Doom

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 places at rank 554 out of 3712 tested combos in the database for Doom. That puts this configuration in the top 15 percent of all tested systems, a strong showing for a game released in May 2016. The rank reflects the entire combo, not just the GPU, and the data shows that this pairing is far above the median experience for this title.

What makes the rank interesting is the mismatch between the two components. The RTX 5090 sits at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, while the i5-10400F sits at the 68th percentile among all CPUs. The GPU is doing the heavy lifting in the ranking, yet the CPU is not dragging the system down to a degree that would push the combo out of the top tier. The recorded data indicates that even with a mid-range 10th Gen processor, the sheer graphics horsepower of the RTX 5090 dominates the frame rates in Doom.

The rank of 554 out of 3712 means roughly 3158 other configurations tested worse, while 553 performed better. This is not a record-breaking combination, but it is firmly in the upper echelon. The database shows that combos ranked above this one likely use newer, higher-end CPUs, but the FPS results for this specific game suggest that the CPU bottleneck is minimal at most settings and resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear pattern about which component matters more for Doom at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 222 at Ultra settings to 266 at Low settings. The gap between Low and Ultra is only 44 FPS, which is relatively narrow. This suggests that the GPU is not being fully stressed at this resolution, and the CPU is beginning to assert its influence. The i5-10400F with its 6 cores and 12 threads, boosting to 4.30 GHz, is sufficient to feed the RTX 5090 at 1080p, but the scaling is not linear. The jump from Low to Medium adds 12 FPS, while Medium to High drops 15 FPS, and High to Ultra drops another 17 FPS. The performance curve is smooth, indicating that both components are working in concert without a severe bottleneck.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 177 at Ultra to 230 at Low. The gap between Low and Ultra widens to 53 FPS. This resolution puts more pressure on the GPU, and the data shows that the RTX 5090 is now the primary driver. The Medium preset delivers 219 FPS, which is only 11 FPS lower than Low, while High sits at 207 FPS. The GPU's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are more than adequate for this resolution, and the CPU is still keeping up without issue.

At 3840x2160, the GPU takes full control. The average FPS ranges from 96 at Ultra to 159 at Low, a gap of 63 FPS. The RTX 5090's 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is now the limiting factor, and the CPU's role diminishes significantly. The scaling from Low to Medium shows a drop of 20 FPS, Medium to High drops 22 FPS, and High to Ultra drops 21 FPS. This consistent degradation across presets points squarely at the GPU as the dominant component at 4K. The i5-10400F is still capable, but its influence on frame rates at this resolution is negligible.

The overall picture is that the RTX 5090 matters more as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU contributes meaningfully to the ceiling, but at 4K, the GPU is nearly everything. The data shows that the i5-10400F does not become a severe bottleneck at any resolution, which reflects the efficiency of Doom's engine and the headroom in the CPU's 12 threads.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185. The closest competitor is the Intel Core 7 160UL with an average score of 14232, a delta of -0.3 percent, meaning it performs almost identically. The AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277, a delta of -0.6 percent, and the AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115, a delta of 0.5 percent. The Intel Xeon 6756E scores 14163, a delta of 0.2 percent. All four rivals are within one percent of the i5-10400F's average score, so swapping to any of them would yield virtually indistinguishable frame rates in Doom. The EPYC 7552 and Xeon 6756E are server-class parts, but their raw compute scores place them in the same performance tier for this game.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842. The nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB with a score of 79605, a delta of 0.3 percent, meaning the RTX 5090 is only slightly faster. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396, a delta of 0.6 percent, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, a delta of 1.1 percent. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959, a delta of -1.4 percent, meaning it is actually faster than the RTX 5090 by a small margin. In practical terms, any of these GPUs would deliver nearly the same performance in Doom, with differences of one percent or less being imperceptible in real gameplay. The RTX 5090's launch MSRP is 1,999 USD, but the benchmark data shows that its performance is not dramatically ahead of these older or mobile alternatives for this specific title.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, the data shows that all four tested settings at 3840x2160, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, exceed 60 FPS. The lowest average is 96 FPS at Ultra, so there is significant headroom above the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 177 FPS, which is the highest quality setting tested. Since it clears 60 FPS with a wide margin, it is the recommended choice for this resolution.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5090 compared to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 79842, while the nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scores 79605. This is a delta of 0.3 percent, meaning the RTX 5090 is only marginally faster, not a significant gap.

Q: Is the i5-10400F a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU limits performance slightly at 1920x1080, as the gap between Low and Ultra is 44 FPS, narrower than at higher resolutions. However, the lowest average at Ultra is still 222 FPS, so the bottleneck is not restrictive for playability.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F is at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, indicating it performs better than 68 percent of tested processors, but it is not a top-tier chip.

Q: Which resolution shows the largest performance drop between presets?

A: The largest drop between Low and Ultra is at 3840x2160, where the average FPS falls from 159 to 96, a difference of 63 FPS. This indicates the GPU is the primary factor at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded averages are 266 FPS on Low, 254 FPS on Medium, 239 FPS on High, and 222 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset also recorded a minimum of 216 FPS and a maximum of 292 FPS. No min or max values were recorded for the other settings at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 230 FPS on Low, 219 FPS on Medium, 207 FPS on High, and 177 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 186 FPS and a maximum of 252 FPS. The other presets lack min or max data.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 159 FPS on Low, 139 FPS on Medium, 117 FPS on High, and 96 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one with min and max values recorded, showing 118 FPS minimum and 160 FPS maximum.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: Low is always the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the slowest. The FPS deltas between presets grow larger as resolution increases, which aligns with the GPU becoming the limiting factor at higher pixel counts. The Medium presets are the only settings with recorded min and max values, providing a glimpse into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the spread from min to max is 76 FPS, while at 1440p it is 66 FPS, and at 4K it is 42 FPS. This suggests that higher resolutions actually produce more stable frame pacing, as the GPU is more consistently utilized.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 222 FPS. Since all presets clear the threshold, the best choice is the highest quality setting available.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 177 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. All presets are playable, so Ultra is the recommended setting for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 96 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. Every preset from Low to Ultra remains playable, so Ultra is the best setting for 4K as well.

The verdict by resolution confirms that no settings combination drops below the playable threshold. The database lists all four settings as playable at each resolution, with the best settings being Ultra in every case. The average FPS at Ultra is 222 at 1080p, 177 at 1440p, and 96 at 4K. This means a user can max out the game at any resolution and still maintain a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: this PC can run Doom at every resolution and preset combination tested. At 3840x2160, all four settings, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, are marked as playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 96 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 177 FPS, and at 1920x1080, Ultra averages 222 FPS. The playable threshold of 60 FPS is exceeded by a wide margin in all cases.

The only caveat is that the i5-10400F is a modest CPU relative to the RTX 5090, but the recorded frame rates show no evidence of a crippling bottleneck. The game's 2016 release date means it was designed for hardware of that era, and this modern GPU obliterates the requirements. The combo rank of 554 out of 3712 places it in the upper tier, and the benchmark results confirm that Doom runs at its maximum settings with substantial headroom. For anyone with a 4K display, the Ultra preset at 96 FPS is the clear recommendation, and for high refresh rate monitors at 1440p, the 177 FPS average on Ultra is more than sufficient. This is a definitive pass for all scenarios.