Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a specific performance profile for Doom. The data shows a system that is highly capable at standard resolutions but constrained at higher ones. The recorded measurements indicate that this combination can handle the game at 1080p with high settings, while 1440p requires a reduction in graphical fidelity. At 4K, the hardware falls short of the 60 FPS target across all tested settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is determined by the recorded data.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the playable threshold. The highest recorded average is 34 FPS at Low settings, which is well below the 60 FPS target. Consequently, there is no recommended setting for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold is Low. The measured average at Low settings is 62 FPS. High settings drop to 46 FPS, Medium to 54 FPS, and Ultra to 37 FPS. Therefore, Low is the best playable setting at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, three presets achieve playable status. High settings deliver an average of 71 FPS, Medium delivers 84 FPS, and Low delivers 96 FPS. The most demanding of these is High, making it the best setting at this resolution. Ultra settings fall short with an average of 58 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K resolution?

A: No. The recorded data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The best average FPS is 34 at Low settings, with High at 25 FPS, Medium at 29 FPS, and Ultra at 20 FPS. All values are below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for a stable 60 FPS experience at 1440p?

A: Low is the only setting that reaches the threshold, with an average of 62 FPS. Medium averages 54 FPS, High averages 46 FPS, and Ultra averages 37 FPS, all of which are below the target.

Q: Which settings are playable at 1080p?

A: High, Medium, and Low are all playable. High averages 71 FPS, Medium averages 84 FPS, and Low averages 96 FPS. Ultra is not playable, averaging 58 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 71 to 46, a loss of 25 FPS. This represents a significant reduction in smoothness at the higher resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The average FPS drops from 96 at Low to 58 at Ultra. This shows a substantial penalty of 38 FPS for the highest preset.

Q: Does the system provide a minimum FPS guarantee at any resolution?

A: The recorded data only includes minimum FPS values for the Medium preset. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 71 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 46 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 25 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets indicates the role of each component. The Intel Core i5-14600K is a high-end desktop processor with 14 cores and 20 threads. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064, place it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs. The Intel Arc B370, in contrast, is an integrated graphics solution with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile among all GPUs. This discrepancy suggests the GPU is the primary constraint.

The data supports this. At 1080p, the system delivers playable frame rates at High, Medium, and Low settings. This shows the CPU has enough headroom to drive the game at moderate workloads. When the resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU load increases, and only the Low preset remains above 60 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is overwhelmed, and all settings fall below 34 FPS.

The scaling between presets further illustrates the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p, the difference between Low and High is 25 FPS (96 to 71). At 1440p, the difference between Low and High is 16 FPS (62 to 46). At 4K, the difference is 9 FPS (34 to 25). As resolution increases, the frame rate gap between settings narrows, indicating that the GPU is saturated and setting changes have a smaller relative impact.

The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with frames. Given the GPU's low percentile ranking, the CPU is likely idle much of the time. The system performance is therefore dictated by the Arc B370's rendering capabilities. The processor is not the limiting factor in this configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data provides exact average frame rates for each resolution and preset. For the Medium preset, minimum and maximum values are also available.

At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 25 FPS. The Low preset averages 34 FPS. The Medium preset averages 29 FPS, with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 34. The Ultra preset averages 20 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 46 FPS. The Low preset averages 62 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 62. The Ultra preset averages 37 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 71 FPS. The Low preset averages 96 FPS. The Medium preset averages 84 FPS, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96. The Ultra preset averages 58 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern. Higher resolutions and higher presets result in lower frame rates. The minimum and maximum values for the Medium preset align with the averages of the Low and High presets at each resolution, showing a coherent scaling hierarchy.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-14600K provide context for its processing power. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H has an average score of 48698, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-14600K's average score of 48618. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, which is 0.3% higher. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, 0.7% higher. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, 0.8% lower. These CPUs are all functionally equivalent in raw compute, with deltas under 1%.

The Intel Arc B370's nearest rivals show its performance tier. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, 0.2% higher than the Arc B370's 1184. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7% higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, 1.4% lower. These deltas are all within 1.4%, indicating the Arc B370 performs in the same class as these older discrete and mobile graphics solutions.

For Doom specifically, swapping the CPU for any of the listed rivals would have a negligible impact on frame rates, as the CPU is not the bottleneck. Swapping the GPU for a rival would result in nearly identical performance, with the AMD Radeon HD 7650M potentially offering a marginal 0.7% improvement and the AMD FirePro M2000 a 1.4% regression.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 3425 out of 3712 tested combos in the database for Doom. This places the system in the lower portion of the ranking, at approximately the 8th percentile of all tested configurations. This low ranking is directly attributable to the GPU's limited performance.

The CPU's individual ranking is high, in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU's ranking is very low, in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The combination of a strong processor with a weak integrated graphics unit results in a system that is bottlenecked by the graphics solution. The overall combo rank reflects the weakest link in the chain.

This rank indicates that most other tested hardware combinations will deliver higher frame rates in Doom. The system is not competitive with configurations that include a discrete graphics card.

The Verdict

The data indicates that this PC can run Doom at playable frame rates, but with significant caveats depending on resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable. High settings deliver an average of 71 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium and Low settings also provide playable performance, with averages of 84 and 96 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset misses the threshold with 58 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the system is only playable on the Low preset, which averages 62 FPS. This is a marginal pass over the 60 FPS line. Medium (54 FPS), High (46 FPS), and Ultra (37 FPS) are all below the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system is not playable. No preset reaches the 60 FPS target. The highest average is 34 FPS at Low settings, with other presets ranging from 20 to 29 FPS.

In summary, the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B370 combination is suitable for Doom at 1080p with High settings, offering a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. It can also manage 1440p gaming, but only at the lowest graphical quality. For 4K gaming, this hardware is insufficient. The CPU is not a limiting factor, but the GPU's low performance ceiling prevents higher resolutions and presets from achieving smooth gameplay.