Medium or High for a consistently smooth experience.