Doom

Doom, the 2016 reboot, remains a demanding title that scales significantly with hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data reveals a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the CPU only becoming a potential factor at the extreme frame rates seen at 1080p. The following sections break down the measured FPS to understand the role each component plays.

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 378 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that average to 245 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 133 FPS, which is another 46% drop from the 1440p figure. This pattern of substantial performance loss with each resolution increase is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario; the rendering workload is scaling faster than the CPU's ability to feed the graphics card.

The scaling for the High preset follows a similar, though less extreme, curve. The system averages 278 FPS at 1080p, drops to 180 FPS at 1440p (a 35% reduction), and finally settles at 98 FPS at 4K (a 46% reduction from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across different presets is telling. It indicates that the limiting factor is not the CPU's processing of game logic or draw calls, but rather the raw pixel throughput and shading workload handled by the RTX 5070 Ti.

The most telling data point for CPU limitation is the gap between Low and Ultra presets at 1080p. At this resolution, the GPU is working less, yet the average FPS only increases from 227 at Ultra to 378 at Low. While this is a significant 66% jump, it is not the multi-fold increase one might expect if the CPU were completely unconstrained. The 1080p results suggest the CPU is starting to become a co-limiting factor, preventing the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates. However, the 4K results, where the average FPS at Low (133) is still higher than at Ultra (80), show that even at the highest resolution, the GPU is still the primary bottleneck, as lowering the settings still yields a significant performance benefit.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 44,253 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,439 in single-core, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. This high single-core performance is traditionally important for gaming, and the data suggests it is more than adequate for this title.

In Doom, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The benchmark results show that at 1440p and 4K, the FPS is largely dictated by the resolution and preset, which are GPU-centric workloads. The CPU's 24 cores and high boost clock ensure that it can keep up with the game's engine at these settings. The 5.50 GHz boost clock is particularly relevant for maintaining high minimum frame rates, as it ensures that the main game thread can be processed quickly.

However, the 1080p results hint at the CPU's limits. The jump from 227 FPS at Ultra to 378 FPS at Low shows that reducing GPU load allows the system to push more frames. But the fact that the FPS does not scale to well over 400 FPS suggests the CPU's single-threaded performance, while excellent, becomes a constraining factor. The system is not CPU-bound in the traditional sense of being unable to maintain playable frame rates, but rather, the CPU's maximum throughput for game logic becomes the ceiling for FPS at lower resolutions. The data shows a 24-core processor with a 36 MB L3 cache that is more than capable of handling this game, but it is the GPU that ultimately dictates performance in most scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for this configuration at 2560x1440 with High settings is 180.

Q: How does the performance at 4K compare to 1080p on the Low preset?

A: At 1080p Low, the system averages 378 FPS. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 133, which is a 65% decrease in performance.

Q: Is this setup more limited by the CPU or GPU in Doom?

A: The data indicates the system is primarily GPU-limited. At 4K, performance drops by about 35% when going from Low to High settings, and by 40% from High to Ultra, showing the GPU is the main constraint. CPU limitation becomes more apparent only at 1080p, where frame rates are extremely high.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The measured FPS data shows a minimum of 181 FPS for the Medium preset at 2560x1440, with an average of 213 FPS.

Q: What is the boost clock of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus?

A: The processor has a maximum boost clock of 5.50 GHz.

Q: How much VRAM does the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti have?

A: The graphics card is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is sourced from direct measurement of the system running Doom. The table details the average, minimum, and maximum FPS for each tested configuration.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 378 FPS. The Medium preset averages 329 FPS, with a minimum of 280 FPS and a maximum of 379 FPS. The High preset averages 278 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 227 FPS, which is the lowest result at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains very high but scales down. The Low preset averages 245 FPS. The Medium preset averages 213 FPS, with a minimum of 181 FPS and a maximum of 245 FPS. The High preset averages 180 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 147 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the workload on the GPU becomes substantial. The Low preset averages 133 FPS. The Medium preset averages 115 FPS, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS. The High preset averages 98 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 80 FPS.

The data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern. The FPS deltas between presets become smaller as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 151 FPS, while at 4K, the difference is 53 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU with 8,960 shading units and 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2452 MHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Passmark G3D score of 32,974, placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. This hardware is clearly designed for high-resolution gaming.

In Doom, the GPU is the dominant factor in the measured results. The 4K performance is directly tied to the graphics settings. The jump from 80 FPS at Ultra to 133 FPS at Low demonstrates how much headroom the card has when the shading and texture workload is reduced. The 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's textures at 4K, ensuring that memory capacity is not a bottleneck.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s is also a critical asset. In a fast-paced FPS like Doom, the constant streaming of textures and geometry requires high bandwidth to maintain smooth frame rates. The data shows that the RTX 5070 Ti is able to deliver playable frame rates even at the most demanding settings, with a minimum FPS of 98 at 4K Medium. At 1440p, the card is so powerful that it pushes performance well beyond the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors, even with High and Ultra settings. The GPU's performance is the primary reason this system achieves such high frame rates across all tested resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend on the user's display and performance goals. The data shows that the Ultra preset has a significant performance cost. At 4K, it averages 80 FPS, which is a 22% reduction from the High preset's 98 FPS average. The visual fidelity jump from High to Ultra is often modest in comparison to this performance hit.

For 4K displays, the High preset is the most balanced choice. It provides an average of 98 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS standard and close to the 100+ FPS mark for smoother gameplay. This grants a better experience than the Ultra preset's 80 FPS average. The Medium preset offers an even higher average FPS of 115, making it a good option for those who prioritize higher refresh rates over maximum visual detail.

For 1440p displays, the High preset is again an excellent choice, averaging 180 FPS. This is high enough to take advantage of 144 Hz and even 165 Hz monitors. For users with 240 Hz displays, the Low and Medium presets, with averages of 245 FPS and 213 FPS respectively, become more attractive. The Ultra preset, at 147 FPS, is still very playable but is the least optimal for high-refresh-rate gaming at this resolution.

At 1080p, all presets deliver extremely high frame rates. The High preset at 278 FPS is recommended for a great balance of visual quality and performance, easily maxing out any 240 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 227 FPS is also a viable option for users who want the best image quality and still have very high refresh rates. For competitive play, the Low preset's 378 FPS average minimizes latency, but the visual trade-off is substantial. The data suggests the High preset provides the best overall experience across all three resolutions, offering a significant performance uplift over Ultra while maintaining high visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti holds a rank of 260 out of 2,930 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the top 8.9% of all configurations tested for this game.

This high ranking is a direct result of the balanced, high-performance nature of both components. The CPU's strong single-threaded performance ensures it does not hold back the GPU at lower resolutions, while the GPU's raw power drives the excellent frame rates at higher resolutions. The data shows that this combo is exceptionally well-suited for Doom, providing top-tier performance that outperforms the vast majority of other systems in the database.

The ranking reflects the measured FPS across all tested settings and resolutions. The ability to maintain an average of 98 FPS at 4K High and 180 FPS at 1440p High demonstrates a level of performance that places this combo in an elite tier. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors or 4K displays, this configuration offers a benchmark-proven level of performance that is among the best recorded for this game, clearly indicating that the components work together effectively to deliver a superior gaming experience.