Doom

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers exceptional performance in Doom, with recorded frame rates that far exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution and preset combination tested. The data shows a system capable of running the game at maximum settings across 1080p, 1440p, and even 4K, with the lowest average frame rate recorded at 85 FPS in 4K Ultra. This combination ranks in the 740th position out of 3,712 tested combos, placing it comfortably within the top 20 percent of all configurations in the database for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination produces outstanding results across all four settings presets. The Low preset records an average of 254 FPS, while the Medium preset achieves an average of 242 FPS with a minimum of 205 FPS and a maximum of 278 FPS. High settings deliver an average of 228 FPS, and the Ultra preset, which is the most demanding configuration, still maintains an average of 212 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS threshold by a substantial margin, with even the most conservative measurement, the Medium preset minimum of 205 FPS, sitting more than three times above the playability threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high, though the data shows a measurable drop compared to 1080p. The Low preset averages 219 FPS, while Medium produces an average of 209 FPS with a minimum of 178 FPS and a maximum of 240 FPS. High settings record an average of 191 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver an average of 156 FPS. The scaling between 1080p and 1440p is consistent across presets, with the average frame rate decreasing by roughly 26 to 35 percent depending on the settings level. The Ultra preset at 1440p, which records 156 FPS on average, still maintains nearly triple the required frame rate for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance impact of the higher resolution becomes more pronounced, but the system remains firmly in playable territory. The Low preset averages 141 FPS, Medium averages 123 FPS with a minimum of 104 FPS and a maximum of 141 FPS, and High averages 104 FPS. The Ultra preset, which represents the heaviest workload in the entire test suite, still records an average of 85 FPS. This remains above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that even the most demanding settings at 4K resolution are playable. The gap between the Medium preset minimum of 104 FPS and the Ultra average of 85 FPS shows that the preset scaling at 4K has a more significant impact on performance than at lower resolutions, but the overall headroom is still considerable.

The range between minimum and maximum frame rates, recorded only for the Medium preset at each resolution, provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the spread from 205 to 278 FPS represents a 73 FPS range. At 1440p Medium, the spread narrows to 62 FPS, from 178 to 240 FPS. At 4K Medium, the spread is 37 FPS, from 104 to 141 FPS. This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the frame pacing becomes more consistent as the GPU workload increases, which is a typical pattern when the graphics card becomes the primary performance driver.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data across resolutions and presets reveals how the balance of CPU and GPU workload shifts as the rendering demands change. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high, with the Low preset reaching 254 FPS and the Ultra preset at 212 FPS. The relatively small gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution, only 42 FPS, indicates that the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400 with its 6 cores and 6 threads, is likely constraining the maximum achievable frame rate. The GPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, has ample headroom at 1080p, but the lower-resolution workload cannot fully utilize its capabilities because the CPU must feed frames at a rate that exceeds what its 6-core configuration can sustain.

At 2560x1440, the performance picture changes subtly. The gap between Low and Ultra widens to 63 FPS, from 219 down to 156 FPS. This widening suggests that the GPU is beginning to take on more of the performance burden as pixel count increases. The RTX 4080, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth, handles the additional resolution overhead efficiently, while the CPU workload per frame remains relatively constant. The fact that Low preset at 1440p still reaches 219 FPS, nearly matching the 1080p Low result of 254 FPS, indicates that the CPU is still a limiting factor at the low preset, but the gap between presets grows as the GPU becomes more engaged.

At 3840x2160, the GPU clearly becomes the dominant factor. The Low preset averages 141 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 219 FPS recorded at 1440p Low. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 85 FPS, compared to 156 FPS at 1440p Ultra. This 46 percent reduction in performance from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings demonstrates that the RTX 4080 is now operating near its full capacity, processing over 8 million pixels per frame. The CPU, while still important, is no longer the primary constraint at this resolution. The data shows a clear shift: at 1080p, the i5-9400 limits maximum output; at 1440p, the system achieves a balanced state; at 4K, the RTX 4080's rendering capacity sets the ceiling.

The preset scaling at each resolution further clarifies the CPU and GPU roles. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 42 FPS, or roughly 16 percent. At 1440p, the same comparison yields a 63 FPS difference, or about 29 percent. At 4K, the difference grows to 56 FPS, which is approximately 40 percent. This progressive increase in preset sensitivity as resolution rises confirms that the GPU has more influence over performance at higher resolutions, while the CPU's contribution is relatively fixed. For a game like Doom, which is known for its fast-paced action, the system maintains high frame rates regardless of component balance, but the data indicates that this pairing is most GPU-bound at 4K and most CPU-bound at 1080p.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The recorded data shows playable performance at all settings presets in 3840x2160. The Ultra preset averages 85 FPS, High averages 104 FPS, Medium averages 123 FPS, and Low averages 141 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding option and it still delivers an average of 156 FPS at 2560x1440. All four presets, Low at 219 FPS, Medium at 209 FPS, High at 191 FPS, and Ultra at 156 FPS, clear the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: The Ultra preset averages 212 FPS at 1920x1080, 156 FPS at 2560x1440, and 85 FPS at 3840x2160. The transition from 1080p to 4K results in a 60 percent reduction in average frame rate, which is consistent with the increased pixel workload.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU constrains performance at 1920x1080. The Low preset averages 254 FPS, only 42 FPS higher than the Ultra preset at 212 FPS, indicating that the Intel Core i5-9400 cannot feed frames fast enough to fully utilize the RTX 4080 at this resolution.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates recorded for the Medium preset?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum is 205 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 178 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 104 FPS. All minimums remain well above 60 FPS.

