Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a robust 1080p experience in Doom, but the data reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck as resolution climbs. The measured frames per second across the three tested resolutions show a classic pattern: the CPU holds its own at lower resolutions, while the GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 produces a substantial performance drop that points directly at the graphics card as the primary constraint. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls from 118 FPS at 1080p to 77 FPS at 1440p, and then plummets to 42 FPS at 4K. That represents a 64% reduction in performance from the lowest to the highest resolution tested, a decline that cannot be attributed to the processor.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all quality presets. At High settings, the average drops from 145 FPS at 1080p to 94 FPS at 1440p, then to 51 FPS at 4K. The Low preset shows the same trajectory: 197 FPS at 1080p, 127 FPS at 1440p, and 69 FPS at 4K. The relative performance loss from 1080p to 4K is remarkably uniform across settings, suggesting that the rendering workload scales predictably with pixel count and the GPU is saturated long before the CPU becomes a concern.

At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that even the least demanding preset exceeds 190 FPS, but the gap between Low and Ultra narrows as resolution increases. At 4K, the difference between Low (69 FPS) and Ultra (42 FPS) is 27 FPS, while at 1080p that same gap is 79 FPS. This compression of the settings spread at higher resolutions is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios, where the pixel throughput limits the frame rate regardless of how much processing load is removed by lowering quality.

The data indicates that the RTX 5060 with its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 128-bit memory bus is the component that determines performance in this title. The measured minimum frame rates at Medium settings reinforce this interpretation: at 1080p the minimum is 146 FPS, at 1440p it drops to 94 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 51 FPS. The consistent ratio between average and minimum values across resolutions suggests no unexpected CPU stalls or memory bandwidth limitations, only a steady scaling of GPU workload.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its base clock of 2.70 GHz can boost up to 5.40 GHz, and the chip carries 36 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 and a single-core score of 2204, placing it in the 94th percentile of all tested processors.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is largely relegated to feeding the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 197 FPS on average, which is likely near the practical ceiling for this engine with this processor. The fact that dropping from High to Low at 1080p yields a 52 FPS improvement (from 145 to 197) indicates that the CPU can push well beyond what the GPU can render at higher quality settings, meaning the system is GPU-limited even at the lowest resolution tested.

The processor’s multi-core prowess, evidenced by a PassMark multi-thread score of 55759 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 20795, is more than sufficient for Doom’s threading model. This game, released in 2016, does not require the full capability of a 24-core part, and the benchmark results show no signs of CPU bottlenecking. Even at 4K with Ultra settings, where the average FPS drops to 42, the frame pacing remains stable enough that the minimum FPS at Medium settings (51 FPS) is only slightly below the average for that same preset at 4K (60 FPS).

The CPU’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score, such as the Intel Xeon w5-3525 and AMD EPYC 4484PX, are separated by less than 1% in aggregate performance, but none of these desktop or server parts are relevant to the mobile segment this chip targets. For Doom specifically, the processor’s high single-thread performance, as shown by its Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2809, ensures that the game’s main thread is never a limiting factor.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Doom?*

A: The maximum measured average is 197 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The highest setting at the same resolution, Ultra, produces 118 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 69 on Low settings to 42 on Ultra. Medium settings yield 60 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1080p, frame rates vary widely by settings (118 to 197 FPS), while at 4K the spread narrows significantly (42 to 69 FPS), a pattern consistent with GPU saturation.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1921st out of 2930 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the lower half of the database.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 5060 affect 4K performance?

A: The measured results show a significant drop from 1440p to 4K at every settings level. At Ultra, the average falls from 77 FPS at 1440p to 42 FPS at 4K, which is consistent with the GPU’s memory bandwidth and capacity being challenged at higher resolutions.

Q: What settings should be used for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings produce 94 FPS average, while Medium yields 111 FPS. Ultra drops to 77 FPS, so High or Medium provide a balanced experience without sacrificing much visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5060 paired with the Ultra 9 275HX delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 197 FPS, which serves as the baseline for this resolution. Medium settings average 171 FPS with a minimum of 146 FPS and a maximum of 197 FPS. High settings average 145 FPS, and Ultra settings average 118 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 79 FPS drop, representing a 40% performance reduction for maximum visual quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease across the board. Low settings yield 127 FPS, Medium averages 111 FPS with a range of 94 to 128 FPS, High averages 94 FPS, and Ultra drops to 77 FPS. The relative difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 50 FPS, or approximately 39%, which is proportionally similar to the 1080p spread but with lower absolute numbers.

