Doom

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-10400F sits in a crowded performance band according to the recorded database averages. Its average benchmark score of 14,185 places it within a 1% margin of several very different processors. The AMD EPYC 7552 trails by just 0.5%, while the Intel Xeon 6756E is only 0.2% slower. On the other side, the Intel Core 7 160UL leads by 0.3%, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.6% ahead. What is curious here is the spread of hardware types: a data center EPYC, a Xeon server chip, a low-power mobile Core 7, and a budget Ryzen all land within a hair of the i5-10400F. This suggests that for Doom, the CPU's six cores and twelve threads, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, deliver enough throughput to match much more expensive or power-hungry parts in synthetic workloads. The closest rival in raw score terms, the Xeon 6756E, is likely a very different product, but the benchmark data shows near-identical average performance.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, the nearest rivals are a mixed bag of older and mobile parts. The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL is 0.6% behind, the AMD Radeon HD 8970M is 1% behind, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile is 1.6% behind. The only rival that beats the RTX 5050 is the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which sits 1.6% ahead. The RTX 5050's average benchmark score of 21,035 places it at the 66th percentile of all GPUs. The presence of the RX 5600 XT as the nearest faster rival is notable because that card is from an older generation, yet the data suggests the RTX 5050, with its Blackwell 2.0 architecture and 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, does not run away from it. The mobile RTX A4000 and the Vega M GL are also close, meaning that in Doom, a gamer coming from any of these parts would see similar frame rates, though the RTX 5050 does have newer ray tracing hardware that this game does not heavily utilize.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 3,712 tested CPU-GPU combinations in the database, this pairing of the i5-10400F and RTX 5050 ranks 2,281st for Doom. That places it in the lower-middle portion of all combos, which is a bit surprising given that both components sit near the 66th to 68th percentile individually. The rank indicates that many other combinations, likely with faster CPUs or GPUs, deliver smoother play at higher settings. The gap between the component percentiles and the combo rank suggests that Doom is not particularly demanding on either part, so the limiting factor might be the balance between the two. A combo ranked 2,281st out of 3,712 means roughly 61% of tested systems perform better in this game. That is not a weak result, but it does not put this rig in the top half for Doom specifically.

The data shows that the i5-10400F's 68th percentile CPU score and the RTX 5050's 66th percentile GPU score combine to produce a lower percentile ranking for the pair. This implies that Doom's engine rewards systems where both components are above average, and this combo is just barely there. The rank is what it is: a mid-pack finish. For a game from 2016, this is still a perfectly capable system, but the ranking hints that there is headroom to improve by pairing the RTX 5050 with a stronger CPU or the i5-10400F with a faster GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded frame rates are high across all presets. Low settings deliver an average of 202 FPS, with Medium dropping to 176 FPS (minimum 150, maximum 203). High settings yield 149 FPS, and Ultra still manages 122 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 80 FPS, which is a 40% drop from the lowest preset to the highest. The minimum recorded at Medium is 150 FPS, so there is no risk of dipping below 60 FPS even in the worst case.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages remain well above the playable threshold. Low settings produce 131 FPS, Medium averages 114 FPS (minimum 97, maximum 131), High drops to 96 FPS, and Ultra still holds 79 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 52 FPS, a smaller absolute gap than at 1080p but still a 40% reduction. The Medium preset's minimum of 97 FPS means the system never approaches the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low settings average 71 FPS, which clears the threshold but with no headroom for dips. Medium averages 62 FPS with a recorded minimum of 52 and maximum of 71, meaning there are moments below 60 FPS. High settings drop to 52 FPS, and Ultra falls to 43 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is severe: a 28 FPS drop from 71 to 43, which is a 39% reduction. The difference between Medium and High is 10 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 9 FPS, showing that each step up in quality costs roughly the same amount of performance at this resolution.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Doom? Yes, but with caveats depending on resolution. At 1920x1080, every preset clears 60 FPS comfortably. The database shows all four settings, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, are playable, with Ultra averaging 122 FPS. This is the resolution where the combo shines, and the verdict is unequivocal: full playability at any quality level.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is also positive. All four presets, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, maintain averages above 60 FPS. Ultra sits at 79 FPS, so even the most demanding setting leaves a 19 FPS buffer above the threshold. The minimum recorded at Medium is 97 FPS, so there are no dangerous dips. This resolution is fully playable with no compromises.

