Doom

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a highly playable experience in Doom across all tested resolutions, with the data revealing a clear progression from a GPU-bound scenario at 4K to a more balanced configuration at 1080p. The measured frames per second (FPS) show that this combination is capable of excellent performance, though the scaling pattern indicates where the system's primary bottleneck lies in this 2016 title.

Resolution Scaling

Analyzing the measured FPS across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound curve, particularly at the higher settings. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 112 FPS. Moving to 1440p, that number drops to 72 FPS, a reduction of approximately 36%. The jump to 4K Ultra brings the average down to 39 FPS, which is a further 46% decrease from the 1440p figure and only about 35% of the 1080p performance. This steep decline with increasing pixel count is the hallmark of a graphics card operating near its limits, as the Arc B580's rendering workload scales directly with resolution.

The pattern holds true for the High settings preset, where the average FPS goes from 137 at 1080p, to 88 at 1440p, and finally to 48 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 65%, which is a substantial hit. This indicates that at these higher settings, the Intel Arc B580 is the limiting component. The CPU, with its six cores and twelve threads, is capable of feeding the GPU enough data at 1080p, but as the resolution increases, the GPU's fill rate and shading power become the deciding factor, causing the frame rate to plummet.

However, the scaling is less severe when the settings are lowered. At Low settings, the average FPS is 186 at 1080p, 120 at 1440p, and 65 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is still significant at roughly 65%, but the absolute values are much higher, suggesting that while the GPU is still the primary constraint, the reduced graphical load allows the CPU to play a more substantial role in maintaining higher frame rates. The 4K Low result of 65 FPS is more than double the 4K Ultra result of 39 FPS, showing that settings have a massive impact on the resolution ceiling for this combo.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 10th Generation Comet Lake processor with 6 cores and 12 threads. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, which can boost up to 4.30 GHz. This architecture, while not the newest, provides a solid foundation for gaming. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 4,748 in 3DMark with 16 threads and 688 in the single-thread test, indicating a balanced capability for both multithreaded and single-threaded tasks. Its Cinebench R23 scores of 10,283 (multi-core) and 1,451 (single-core) further reinforce this profile.

In the context of Doom, a game known for being well-optimized, this CPU is more than sufficient to avoid being a significant bottleneck at lower resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 162, and at Low it reaches 186. These high frame rates suggest the CPU is capable of processing the game's logic and draw calls quickly enough to keep the GPU well-fed. The 12 threads provide ample headroom for the game engine and background processes, preventing CPU-related stutters or frame drops.

The CPU's performance becomes more relevant when looking at the percentile ranking. With a percentileVsAllCpus of 68, it sits in the upper third of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7552 and the Intel Core 7 160UL, with very small performance deltas. This confirms that while it is not a top-tier enthusiast chip, it is a competent mid-range performer. In this game, its role is to ensure a stable frame pipeline, which it does effectively. The bottleneck only becomes apparent when the GPU is under extreme load at 4K, where the CPU's 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth and PCIe Gen 3 interface are not the limiting factors.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is the clear driver of performance in this configuration. Based on the Xe2-HPG architecture and built on a 5 nm process, it features 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. Its memory subsystem is robust, consisting of 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a consistent 2670 MHz for both base and boost clocks, and its FP32 compute power is rated at 13.67 TFLOPS.

The GPU's role in Doom is directly visible in the measured FPS. As the resolution and settings increase, the workload on the B580 rises, and the frame rate responds accordingly. The 12 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Doom, even at 4K Ultra, preventing any memory-related performance cliffs. The high memory bandwidth ensures that textures and geometry can be streamed quickly, which is critical for maintaining smooth gameplay in a fast-paced FPS.

The Arc B580's synthetic benchmark scores are also informative. Its Passmark G3D score of 15,748 places it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Interestingly, its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and RTX 3080, with the B580's average score being within 1% of these cards. This suggests that in raw compute terms, the B580 is a formidable competitor to older high-end cards. However, its performance in this specific game, as shown by the measured FPS, is what matters most, and the data shows it handles Doom with ease, particularly at 1080p and 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo excels. The Low preset yields an average of 186 FPS, which is exceptionally high and well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. The Medium preset averages 162 FPS, with a minimum of 137 and a maximum of 186. The High preset drops to an average of 137 FPS, still a superb result. The most demanding Ultra preset averages 112 FPS, which remains smooth and playable on high-refresh-rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 120 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 105 FPS, with a minimum of 89 and a maximum of 120. The High preset delivers an average of 88 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one that dips below the 60 FPS comfort zone, averaging 72 FPS. This is still a playable frame rate, but users seeking maximum smoothness may prefer High.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly challenged. The Low preset averages 65 FPS, which is playable. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65, indicating some frame time variance. The High preset averages 48 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 39 FPS. At this resolution, the settings must be dialed back to Medium or Low to ensure a consistently smooth experience, as the Ultra preset's 39 FPS average is likely too low for a fast-paced shooter.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Doom?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The High preset averages 88 FPS, and even Ultra averages 72 FPS, providing a smooth experience without the significant performance hit seen at 4K.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K, the Low preset averages 65 FPS, and Medium averages 57 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are less suitable, averaging 48 and 39 FPS respectively, which may not be smooth enough for a competitive FPS.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 186 FPS, while Ultra averages 112 FPS. This represents a performance uplift of approximately 66% when using Low settings, showing a significant performance headroom for competitive play.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: The data points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck. The FPS drops by roughly 65% from 1080p to 4K across all settings, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's performance is sufficient to support high frame rates at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded in the data is 48 FPS, which occurs at 4K resolution with the Medium settings preset. This indicates that even in the most demanding scenarios tested, the frame rate does not drop to unplayable levels.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The B580's average benchmark score is 23,021. It is within 1% of the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, and it is 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, indicating similar raw performance potential.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset is the clear choice. It delivers an average of 186 FPS at 1080p and 120 FPS at 1440p, ensuring maximum responsiveness in fast-paced combat. At 4K, it is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the only viable option for that resolution.

For a balance between visual quality and performance, the High preset is recommended. At 1080p, it averages 137 FPS, which is excellent. At 1440p, it delivers 88 FPS, which is very smooth. This preset offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium or Low without the performance cost of Ultra.

The Ultra preset is only recommended for users with a 1080p or 1440p monitor who prioritize image quality above all else. It averages 112 FPS at 1080p and 72 FPS at 1440p, which are still playable, but the performance hit compared to High is noticeable. The Medium preset serves as a middle ground, with averages of 162 FPS at 1080p and 105 FPS at 1440p, but its frame time variance at 4K (min 48, max 65) makes it less consistent than Low.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B580 combination ranks 2,786 out of 3,712 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is a somewhat surprising result given the high FPS numbers recorded. This ranking is likely influenced by the fact that the database includes many combinations with much more powerful and newer hardware that can achieve even higher frame rates, particularly at 1080p.

However, the ranking should be interpreted with the game's age in mind. The data shows that this combo is capable of delivering exceptional performance in Doom, with 1080p High averaging 137 FPS and 1440p High averaging 88 FPS. The 68th percentile ranking of both the CPU and GPU individually suggests that the components are well-matched, but the overall combo ranking indicates that there are many faster systems in the database. For a user with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this combo provides a high-quality experience that is well above the playability threshold, even if it does not top the charts in the benchmark database.