Doom

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a very strong experience in Doom, with average frame rates well above the 60 FPS playable threshold at every tested resolution and preset. The combination is capable of running the game at Ultra settings at 4K, though the margin narrows there, while at 1440p and 1080p it produces exceptionally high frame rates that suit high refresh rate displays. The recorded data indicates that this pairing is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but the older six-core processor still keeps pace without becoming a bottleneck at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo posts its highest raw numbers. With Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 256.4 FPS. Moving to Medium drops the average to 244.3 FPS, a reduction of roughly 12 FPS. High settings produce an average of 230.7 FPS, while Ultra settings, the most demanding preset, still deliver an average of 189.5 FPS. All four presets at 1080p remain far above the 60 FPS playable threshold, with even the lowest result, Ultra at 189.5 FPS, being more than three times the minimum requirement.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear step down from 1080p. Low settings average 200.7 FPS, Medium averages 179.7 FPS, and High averages 148.5 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p produce an average of 122.3 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets: Low drops by about 22%, Medium by about 26%, High by about 36%, and Ultra by about 35%. Even at the most demanding 1440p preset, the average frame rate is more than double the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the performance cost becomes more pronounced. Low settings average 109.8 FPS, Medium averages 97.1 FPS, and High averages 79.5 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K produce an average of 64.8 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS playable threshold but with a much smaller margin. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is substantial: Low is about 69% faster than Ultra at this resolution. Comparing the 4K Ultra result to the 1440p Ultra result shows a 4K High result, the difference is clear but the 4K Ultra frame rate remains playable.

The database records no min FPS values, max FPS values, or frame time data for any of the measured configurations. All performance figures referenced in this analysis are average FPS numbers only. The consistency of the scaling pattern across resolutions suggests predictable behavior, and the frame rates recorded at 4K Ultra are the only measured result that approaches the playable threshold, though it does not fall below it.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear pattern of the GPU becoming the dominant performance factor as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high across all presets, with Low at 256.4 FPS and Ultra at 189.5 FPS. The spread between presets at 1080p is relatively modest compared to the spread at 4K, indicating that there is enough headroom in the CPU to feed the GPU at this resolution. The RTX 4070, with its 16-pin power connector, 12 GB of memory, 5888 shading units, and Ada Lovelace architecture, appears to be the primary determinant of performance at 1080p, but the i5-40 CPU with its 6 cores and 6 threads keeps the frame rates from dropping below 189.5 FPS even at Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the GPU still has considerable performance to give, as shown by the 122.3 FPS average at Ultra settings. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings shows a 35% reduction in frame rate, from 244.3 FPS to 179.7 FPS, which is consistent with a GPU-bound workload where the rendering resolution directly impacts performance. The CPU's role at 1440p is to maintain a stable foundation, and the data suggests it does so without introducing a bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the GPU role becomes even more obvious. The difference in frame rates between Low and Ultra at 4K is 45 FPS, from 109.4 FPS at Low to 64.8 FPS at Ultra. This large gap between settings is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance limits. The CPU, which has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, is far less stressed at 4K, and the data reflects that the GPU's capabilities are the limiting factor at this resolution.

The i5-9400 processor, with a 65 W TDP, an L3 cache of 9 MB shared across 6 cores, and a 47th percentile score across all CPUs, is not the primary performance driver for Doom in this game. The RTX 4070, with a 81st percentile score across all GPUs, is clearly the heavier influence on the measured frame rates. The 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth on the GPU align with the frame rates observed. The CPU memory support of DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and 42.7 GB/s bandwidth on the motherboard, is sufficient to handle the demands of the game, but the GPU is the component that dictates the frame rate ceiling at all resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU nearest rivals in the database are a set of processors with average scores close to the i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 has an average score of 2259, which is a 0.2% lower score than the i5-9400. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 has a score of 2259, which is a 0.2% delta. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 has an average score of 2246, which is a 0.4% delta from the i5-9400. The Intel Core i3-10305 has an average score of 2264, which is a -0.4% delta from the i5-9400. These CPUs are all very closely matched in synthetic benchmarks, so the performance of this combo in Doom would be very similar if paired with any of these processors.

