Doom

# Doom: Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti — Benchmark Analysis

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a fundamentally solid, high-refresh-rate experience in Doom, with the data showing that this pairing ranks in the 52nd percentile of all tested combos for this game. The 24-core Arrow Lake Refresh processor provides ample headroom, but the results clearly indicate that the RTX 3060 Ti becomes the primary constraint as resolution climbs. At 1080p, the combo delivers exceptional frame rates exceeding 230 FPS on Low settings, while at 4K Ultra, performance drops to a playable but less comfortable 50 FPS average. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth prove sufficient for Doom's demands, though the scaling pattern across resolutions reveals a system where the CPU's enormous compute potential is only fully exercised at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU-GPU combination in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 1420th out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the pack. This percentile position is notable because it suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier performer (96th percentile among all CPUs), the GPU's mid-range standing (59th percentile among all GPUs) pulls the overall gaming rank down.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83,807) and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83,090). It also leads the AMD EPYC 9135 by 1.2%, though it trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%, which scores 85,072.

Q: What is the best 4K setting for this combo in Doom?

A: At 3840x2160, the Medium preset delivers an average of 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 83 FPS, making it the only 4K setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS while staying below the High preset's 61 FPS average. The High preset averages 61 FPS, while Low achieves 83 FPS and Ultra drops to 50 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3060 Ti compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has an average benchmark score of 16,129, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16,014) but 1.4% lower than both the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (16,351) and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (16,361). It leads the AMD Radeon R9 370X by 1.7%, which scores 15,862.

Q: What is the maximum FPS achieved by this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 236 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The Medium preset reaches an average of 206 FPS with a maximum of 237 FPS, while High averages 174 FPS and Ultra averages 142 FPS.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 236 FPS, but dropping from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by 35% at Low settings (from 236 to 153 FPS). The CPU's 24 cores, 24 threads, and 5.80 GHz boost clock provide substantial headroom, yet the RTX 3060 Ti's 8 GB VRAM and 16.20 TFLOPS FP32 performance cap overall output.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1420 out of 2930 tested combinations places it in the 51.5th percentile of all tested combos for Doom. This middling position is somewhat surprising given the CPU's exceptional pedigree. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus sits in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84,003 across all tested workloads. This places it just ahead of the Core Ultra 9 285K (0.2% delta) and the EPYC 4584PX (1.1% delta), while trailing only the EPYC 7F72 among its nearest rivals by 1.3%.

However, the GPU's standing tells a different story. The RTX 3060 Ti ranks in the 59th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16,129. Its nearest rivals include the RX 9060 (0.7% ahead of the Radeon), the Pro 5600M (1.4% behind), and the RX 5700 XT (1.4% behind). The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,626 and PassMark G3D score of 20,349 reflect a mid-range Ampere part that was released in late 2020 and is now end-of-life.

The ranking gap between CPU and GPU percentile positions explains the overall combo rank. When paired with a top-tier CPU, the RTX 3060 Ti becomes the bottleneck in Doom, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU's compute resources are taxed more heavily. The data shows that at 1080p, the combo outperforms what its rank might suggest, but at 4K, the GPU's limitations become apparent. This is a classic example of a CPU that could drive far more powerful GPUs, but the pairing with a mid-range GPU creates a balanced-but-not-exceptional overall package for Doom.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear pattern: the RTX 3060 Ti is the primary limiter as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 236 at 1080p to 153 at 1440p, a 35% reduction, and then to 83 at 4K, a further 46% reduction from 1440p. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload increases exponentially with pixel count.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar but slightly less steep in percentage terms: from 206 FPS at 1080p to 133 FPS at 1440p (a 35% drop) and then to 72 FPS at 4K (a 46% drop from 1440p). The High preset shows 174 FPS at 1080p, 113 FPS at 1440p (a 35% drop), and 61 FPS at 4K (a 46% drop from 1440p). The Ultra preset follows the same pattern: 142 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p (a 35% drop), and 50 FPS at 4K (a 46% drop from 1440p).

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is telling. Whether the game runs at Low or Ultra, the resolution scaling penalty is nearly identical, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the constraining factors rather than any specific setting. The RTX 3060 Ti's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 133.2 GPixel/s pixel rate are being fully utilized at 1440p and 4K, regardless of the quality preset.

