Doom

The Intel Core i9-14900K (launch MSRP $589) paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 (launch MSRP 249 USD) delivers a playable Doom experience at 4K Medium and at Ultra settings on 1440p and 1080p. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the measured data shows that the combination clears that bar on every resolution tested, though not on every preset. This analysis walks through the measured FPS numbers, compares nearby hardware alternatives, and identifies which component dominates the workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured average frame rates are 71 FPS on Low, 62 FPS on Medium, 52 FPS on High, and 43 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one with reported minimum and maximum values: 52 FPS minimum and 71 FPS maximum. That minimum is below the 60 FPS playable threshold, which means even though the average for Medium sits at 62 FPS, brief dips can occur. Low and Medium are the only 4K presets that average at or above 60 FPS; High and Ultra fall short.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 131 FPS on Low, 114 FPS on Medium, 96 FPS on High, and 79 FPS on Ultra. Medium reports a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. All four presets remain above the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra at 79 FPS holding a comfortable margin over the line. The minimum value for Medium at this resolution is 97 FPS, which is well above the playable threshold, indicating consistent frame delivery.

At 1920x1080, the averages are 202 FPS on Low, 176 FPS on Medium, 149 FPS on High, and 122 FPS on Ultra. Medium reports a minimum of 150 FPS and a maximum of 203 FPS. Every preset clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin; even the most demanding preset, Ultra, is more than double the threshold. The min/max data for Medium shows that frame-time consistency improves as resolution decreases: the 4K Medium minimum is 52 FPS, the 1440p minimum is 97 FPS, and the 1080p minimum is 150 FPS.

The pattern across resolutions is consistent: the absolute difference between Low and Ultra grows as the resolution drops, while the proportional relationship remains stable. At 4K, the values are 71 FPS on Low and 43 FPS on Ultra; at 1440p they are 131 and 79; at 1080p they are 202 and 122. In each case, Ultra delivers roughly the same fraction of Low's frame rate, indicating that the settings scaling behaves uniformly across resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097 and ranks at the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on aggregate scores, are all within a narrow band. The Intel Core i9-14900KF scores 79371, which is 0.3% higher than the 14900K. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574, 0.6% higher. The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041, 1.2% higher. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, which is 1.7% lower than the 14900K. In practical terms, a system built with any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Doom. The closest rival, the i9-14900KF, is so close that the frame-rate difference would be imperceptible.

For the GPU, the RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035 and ranks at the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals bracket it closely. The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL scores 21153, 0.6% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M scores 21237, 1% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 20713, 1.6% lower. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile scores 21379, 1.6% higher. Swapping the RTX 5050 for an RX 5600 XT would be expected to lower frame rates by the same 1.6% margin seen in aggregate benchmarks, while moving to an RTX A4000 Mobile would raise them by a similar margin. Because the measured FPS in this analysis comes from the specific i9-14900K + RTX 5050 pairing, the rival deltas indicate how much headroom or deficit a nearby component would introduce. None of the nearest rivals would change the playability verdict at any resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 62 FPS. Low also qualifies at 71 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual quality while still clearing the threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra is the best setting, averaging 79 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra is the best setting, averaging 122 FPS. These are the recommended ceilings: Medium at 4K, Ultra at 1440p, and Ultra at 1080p.

The 4K Medium preset has a reported minimum of 52 FPS, which is below the threshold, so users who are sensitive to frame dips may prefer Low at 4K, which averages 71 FPS. However, the average for Medium is above 60, so it meets the playable criterion used in this database. At 1440p and 1080p, the best settings are both Ultra, with no caveats about minimum frame rates because the reported Medium minimums at those resolutions are 97 FPS and 150 FPS respectively.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Doom. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best at 62 FPS average. High and Ultra are not playable at 4K, averaging 52 and 43 FPS respectively. At 2560x1440, all four settings — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable, with Ultra at 79 FPS. At 1920x1080, all four settings are playable, with Ultra at 122 FPS. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the system clears it at every resolution with the appropriate settings. For the best visual quality while maintaining 60 FPS, the user should select Medium at 4K, Ultra at 1440p, and Ultra at 1080p.

CPU and GPU Roles

The CPU is a 24-core, 32-thread processor with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5. It also posts a Geekbench multicore score of 21697 and a single-core score of 2655, along with a Passmark multithread score of 58674 and a single-thread score of 4697. It ranks at the 95th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU, by contrast, ranks at the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2502, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 90334, a Geekbench Vulkan score of 89381, and a Passmark G3D score of 17326.

The frame-rate scaling across resolutions points to the GPU as the dominant constraint. At Low settings, the combo produces 202 FPS at 1920x1080, 131 FPS at 2560x1440, and 71 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a steep decline as pixel count rises, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU's high percentile ranking and strong single-thread performance suggest it is not the limiting factor in this game. The settings scaling reinforces this: at every resolution, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average frame rate by a consistent proportion — from 71 to 43 at 4K, 131 to 79 at 1440p, and 202 to 122 at 1080p. This uniform behavior indicates that the GPU's rendering load is the primary variable, while the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at all tested settings. At 1080p, the CPU's headroom allows the GPU to reach 202 FPS on Low, which is well beyond the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the GPU's workload increases substantially and frame rates drop to 71 FPS on Low. The data therefore shows that the GPU is the component that determines whether each preset clears the playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 2281 out of 3712 tested combinations in Doom. That places it in the lower half of the database. The ranking is consistent with the component percentiles: the CPU is strong at the 95th percentile, but the GPU's 66th percentile pulls the overall position down. Among the 3712 combos, this pairing does not sit near the top, yet it still delivers playable frame rates at the settings described above. The rank reflects the GPU's modest standing relative to other tested graphics cards, rather than any deficiency in the CPU.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K?

A: Yes, at Low or Medium settings. Low averages 71 FPS and Medium averages 62 FPS, both above the 60 FPS threshold. High and Ultra fall below at 52 and 43 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p?

A: Ultra, with an average of 79 FPS. All four presets at 1440p clear the 60 FPS threshold, so Ultra is the highest quality option that remains playable.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 20713 (1.6% lower), while the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile scores 21379 (1.6% higher). The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL is 0.6% higher at 21153.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor?

A: The GPU. The CPU sits at the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 66th percentile. Frame rates scale steeply with resolution — 202 FPS at 1080p Low versus 71 FPS at 4K Low — indicating the GPU is the primary constraint.

Q: What rank does this combo hold among tested systems?

A: It ranks 2281 out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the lower half of the database.

Q: What is the playable threshold and which presets meet it at 1080p?

A: The playable threshold is 60 FPS. At 1080p, all presets exceed it: Low 202, Medium 176, High 149, and Ultra 122 FPS.