At 3840x2160, the verdict becomes restrictive. Only Low and Medium are playable, with Low averaging 71 FPS and Medium averaging 62 FPS. The problem is that Medium has a minimum of 52 FPS, which means the system will occasionally drop below 60 FPS even though the average is above it. High and Ultra are not playable, averaging 52 and 43 FPS respectively. For a smooth 4K experience, the user must stick to Low or accept occasional stutters on Medium. The best playable setting at 4K is Medium, but the data warns that the minimum FPS can fall to 52.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals how the balance shifts between the i5-10400F and the RTX 5050 across resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU has more influence because the GPU is not fully taxed. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p costs 80 FPS, but the absolute numbers are so high (202 down to 122) that the GPU is never the bottleneck. The i5-10400F's six cores and 12 threads, with a 4.30 GHz boost, are sufficient to feed the RTX 5050 at these frame rates. The single-thread score of 688 in 3DMark and 1,451 in Cinebench R23 indicates the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output at 1080p.

At 1440p, the GPU starts to take a larger role. The average FPS drops from 131 on Low to 79 on Ultra, a 52 FPS swing. The CPU is still not the limiting factor, as the minimum at Medium is 97 FPS, which is well above any CPU-bound scenario. The RTX 5050's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are handling the increased pixel count, but the i5-10400F still has headroom. The data suggests that at 1440p, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, but the CPU is not holding it back.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant component. The average FPS drops to 71 on Low and 43 on Ultra, a 28 FPS swing that is entirely attributable to the GPU's workload. The RTX 5050's 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate are being pushed to their limits. The CPU's role diminishes because the frame rates are lower, and the i5-10400F can easily provide the necessary draw calls. The scaling between resolutions shows this: 1080p Ultra is 122 FPS, 1440p Ultra is 79 FPS, and 4K Ultra is 43 FPS. The GPU is the reason for that drop, not the CPU.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F strong enough for Doom?

A: Yes. The CPU sits at the 68th percentile of all processors, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10,283 shows ample capability. The measured FPS at 1080p and 1440p never dips below 97 FPS even at Medium settings, indicating the CPU is not the bottleneck.

Q: Can the RTX 5050 handle 4K in Doom?

A: Only at Low or Medium settings. The data shows Low averages 71 FPS and Medium averages 62 FPS, but Medium has a minimum of 52 FPS. High and Ultra are not playable, averaging 52 and 43 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p?

A: Ultra is the best preset, averaging 79 FPS. All four presets at 1440p clear the 60 FPS threshold, so there is no reason to lower quality below Ultra.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT?

A: The RX 5600 XT is 1.6% faster in average benchmark score (21,213 vs 21,035). In practice, this means the RTX 5050 and RX 5600 XT would produce nearly identical frame rates in Doom.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium?

A: The minimum is 150 FPS, with a maximum of 203 FPS and an average of 176 FPS. This is far above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Does Doom perform better at 1080p or 1440p for this combo?

A: 1080p is significantly faster. At Ultra, 1080p averages 122 FPS versus 79 FPS at 1440p, a 43 FPS difference. At Low, 1080p averages 202 FPS versus 131 FPS at 1440p.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 122 FPS. Since even the minimum at Medium is 150 FPS, the user can safely run Ultra without any concern for drops below the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is also Ultra, averaging 79 FPS. The minimum at Medium is 97 FPS, so Ultra should maintain a stable experience, though the database does not list a minimum for Ultra. The 79 FPS average provides a 19 FPS buffer over the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Medium, averaging 62 FPS. However, the minimum at Medium is 52 FPS, so there will be occasional dips below 60 FPS. Low averages 71 FPS and is the safer choice for a consistent 60 FPS experience, but Medium is the highest preset that technically clears the average threshold. For a strictly smooth 4K session, Low is the recommended preset, as it has no recorded minimum below 60 FPS.