Doom

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the AMD Radeon 8050S is a mobile combination designed to handle demanding titles, and the measured results for Doom place this combo at rank 2146 out of 2930 tested combos. This positioning, roughly in the 73rd percentile, indicates a solid but not top-tier performer; it sits comfortably ahead of the median but lacks the raw firepower of the highest-scoring systems. The data reveals a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p gaming with high refresh rates, yet struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K with maximum settings, suggesting a clear balance between CPU capability and GPU limits.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2146 out of 2930 combos places it in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems for Doom. This is not a flagship setup; it is a capable mid-range performer. The percentile indicates that roughly 27% of tested combos deliver higher performance, which is expected given the mobile nature of this hardware. The CPU, Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, has an average benchmark score of 44466, placing it at the 88th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are remarkably close: the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D scores 44573 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i9-13950HX scores 44342 (0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 scores 44309 (0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i5-13600 scores 44240 (0.5% lower). This tight clustering suggests that for CPU-bound tasks, this chip is virtually indistinguishable from those competitors in average performance, though the 388H’s specific architecture and boost behavior may yield different results in gaming workloads.

The GPU, AMD Radeon 8050S, has an average benchmark score of 62108, placing it at the 89th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (61896, 0.3% lower), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (63693, 2.5% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 7600M (63775, 2.6% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP (63830, 2.7% higher). The GPU’s near-90th percentile ranking is slightly higher than the CPU’s, indicating that the graphics component is the stronger half of this pairing. In Doom, the measured FPS shows that the combo is well-suited for competitive play at lower resolutions, but the rank reflects that many other combos—likely those with desktop-class GPUs or higher-end mobile parts—can push higher frame rates, especially at 4K.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8050S is built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, with a chip codenamed Strix Halo, and it operates within the Navi Mobile (RX 8000M) generation. Its base clock is 1295 MHz, with a boost clock of 2800 MHz. The GPU features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operations pipelines, along with 32 ray tracing cores. It achieves a pixel rate of 179.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 358.4 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance rated at 11.47 TFLOPS. Notably, its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the CPU’s LPDDR5X memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This shared memory approach is a critical factor; in Doom, which is a title that can be sensitive to memory bandwidth, the GPU’s performance is directly tied to the system’s memory controller.

At 1080p, the GPU demonstrates strong headroom. For instance, at Low settings, the combo delivers 188 FPS average, while at Ultra it drops to 113 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 40% reduction in frame rate, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario as settings increase. At 1440p, the same pattern holds: Low yields 122 FPS, and Ultra drops to 73 FPS, a 40% reduction. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck; Low settings only produce 66 FPS, and Ultra falls to 40 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider smooth, indicating that the GPU’s shared memory and limited bandwidth constrain performance at high pixel counts. The GPU’s boost clock of 2800 MHz is high for a mobile part, but the architecture’s reliance on system memory means that latency and bandwidth shared with the CPU can cause performance dips in memory-intensive scenes, which is evident in the 4K results where the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates even at Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution and desired smoothness. For 1080p gaming, the High preset provides an average of 139 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset yields 113 FPS, still playable but with diminishing returns on visual fidelity—the 26 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the extra graphical load for competitive play. Medium offers 164 FPS, which is excellent for fast-paced action, but High’s visual improvements are likely worth the 25 FPS sacrifice for most users. For 1440p, High delivers 90 FPS, which is solid for most monitors, while Medium hits 106 FPS. Ultra drops to 73 FPS, which remains playable but may feel less fluid on 144Hz panels. At 4K, the situation is more challenging. High settings produce 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra falls to 40 FPS, which is marginal for a single-player experience. Low settings at 4K yield 66 FPS, which is the only way to achieve smooth play at that resolution, but the visual compromise is significant. The data suggests that for the best balance of visual quality and performance, High settings at 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering 90 FPS with minimal compromises. For 4K, players should accept Low settings or consider lowering the resolution, as the GPU cannot sustain high frame rates with higher presets.

