Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a deeply unbalanced configuration for Doom, a combination that places it at rank 2696 out of 2930 tested combos. The data indicates that the integrated-class GPU, which sits at the 5th percentile of all GPUs, acts as a severe bottleneck, while the CPU, in the 96th percentile, is dramatically underutilized. This pairing yields playable results only at 1080p, with higher resolutions quickly becoming slideshows. Below is a breakdown of how this system handles the 2016 FPS title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a stark and linear decline in performance as resolution increases, confirming that the Intel Arc B370 is the primary limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the system averages 96 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 62 FPS, a 35.4% reduction. Pushing to 2160p (4K) at Low settings yields just 34 FPS, which is a further 45.2% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of pixel processing power; the demands on the render output units (ROPs) and texture units (TMUs) increase with pixel count, and the Arc B370's 20 ROPs and 40 TMUs are insufficient for the task.

The gap between resolutions is consistent across all settings presets. For High settings, the system averages 71 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 25 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 4K is a massive 64.8% performance loss. Similarly, on Medium settings, the averages are 84 FPS, 54 FPS, and 29 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively. These figures suggest that the GPU is not being limited by memory bandwidth, as it uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, but rather by its raw computational throughput.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 54 to 29, a 46.3% reduction that pushes the experience firmly into unplayable territory. At 4K Ultra, the system manages only 20 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo, regardless of settings. The 1080p to 1440p scaling is also steep, indicating that even a moderate increase in pixel count has a disproportionate impact on this specific GPU. The 290K Plus CPU has nothing to do with this scaling; its performance headroom is so vast that it would not show any frame rate variance across these resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 (1080p) is the only resolution where the system achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 58 on Ultra to 96 on Low settings. Higher resolutions like 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 result in average frame rates that drop below 62 FPS, with 4K dipping to as low as 20 FPS on Ultra.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is nearly identical to its closest competitors. It is 0.2% slower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770, while being 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000. This places it in a performance tier that is not designed for modern gaming at high resolutions.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus a good match for this GPU?

A: No, the pairing is extremely unbalanced. The CPU is in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 5th percentile. The CPU's average benchmark score is 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 9135. This massive disparity means the CPU will be idle most of the time, waiting on the GPU to render frames.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial. The system averages 96 FPS on Low and 58 FPS on Ultra. This represents a 39.6% performance penalty for enabling the highest visual fidelity preset. The Medium preset offers a middle ground with an average of 84 FPS.

Q: Does the game use more than 24 threads effectively?

A: The data suggests that Doom's performance is entirely GPU-bound in this configuration. The CPU has 24 cores and 24 threads, but the frame rates are so low at 1440p and 4K that the CPU cannot possibly be the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the 96 FPS average is still likely below what this CPU could deliver, as its single-thread performance is in the top tier of processors.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1440p on High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 46 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is a playable but not smooth experience for a fast-paced FPS like Doom. The minimum frame rate is not listed for this specific configuration, but the average is close to the edge of what is considered acceptable for competitive play.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear limiting component in this system for Doom. Its specifications paint a picture of a low-power, integrated-class part. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with a TDP of just 25 W. This power envelope is minuscule compared to dedicated desktop graphics cards, explaining its position at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the same performance bracket as legacy parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which is nearly two decades old.

The GPU uses system shared memory for its VRAM, with the memory type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This means it has no dedicated video memory, relying on the CPU's DDR5 memory. While the 290K Plus supports dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, this shared arrangement is generally slower than dedicated GDDR6 memory found on discrete GPUs. This memory architecture, combined with only 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, severely limits the fill rate and shader processing capabilities.

The benchmark results reflect this hardware profile. In Doom, the GPU's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are the theoretical ceilings, and the measured FPS shows the system rarely approaches these limits. The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at all resolutions tested; even at 1080p Low, the 96 FPS average is likely near the maximum sustainable output for this chip. The 20 ROPs are particularly problematic for 4K, as the pixel fill rate required to output 3840x2160 frames is four times that of 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system ranges from an average of 58 FPS on Ultra to 96 FPS on Low. The Medium preset averages 84 FPS, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96. High settings average 71 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is the only resolution where the system can consistently exceed 60 FPS, and only when settings are lowered.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 62 FPS, which is barely playable. Medium settings average 54 FPS (min 46, max 62), and High settings average 46 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to an average of 37 FPS. This resolution is only suitable for single-player exploration, not for the fast-paced combat Doom is known for. The frame rate dips into the 40s on High settings, which would be noticeable as stuttering during intense action sequences.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system is not viable for gaming. The Low preset averages 34 FPS, Medium averages 29 FPS (min 25, max 34), High averages 25 FPS, and Ultra averages just 20 FPS. These frame rates are below the threshold for a smooth experience in any genre. The data shows a clear linear progression: each step down in resolution or settings yields a proportional increase in frame rate, but the starting point is too low for 4K to ever be a realistic option. The maximum FPS recorded in the entire dataset is 96 FPS at 1080p Low, which is the ceiling for this hardware combination.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the recommended settings for this system depend heavily on the user's display resolution and tolerance for frame rate dips. For a 1080p display, the Low preset is the only option that guarantees a consistent experience above 60 FPS, with an average of 96 FPS. The Medium preset is also acceptable, averaging 84 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS, which keeps the experience smooth in most scenarios. High settings at 1080p average 71 FPS, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset, averaging 58 FPS, should be avoided as it drops below the 60 FPS threshold.

For a 1440p display, the Low preset is the only setting that achieves an average above 60 FPS, hitting 62 FPS. However, this is a marginal result, and any complex scene could push it below 60. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 54 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced game but risky for a fast FPS. High and Ultra settings at 1440p, averaging 46 and 37 FPS respectively, are not recommended for any serious play.

For 4K displays, the data shows no viable settings. Even the Low preset averages only 34 FPS, which is below the acceptable threshold for an action game. Users with a 4K display should lower the resolution to 1080p for a playable experience. The best overall experience per the measured rows is 1080p with Medium settings: it provides a high average FPS of 84, a minimum of 71 FPS, and a maximum of 96 FPS, offering a good balance between visual quality and performance. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 13 FPS on average, which is a significant penalty for marginal visual improvements.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus plays a minimal role in Doom's performance with this GPU. The CPU is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. Its benchmark scores are exceptional: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 84003 is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX.

In the context of Doom, these CPU specifications are vastly overkill. The game's measured frame rates are entirely dictated by the GPU's limits. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 20 FPS; at this frame rate, the CPU is likely using less than 10% of its capacity. Doom is a game that can scale across multiple threads, but the Arc B370 cannot generate enough frames to stress the 24 cores. The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 4823, is also irrelevant here because the GPU is the limiting factor.

The only scenario where the CPU might matter is at 1080p Low, where the system averages 96 FPS. Even this is not a CPU bottleneck, as the GPU's performance ceiling is likely around this mark. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s is shared with the GPU, but this is not a limiting factor either, as the frame rates are too low to saturate the memory bus. In summary, the 290K Plus is a top-tier processor that is completely wasted in this configuration. The data shows that pairing this CPU with a GPU in the 5th percentile is a severe mismatch, and any performance upgrade would require a more powerful GPU, not a different CPU.