Doom

The AMD Radeon 8050S, paired with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, delivers a playable but not flawless experience in Doom, with performance scaling predictably from resolution to resolution. The data shows a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but begins to buckle under the pixel load of 4K, making it a classic example of a mobile GPU that is well-matched to mainstream displays but struggles with enthusiast-tier resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a clear and consistent penalty as resolution increases, demonstrating that the AMD Radeon 8050S is the primary limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 139 FPS, which is an excellent result for a fast-paced shooter. Moving to 1440p, that average drops by 35% to 90 FPS, a significant but still very playable figure. At 4K, the average plummets to 49 FPS, a 45% reduction from the 1440p result and a 65% reduction from 1080p.

This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput, not the CPU's processing power, is the bottleneck. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The fact that the frame rate drops so steeply when moving from 1440p to 4K—while the CPU workload remains relatively constant—confirms that the Radeon 8050S's rendering units are being saturated. The GPU's FP32 performance of 11.47 TFLOPS and its 64 ROPs are simply not enough to maintain high frame rates at 3840x2160.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further illustrates this point. At 1080p, the difference between Low (188 FPS) and Ultra (113 FPS) is a massive 75 FPS, showing that the GPU has headroom to spare when the CPU is not the constraint. However, at 4K, the same comparison yields only a 26 FPS gap (66 FPS vs 40 FPS), because the GPU is already working near its maximum capacity just to render the base geometry and pixel count. This is a textbook sign of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, where increasing visual fidelity has diminishing returns on frame rate because the hardware is already saturated.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this CPU/GPU combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At High settings, the combo achieves an average of 90 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p. While 1080p produces higher frame rates (139 FPS at High), 1440p is the sweet spot for a more immersive experience without sacrificing responsiveness.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K with Medium settings, the average frame rate is 57 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as it only achieves an average of 40 FPS, which will likely feel sluggish in intense combat scenarios. The Low preset at 4K (66 FPS) is the only way to get a consistently smooth experience at this resolution.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between the Low and Ultra presets?

A: The difference varies significantly by resolution. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Ultra costs you 75 FPS (from 188 to 113). At 1440p, the difference is 49 FPS (from 122 to 73). At 4K, the cost is only 26 FPS (from 66 to 40). This indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so constrained by pixel count that the extra work from Ultra settings has a smaller relative impact on the already-low frame rate.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX holding back the AMD Radeon 8050S?

A: The benchmark data suggests no. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU bottleneck. The steep drop in performance at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor. The CPU, which scores 35,589 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and has a 94th percentile ranking, is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than the Radeon 8050S can render.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate I can expect at 1440p Medium?

A: The measured data shows a minimum FPS of 90 for the 1440p Medium preset. This is an excellent result, indicating that the frame pacing is stable and there are no significant stutters. The 1% lows are likely well above 60 FPS, making for a smooth and consistent experience.

Q: How does the Radeon 8050S compare to its nearest rivals in terms of overall GPU performance?

A: The Radeon 8050S has an average benchmark score of 62,108, placing it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs. It is 0.3% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, but 2.5% slower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 and 2.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600M. These are very tight margins, indicating that the 8050S is positioned competitively among mobile workstation and mid-range gaming GPUs.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8050S is the clear performance arbiter in this configuration. Its specifications, particularly its VRAM configuration and clock speeds, directly explain the observed frame rates in Doom. The GPU operates with "System Shared" memory, meaning it relies on the system's DDR5 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means performance is tied to the system's memory configuration. This is a critical factor; while shared memory is flexible, it can become a bottleneck in scenarios demanding high bandwidth, such as 4K gaming with high-resolution textures.

The GPU's clock speeds are more revealing. It has a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2800 MHz. The substantial gap between these two numbers indicates that the GPU aggressively scales its clock speed based on thermal and power headroom. In Doom, a title with varying scene complexity, this dynamic boosting likely allows the GPU to maintain higher clocks during less demanding moments, which contributes to the high average FPS at 1080p. However, at 4K, the GPU is likely hitting its power or thermal limits for sustained periods, causing it to settle closer to its base clock, which explains the severe frame rate drop.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities are modest by modern standards. With 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, it is designed for efficiency rather than brute force. The 11.47 TFLOPS FP32 performance is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but falls short for 4K. The presence of 32 RT cores is noted, but Doom (the 2016 release) does not utilize ray tracing, so this hardware remains idle in this specific test. The GPU's 89th percentile ranking and its average benchmark score of 62,108, which is only 0.3% different from the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, confirms its position as a solid mid-range performer that is best suited for mainstream resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for the best experience, prioritizing a stable frame rate for a first-person shooter. At 1920x1080, the High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 139 FPS, which is far above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. While the Medium preset (164 FPS) and Low preset (188 FPS) offer higher frame rates, the visual fidelity loss is not worth the extra performance at this resolution, as the High preset already provides a fluid experience.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the optimal balance. It achieves an average of 106 FPS with a minimum of 90 FPS, ensuring a consistent and highly responsive experience. The High preset (90 FPS) is also viable, but the Medium preset offers a 16 FPS improvement while likely providing a near-identical visual experience on most displays. The Ultra preset (73 FPS) is playable but begins to dip below the ideal threshold for competitive play, making Medium the safer choice.

At 3840x2160, the options are more constrained. The Low preset (66 FPS) is the only way to achieve a frame rate that is consistently above 60 FPS. The Medium preset (57 FPS) is borderline, and while it is playable, it may suffer from occasional dips that could disrupt gameplay. The High (49 FPS) and Ultra (40 FPS) presets are not recommended for a smooth experience. For the best experience at 4K, the Low preset is the pragmatic choice, as it prioritizes frame rate over visual detail, which is critical for a game like Doom.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and the AMD Radeon 8050S ranks 2146 out of 2930 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the 27th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it is a below-average performer for this specific title. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. While the CPU is a high-end mobile part (94th percentile), the GPU's 89th percentile score is not enough to push the combo into the upper echelons of the rankings.

This rank of 2146 is a direct consequence of the GPU being the bottleneck. Many other combos in the database will feature more powerful desktop or high-end mobile GPUs that can maintain higher frame rates at 1440p and 4K. The 8050S, with its shared memory architecture and modest compute capabilities, is simply outclassed in a game that scales so heavily with GPU pixel throughput. The result is a system that is perfectly capable for 1080p gaming but falls behind the curve when faced with higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average frame rates measured for the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX with the AMD Radeon 8050S in Doom.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 188 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 164 | 139 | 189 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 139 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 113 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 122 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 106 | 90 | 122 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 90 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 73 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 66 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 57 | 49 | 66 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 49 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 40 | N/A | N/A |

The data shows a consistent pattern: a 45% performance drop from 1080p to 1440p and another 45% drop from 1440p to 4K when comparing the same settings. The Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration that breaks the 180 FPS barrier, while the Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below 45 FPS. The Medium preset provides the most consistent frame pacing, as evidenced by the min/max figures being close to the average. The High preset offers a solid middle ground, but the Ultra preset's performance cost is significant at every resolution, making it the least efficient choice for this hardware combo.