Q: Does the system maintain consistent frame pacing at higher resolutions?

A: The recorded range between minimum and maximum frame rates narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p Medium, the range is 73 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 62 FPS. At 4K Medium, it is 37 FPS, indicating more consistent frame delivery under heavier GPU load.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination holds the 740th position out of 3,712 tested configurations in the database for Doom. This ranking places the system within the top 20 percent of all tested combos, a strong result given that the CPU is a mid-range 6-core processor from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation. The RTX 4080, which ranks in the 86th percentile against all GPUs in the database, carries the bulk of the performance weight, while the i5-9400 sits in the 47th percentile against all CPUs.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 2,254 places it near several comparable processors. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2,259, which is 0.2 percent higher. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2,264, also 0.2 percent higher. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2,248, which is 0.3 percent lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2,246, also 0.3 percent lower. These four rivals bracket the i5-9400 within a range of less than 1 percent, indicating that the CPU's performance level is closely matched by several other processors in the database.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54,247 is closely followed by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER at 54,209, a difference of 0.1 percent. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828, which is 1.1 percent higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55,698, which is 2.6 percent higher. The AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55,757, which is 2.7 percent higher. The GPU's percentile ranking of 86 against all GPUs confirms that it is a high-end part, even though several competitors in the database show slightly higher average scores.

The combination of a mid-tier CPU with a high-end GPU produces a system that ranks well in Doom specifically. The game's engine, which is relatively efficient at scaling across hardware, allows the RTX 4080 to deliver high frame rates even when paired with a processor that is not in the top tier. The 740th rank out of 3,712 combos reflects this efficiency, as the system outperforms many configurations that feature more balanced CPU and GPU pairings. The recorded frame rates at all resolutions and presets support this ranking, with no preset dropping below 85 FPS on average.

The Verdict

This system can run Doom at every resolution and preset combination recorded in the database. The playability threshold is set at 60 FPS, and the measured results exceed this at every point. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 85 FPS, which is the lowest average recorded across the entire test suite, and it still provides a 25 FPS buffer above the threshold. The High preset at 4K averages 104 FPS, Medium averages 123 FPS, and Low averages 141 FPS, all comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the system performs with even more headroom. The Ultra preset averages 156 FPS, High averages 191 FPS, Medium averages 209 FPS, and Low averages 219 FPS. These results indicate that 1440p gaming at maximum settings is not only playable but also smooth, with frame rates that support high refresh rate displays up to 144 Hz or beyond. The 1440p Medium preset records a maximum of 240 FPS, which aligns with the ceiling of many high refresh rate monitors.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all presets. The Ultra preset averages 212 FPS, High averages 228 FPS, Medium averages 242 FPS, and Low averages 254 FPS. The lowest recorded minimum at this resolution is 205 FPS for the Medium preset, which still exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by a factor of more than three. The verdict is clear: this combination delivers a playable, and in most cases exceptionally smooth, experience at every settings level and resolution tested.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 85 FPS. This is the best possible settings choice for 4K, as it provides the highest visual quality while maintaining a comfortable margin above the playability threshold. The High preset at 104 FPS and Medium at 123 FPS offer alternatives for users who prefer higher frame rates over visual fidelity, but the Ultra preset is fully playable.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is also the best choice, averaging 156 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result provides a strong balance between image quality and performance, with the average frame rate remaining high enough to take advantage of 144 Hz displays. The High preset at 191 FPS and Medium at 209 FPS are available for those seeking even higher refresh rates, but they are not necessary for a smooth experience.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 212 FPS, making it the recommended setting for this resolution. The 1080p Ultra result is the highest average recorded for any Ultra preset in the test suite, and it provides more than enough performance for even the fastest refresh rate monitors. The Low preset at 254 FPS represents the maximum achievable frame rate, but the visual quality trade-off makes Ultra the preferred option for most users.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400's nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, Intel Core i3-10305, Intel Core i7-10710U, and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500. The i7-1068NG7 and i3-10305 score 0.2 percent higher on average, while the i7-10710U and Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 score 0.3 and 0.4 percent lower, respectively. These processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-level performance in Doom, meaning the frame rates recorded for the i5-9400 would be closely replicated with any of these alternatives. The differences are minimal, with the entire group spanning a range of about 0.8 percent in average benchmark score.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, and AMD Radeon 8060S. The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 0.1 percent lower on average, making it the closest match. The Radeon Pro W5700X scores 1.1 percent higher, the RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 2.6 percent higher, and the Radeon 8060S scores 2.7 percent higher. These variance levels are small enough that the gaming performance in Doom would be nearly indistinguishable between the RTX 4080 and any of these alternatives. A system built with the i5-9400 and any of these GPUs would be expected to produce frame rates within a few percentage points of the recorded results, maintaining the same playability status across all resolutions and presets.

The combination of a CPU in the i5-9400's performance class with a GPU in the RTX 4080's performance class defines a system tier that excels in Doom. The recorded data shows that this tier delivers high frame rates at all settings, with the primary differentiator being the resolution and preset combination chosen by the user. The system's 740th rank out of 3,712 combos confirms that it sits above the majority of tested configurations, making it a strong choice for this game.