FAQ

*Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in Doom?*

A: The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H with AMD Radeon 8050S ranks 2146 out of 2930 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of performance.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score is 44466, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (44573), 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i9-13950HX (44342), 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (44309), and 0.5% higher than the Intel Core i5-13600 (44240). These deltas are negligible in average terms.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

A: The AMD Radeon 8050S uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and relies on the system’s LPDDR5X memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset reaches above 60 FPS with 66 FPS average. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with 57, 49, and 40 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1440p with High settings provides 90 FPS average, which is a strong balance of visual quality and performance. 1080p with High or Medium yields higher frame rates (139 and 164 FPS) but may be limited by the display’s refresh rate.

Q: How does the GPU’s benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 62108, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (61896), but 2.5% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (63693), 2.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600M (63775), and 2.7% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP (63830).

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 35% across all settings. For example, at High settings, 1080p yields 139 FPS, while 1440p yields 90 FPS, a 35% reduction. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is more severe: at High settings, 1440p yields 90 FPS, while 4K yields 49 FPS, a 45% reduction. This non-linear scaling indicates that the GPU is increasingly stressed as pixel count rises, with the 4K resolution exposing its limitations. At 1080p, the combo is likely CPU-bound at lower settings; the Low preset at 1080p produces 188 FPS, which is close to the CPU’s single-thread capabilities. However, at higher settings and resolutions, the GPU takes over as the limiting factor. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution: at 1080p, the difference is 75 FPS (188 vs 113), at 1440p it is 49 FPS (122 vs 73), and at 4K it is 26 FPS (66 vs 40). This narrowing gap suggests that at 4K, even Low settings are heavily GPU-bound, and the GPU cannot leverage the reduced load to achieve much higher frame rates due to memory bandwidth constraints. The data implies that the CPU is not the bottleneck at 4K; rather, the GPU’s shared memory architecture limits performance, making 4K gaming feasible only with Low settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor based on the Panther Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a TDP of 25 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is LPDDR5X with dual-channel configuration and a bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s. The CPU’s benchmark scores are strong for a mobile part: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 18911, single-core scores 2200.5, and Passmark multi-thread scores 36811. The CPU’s percentile of 88 indicates it outperforms most CPUs available, but its nearest rivals are within 0.5% in average score, showing that the 388H is not a standout in pure compute.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 188 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to reach high frame rates. However, the CPU’s 16 threads and 5.10 GHz boost clock are sufficient for this older title, which is not heavily multi-threaded. The measured FPS at 1080p High (139 FPS) and Medium (164 FPS) indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at these settings. The CPU’s performance relative to its rivals is crucial: the 388H’s average benchmark score of 44466 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (44573), which is a desktop-class chip with 3D V-Cache. This parity suggests that the 388H’s high boost clock and efficient architecture compensate for its mobile design. For Doom, the CPU’s single-thread performance, as evidenced by Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2200.5, is likely the more important factor, as the game relies on a few cores for physics and AI. The CPU’s 18 MB of L3 cache helps maintain low latency, but the game’s modest requirements mean the CPU rarely becomes the bottleneck, except at very high frame rates (over 188 FPS) where the GPU cannot keep up.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 188 FPS average, with no min or max recorded.
• Medium: 164 FPS average, with min 139 FPS and max 189 FPS.
• High: 139 FPS average, with no min or max recorded.
• Ultra: 113 FPS average, with no min or max recorded.

These figures show a steady decline as settings increase, with a 40% drop from Low to Ultra. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 139 matches the High preset’s average, indicating that the game can have frame dips, but the overall experience remains smooth.

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 122 FPS average.
• Medium: 106 FPS average, with min 90 FPS and max 122 FPS.
• High: 90 FPS average.
• Ultra: 73 FPS average.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with a 35% reduction in FPS for each setting. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 90 is identical to the High preset’s average, suggesting that the game’s frame pacing is stable at this resolution.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 66 FPS average.
• Medium: 57 FPS average, with min 49 FPS and max 66 FPS.
• High: 49 FPS average.
• Ultra: 40 FPS average.

The 4K results show a significant drop, with a 39% reduction from Low to Ultra. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 49 is below the 60 FPS target, highlighting the GPU’s struggle at 4K. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates, while 4K requires Low settings for playable performance. The measured FPS values are consistent with the combo’s rank of 2146, confirming that it is a solid mid-range option for Doom but not a high-end 4K machine. The GPU’s shared memory architecture and the CPU’s balanced performance make this a versatile combo for esports and casual play at 1440p, but users seeking 4K Ultra should look elsewhere.