Doom

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is a high-performance desktop combination for playing Doom, with benchmark results showing this setup can handle the game smoothly across most settings and resolutions. The data indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the combo delivers well above the 60 FPS playability threshold even at the Ultra preset, while at 4K, it manages 60 FPS or higher at High settings and below. This analysis uses measured FPS data to detail what you can expect from this specific CPU and GPU pairing in Doom.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset I can use at 1920x1080 while maintaining at least 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset is fully playable at 1080p, with an average FPS of 146.5. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold, leaving substantial headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160, the High preset achieves an average of 60.5 FPS, which is just above the playable threshold. The Medium preset is also playable at 74.9 FPS, and Low runs at 83.1 FPS. However, the Ultra preset drops to 51.6 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How much performance difference is there between the Low and Ultra presets at 2560x1440?

A: At 1440p, the Low preset averages 156.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 96.8 FPS. This represents a performance drop of roughly 38% when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings, but both remain well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be a bottleneck in this game?

A: The data shows the system scales strongly with resolution changes, indicating a GPU-bound workload. For instance, moving from 1080p Ultra (146.5 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (96.8 FPS) reduces performance by about 34%, and further to 4K Ultra (51.6 FPS) by another 47%, which is characteristic of GPU limitations rather than CPU constraints.

Q: Does this combo rank high among all tested systems for Doom?

A: The combo ranks 1670 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the 55th percentile. This suggests it performs above average for this game, though not at the very top tier of systems tested.

Q: What are the playable settings at 3840x2160?

A: According to the verdict data, the playable settings at 4K include High (60.5 FPS), Medium (74.9 FPS), and Low (83.1 FPS). The Ultra preset is not considered playable as it averages 51.6 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097. The nearest rival is the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which scores 79371, a delta of -0.3%, meaning the 14900KF is essentially identical in performance. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574 (-0.6%), also very close. On the other side, the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041 (-1.2%), while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, which is 1.7% lower than the 14900K. For practical purposes, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly indistinguishable frame rates in Doom, as the differences are within a couple of percentage points.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M (26401, -0.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (26421, -0.3%), and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26553, -0.8%). The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, which is 1.2% higher than the RTX 5060. These GPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Doom, with the RX 6750 XT being the closest competitor that slightly outperforms the RTX 5060. If you were to swap in any of these alternatives, you would expect nearly the same gaming experience, with minor variations in average FPS that are unlikely to be noticeable in practice.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data for this combo in Doom clearly indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor determining performance, especially as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset runs at 146.5 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU is feeding the GPU adequately. When moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 96.8 FPS, a reduction of about 34%. Further scaling to 3840x2160 brings the Ultra preset down to 51.6 FPS, another 47% reduction. This consistent and substantial drop with each resolution increase is a classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering load on the graphics card grows faster than the CPU's ability to prepare frames.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 243.3 FPS, which is an extremely high frame rate. This suggests that even with a very capable GPU like the RTX 5060, the i9-14900K's strong single-thread performance (as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2262.5) is sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output. However, the gap between Low and Ultra at the same resolution is significant: at 1080p, Low runs at 243.3 FPS while Ultra runs at 146.5 FPS, a difference of about 40%. This difference is primarily driven by the GPU's workload, as higher settings increase pixel shading and texture complexity.

At 4K, the pattern is even more pronounced. Low settings yield 83.1 FPS, Medium drops to 74.9 FPS, and High falls to 60.5 FPS. The fact that even Low settings at 4K (83.1 FPS) are much lower than Ultra at 1080p (146.5 FPS) reinforces that the GPU is the limiting factor. The i9-14900K, with its 24 cores and 32 threads, is far more than adequate for this game, and its high benchmark scores (e.g., 39399.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) indicate it will not bottleneck even at high frame rates. In summary, for Doom, the RTX 5060 is the component that determines playability at higher resolutions, while the i9-14900K provides ample headroom to avoid CPU-related frame drops.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Doom, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1670 out of 3712 total combos. This places it in the 55th percentile of all systems tested, meaning it outperforms more than half of the configurations but is not among the elite performers. The ranking reflects a balanced system where the CPU is very high-end (the i9-14900K is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs), but the GPU is more mid-range (the RTX 5060 is in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs). This combination means the system's overall performance in Doom is limited by the GPU, which is typical for a game that is not heavily CPU-dependent.

To contextualize the rank, consider that the GPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, would likely produce very similar frame rates, and thus a system with that GPU would rank closely. The high CPU percentile suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield a significant rank improvement, while upgrading the CPU would have minimal impact on Doom's performance. The measured FPS data supports this: at 4K Ultra, the system averages 51.6 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, and this is clearly a GPU limitation. At 1080p and 1440p, the system performs very well, indicating that the combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at those resolutions, which is consistent with its above-average rank.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Doom, and it does so with strong performance at most settings and resolutions. The verdict by resolution is as follows: at 3840x2160, the playable settings are High (60.5 FPS), Medium (74.9 FPS), and Low (83.1 FPS). The Ultra preset at 4K is not playable, averaging only 51.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 96.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, all presets are also playable, with Ultra running at 146.5 FPS and Low reaching 243.3 FPS.

In practical terms, this means you can enjoy Doom at 4K with High quality settings and maintain a smooth 60 FPS experience, though you will need to drop to Medium or Low if you want more headroom. At 1440p, you can max out the game at Ultra settings and still have nearly 100 FPS, which is excellent for a fast-paced FPS. At 1080p, the system is more than capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors, even at maximum settings. The only scenario where this combo fails to meet the 60 FPS target is at 4K with Ultra settings, which is a demanding configuration that requires a more powerful GPU.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average FPS of 60.5. This is right at the threshold, so if you prefer a safety margin, the Medium preset at 74.9 FPS is a more comfortable choice, and Low at 83.1 FPS offers even higher performance.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the best settings are Ultra, which achieves an average FPS of 96.8. This provides a high-quality visual experience well above the 60 FPS minimum. For even higher frame rates, High runs at 117.9 FPS, Medium at 139 FPS, and Low at 156.5 FPS, but Ultra is the recommended choice for the best balance of quality and speed.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the best settings are also Ultra, with an average FPS of 146.5. This is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay on standard 60 Hz monitors and leaves plenty of headroom for 144 Hz displays. The High preset runs at 176.1 FPS, Medium at 208.1 FPS, and Low at 243.3 FPS, but Ultra is the optimal choice given the high performance available.