The GPU nearest rivals in the database are also very close in performance metrics. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 has an average score of 37628, a 0.1% delta from the RTX 4070's 37648 average score. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 has an average score of 37507, a 0.4% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile has an average score of 38135, a -1.3% delta from the RTX 4070. The AMD Radeon PRO W6400 has an average score of 37157, a 1.3% delta. These GPUs all have average scores within a 2% range of the RTX 4070, so the in-game frame rates would be very similar if paired with any of these GPUs.

In practice, a system builder could expect the same Doom experience from this combo with the i5-9400 and RTX 4070 as they would with a system with an i7-1068NG7 or an RX Vega 56. The delta between these GPUs is small enough that the FPS differences in Doom would be minor. The 4070 GPU with the 4070's 4070 GPU with the 4070 GPU with the 4070 GPU. The database lists these as the closest matching hardware, and the measured FPS data for the combo shows frame rates that are consistent with what these similarly scoring components would produce.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The recorded average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 64.8 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is the game playable at 1080p with this combo?

A: Yes, the game is playable at 1080p with all settings. The lowest average FPS at 1080p is 189.5 FPS at Ultra settings.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 256.4 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to the RX Vega 56 in this game?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648, while the RX Vega 56 has an average score of 37507, a delta of 0.4%. The in-game FPS for the combo would be very similar with either GPU.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to the i7-1068NG7 in this game?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, while the i7-1068NG7 has an average score of 2259, a delta of -0.2%. The CPU performance difference is negligible for this game.

Q: What is the playable settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, all settings are playable, meaning the game runs at or above 60 FPS. The best settings at 1440p is Ultra, with an average FPS of 122.3.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average FPS of 189.5. The three other presets, High at 230.7 FPS, Medium at 244.3 FPS, and Low at 256.4 FPS, are also well above the threshold. Ultra is the best choice for 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average FPS of 122.3. High settings at 148.5 FPS, Medium at 179.7 FPS, and Low at 200.7 FPS are all above 60 FPS as well. Ultra is the best settings for 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average FPS of 64.8. High at 79.5 FPS, Medium at 97.1 FPS, and Low at 109.8 FPS are also above 60 FPS. Ultra is the best settings for 4K.

At all three resolutions, the Ultra preset delivers the highest visual quality while maintaining an average FPS above 60. The margin at 4K Ultra, 64.8 FPS, is the smallest margin among all the best settings, but it still meets the playable threshold.

The best settings per resolution for this combo is Ultra at every resolution, with a 64.8 FPS average at 4K, a 122.9 FPS at 1440p, and a 189.5 FPS at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1085 out of 3712 tested combos in the database for Doom. This rank of 1085 out of 3712 indicates that this combination of CPU and GPU performs in the upper portion of the database for this game. The exact ranking places it above the middle of the pack, and the recorded performance at 4K Ultra of 64.8 FPS is a noteworthy result for a game with a 2016 release date.

The combo's rank is a result of the combined capabilities of the i5-9400 and RTX 4070. The CPU, with a 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs, is not top-tier, but the GPU, with an 81st percentile ranking among all GPUs, helps push the overall combo rank higher. The RTX 4070's strong performance in synthetic benchmarks like PassMark G3D with a score of 26927 and 3DMark Steel Nomad with a score of 3854, contributes to the high rank.

The data shows that the combo is well-suited for Doom, with all playable settings at all resolutions. The rank of 1085 out of 3712 puts it in the top 30 percent of all tested combos. The high frame rates at 1440p and 1080p are particularly strong, and the 4K Ultra result is just above the playable threshold. The combination of the i5-9400 and RTX 4070 is a capable pairing for this game, and the recorded data confirms its position in the database.