Doom

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the Intel Arc B370 delivers a playable experience in Doom only at 1080p and 1440p with reduced settings. At 4K, the combination falls short of the 60 FPS threshold across all presets. The data shows a clear performance ceiling imposed by the graphics processor, with the CPU providing ample headroom throughout.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded average frame rates are consistently below the playable threshold. The Low preset yields an average of 34 FPS, while Medium drops to 29 FPS with a minimum of 25 FPS and a maximum of 34 FPS. High settings produce an average of 25 FPS, and Ultra is the most demanding, averaging only 20 FPS. None of these figures approach 60 FPS, indicating that 4K is not viable for this hardware combination in Doom.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance improves noticeably. The Low preset achieves an average of 62 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution to meet the 60 FPS playability standard. Medium settings average 54 FPS, with recorded minimum and maximum values of 46 FPS and 62 FPS respectively. High settings average 46 FPS, while Ultra falls to 37 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 8 FPS, and the step from Medium to High is another 8 FPS, showing a consistent scaling pattern.

At 1920x1080, the combination performs best. The Low preset delivers an average of 96 FPS, making it the fastest configuration tested. Medium settings average 84 FPS, with minimum and maximum values of 71 FPS and 96 FPS. High settings average 71 FPS, which still exceeds the 60 FPS target. Ultra is the only preset at this resolution that fails to maintain playability, averaging 58 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 38 FPS, highlighting the impact of graphical fidelity on frame rates.

The measured data shows that min and max FPS values are only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 4K Medium, the range spans 25 to 34 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 46 to 62 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the range is 71 to 96 FPS. These ranges suggest that frame pacing is relatively stable, with no extreme dips beyond the average values.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the Intel Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. The Core i9-14900K is a high-end desktop processor with 24 cores and 32 threads, and its benchmark scores place it in the 95th percentile among all CPUs. The GPU, by contrast, sits in the 5th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This disparity is reflected in the FPS scaling across resolutions.

At 1080p, the CPU has more influence because the GPU is less stressed at lower pixel counts. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p reduces the average FPS by 38 points, from 96 to 58. This is a 40% drop, which is substantial but still leaves the CPU capable of feeding the GPU at lower settings. At 1440p, the same preset change drops the average from 62 to 37 FPS, a 25 FPS reduction. The GPU begins to dominate more here, as the higher resolution increases the pixel workload.

At 4K, the GPU is fully saturated. The difference between Low and Ultra is only 14 FPS, from 34 to 20, which is a smaller absolute gap than at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor regardless of settings, as even the Low preset cannot push beyond 34 FPS. The CPU’s role diminishes at 4K because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to benefit from the processor’s high single-thread and multi-thread performance.

Resolution scaling also clarifies the GPU’s role. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings reduces the average FPS from 71 to 46, a 25 FPS loss. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High reduces it further from 46 to 25, another 21 FPS loss. This consistent degradation across resolutions points to the GPU as the decisive component. The i9-14900K, with a boost clock of 6.00 GHz and a single-thread Geekbench score of 2655, is not the constraint in any scenario.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the database records no playable settings. The highest average FPS at this resolution is 34 on Low, which is far below the 60 FPS threshold. No preset achieves even half of the target frame rate, so the verdict is that 4K is unplayable with this combo.

For 2560x1440, the only playable setting is Low, with an average FPS of 62. This meets the 60 FPS threshold by a narrow margin. Medium falls short at 54 FPS, and High and Ultra are lower still. The best settings at 1440p are therefore Low, which delivers exactly 62 FPS on average.

For 1920x1080, three presets meet the playability standard: Low, Medium, and High. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 71 FPS. Medium averages 84 FPS, and Low averages 96 FPS. Ultra is the only preset that fails, averaging 58 FPS. The best settings at 1080p are High, as it offers the highest visual fidelity while maintaining a 71 FPS average.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i9-14900K are processors with comparable average benchmark scores. The Intel Core i9-14900KF scores 0.3% lower, with an average of 79371. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 0.6% lower, averaging 79574. The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 1.2% lower, averaging 80041. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 1.7% higher, averaging 77740. These deltas are minimal, so any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical FPS results in Doom when paired with the same GPU.

The nearest rivals for the Intel Arc B370 are all older or lower-tier graphics cards. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 0.2% lower, with an average of 1186. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 0.5% lower, averaging 1190. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 0.7% lower, averaging 1192. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1.4% higher, averaging 1168. These GPUs would behave similarly to the Arc B370 in Doom, meaning they would also struggle at 4K and require Low settings at 1440p.

The data shows that swapping the CPU to any of its nearest rivals would not change the FPS numbers, as the GPU remains the limiting factor. Swapping the GPU to any of its nearest rivals would also produce similar results, given the close benchmark scores. The only way to significantly improve performance would be to use a different GPU class entirely, but that is outside the scope of this comparison.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Doom at 4K?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 34 on the Low preset, and the playable settings list is empty. All presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best setting at 1440p for this combo?

A: The Low preset is the only playable option at 2560x1440, with an average FPS of 62. Medium averages 54 FPS, which is not playable.

Q: What is the most demanding playable preset at 1080p?

A: The High preset at 1920x1080 averages 71 FPS, which meets the 60 FPS threshold. Medium and Low also work, but High offers the highest quality among playable options.

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

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile among GPUs, while the Core i9-14900K ranks in the 95th percentile among CPUs. FPS drops are consistent across resolutions, indicating GPU saturation.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 3425 out of 3712 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the lower percentile of systems.

Q: Are there any settings at 4K that maintain 60 FPS?

A: No. The recorded data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The maximum average FPS is 34 on Low, which is far below the playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 3425 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the bottom 8% of all recorded systems, a position driven entirely by the GPU’s low benchmark standing. The CPU is a top-tier part, but it cannot compensate for the graphics processor’s limitations.

The data shows that this rank is consistent with the FPS measurements. At 1080p, the combo can handle High settings at 71 FPS, which is playable but not exceptional. At 1440p, only Low settings work. At 4K, no settings work. This tiering aligns with a combo rank near the bottom of the database, as most tested systems can at least manage 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium.

The i9-14900K’s high multi-thread score of 39399.5 in Cinebench R23 does not translate to gaming gains here, because Doom is not CPU-bound with this GPU. The Arc B370’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is the decisive factor. For users seeking a better rank, the nearest GPU rivals would not help, as they score within 1.4% of the Arc B370. The practical takeaway from the recorded data is that this combo is suited for 1080p gaming at medium-to-high presets, with 1440p requiring compromises and 4K being out of reach.