Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a highly playable Doom experience across all tested resolutions, but the performance curve reveals a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher settings and resolution. The data indicates a strong pairing for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K remaining viable only if you are willing to compromise on image quality settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates demonstrate a predictable and steep decline as resolution increases, confirming that the RTX 4060 is the primary performance limiter in this configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 166.5 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors. Moving to 1440p High drops the average to 110.1 FPS, a 33.9% reduction that still leaves ample headroom for smooth gameplay. The jump to 4K High is the most punishing, with the average falling to 62.2 FPS—a 62.6% loss from the 1080p figure.

The scaling pattern across quality presets at each resolution reinforces the GPU-bound nature of this setup. At 1080p, the spread between Low and Ultra is 90.4 FPS (225.8 down to 135.4), which shows the GPU has significant headroom at lower resolutions. By 4K, that spread narrows to 32.5 FPS (82.4 down to 49.9), indicating the GPU is saturated and settings changes have a smaller relative impact. The 4K Ultra result of 49.9 FPS is the only scenario that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that this resolution/preset combination should be avoided for competitive play.

The data points to a sweet spot at 1440p, where the combo maintains over 90 FPS even at Ultra settings (91.9 FPS). At 1080p, the system is capable of exceeding 200 FPS at Medium settings, making it an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate displays. The 4K results are playable only at Low and Medium settings, with 82.4 and 72.2 FPS respectively, but the visual compromise may not be worth the resolution gain for most users.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 8400F brings six cores and twelve threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, running at a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This processor sits in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 25,064. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, scores 25,057—a negligible 0.0% difference—while the Ryzen 5 7500F trails by just 0.3% with a score of 24,993.

In Doom, the CPU's capabilities are more than adequate to feed the RTX 4060 at every resolution tested. The fact that frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution confirms that the GPU, not the CPU, is the bottleneck. The processor's single-threaded performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 951 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,943, ensures that the game's main thread has ample processing power.

The 16 MB of shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput for this title. The 4 nm process node and 65 W TDP indicate an efficient chip that won't strain a typical mid-range build. The 3DMark multi-threaded scores show good scaling from 2 threads (1,874) to 8 threads (5,275), though the jump to 16 threads (6,091) and max threads (6,165) is modest, suggesting diminishing returns beyond eight threads for this workload—a pattern consistent with a 2016-era game engine.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2460 MHz and 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23,181. The nearest rival, AMD Radeon RX 6600M, scores 23,321 (0.6% higher), while the Intel Arc B580 sits 0.7% behind at 23,021.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor in the 4K results. The measured frame rates show that at 4K Ultra, the combo averages just 49.9 FPS, which is likely influenced by the memory capacity being stressed at this resolution and preset combination. The 128-bit bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest specifications that explain the steep drop-off when moving from 1440p to 4K. The GPU's 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present but largely irrelevant for Doom, which does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS in these measurements.

The GPU's performance characteristics are best demonstrated by the 1080p results, where it achieves 225.8 FPS at Low settings and 200.1 FPS at Medium. These figures indicate that the card has substantial raw rasterization power for a game of this era. The 1440p results are equally strong, with the card maintaining over 90 FPS even at Ultra settings. The 4K results are the weak point, with only the Low preset exceeding 80 FPS, highlighting the card's limitations at higher pixel counts.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at lower presets. The measured results show 82.4 FPS at Low and 72.2 FPS at Medium settings. High settings drop to 62.2 FPS, while Ultra falls below the 60 FPS threshold at 49.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: 1440p offers the best balance. The combo maintains 91.9 FPS at Ultra settings and 147.7 FPS at Low, providing both visual quality and high refresh rates without the performance penalty seen at 4K.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The CPU scores 25,064 on average, essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X at 25,057 (0.0% difference). It is 0.3% ahead of the Ryzen 5 7500F and 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340.

Q: Is the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, yes—the measured frame rates remain high across all presets. At 4K, the 49.9 FPS Ultra result suggests VRAM or bandwidth limitations, though the game remains playable at lower presets.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 166.5 FPS. This is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on gaming monitors, leaving headroom for even higher refresh displays.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest GPU rival?

A: The RTX 4060 scores 23,181 on average, which is 0.6% below the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23,321) and 0.7% above the Intel Arc B580 (23,021). The differences are minor in synthetic benchmarks.

How This Combo Ranks

The Ryzen 5 8400F + RTX 4060 combination ranks 949th out of 1,681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the middle of the database. This ranking reflects a system that is competent but not exceptional for this title. The 56.4% percentile position indicates that a majority of tested configurations outperform this pairing, which is expected given the mid-range positioning of both components.

The ranking is likely held back by the GPU's 4K performance, where the 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus limit the card's ability to compete with higher-end configurations. At 1080p and 1440p, the combo's performance is strong, but the database ranking aggregates across all resolutions, pulling the overall position down. The CPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all processors suggests that the processor is not the limiting factor in this pairing's overall standing.

For context, this combo sits in the same performance tier as systems pairing mid-range CPUs from previous generations with similar GPUs. The rank indicates that while this is a solid 1080p/1440p gaming machine, it does not crack the upper echelon of the database, which is dominated by high-end CPUs paired with flagship GPUs.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 166.5 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play on high-refresh monitors. The Medium preset at 200.1 FPS offers a significant boost for users with 240 Hz displays, though the visual compromise may not be worth the extra 33.6 FPS. Ultra at 135.4 FPS remains highly playable and is the best choice for image quality on standard 60-144 Hz monitors.

At 1440p, the High preset at 110.1 FPS is the recommended starting point, providing excellent visual fidelity with frame rates that exceed most 100 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 91.9 FPS is also viable and offers the best image quality for this resolution. The Medium preset at 129.1 FPS is the choice for users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, while Low at 147.7 FPS is only necessary for the most demanding competitive scenarios.

At 4K, the options are limited. The Low preset at 82.4 FPS is the only setting that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 72.2 FPS is still playable, but High at 62.2 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 49.9 FPS should be avoided. For 4K gaming, the Low or Medium presets are the only practical choices, and users should be aware of the significant visual compromises required to maintain smooth performance at this resolution.