At 3840x2160, the performance falls further. Low settings average 69 FPS, Medium averages 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 69 FPS, High averages 51 FPS, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra shrinks to 27 FPS, or about 39% of the Low value, showing that the GPU’s pixel throughput limits the upper bound regardless of settings.

The Medium preset at each resolution provides the most complete dataset, as it is the only setting with recorded minimum and maximum values. At 1080p, the spread is 51 FPS (146 to 197); at 1440p, the spread is 34 FPS (94 to 128); and at 4K, the spread is 18 FPS (51 to 69). This narrowing range with increasing resolution further confirms that GPU workload dominates the frame time variance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall database of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Doom, this pairing ranks 1921st out of 2930 combos. This places it in the 34th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly two-thirds of tested configurations deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The ranking reflects the RTX 5060’s position in the GPU hierarchy rather than any CPU deficiency, as the processor itself sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs tested.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 26331 puts it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, but its nearest rivals are telling. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401, a delta of -0.3%, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, also -0.3%. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary at 26553 is -0.8% behind, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT at 26011 is 1.2% ahead. These close margins indicate that the RTX 5060 performs near the middle of a cluster of mid-range GPUs, none of which are known for high-end 4K performance.

The combo’s low rank in Doom specifically, compared to its 72nd percentile GPU score, suggests that this game is more demanding on the graphics subsystem than the average benchmark workload. The 4K results, which fall below 70 FPS even on Low settings, are consistent with a GPU that is not designed for ultra-high-resolution gaming without compromises.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, Medium settings at 1440p appear to be the sweet spot for this combo. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 111 FPS with a minimum of 94 FPS, which keeps the experience well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. High settings at the same resolution average 94 FPS, which is still playable but offers no minimum FPS data to confirm stability.

At 1080p, High settings at 145 FPS average provide an excellent experience, while Ultra at 118 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize image quality. The difference between High and Ultra at this resolution is 27 FPS, which may be noticeable on high-refresh-rate displays. Low settings at 1080p exceed 190 FPS, but the visual downgrade is likely not worth the extra frame rate for most users.

At 4K, the recommendation is to stick with Low settings, which average 69 FPS, or Medium, which averages 60 FPS. Ultra at 42 FPS and High at 51 FPS fall below the ideal smoothness threshold for fast-paced FPS gameplay. The measured minimum of 51 FPS at Medium settings suggests occasional dips below 60 FPS, so Low is the safer choice for consistent performance.

The data shows that this combo is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p, where the GPU can maintain high frame rates without excessive compromises. For 4K, users should expect to lower settings significantly to maintain playability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 3840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. Its boost clock reaches 2497 MHz, and it features 30 ray tracing cores and 120 tensor cores. The 8 GB of GDDR7 memory operates on a 128-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Doom, the GPU’s role is decisive. The measured FPS at 4K, which ranges from 42 to 69 depending on settings, indicates that the graphics card is the bottleneck at this resolution. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is modest for 4K workloads, and the 8 GB frame buffer may be a constraint when textures and effects are set to high quality. The fact that the 4K Ultra preset averages just 42 FPS, while the 4K Low preset reaches 69 FPS, suggests that the GPU’s compute and memory resources are being saturated by the higher-quality rendering.

At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU still governs performance, but there is headroom. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 79 FPS, showing that the GPU can handle the full range of settings without falling below 118 FPS. The PassMark G3D score of 20891 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628 place this GPU in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, confirming its mid-range positioning.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score, including the AMD Radeon 860M and NVIDIA GeForce MX550, are all within 1.2% in aggregate performance. This tight clustering means that the RTX 5060 is not an outlier in its class, and its Doom performance should be representative of mid-range GPUs from this generation. The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are the key specifications that determine its ability to render this game at various resolutions, and the measured results align with those figures.