Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a commanding performance in Doom, with measured frame rates that comfortably exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold across nearly every resolution and settings combination tested. The data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution, maintaining triple-digit averages at 1080p and 1440p while only beginning to show strain at 4K Ultra settings. This combination of a 14-core Raptor Lake Refresh processor and an Ada Lovelace GPU proves more than capable of handling the 2016 FPS title, though the highest visual preset at 4K requires a modest settings reduction to maintain smooth gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 4060 and Core i5-14600K produce exceptional frame rates across all four presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 228 FPS, which serves as the baseline ceiling for the combination. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 198 FPS, with a minimum of 168 FPS and a maximum of 228 FPS, showing tight frame pacing. The High preset averages 167 FPS, while the most demanding Ultra preset still manages a robust 137 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is heavily GPU-bound at lower settings but retains ample headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors even at maximum visual quality.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive but shows a predictable decline. The Low preset averages 147 FPS, with Medium following at 128 FPS (minimum 109 FPS, maximum 148 FPS). High settings produce a 108 FPS average, and Ultra still clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin at 89 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 58 FPS, indicating that the GPU's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to handle the increased pixel count without causing severe bottlenecks. The minimum frame rate of 109 FPS at Medium suggests consistent delivery even during intense combat sequences.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to encounter its limits. The Low preset averages 80 FPS, which remains comfortably playable. Medium settings produce an average of 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS — this places the minimum just one frame below the 60 FPS threshold, though the average stays above it. High settings drop to a 59 FPS average, which technically misses the playable threshold on average, while Ultra falls further to 48 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 32 FPS, a substantial reduction that highlights the GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 48 ROPs as the limiting factors at this extreme resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Core i5-14600K and RTX 4060 ranks 2001st out of 3712 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the 54th percentile of all tested systems. This mid-pack ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU's mid-range positioning. The CPU itself sits in the 90th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 61st percentile among all graphics cards — the combination's overall rank is pulled down by the GPU being the weaker link in this pairing.

The ranking indicates that while this system delivers excellent absolute performance for Doom, there are numerous other combinations that achieve higher frame rates, likely featuring more powerful GPUs. The 3712 total combos tested include configurations with higher-tier graphics cards that would push 4K Ultra past 60 FPS, whereas this pairing requires a settings reduction at that resolution. However, the 2001st rank also means the system outperforms roughly 46% of all tested combinations, a respectable showing given that Doom is not an exceptionally demanding title by modern standards.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which delivers a 70 FPS average. While Low also clears the threshold at 80 FPS, Medium offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while still providing a 10 FPS margin above the playable threshold. The High preset's 59 FPS average falls just short, making Medium the optimal choice for 4K gaming with this hardware.

At 2560x1440, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — remain above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset is the best choice, averaging 89 FPS, which provides both maximum visual fidelity and a comfortable 29 FPS buffer over the minimum threshold. This resolution represents the sweet spot for this combination, where the GPU's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus are sufficient to handle the load without compromising on settings.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation, delivering a 137 FPS average. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold and offers the highest possible visual quality without any performance concerns. The 137 FPS average also makes this configuration suitable for high-refresh-rate displays, as it exceeds 120 FPS even at maximum settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database, four processors deliver nearly identical average scores to the Core i5-14600K's 48618 average. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, a negligible 0.2% difference, meaning systems using this server-grade chip would produce virtually indistinguishable frame rates in Doom. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, just 0.3% lower, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, a 0.7% deficit. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, 0.8% higher than the i5-14600K. In practice, any of these CPUs paired with the same RTX 4060 would yield FPS numbers within 1% of those measured here, making them functional equivalents for gaming.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4060's nearest rivals show a similar pattern of near-identical performance. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666 on average, just 0.2% higher than the RTX 4060's 17639. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, a 0.3% deficit, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17551 (0.5% lower) and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 scores 17509 (0.7% lower). These delta percentages are so small that swapping the RTX 4060 for any of these alternatives would result in frame rate differences of less than one FPS in most scenarios. However, it is worth remembering the RTX 4060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, while some of these rivals may lack feature parity in specific rendering paths.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Doom at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 70 FPS, and Low averages 80 FPS, both above the 60 FPS threshold. However, High drops to 59 FPS and Ultra falls to 48 FPS, so 4K gaming requires using Medium or Low settings.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware?

A: The data indicates 2560x1440 at Ultra settings is the optimal choice, delivering an 89 FPS average. This provides maximum visual quality while maintaining a 29 FPS buffer above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its closest GPU rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 4060's nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon HD 7790, AMD Radeon 780M, AMD Radeon Pro 560, and AMD Radeon Pro 460 — all score within 0.7% of the RTX 4060's average benchmark score. Frame rates in Doom would be indistinguishable between these cards.

Q: Is the Core i5-14600K a bottleneck for the RTX 4060?

A: The CPU ranks in the 90th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 48618. Its nearest rivals all perform within 0.8%, suggesting that the i5-14600K provides ample processing power for the RTX 4060 in Doom.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the system averages 137 FPS. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold and indicates the combination is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at this resolution.

Q: Does the combination rank well compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2001st out of 3712 tested combinations for Doom, placing it in the upper-middle range. It outperforms approximately 46% of tested systems, with the GPU's mid-range positioning being the primary factor limiting a higher rank.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Doom, and it does so with significant headroom at most settings. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at every preset, with Ultra settings delivering a 137 FPS average — this makes it an excellent choice for 1080p high-refresh-rate gaming. At 2560x1440, all four presets remain playable, with Ultra averaging 89 FPS, providing both visual quality and performance. The only compromise comes at 3840x2160, where the system achieves playable frame rates at Low (80 FPS) and Medium (70 FPS) settings, but falls short at High (59 FPS) and Ultra (48 FPS). For users prioritizing 4K gaming, selecting the Medium preset is the recommended approach, as it offers a solid visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a 70 FPS average. Overall, the data confirms this combination is well-balanced for Doom at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring modest settings adjustments to stay above the 60 FPS playability threshold.