Doom

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a highly unusual performance profile for running Doom. The CPU is a top-tier desktop processor, sitting in the 94th percentile among all CPUs tested, while the GPU is an integrated graphics solution that ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. This massive imbalance dictates the gaming experience, as the Arc B390 becomes the primary limiting factor in almost every scenario.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700K is bracketed by a tight cluster of high-end processors in the database. The AMD EPYC 9115 performs nearly identically, with an average score just 0.1% higher. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X trails by 0.2%, the AMD Ryzen 6 7940HX is 0.2% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F leads by 0.7%. The delta between the fastest and slowest of these rivals is less than 1%, meaning a user moving between any of these CPUs would see almost no difference in CPU-bound tasks.

The GPU situation is starkly different. The Intel Arc B390 sits at the bottom of the performance hierarchy, with its nearest rivals being legacy NVIDIA parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1.3% higher, the GeForce 800M is 1.5% higher, the GeForce GT 625 OEM is 2.5% higher, and the GeForce GT 710 is 2.7% higher. These deltas are small, but they all point in the same direction: the Arc B390 is competing with entry-level hardware from over a decade ago. Any of these GPUs would deliver functionally identical frame rates in Doom, meaning none of them are suited for high-refresh-rate gaming.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data shows that the GPU is the decisive component for this game at every resolution. The Arc B390’s integrated nature means system memory bandwidth is system dependent, and its raw compute throughput is limited. At 1080p Ultra, the combination produces 64 FPS, which is the highest preset to clear the 60 FPS threshold. The CPU is not the limiting factor here; the 107 FPS at 1080p Low is still well below what the Core i7-14700K could theoretically push.

Scaling between presets at 1080p shows the GPU’s workload impact. Moving from Low to Medium reduces the average from 107 FPS to 93 FPS, a 13% drop. The jump to High brings 78 FPS, another 16% reduction. Ultra drops further to 64 FPS, a further 18% loss. At 1440p, the pattern continues with the GPU struggling to maintain pace: Medium hits exactly 60 FPS, while High dips to 51 FPS and Low reaches 69 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is overwhelmed, with even Low settings only achieving 37 FPS.

The resolution scaling reinforces the GPU bottleneck. At 4K High, the average is 28 FPS, while at 1080p High it is 78 FPS, a 64% increase in performance from lowering resolution. The CPU’s role is minimal because the Arc B390 cannot feed frames fast enough at higher resolutions. The Core i7-14700K, with 20 cores and 28 threads, is never the constraint; its compute power is far beyond what this GPU can utilize in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1080p?

The database records show that the Ultra preset is playable at 1920x1080p with an average frame rate of 64 FPS, making it the best settings for that resolution. This is the most demanding preset tested at 1080p, and it clears the playable threshold of 60 FPS with a margin of 4 FPS.

Q: Can this combination run Doom at 4K 1440p?

At 2560x1440p resolution, the playable settings are Low and Medium presets. The best settings at this resolution is Medium, which achieves an average of 60 FPS. This is a playable experience, but it is the maximum preset that can hold that frame rate.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

The Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69355, which places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 9115, scores 69288, a difference of 0.1%. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, which is 0.2% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996, which is 0.9% higher.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance ranking?

The Intel Arc B390 has a percentile ranking of 9 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, 1.3% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% higher.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1080p Medium settings?

At 1920x1080p Medium, the combination records an average frame rate of 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. This places it between the 107 FPS of Low settings and 78 FPS of High settings at the same resolution.

Q: What is the Ultra frame rate at 4K?

At 3840x2160 resolution, Ultra settings produce an average frame rate of 22 FPS. This is the lowest recorded average fps across all settings at 4K, with Low settings achieving 37 FPS and Medium reaching 33 FPS at the same resolution.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Doom, but the experience is heavily constrained by resolution and preset. The verdict by resolution data states that at 3840x2160, there are no playable settings. Even at Low settings, the average frame rate is only 37 FPS, which is far below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The recorded data shows that the best 4K result is Medium at 33 FPS, but that still misses the mark.

At 2560x1440, the system becomes playable. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best at exactly 60 FPS. High falls short at 41 FPS, and Ultra drops to 51 FPS. This resolution offers a playable experience, provided the user stays on Medium or lower settings. At 1920x1080p 1440p, every preset clears the 60 FPS threshold. High hits 78 FPS, Medium hits 93 FPS, Low hits 107 FPS, and Ultra hits 64 FPS. The best settings at 1440p is Ultra with an average of 60 FPS.

The verdict is clear: at 1080p, the full range of settings is playable, with Ultra being the most demanding preset. At 1440p, the ceiling is Medium at 60 FPS. At 4K, no settings are playable. The system is not suited for 4K gaming with this GPU, but it is perfectly capable of delivering a smooth experience at 1080p with Ultra settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS does not exist. The highest average frame rate recorded at 4K is 37 FPS on Low settings, and the Medium preset records 33 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold. No settings at 4K reach the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the best settings is Medium, which achieves an average of 60 FPS. This is the only preset that hits the playable threshold exactly. The High preset at 1440p records 51 FPS average, and Ultra records 41 FPS, both below 60 FPS. Low at 1440p records 69 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS target, but Medium is the best settings.

At 1920x1080 resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 64 FPS. This is the highest preset tested at 1080p, and it clears the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1080p records 78 FPS average, and Medium records 93 FPS, and Low records 107 FPS, all above the 60 FPS threshold.

The data shows a clear progression: at 1080p, Ultra is the best settings. At 1440p, Medium is the best settings. At 4K, no settings are playable.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database, this combination ranks 3300th out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This puts it in the bottom 11th percentile of all combos, indicating that a significant majority of tested systems achieve higher frame rates. The rank of 3300 of 3712 places this pair in the lowest 11% of all combos, a position driven primarily by the Arc B390’s GPU performance, which ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs.

The CPU+GPU pairing CPU rank is 94th percentile among all CPUs, but the GPU rank is 9th percentile among all GPUs. This GPU rank difference of 85 percentile points highlights the CPU is far ahead of the GPU’s ranking.

Comparatively, the Intel Core i7-14700K’s CPU ranking is 94th percentile among all CPUs, while the Arc B390’s GPU ranking is 9th percentile among all GPUs. The CPU’s rank of 94th percentile among all CPUs is a high ranking, and the GPU’s ranking of 9th percentile among all GPUs is a low ranking, in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, a very low ranking.