Doom

The Intel Core i7-12700K and Intel Arc B390 combination presents a peculiar case for running the 2016 FPS classic Doom. The CPU is a high-end desktop part, while the GPU is an integrated-class solution with a very low percentile ranking. The recorded data shows that this pairing can run the game, but the experience is heavily dependent on resolution and quality settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the frame rates are below the playable threshold of 60 FPS across every tested preset. Running at High settings yields an average of 28 FPS. Dropping to Medium improves the average to 33 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 28 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. Low settings push the average to 37 FPS, while the Ultra preset produces the lowest average of 22 FPS. None of these averages approach the 60 FPS target.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), performance improves significantly. The Low preset averages 69 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. Medium settings average exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 51 FPS, and Ultra falls further to 41 FPS. The data shows that only Low and Medium presets clear the 60 FPS mark at this resolution.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combination is fully playable on all tested presets. Low settings deliver the highest average at 107 FPS. Medium averages 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. High settings average 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 64 FPS. The Ultra preset, while the lowest performer at this resolution, still maintains an average above the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals that the Intel Arc B390 is the dominant bottleneck. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, is far more capable than the GPU's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput. The difference between the 4K and 1080p results is substantial: at High settings, the average FPS jumps from 28 at 4K to 78 at 1080p, a 50 FPS spread. This indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by pixel count.

The preset scaling at a fixed resolution also points to the GPU's limitations. At 1080p, the delta between Low and Ultra is 43 FPS (107 vs 64). At 1440p, that same preset delta is 28 FPS (69 vs 41). At 4K, the delta is only 15 FPS (37 vs 22). This compression of frame rates at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity are saturated, and lowering settings has diminishing returns. The CPU, by contrast, has ample headroom in its benchmarks, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19784, which is not being fully utilized in this scenario.

The game's engine, being from 2016, is not particularly demanding by modern standards, but the Arc B390's performance percentile of 9 versus all GPUs places it in the lowest tier. The data indicates that the GPU's role is the primary constraint at every resolution, with the CPU's role being secondary and largely unchallenged by this workload.

Similar Performance Alternatives

According to the database, the Intel Arc B390's nearest rivals are all low-end NVIDIA parts. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390's 1482 average benchmark score. The GeForce 800M is 1.5% lower at 1460, the GeForce GT 625 OEM is 2.5% lower at 1446, and the GeForce GT 710 is 2.7% lower at 1443. These are the closest matches in raw GPU benchmark terms, meaning a system with any of these GPUs would likely produce very similar Doom frame rates.

On the CPU side, the Core i7-12700K's nearest rivals are close in average score. The Intel Core i5-13600T is 0.1% slower, the Core i7-12700KF is 0.2% slower, the Core i7-13700T is 0.3% slower, and the Intel Core 5 213PE is 0.4% slower. Since the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing, swapping to any of these alternatives would have minimal impact on the game's measured FPS. The frame rates would be governed almost entirely by the GPU selection.

The Verdict

This PC can run Doom, but the experience is segmented by resolution. At 1920x1080, the combination clears the 60 FPS threshold on all four presets: High, Low, Medium, and Ultra. The best visual quality at this resolution is the Ultra preset, which averages 64 FPS. This is the only resolution where the player can use the highest settings and remain playable.

At 2560x1440, the playable settings are limited to Low and Medium. The Medium preset is the best choice, averaging exactly 60 FPS, but it has a minimum of 51 FPS, which means brief dips below the threshold are possible. High and Ultra are not playable, with averages of 51 FPS and 41 FPS respectively.

At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings. The best average is 37 FPS on Low, which is well below the 60 FPS target. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable option for this game with this hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this specific combination at rank 3300 out of 3712 tested combos for Doom. This puts it in the bottom 11.1% of all tested pairings. The low rank is driven entirely by the GPU's performance, as the CPU is well above average. The Arc B390's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs is the anchor, and the measured FPS data confirms that this is a low-tier gaming experience. For a game as old as Doom, this rank is surprisingly low, indicating that the GPU is exceptionally weak for gaming purposes.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this PC on Doom?*

A: The best combination is 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset, which averages 64 FPS. This is the highest visual quality that maintains an average above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

*Q: Can this system run Doom at 60 FPS on a 1440p monitor?*

A: Yes, but only with the Low preset (69 FPS average) or the Medium preset (60 FPS average). The High and Ultra presets fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 51 FPS and 41 FPS respectively.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K or the Intel Arc B390 more important for this game?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor. The GPU's performance is only in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its score is comparable to very old discrete cards. The CPU is far more powerful and does not bottleneck the game at any resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 is 1.3% higher than the GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710. These GPUs would perform nearly identically in Doom.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The average is 33 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 28 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. This is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Does the CPU have any comparable alternatives that would change the result?

A: No. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-13600T (0.1% slower) and the Intel Core i7-12700KF (0.2% slower), have nearly identical average scores. Since the GPU is the bottleneck, swapping the CPU would not meaningfully change the measured FPS in Doom.