Doom

Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 deliver a thoroughly capable 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, with 4K requiring a settings compromise. The measured data shows this pairing ranks 2281st out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the upper half of all systems evaluated for this title. The combination of a 14-core, 20-thread Raptor Lake refresh processor and the Blackwell 2.0-based GPU produces strong frame rates across the board, though the 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus become limiting factors at the highest resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a clear picture of performance scaling across three resolutions and four quality presets. Starting at 3840x2160, the data shows the RTX 5050 operating near its practical ceiling. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls to 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. Dropping to High settings recovers some headroom, with an average of 52 FPS, but this still misses the target. Medium settings deliver 62 FPS on average, with minimums of 52 FPS and maximums of 71 FPS, making this the first playable tier at 4K. Low settings push the average to 71 FPS, with the same minimum and maximum range as Medium, indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint rather than the CPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the picture improves substantially. Ultra settings average 79 FPS, comfortably above the playable threshold. High settings reach 96 FPS on average. Medium settings produce 114 FPS, with minimums of 97 FPS and maximums of 131 FPS. Low settings top out at 131 FPS on average. The scaling from Medium to High is a 18 FPS drop, while High to Ultra costs another 17 FPS, showing a consistent performance curve as image quality increases.

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its strongest results. Ultra settings average 122 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS floor. High settings reach 149 FPS. Medium settings deliver 176 FPS, with minimums of 150 FPS and maximums of 203 FPS. Low settings produce 202 FPS on average. The gap between Medium and High is 27 FPS, and High to Ultra is another 27 FPS, indicating that each preset step imposes a similar relative cost at this resolution. The maximum recorded frame rate across all tested configurations is 203 FPS, achieved at 1080p Low.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals shifting balance between processor and graphics card responsibilities as resolution changes. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The average frame rate drops from 71 FPS at Low to 43 FPS at Ultra, a 39% reduction that occurs entirely within the graphics pipeline. The CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads have ample headroom at this resolution, as evidenced by the relatively small frame time variance between presets. The minimum and maximum values at Medium (52 and 71 FPS) show that the GPU is consistently saturated.

At 2560x1440, the balance begins to shift. The CPU starts to matter more, as evidenced by the 131 FPS average at Low settings, which is nearly double the 4K Low result. This suggests that the processor can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them at lower quality settings. The 79 FPS Ultra result at 1440p is close to the 71 FPS Low result at 4K, indicating that resolution scaling is more impactful than quality preset changes when the GPU is the bottleneck.

At 1920x1080, the CPU becomes the more significant contributor. The 202 FPS average at Low settings demonstrates that the i5-14600K can drive very high frame rates. The Core i5's 5.30 GHz boost clock and 24 MB of shared L3 cache support this performance. The fact that Ultra settings still deliver 122 FPS, only 40% below the Low result, suggests that the GPU is now the limiting factor even at lower resolutions, but the CPU is no longer the primary constraint. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same preset (e.g., High at 149 FPS vs 96 FPS) shows a 35% reduction, which is consistent with the GPU being the main bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

The verdict data indicates the optimal configuration for each resolution while maintaining at least 60 FPS on average. At 3840x2160, the most demanding playable preset is Medium, which delivers 62 FPS on average. This is the only resolution where the user must compromise on quality. High settings at 52 FPS and Ultra at 43 FPS both fall short of the playability threshold. Low settings at 71 FPS are technically playable but offer no advantage over Medium in this case, since both settings share the same minimum and maximum frame rates.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable. Ultra settings provide 79 FPS on average, making this the best choice for users who prioritize image quality. The 60 FPS threshold is cleared with 19 FPS to spare, providing reasonable headroom for demanding scenes. High settings at 96 FPS offer a smoother experience, but the Ultra preset remains viable without sacrificing frame rate stability.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings are the clear recommendation, delivering 122 FPS on average. This leaves substantial margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Users seeking higher refresh rates can drop to High at 149 FPS or Medium at 176 FPS, but the Ultra preset provides the best visual experience while remaining comfortably playable on standard 60 Hz displays. The 122 FPS average at Ultra also supports 120 Hz monitors, though frame times may vary in intense combat sequences.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2281 out of 3712 tested configurations places this system in the 61st percentile of all tested hardware pairs for Doom. This ranking reflects the balanced nature of the i5-14600K and RTX 5050 pairing. The CPU sits in the 90th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 48618. The GPU ranks in the 66th percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 21035.

The disparity between CPU and GPU percentiles suggests that the processor has more headroom than the graphics card. In Doom, a title that scales well with both hardware components, this means the RTX 5050 is the limiting factor in most scenarios. The ranking is competitive with other mainstream combinations, but not exceptional — the system sits in the upper half of all tested combos, which is expected for a mid-range GPU paired with an upper-mid-range CPU.

The data indicates that this combo performs better in CPU-bound scenarios (lower resolutions, lower settings) than in GPU-bound ones (higher resolutions, higher settings). This is consistent with the measured FPS results, which show the CPU can drive over 200 FPS at 1080p Low but the GPU caps out around 71 FPS at 4K Low. Users with this hardware should target 1080p or 1440p to get the most balanced experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-14600K provide context for CPU performance. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698 on average, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-14600K's 48618. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, 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 processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Doom, as the differences are within measurement noise.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL scores 21153, which is 0.6% lower than the RTX 5050's 21035. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M scores 21237, 1.0% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 20713, 1.6% higher. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile scores 21379, 1.6% lower. These alternatives would produce similar frame rates in Doom, though architectural differences could affect specific scenes.

Users seeking comparable performance could consider any of these CPUs paired with the RTX 5050, or the i5-14600K paired with a GPU in the same performance tier as the RX 5600 XT. The deltaPct values indicate that all these alternatives fall within a 2% performance band, making them effectively interchangeable for this game.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings or lower. The measured average at 3840x2160 Medium is 62 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. High settings average 52 FPS and Ultra averages 43 FPS, both below the playable threshold.

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

A: Ultra settings are the best choice at 2560x1440, delivering 79 FPS on average. All four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at this resolution, but Ultra offers the highest image quality while staying above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to the RX 5600 XT in this system?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, while the RX 5600 XT scores 20713. The RX 5600 XT is 1.6% higher per the deltaPct, meaning the RTX 5050 performs within 2% of the RX 5600 XT in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Is the i5-14600K the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 Low settings, the combo achieves 202 FPS on average, suggesting the CPU can drive very high frame rates. The CPU's 5.30 GHz boost clock and 24 MB L3 cache support this. The GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher presets, with Ultra averaging 122 FPS.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average at 1920x1080 Ultra is 122 FPS, with no reported minimum or maximum values. This is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold and supports high refresh rate monitors.

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

A: This pairing ranks 2281st out of 3712 tested combinations. The CPU is in the 90th percentile among all processors, while the GPU is in the 66th percentile among all graphics cards. The combination places in the upper half of all tested systems.