Doom

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a compelling case study for running id Software's 2016 classic, Doom. The recorded data, drawn from our benchmark database, shows a system that scales predictably across resolutions and presets, with the playability threshold set at 60 frames per second. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, ranks the combo against other tested configurations, and identifies what the numbers imply about the hardware's balance.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Low settings is 65.8 FPS. Higher presets at 4K fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with Medium at 55.7 FPS and High at 44.6 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p that stays above 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 74.5 FPS, making it the most demanding setting that remains playable. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) at this resolution clear the 60 FPS bar.

Q: How does the system perform at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, every preset is comfortably playable. The lowest recorded average is 112.6 FPS on Ultra, while Low settings reach 185.7 FPS. This resolution provides a significant performance headroom for high refresh rate displays.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested hardware combinations?

A: The database places this combination at rank 2827 out of 3712 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the field. The percentile data for the individual components shows the CPU at the 47th percentile and the GPU at the 68th percentile.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at higher resolutions?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution increases. The frame rate drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU's performance metrics remain constant. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra settings is 28.2 FPS, indicating the graphics card's workload is the dominant variable.

Q: What does the measured FPS data show about frame time consistency?

A: The database records only average FPS values for this title, with no minimum or maximum frame data available. The averages do show a smooth progression across settings, with no anomalies that would suggest stuttering or erratic performance.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Low, which records 65.8 FPS. The Medium preset falls short at 55.7 FPS, and High drops further to 44.6 FPS. Ultra is the most demanding at this resolution, producing 37.6 FPS. So for 4K, Low is the only viable option, and it clears the threshold by just 5.8 frames.

For 2560x1440, the situation is far more favorable. The Ultra preset achieves 74.5 FPS, which is the highest quality setting that stays above 60 FPS. Medium delivers 105.8 FPS, High reaches 87.5 FPS, and Low tops out at 118.4 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p allows for the full visual experience without compromising the playability target.

At 1920x1080, all presets are well above the threshold. Ultra averages 112.6 FPS, High hits 134.1 FPS, Medium produces 159 FPS, and Low reaches 185.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is the best choice here, offering the highest visual fidelity while maintaining a substantial buffer above 60 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i5-9400 and the Intel Arc B580 across resolutions. The CPU, with its six cores and six threads, provides a stable foundation. Its benchmark scores, such as 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 in single-core, indicate balanced processing capability. The GPU, with its 2560 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, handles the rendering workload.

When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average frame rate across all presets drops by roughly 30 to 40 percent. For example, Ultra goes from 112.6 FPS at 1080p to 74.5 FPS at 1440p, a decrease of 38.1 FPS. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the increased pixel count directly impacts the graphics card's output.

The jump from 1440p to 4K shows an even steeper decline. Ultra falls from 74.5 FPS to 37.6 FPS, a reduction of 36.9 FPS. Low settings drop from 118.4 FPS to 65.8 FPS. This accelerated degradation at 4K suggests the Arc B580's memory bandwidth and shading throughput are being pushed to their limits. The GPU's 456.0 GB/s bandwidth and 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 performance are the determining factors here.

The CPU's role remains consistent regardless of resolution, as its workload is primarily tied to game logic and draw calls, not pixel output. The fact that the frame rate scales so dramatically with resolution indicates the i5-9400 is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting performance, the frame rates would show less variation across presets and resolutions. The data points to the GPU as the component that dictates playability at higher settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo holds position 2827 out of 3712 tested combinations in the database for Doom. This places it in the 24th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly three-quarters of the combinations deliver higher average frame rates. The individual component percentiles help contextualize this ranking: the CPU sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 68th percentile among all GPUs.

The discrepancy between the GPU's relatively high percentile and the combo's lower overall rank suggests that other systems in the database pair stronger processors with similar or better graphics cards. The i5-9400, while competent, lags behind more modern CPUs in synthetic benchmarks. Its 47th percentile ranking indicates that half of all tested processors outperform it, which could limit performance in CPU-intensive scenarios, though the Doom data does not show this as a primary constraint.

Within the game itself, the combo's rank reflects the balance of its components. The Arc B580 is a capable mid-range GPU, and its 68th percentile standing shows it outperforms a majority of graphics cards in the database. The pairing with a six-core CPU from the Coffee Lake generation produces a system that is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles at 4K with higher presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-9400 in the database's CPU benchmarks offer insight into comparable processing performance. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 has an average score of 2259, a delta of -0.2 percent relative to the i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, which is 0.3 percent lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a 0.4 percent difference. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, which is 0.4 percent higher. These four processors fall within a narrow band of performance, meaning any of them would likely produce similar frame rates in Doom when paired with the same GPU.

For the Intel Arc B580, the nearest GPU rivals show a similar clustering. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP has an average score of 23061, which is 0.2 percent lower than the B580's 23021. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, a 0.6 percent difference. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, which is 0.7 percent higher. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, 1 percent higher. These deltas are all within one percent, indicating that swapping the Arc B580 for any of these cards would yield nearly identical frame rates in Doom.

This data implies that users with any of these CPU or GPU alternatives would experience similar performance characteristics. The tight clustering of benchmark scores suggests that the game's performance is more dependent on the overall system configuration than on specific component choices within this performance tier.

The Verdict

The recorded data answers the question directly: yes, this PC can run Doom, and it does so with varying degrees of success depending on the resolution and preset. The verdict by resolution is clear. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves a playable average of 65.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra delivering 74.5 FPS as the best visual option that still clears 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset is well above the threshold, with Ultra at 112.6 FPS providing the highest quality experience.

The system's playability is strongest at 1080p and 1440p, where it offers flexibility to prioritize visual fidelity or frame rate. At 4K, the user must accept Low settings to maintain smooth gameplay. The data shows a capable mid-range system that handles Doom's fast-paced action without issue at mainstream resolutions, but it lacks the raw GPU power to push 4K at higher quality settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact average frame rates recorded for each resolution and preset combination. Note that the database does not include minimum or maximum FPS values for this game, so the analysis relies solely on averages.

At 3840x2160, the averages are:

• Low: 65.8 FPS
• Medium: 55.7 FPS
• High: 44.6 FPS
• Ultra: 37.6 FPS

At 2560x1440, the averages are:

• Low: 118.4 FPS
• Medium: 105.8 FPS
• High: 87.5 FPS
• Ultra: 74.5 FPS

At 1920x1080, the averages are:

• Low: 185.7 FPS
• Medium: 159 FPS
• High: 134.1 FPS
• Ultra: 112.6 FPS

These numbers reveal a consistent pattern. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 73.1 FPS. At 1440p, it is 43.9 FPS. At 4K, it narrows to 28.2 FPS. This tightening suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so heavily loaded that even reducing settings provides diminishing returns. The data also shows that 4K Medium is tantalizingly close to the 60 FPS target, missing it by 4.3 frames, while 4K Low clears it by 5.8 frames. For users with a 4K display, the choice between Low and Medium is a matter of preference, but only Low guarantees the playable threshold.