Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 in Doom presents a data set that is heavily weighted by the graphics processor. The measured frames per second reveal a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all tested resolutions and settings, with the CPU's substantial processing power going largely underutilized in this particular title. The data indicates this combination ranks in the 12th percentile of tested combos for this game, placing it firmly in the lower tier of performance outcomes.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this specific CPU and GPU combination in Doom?

A: The combo rank for this pairing in Doom is 2580 out of 2930 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems, indicating a performance level that is well below the median for this game.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710.

Q: What is the best average FPS recorded for this combo, and at what settings?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 107 at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the data set that achieves a frame rate above the 100 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its closest competitor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005. This is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, which has an average score of 24964.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded, and under what conditions?

A: The lowest average FPS is 22, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is the most demanding configuration tested, resulting in a frame rate that is not playable.

Q: Does the CPU's single-threaded performance suggest it could be a bottleneck at lower resolutions?

A: The CPU's single-thread benchmark score is 951, and its 2-thread score is 1874. However, the measured data shows a significant FPS drop when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings, indicating that the GPU, not the CPU, is the limiting factor in this game.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the dominant component in this system's Doom performance. Its benchmark data shows a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This score is a clear indicator of its entry-level positioning. The GPU's architecture is Xe3-LPG on a 3 nm process, and it operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. This clock speed range is notable, but the hardware's overall compute capabilities are limited.

The Arc B390's specifications include 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. It also features 12 ray tracing cores. The texture rate is listed at 120.0 GTexel/s, and the pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s. The FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS. These numbers, while precise, are modest by modern standards and directly correlate with the low FPS figures observed in the game.

Crucially, the memory configuration for this GPU is "System Shared," meaning it utilizes a portion of the system's main memory rather than having its own dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is also listed as "System Dependent," which means its performance is tied to the speed of the system's DDR5 memory. This is a significant factor in a game like Doom, which relies heavily on texture bandwidth. The GPU's TDP is 80 W, and it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a bus interface of "IGP," indicating it is not a discrete card. The data shows that this shared-memory design, combined with the modest compute core count, is the primary constraint on frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 107 at 1080p to 69 at 1440p and finally to 37 at 4K. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is similar at High settings, where the average FPS is 78 at 1080p, 51 at 1440p, and 28 at 4K.

This scaling behavior is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound system. The CPU has to prepare the same number of frames regardless of resolution, but the GPU's workload increases substantially with the higher pixel counts. The fact that the FPS drops so dramatically when moving to 4K indicates that the Arc B390's rendering capabilities, particularly its texture fill rate and memory bandwidth (which is system-dependent), are overwhelmed by the demand for more pixels. A CPU-bound scenario would show a much flatter FPS curve across resolutions, as the processor would be the limiting factor at all settings. Here, the data shows a steep decline, confirming the GPU as the bottleneck. The jump from 1080p to 1440p also shows a significant drop, with the FPS at Medium settings falling from 93 to 60, a 35% reduction, which further solidifies the conclusion that the GPU's pixel throughput is the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a complete matrix of FPS measurements across four resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the game is most playable. The Low preset yields an average of 107 FPS, which is the only triple-digit result in the entire data set. The Medium preset follows at 93 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 79 and maximum of 107. High settings bring the average down to 78 FPS, and the Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, produces an average of 64 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are pronounced. The Low preset averages 69 FPS, which is a 35% decrease from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69. The High preset averages 51 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to an average of 41 FPS. At this resolution, only the Low preset maintains an average above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is severely strained. The Low preset is the only one that achieves an average above 30 FPS, at 37 FPS. The Medium preset averages 33 FPS, with a minimum of 28 and a maximum of 37. High settings average 28 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to an average of 22 FPS. The data shows that at 4K, no settings preset provides a consistently smooth experience, with the minimum FPS for Medium dipping to 28, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2580 out of 2930 test combinations places this system in the 12th percentile of all tested configurations. This is a very low ranking, indicating that the performance of this CPU and GPU pairing is significantly worse than the vast majority of other systems tested with this game. The ranking is almost certainly driven by the GPU's performance. The GPU's percentile rank is 9, which is exceptionally low, while the CPU's percentile rank is 77, which is relatively good.

This disparity is reflected in the system's overall rank. The CPU is capable of handling the game's processing demands, but the GPU cannot keep up with the rendering workload. The data suggests that this combo is not well-balanced for Doom, as the CPU's potential is wasted due to the GPU's inability to generate higher frame rates. The ranking is a holistic measure, but the individual component percentiles make it clear that the GPU is the performance anchor dragging down the system's overall position. The system is performing as expected given the GPU's low benchmark scores, and the CPU's performance is not a contributing factor to the low rank.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture. It has a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The CPU's benchmark scores are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943. Its Passmark multi-thread score is 24389, and its single-thread score is 3685. These scores indicate a strong processor that is competitive with other mid-range desktop CPUs.

In the context of Doom, however, the CPU's role is secondary. The game is graphically intensive, and the measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache and 4 nm process node provide ample processing power for the game's AI and physics, but this power is not the limiting factor. The CPU's performance is more than sufficient to feed the GPU with data, and the FPS drops observed at higher resolutions are entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering limitations. The CPU's average benchmark score of 25005 is 0.2% higher than the Ryzen 5 7500F, and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i7-13620H, but this performance advantage has no measurable impact on the game's frame rates. The data conclusively shows that this is a GPU-limited scenario, and the CPU is not a factor in the performance ceiling.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only one that provides a clear headroom above 100 FPS, averaging 107 FPS. The Medium preset provides a good balance with 93 FPS, which is still very smooth and offers better visual fidelity than Low. The High preset at 78 FPS is also playable, but the step up to Ultra at 64 FPS is a significant drop for a marginal visual improvement.

At 2560x1440, the options are more limited. The Low preset is the only one that maintains an average above 60 FPS, at 69 FPS. The Medium preset at 60 FPS is borderline, and the recorded minimum of 51 FPS suggests potential for noticeable stutters. The High preset at 51 FPS and Ultra at 41 FPS are not recommended for a smooth experience. For 1440p, the data suggests using Low settings to ensure a stable frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the data indicates that this combo is not suitable for a good gaming experience. The highest average FPS is 37 on the Low preset, which is below the acceptable threshold for smooth action. The Ultra preset at 22 FPS is unplayable. The recommendation from the data is clear: this system should be used at 1080p resolution. At that resolution, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality, as it provides a high average FPS (93) without dropping to the lowest quality settings. If maximizing frame rate is the priority, the Low preset at 1080p is the best choice.