Doom

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is a combination that sits near the bottom of the performance hierarchy for Doom, ranking 1645 out of 1681 tested combos. This places it in the 2nd percentile of all configurations, indicating that while it can run the game, it will consistently deliver frame rates well below the median experience. The data shows this is a pairing where the GPU is the dominant constraint, and users should temper expectations regarding high refresh rates or maximum visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 1645th out of 1681 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the bottom 2% of all configurations. This is a low ranking that reflects the hardware's age and tier. The GPU, a GTX 1650, has a percentile rank of 43 against all GPUs, meaning it outperforms only 43% of the database's graphics cards. The CPU, a Core i5-10400F, is comparatively stronger, with a percentile rank of 73 against all CPUs.

Benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The GTX 1650 scores 7880 in Passmark G3D, which is a modest result. Its nearest rivals include the Quadro P2200, which scores 8671, and the Radeon Pro WX 5100 at 8761. The GPU's average benchmark score of 8713 is slightly below the RTX 3050 A Mobile (8746) and the Radeon 550X (8749). For the CPU, the i5-10400F's average score of 14168 is competitive with the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115) and the Intel Core i5-8500 (14332). However, in the context of Doom, the CPU's relative strength is negated by the GPU's inability to push high frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1485 MHz with a boost clock of 1665 MHz. The memory runs at 2001 MHz, which translates to 8 Gbps effective. These specs are modest for a 2016 title like Doom, and the benchmark data reflects this. The GPU's 43rd percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it is a lower-midrange part.

The 4 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Doom at lower settings, but at higher presets, the data shows a significant performance decline. For instance, at 1080p, the average FPS drops from 91.2 on Low to 53.3 on Ultra. This 37.9 FPS difference is substantial and suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and fill rate become bottlenecks at higher graphical loads. The GPU has 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 53.28 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 93.24 GTexel/s. These numbers are low by modern standards, but for Doom, they are workable at lower presets.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the average FPS exceeds 60 on most presets. At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 36 to 58.1, while at 3840x2160, it drops to between 17.1 and 30.1.

Q: Can this combo run Doom at Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but with significant performance compromises. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 53.3. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 36, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 17.1, which is below playable thresholds for most users.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 1650's average benchmark score of 8713 is within 0.5% of the Quadro P2200 (8671) and 0.4% of the RTX 3050 A Mobile (8746). It is 0.4% slower than the Radeon 550X (8749) and 0.5% slower than the Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8761).

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this GPU in Doom?

A: No, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The i5-10400F has a strong benchmark presence, scoring 10297 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 12115 in Passmark multithread. The GPU's low frame rates indicate it is the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS on Low is 91.2, while on Ultra it is 53.3. This represents a 37.9 FPS drop, or approximately 41.6% lower performance, when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Q: Does the 4 GB VRAM limit performance in Doom?

A: The data suggests that higher settings, which often require more memory, cause a steep FPS drop. At 1080p, Medium (77.6 FPS) is significantly faster than High (67.7 FPS), indicating that the GPU's memory and bandwidth constraints are a factor at higher presets.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the benchmark data points to the Low preset at 1920x1080 as the most viable option. This setting yields an average FPS of 91.2, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 1080p, averaging 77.6 FPS, is also acceptable if visual fidelity is a priority. The High preset at 1080p, at 67.7 FPS, is still playable but begins to approach the lower end of comfortable frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that maintains a playable average above 55 FPS, hitting 58.1. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 52.2, while High falls to 43.5. For 4K, none of the presets are recommended, as the highest average FPS is 30.1 on Low, which is marginal. The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely, as it only achieves 17.1 FPS at 4K and 36 FPS at 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are: Low at 91.2, Medium at 77.6, High at 67.7, and Ultra at 53.3. This shows a clear progression where each step up in settings costs roughly 10-15 FPS. The scaling is smooth, but the absolute numbers are modest.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS is: Low at 58.1, Medium at 52.2, High at 43.5, and Ultra at 36. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, with the Low preset losing 33.1 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is 17.3 FPS lower than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is: Low at 30.1, Medium at 28.3, High at 22.2, and Ultra at 17.1. The 4K results are uniformly low, with even the Low preset failing to reach 31 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 13 FPS, indicating that the GPU is severely constrained at this resolution regardless of settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It has 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The CPU's benchmark scores are respectable: it achieves 10297 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1453 in single-core, with a Passmark multithread score of 12115.

In Doom, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the GPU's performance is consistently the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the CPU can push 91.2 FPS, but the GPU cannot maintain that at higher settings. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it has enough headroom for this title, and the bottleneck is clearly the GTX 1650.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 91.2 at 1080p to 58.1 at 1440p (a 33.1 FPS drop) and then to 30.1 at 4K (a 28 FPS drop). This pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as the performance scales nearly linearly with the pixel count.

At Ultra settings, the drop is even more pronounced: from 53.3 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p (a 17.3 FPS drop) and then to 17.1 at 4K (a 18.9 FPS drop). The fact that the FPS does not double when moving from 4K to 1080p suggests that the GPU's compute and memory resources are saturated. The data strongly indicates that this combo is best used at 1080p, with 1440p being a stretch and 4K being impractical for anything beyond the Low preset.