The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal. With 24 cores, 24 threads, and a 5.80 GHz boost clock, the Ultra 9 290K Plus has far more compute capability than Doom requires at any resolution. Even at 1080p Low with 236 FPS, the CPU is not the bottleneck; the GPU is still the limiting factor, albeit less so than at higher resolutions. The data suggests that a more powerful GPU would unlock significantly higher frame rates at all resolutions, particularly at 1080p where the CPU could potentially drive frame rates well above 300 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset averages 236 FPS, making it the fastest configuration tested. Medium averages 206 FPS with a minimum of 175 FPS and maximum of 237 FPS, while High averages 174 FPS and Ultra averages 142 FPS. All 1080p settings maintain average frame rates above 140 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the GPU's limitations. Low averages 153 FPS, Medium averages 133 FPS with a minimum of 113 FPS and maximum of 153 FPS, High averages 113 FPS, and Ultra averages 92 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium (113 FPS) is still above 100, indicating that even the most demanding 1440p scenarios remain smooth. The step from Low to Ultra at 1440p costs 61 FPS on average, a 40% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. Low averages 83 FPS, Medium averages 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 83 FPS, High averages 61 FPS, and Ultra averages 50 FPS. The 4K results show that only Low and Medium settings maintain average frame rates above 60 FPS, while High just barely hits 61 FPS and Ultra falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 61 FPS, which means even the worst-case frame times stay above 60 FPS, but the Ultra preset's 50 FPS average suggests noticeable stuttering in demanding scenes.

The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution follows a consistent pattern: Low is the fastest, Medium is roughly 13-14% slower than Low, High is roughly 15-16% slower than Medium, and Ultra is roughly 18-19% slower than High. This linear scaling suggests that each preset level adds a similar amount of rendering work, with the GPU handling each increment predictably.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti plays the decisive role in this combo's Doom performance. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for Doom at all tested settings. The 4K results, particularly the 83 FPS average at Low settings, indicate that the memory subsystem is not the primary constraint; rather, the GPU's compute throughput is the limiting factor.

The RTX 3060 Ti's specifications show a mid-range Ampere part: 4,864 shading units, 152 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. Its 16.20 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 253.1 GTexel/s texture rate are respectable for the 30-series generation, but they are not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra in Doom. The GPU's 1,410 MHz base clock and 1,665 MHz boost clock are modest compared to the CPU's 5.80 GHz boost, further illustrating the imbalance between the two components.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range positioning. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,626 and PassMark G3D score of 20,349 place it in the 59th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the RX 9060 (0.7% behind), the Pro 5600M (1.4% ahead), and the RX 5700 XT (1.4% ahead). The GPU's PassMark DirectX 12 score of 78 is notably low, suggesting that the card's performance in modern API workloads is not its strength.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Doom, as the game does not appear to exceed this limit at any tested settings. If VRAM were insufficient, we would expect to see significant frame rate drops or stuttering at 4K Ultra, but the 50 FPS average at 4K Ultra is consistent with the GPU's compute limitations rather than memory constraints. The GPU's 14 Gbps effective memory speed and 256-bit bus width provide ample bandwidth for the game's textures and geometry at all tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1920x1080, all settings deliver excellent performance, with even Ultra averaging 142 FPS. For players with high-refresh-rate monitors (144 Hz or higher), the Ultra preset is the best choice because it delivers 142 FPS average while providing the highest visual quality. The Medium preset's 206 FPS average is only beneficial for players with 240 Hz displays who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. The Low preset's 236 FPS is the fastest option but sacrifices significant visual quality for diminishing returns.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 92 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. The High preset at 113 FPS provides a better balance, offering near-Ultra visuals while maintaining a frame rate above 100 FPS. For the smoothest experience, the Medium preset at 133 FPS is recommended, as it keeps the average well above 120 FPS while still providing reasonable visual quality. The Low preset's 153 FPS is the best choice for competitive players who prioritize maximum responsiveness.

At 3840x2160, the options are more limited. The Ultra preset's 50 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold and is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 61 FPS is borderline, but its average is too close to the minimum playable threshold. The Medium preset at 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS is the best 4K option, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining decent visual quality. The Low preset at 83 FPS is the smoothest 4K experience but requires significant visual compromises.

Overall, the Medium preset offers the best experience across all resolutions, with 206 FPS at 1080p, 133 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K. The High preset is a strong alternative for players who prefer better visuals, delivering 174 FPS at 1080p, 113 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset should be reserved for 1080p and 1440p gaming, while the Low preset is best suited for competitive play at 1080p or 1440p where maximum frame rates are essential.