Doom

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combination of Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B390 in Doom shows a clear performance hierarchy tied to resolution and preset. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates sit below the 60 FPS playability threshold across all four settings. The Low preset delivers 37 FPS average, Medium drops to 33 FPS with a recorded range of 28 to 37 FPS, High manages 28 FPS, and Ultra falls to 22 FPS. None of these averages approach a smooth gameplay experience, and the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 15 FPS, a substantial penalty for visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the picture improves considerably. The Low preset averages 69 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with headroom. Medium averages exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, placing it right at the boundary of playability. High drops to 51 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at this resolution is 28 FPS, showing that preset selection matters more here than at 4K.

At 1920x1080, all presets exceed the 60 FPS target. Low leads with 107 FPS average, followed by Medium at 93 FPS with a range of 79 to 107 FPS, High at 78 FPS, and Ultra at 64 FPS. The step from High to Ultra is 14 FPS, while the jump from Medium to Low is also 14 FPS. The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where even the most demanding preset remains playable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a system heavily constrained by the graphics processor. The Intel Arc B390, with its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs, appears to be the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The i7-14700KF, sitting at the 94th percentile among CPUs, provides ample processing headroom. When resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at the Medium preset, the average FPS drops from 93 to 60, a reduction of 33 FPS or roughly 35%. Moving further to 3840x2160 at Medium brings the average down to 33 FPS, another 27 FPS loss. This steep degradation with resolution points directly at GPU-bound rendering.

The preset scaling reinforces this interpretation. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra is 43 FPS, from 107 down to 64. At 2560x1440, that same preset swing costs 28 FPS, from 69 down to 41. At 3840x2160, the swing is only 15 FPS, from 37 down to 22. The shrinking delta as resolution rises suggests that the GPU is already saturated at 4K, so additional graphical load has less relative impact. The CPU, with 20 cores and 28 threads, is unlikely to be a bottleneck in a game like Doom, which is not known for heavy multi-threaded demands.

The Arc B390's memory configuration is system shared, meaning bandwidth depends on the host platform. This could contribute to the steep performance drop at 4K, where memory pressure increases significantly. The GPU's FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s provide a baseline for what this chip can sustain, and the measured results align with a part positioned far down the performance stack.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 60 FPS on a 4K display?

A: No. The highest average at 3840x2160 is 37 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 33 FPS, High 28 FPS, and Ultra 22 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS playability threshold.

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

A: Medium is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging exactly 60 FPS with a range of 51 to 69 FPS. Low also clears the threshold at 69 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual quality.

Q: Is Ultra playable at 1080p?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 64 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the only resolution where Ultra meets the playability standard.

Q: How much performance is lost going from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings?

A: The average drops from 93 FPS at 1920x1080 to 60 FPS at 2560x1440, a loss of 33 FPS. The minimum also falls from 79 FPS to 51 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU or CPU limit performance in this game?

A: The data indicates GPU limitation. The Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among GPUs, while the i7-14700KF ranks in the 94th percentile among CPUs. The steep FPS drops with increasing resolution align with a graphics-bound workload.

Q: What frame rate range can be expected at 4K Medium?

A: The recorded range is 28 FPS minimum to 37 FPS maximum, with an average of 33 FPS. This places gameplay well below the 60 FPS target.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B390 combination can run Doom, but the experience depends entirely on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers playable performance across all presets. Ultra averages 64 FPS, High 78 FPS, Medium 93 FPS, and Low 107 FPS. This is the only resolution where the full range of settings is viable.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable but with restrictions. Low and Medium both average at or above 60 FPS, with Medium hitting exactly 60 FPS and Low reaching 69 FPS. High and Ultra fall short at 51 FPS and 41 FPS respectively. The recorded data lists Medium as the best playable setting for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot maintain 60 FPS under any preset. The best average is 37 FPS on Low, and Ultra drops to 22 FPS. The verdict for 4K is clear: this combination is not suitable for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

In practical terms, a 1080p display with Ultra settings offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. For 1440p, Medium is the ceiling for playability. The system should be considered a 1080p-focused configuration for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 64 FPS. This provides the highest visual fidelity available while maintaining playability. All other presets also clear the threshold, but Ultra is the recommended choice for maximum quality.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is Medium, averaging exactly 60 FPS. The recorded minimum of 51 FPS indicates some dips below the target, but the average meets the standard. Low is also playable at 69 FPS, but Medium offers better visuals for the same playability classification.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS, so there is no recommended setting for playable performance. The highest average available is 37 FPS on Low, which may be acceptable for those prioritizing resolution over frame rate, but it does not meet the playability threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3300 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the bottom 11% of the database. The ranking reflects the GPU's position in the overall performance hierarchy. The Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 with a delta of 1.3%, and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460 with a delta of 1.5%. These rivals are all legacy or entry-level parts, confirming that the Arc B390 sits at the very low end of graphics performance.

The CPU, by contrast, is a high-end part. The i7-14700KF's average benchmark score of 70163 places it slightly above the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F at 69996 (0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX at 69875 (0.4% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X at 69515 (0.9% delta). It trails the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K at 70879 by 1%. This disparity between a top-tier CPU and a bottom-tier GPU creates a system that is severely unbalanced for gaming workloads. In Doom, the GPU becomes the sole determinant of playability, and the CPU's strength cannot compensate for the graphics bottleneck. The ranking of 3300 out of 3712 reflects this imbalance, placing the combo far below what the CPU alone would suggest.