Doom

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Doom on this Intel Core i5-10400F with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and presets. All measurements are average FPS values, as minimum and maximum frame data were not captured in the database.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high. Low settings produce an average of 178 FPS, Medium reaches 150.6 FPS, High runs at 129.1 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a strong 104.7 FPS. The scaling pattern here is predictable: each step up in quality costs roughly 20 to 30 FPS, with the largest single drop occurring between Medium and High.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same settings show a noticeable but acceptable reduction. Low settings average 111.7 FPS, Medium delivers 99.7 FPS, High settles at 84.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 67.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 44.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom to handle the higher pixel count without collapsing.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. Low settings average 58.6 FPS, Medium drops to 54.6 FPS, High falls to 47 FPS, and Ultra averages just 38.7 FPS. None of these presets clear the 60 FPS threshold, and the spread between Low and Ultra is 19.9 FPS. This resolution pushes the RTX 2060 to its limits, with even the lightest settings failing to reach a smooth 60 frames per second.

The data suggests a steep performance cliff between 2560x1440 and 3840x2160. At 1440p, the combo is comfortably playable across all presets, while at 4K, even Low settings fall short. The pixel count increase from 1440p to 2160p roughly doubles the workload, and the measured FPS reflects that strain.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this specific CPU and GPU pairing at rank 2917 out of 3712 tested combinations for Doom. That position puts it in the 78th percentile, meaning roughly 22% of tested combos perform worse in this game. The context is important: Doom is a well-optimized title, and the ranking reflects that this mid-range pairing from 2019 to 2020 hardware does not embarrass itself.

Looking at the rank alone, this combo sits in the lower-middle portion of the database. The i5-10400F has a percentile of 68 among all CPUs, which is respectable for a six-core, twelve-thread part. The RTX 2060 has a percentile of 58 among all GPUs, which is more modest. The combination of a slightly above-average CPU with an average GPU lands the pair in a position where the GPU is the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The rank relative to the 3712 combos means that a significant number of systems with newer or higher-tier components will outperform this setup. However, the measured FPS data shows that the actual gaming experience is still smooth at 1080p and 1440p. Rankings are useful for broad comparisons, but the raw FPS numbers tell the real story for this specific title.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the recorded average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 104.7, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 2560x1440?

A: All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at 1440p, with Ultra averaging 67.2 FPS. The database lists Ultra as the best settings option for this resolution.

Q: Is 3840x2160 playable with any settings?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 4K is 58.6 on Low settings, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra are progressively lower at 54.6, 47, and 38.7 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals in overall GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 at 15283 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon 680M at 15270 (0.1% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15199 (0.6% ahead), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 at 15171 (0.8% ahead).

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark standing relative to similar processors?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185. The Intel Xeon 6756E is 0.2% ahead with 14163, the Intel Core 7 160UL is 0.3% behind with 14232, the AMD EPYC 7552 is 0.5% ahead with 14115, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.6% behind with 14277.

Q: Does the game favor the CPU or GPU more at higher resolutions?

A: The data shows that FPS drops significantly more when moving from 1440p to 4K compared to 1080p to 1440p. This indicates the GPU becomes the dominant constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU has sufficient headroom across all tested settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the RTX 2060 in the GPU database provide useful context for what hardware would behave similarly. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has an average score of 15283, just 0% away from the RTX 2060's 15290. This older card would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Doom, though it lacks modern features. The AMD Radeon 680M, an integrated GPU, scores 15270, which is a 0.1% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15199 (0.6% lower) and AMD Radeon RX 7600 at 15171 (0.8% lower) round out the closest comparisons. In practice, any of these would land within a few frames per second of the RTX 2060 in this title.

For the CPU side, the i5-10400F's nearest rivals show that its performance envelope is well established. The Intel Xeon 6756E, Intel Core 7 160UL, AMD EPYC 7552, and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C all sit within 0.6% of the i5's average score. These processors would feed a GPU similarly, meaning the combination's overall FPS would be nearly unchanged if the CPU were swapped for one of these.

The practical takeaway is that this combo's performance is not unique. A system with a GTX 580 or RX 7600 paired with any of those CPUs would produce very similar Doom frame rates, assuming the rest of the system is comparable.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with a recorded average of 104.7 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and the combo has ample headroom above the threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best playable preset, averaging 67.2 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS mark with a modest margin of 7.2 FPS, so there is some room for frame time variance, but the average is solid.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The database shows no playable settings for this resolution. The closest option is Low at 58.6 FPS, which falls short by 1.4 FPS. Users targeting 4K would need to consider lowering the resolution or accepting sub-60 performance.

The Verdict

This PC can run Doom, and it can run it well, but only up to a point. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 104.7 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra at 67.2 FPS. At 3840x2160, no settings achieve 60 FPS, making 4K effectively unplayable by the database's threshold.

The 60 FPS threshold is a meaningful bar for a fast-paced FPS like Doom. The combo exceeds it comfortably at 1080p and 1440p, even on the highest quality settings. The 4K results are the only disappointment, but given the hardware's age and tier, that is not surprising. For anyone with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this system delivers a smooth experience. For 4K users, the answer is less favorable, and the data suggests sticking to 1440p for the best balance of visual quality and performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the i5-10400F and the RTX 2060 in Doom becomes clearer when examining the scaling patterns across resolutions and presets.

At 1920x1080, the CPU has more influence relative to the GPU. The frame rates are high across all presets, ranging from 104.7 FPS at Ultra to 178 FPS at Low. The CPU's six cores and twelve threads, combined with its boost clock of 4.30 GHz, are sufficient to feed the GPU even at low settings where the GPU workload is lighter. The i5's 3dmark single-thread score of 688 and cinebench R23 single-core score of 1451 indicate strong per-core performance, which matters for a game like Doom that relies on a few heavily utilized threads.

At 2560x1440, the GPU starts to become the more significant factor. The FPS drops from 1080p are proportional to the increased pixel count, but the CPU is still keeping pace. The fact that Ultra at 1440p still averages 67.2 FPS shows that the GPU is handling the extra load without the CPU becoming a bottleneck. The CPU's multi-threaded scores, such as cinebench R23 multi-core at 10283, suggest it can maintain frame pacing even when the GPU is under stress.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting component. The FPS drops sharply compared to 1440p, with even Low settings falling to 58.6 FPS. The RTX 2060's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are being pushed to their limits at this resolution. The CPU, meanwhile, is unlikely to be the constraint, as its benchmark scores show ample processing headroom. The 38.7 FPS at Ultra is a GPU-bound result, not a reflection of CPU weakness.

The scaling between presets also tells a story. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 73.3 FPS. At 1440p, that difference narrows to 44.5 FPS. At 4K, it shrinks to 19.9 FPS. This pattern indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows and the relative impact of settings adjustments diminishes. The CPU's role remains consistent, but the GPU's limitations become the dominant factor in determining final frame rates. For this game, the RTX 2060 is the component to watch when considering higher resolutions, while the i5-10400F provides a stable foundation that does not hold the system back.