Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is a formidable combination for running Doom, delivering frame rates that far exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold across all tested resolutions and presets. The measured data shows this combo handles the 2016 FPS title with massive headroom, even at 4K Ultra settings. While the CPU is a solid mid-range part — sitting in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs and averaging a benchmark score of 18,683 — the GPU is the dominant force here, ranking in the 81st percentile among all GPUs with an average score of 37,648. The result is a system that turns Doom's fast-paced action into an extremely smooth experience, though the scaling between resolutions reveals where the RTX 4070 starts to feel the load.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combination produces exceptional numbers. Low settings yield an average of 314 FPS, which drops to 273 FPS at Medium, 231 FPS at High, and 189 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset shows the only recorded min/max range at this resolution: a minimum of 232 FPS and a maximum of 314 FPS. That means even the most demanding preset at 1080p keeps the average well above the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra still delivering more than triple the required frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains extremely strong but begins to scale down noticeably. Low settings produce an average of 203 FPS, Medium delivers 177 FPS, High comes in at 150 FPS, and Ultra still holds at 122 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p records a minimum of 150 FPS and a maximum of 204 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS mark by a wide margin, with the lowest average (Ultra) being roughly double the playability threshold.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4070 starts to show its limits, though the results remain impressive for 4K gaming. Low settings average 110 FPS, Medium averages 96 FPS, High averages 81 FPS, and Ultra averages 66 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has recorded min/max values of 81 FPS and 110 FPS, respectively. Even the most demanding combination — 4K Ultra — stays above 60 FPS on average, making this combo a legitimate 4K-capable setup for Doom.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the i5-12400 and the RTX 4070 depending on resolution. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are so high that the CPU's single-thread performance likely becomes a limiting factor. The i5-12400 scores 910 in 3DMark single-thread and 1,692 in 3DMark 2-thread tests, which are respectable numbers but not exceptional. The fact that 1080p Low hits 314 FPS while 1080p Ultra drops to 189 FPS suggests that the GPU is still the bottleneck at higher settings, but the gap between Low and Medium (314 vs. 273 FPS) is smaller than the gap between Medium and High (273 vs. 231 FPS), indicating that the CPU is contributing to the ceiling at lower graphical loads.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline from 203 FPS down to 122 FPS, which is a more linear progression than at 1080p. This suggests the RTX 4070 is now the primary constraint, as the increased pixel count puts more pressure on the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth. The RTX 4070's 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth and 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are being utilized more fully here.

The 4K results confirm the GPU-dominant scenario. The drop from 110 FPS at Low to 66 FPS at Ultra at 3840x2160 is a 40% reduction, driven almost entirely by the GPU's workload. The CPU, with its 12 threads and 18 MB of shared L3 cache, has plenty of headroom at this resolution, as Doom's engine is not particularly demanding on multithreaded performance. The i5-12400's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15,989 and PassMark multithread score of 18,747 indicate it can feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck in this title.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Doom at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?*

A: Yes, at every resolution tested. The combo averages 189 FPS at 1080p Ultra, 122 FPS at 1440p Ultra, and 66 FPS at 4K Ultra, all above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?*

A: The data shows 1440p Ultra offers the best balance, with an average of 122 FPS. This is well above 60 FPS and provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p without the performance drop seen at 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4070's average benchmark score of 37,648 puts it 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37,628) and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37,507). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38,135) by 1.3%, but leads the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37,157) by 1.3%.

*Q: Is the i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 in Doom?*

A: At lower resolutions and settings, the CPU may limit maximum frame rates, as seen with 1080p Low hitting 314 FPS. However, at 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the i5-12400's performance is sufficient to keep up.

Q: What are the minimum recorded frame rates for this combo?

A: The only min/max data available is for Medium settings: 232/314 FPS at 1080p, 150/204 FPS at 1440p, and 81/110 FPS at 4K. These minimums are all well above 60 FPS.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Doom?*

A: It ranks 860th out of 3,712 tested combos, placing it in the top 23% of all systems benchmarked for this game.

The Verdict

The verdict is unambiguous: this PC can run Doom exceptionally well at all tested resolutions and presets. The playable settings list includes High, Low, Medium, and Ultra for every resolution, meaning there is no configuration in the data that falls below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra with an average of 189 FPS, which is more than sufficient for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. At 2560x1440, Ultra still delivers 122 FPS on average, making it the sweet spot for visual quality and speed. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 66 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS bar but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The 4K Medium preset, with an average of 96 FPS and a recorded minimum of 81 FPS, is the safer choice for those who want to avoid any dips below 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested combinations for Doom, this pairing sits at rank 860 out of 3,712 combos. That places it in the top 23% of systems, which is a strong showing given the i5-12400 is a mid-range CPU and the RTX 4070 is a high-end but not flagship GPU. The ranking reflects the GPU's dominance in this title, as the RTX 4070's 81st percentile standing among all GPUs contributes more to the result than the CPU's 72nd percentile. The gap between this combo and the top-ranked systems is likely due to more powerful CPUs and GPUs at the very top, but for the vast majority of users, the performance here is more than adequate.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution is Ultra in all cases, based on the available measured data. At 1920x1080, Ultra runs at an average of 189 FPS, providing maximum visual fidelity with enormous performance headroom. At 2560x1440, Ultra achieves 122 FPS on average, which is still well above the threshold and represents the best visual quality available. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 66 FPS, which technically clears the 60 FPS mark but is close enough to the threshold that players sensitive to frame drops may prefer the Medium preset, which averages 96 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS. For those prioritizing a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, Medium is the recommended choice, while Ultra is viable for those willing to accept occasional dips below the average.