Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a strong performance profile for Doom, with benchmark data showing the system comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS playable threshold at 1080p and 1440p across all tested presets. At 4K, the pairing remains capable but requires a reduction in graphical fidelity to maintain smooth frame rates, with Medium settings providing the best balance of visual quality and performance. This analysis breaks down the measured results, contextualizes the hardware against its nearest rivals, and provides a clear picture of what this combo can achieve in Doom.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combo each have closely matched rivals based on aggregate benchmark scores, which helps contextualize their expected behavior in Doom.

For the Intel Core i5-12400, the nearest performance alternatives are a mix of server, mobile, and desktop processors. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18697, a negligible 0.1% difference from the i5-12400's average score of 18683, indicating nearly identical overall throughput. The Intel Core i7-1355U is 0.3% slower at 18730, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 is 0.7% ahead at 18811. The Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% behind at 18519. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, meaning any of these processors would deliver effectively the same frame rates in Doom, which is a title that is not heavily multithreaded. The i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient for the game's engine, and the single-threaded performance, reflected in a 3dmark_single_thread score of 910, ensures that the CPU will not bottleneck the GPU at most settings.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, the nearest rivals in the database are surprisingly older or integrated parts. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666, a 0.2% difference from the RTX 4060's 17639. The AMD Radeon 780M, an integrated GPU, is 0.3% behind at 17588. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 and Pro 460 are 0.5% and 0.7% behind at 17551 and 17509, respectively. These extremely small deltas suggest that in the aggregate benchmark used for comparison, these parts perform nearly identically. However, for a game like Doom, the RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and dedicated ray tracing cores provide a significant real-world advantage, particularly at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth and capacity become critical. The data shows the RTX 4060 holds a 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs, indicating it is a solid mid-range performer.

Best Settings per Resolution

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS at each resolution.

• 1920x1080: The Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 137 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and even the minimum FPS for the next step down, Medium, is 168, showing significant headroom.
• 2560x1440: The Ultra preset remains the optimal setting, with an average of 89 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS line by a comfortable margin, allowing for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.
• 3840x2160: The Medium preset is the most demanding that stays playable, averaging 70 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 48 FPS on average, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. High settings also average 59 FPS, just under the mark, making Medium the clear choice for a stable experience at 4K. The measured minimum for Medium at this resolution is 59 FPS, with a maximum of 80.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Doom at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the combo averages 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. To achieve a smooth experience at 4K, you must lower the settings to Medium, which averages 70 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset is the best choice for 2560x1440. It delivers an average of 89 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target, allowing you to experience the game at its highest visual quality without performance concerns.

Q: How much faster is the system at 1080p compared to 4K?

A: At 1080p with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 137. At 4K with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 48. This represents a 185% increase in frame rate when moving from 4K Ultra to 1080p Ultra.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p. At the Low preset, the system averages 228 FPS, and at Ultra it averages 137 FPS. These high frame rates indicate the GPU is fully utilized and capable of pushing well beyond the 60 FPS target at this resolution.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo in Doom?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded in the measured data is 59, which occurs at 3840x2160 on the Medium preset. The next lowest minimum is 109 at 2560x1440 on Medium, showing that at lower resolutions, frame pacing remains very stable.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems in Doom?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2001st out of 3712 tested combinations. This places it in the 54th percentile, indicating it performs better than a majority of tested systems.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 can definitively run Doom. The verdict data shows clear playable settings for each resolution:

• 1920x1080: The system is fully playable at all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). The best setting is Ultra, which achieves an average of 137 FPS, vastly exceeding the 60 FPS threshold.
• 2560x1440: All four presets are also playable at this resolution. The best setting is Ultra, with an average of 89 FPS, providing a high-quality experience with plenty of performance headroom.
• 3840x2160: Playability at 4K is limited to the Low and Medium presets. The best setting is Medium, which averages 70 FPS. High settings average 59 FPS, just missing the 60 FPS target, while Ultra drops to 48 FPS and is not recommended for a smooth experience.

In summary, this PC is an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming in Doom, and it can even handle 4K at Medium settings with a playable frame rate. The data indicates a well-balanced system where the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average, minimum, and maximum frame rates recorded for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 228 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 198 | 168 | 228 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 167 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 137 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 147 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 128 | 109 | 148 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 108 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 89 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 80 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 70 | 59 | 80 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 59 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 48 | - | - |

The data reveals a clear scaling pattern. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, even at Ultra, indicating the CPU and GPU have significant headroom. Moving to 1440p, the performance drops by roughly 35-40% across all presets, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. The jump to 4K is more severe, with the Ultra preset falling to 48 FPS, a 65% decrease from its 1080p counterpart. The minimum FPS data, where available, shows that frame pacing is generally stable, with the only recorded minimum below 60 being the 59 FPS at 4K Medium.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Doom, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 holds a rank of 2001 out of 3712 total combos. This places the system in the 54th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms more than half of the systems that have been benchmarked for this game. While not a top-tier enthusiast setup, the rank confirms that this is a solid mid-range combination that delivers a very good gaming experience, especially when considering the high frame rates achieved at 1080p and 1440p. The ranking is a holistic measure, and the specific resolution and settings data provides a more nuanced view of where this combo excels.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data across different resolutions illustrates the shifting balance between CPU and GPU demands in Doom.

At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more significant role in determining maximum frame rates. The system achieves 228 FPS on Low settings, which suggests that the Intel Core i5-12400's single-thread performance is sufficient to feed the GPU at very high rates. As settings increase to Medium (198 FPS) and Ultra (137 FPS), the frame rate drops, indicating that the GPU is becoming more heavily utilized. The relatively small difference between Low and Ultra (a 40% drop) suggests the CPU is capable of handling the game's logic efficiently, and the GPU is the limiting factor for higher visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's workload increases substantially. The frame rates at all settings are lower than at 1080p, with Ultra dropping to 89 FPS. The scaling from Low (147 FPS) to Ultra (89 FPS) shows a 40% decrease, a similar pattern to 1080p. This indicates that while the GPU is doing more work, the CPU is still keeping up without becoming a bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The frame rates drop dramatically, with Ultra averaging just 48 FPS. The scaling from Low (80 FPS) to Ultra (48 FPS) represents a 40% drop, but the absolute numbers are much lower. This clearly shows that the RTX 4060's 8 GB of memory and 128-bit memory bus are being pushed to their limits at 4K. The CPU, by contrast, has ample headroom at this resolution, as the frame rate is almost entirely dictated by the GPU's pixel-pushing capabilities.

The data shows that the CPU's role is most critical at lower resolutions where high frame rates can expose CPU limitations. As resolution increases, the GPU's fill rate, memory bandwidth, and raw compute power become the primary factors. This is a classic example of a balanced mid-range system where the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, but the CPU is sufficient to avoid limiting performance at 1080p and 1440p.