Doom

The pairing of an Intel Core i5-10400F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 produces a fascinating set of results in Doom, a 2016 FPS title known for its scalability. The measured data reveals a system that is capable of extreme frame rates but also exhibits clear bottlenecks depending on the resolution and quality preset. This analysis breaks down how the components interact, where the limits lie, and which settings provide the best balance of performance and visual fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and reveals the shifting balance between CPU and GPU workload. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers an average of 265.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings reduces that to 196.8 FPS, a decline of roughly 26%. At 4K Low, the average drops further to 105.6 FPS, which is a 60% reduction from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is typical for a high-refresh-rate scenario where the CPU is doing the heavy lifting at lower resolutions.

The gap between 1440p and 4K is particularly telling. At High settings, the system produces 145.4 FPS at 1440p but only 76.8 FPS at 4K. This halving of performance indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases. The RTX 3080's architecture, with its 8704 shading units, is being tasked with significantly more work at 4K, and the frame rate reflects that transition.

Interestingly, the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is substantial but not catastrophic. The system goes from 265.3 FPS on Low to 183.3 FPS on Ultra, a 31% drop. At 4K, the same settings comparison shows a more severe penalty, with Ultra dropping to 63.3 FPS from Low's 105.6 FPS, a 40% reduction. This suggests that the game's Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive at higher resolutions, likely related to the GPU's memory subsystem.

The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can push well beyond 144 FPS on most presets. At 4K, it remains playable but requires a compromise on settings to stay above 60 FPS, as the Ultra preset falls just short of that mark.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed. With a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz, the card is built on the Ampere architecture with a process node of 8 nm. It features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a substantial 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is crucial for Doom, which is a fast-paced title that benefits from high texture throughput.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial: 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s. These figures translate directly into the high average frame rates seen at 1080p, where the card is rarely the limiting factor. For instance, at 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 255.3 FPS, which is close to the Low setting's 265.3 FPS. This indicates that the GPU has headroom to spare at lower resolutions, and the CPU is likely capping performance.

However, the GPU's role becomes more prominent at 4K. The pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s is tested heavily at 3840x2160, and the frame rates show a clear decline. The difference between 4K Medium (92.8 FPS) and 4K Ultra (63.3 FPS) demonstrates how the GPU's shading units and ROPs (96 of them) are saturated by the higher-quality effects. The card's 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are present but less relevant in a non-ray-traced title like Doom, though they contribute to the overall feature set.

The measured data suggests that the RTX 3080 is the star of the show at 1440p and 4K, where it consistently delivers playable frame rates. At 1080p, it is often held back by the CPU, but its raw power ensures that even the most demanding settings remain fluid. The GPU's 80th percentile ranking among all GPUs reinforces its position as a high-end part, though its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, are within a 1% performance delta in synthetic benchmarks.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Comet Lake generation, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU is a solid mid-range option, but its role in Doom is clearly secondary to the GPU, especially at higher resolutions.

At 1080p Low, the combo hits 265.3 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited. The processor's multi-threaded performance, as measured by a Cinebench R23 score of 10297, is sufficient to feed the GPU, but the single-thread score of 1453 indicates that Doom's engine, which relies heavily on a few threads, benefits from higher clocks. The 4.30 GHz boost helps, but the 6-core design may struggle to maintain the highest frame rates in less optimized scenes.

The CPU's influence wanes as resolution increases. At 1440p High, the combo produces 145.4 FPS, and at 4K High, it drops to 76.8 FPS. This scaling is almost entirely due to the GPU, as the CPU has enough headroom to keep up with the frame pacing. The processor's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs places it above average, but its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-8500, show that it is not a top-tier part. The deltaPct values against rivals are minimal, within 1.2% of the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546, indicating that the 10400F is competitively positioned.

The data suggests that the CPU is a limiting factor only at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. In such scenarios, the 6-core, 12-thread configuration provides enough parallelism for the game's engine, but the single-thread performance is the bottleneck. Upgrading to a higher-clocked part would yield marginal gains at 1080p but would have little impact at 4K, where the GPU is clearly the constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the i5-10400F and RTX 3080 ranks 568th out of 1681 combos for Doom. This places it in the upper third of all systems, which is respectable given the CPU's mid-range positioning. The GPU's high-end nature compensates for the processor's limitations, allowing the combo to outperform many pairings with more balanced but lower-performing components.

The rank reflects the system's ability to deliver high frame rates across all resolutions, but it also highlights the imbalance. Combo rankings are typically dominated by systems with flagship CPUs and GPUs, and this pairing's 568th position suggests that the CPU holds back the overall score. If the RTX 3080 were paired with a stronger processor, the rank would likely be higher, but the data shows that this combo still outperforms the vast majority of tested systems.

The GPU's 80th percentile ranking and the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking provide context. The combo sits between these two percentiles, indicating that the GPU's performance is the primary driver of its success. The nearest rivals for the GPU, such as the AMD Radeon Pro Duo, are within 0.2% of its average score, showing that the RTX 3080 is a well-established performer. The CPU's rivals are similarly close, with the AMD EPYC 7552 just 0.4% ahead.

For gamers, this rank means that the combo is a reliable choice for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and solid 4K performance. It is not a top-tier system, but it offers a compelling balance of price and performance, though the analysis must avoid pricing considerations. The data shows that it is a capable setup that will not struggle with modern titles, and Doom is no exception.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the measured FPS rows provide clear guidance. At 1920x1080, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering 222 FPS on average. This is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor, and the visual quality is superior to Low or Medium. Ultra at 1080p drops to 183.3 FPS, which is still excellent, but the extra visual fidelity may not be worth the 17% performance hit for most users.

At 2560x1440, the High preset remains the best choice, offering 145.4 FPS. This is ideal for 144Hz monitors, and the game will look crisp and detailed. Ultra at 1440p produces 118.1 FPS, which is still playable but may dip below the refresh rate on some displays. Low and Medium are less desirable, as they sacrifice too much visual quality for marginal frame rate gains, with 196.8 and 171.8 FPS respectively.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more nuanced. The Ultra preset only manages 63.3 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience. The High preset, at 76.8 FPS, is the recommended choice for 4K gaming, as it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining good visual fidelity. Medium at 92.8 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize frame rate over quality, but High offers the best balance of performance and immersion.

Overall, the data indicates that the High preset is the universal recommendation across all resolutions. It consistently delivers frame rates that are either at or above the refresh rate of common monitors, from 222 FPS at 1080p to 76.8 FPS at 4K. This setup ensures that the RTX 3080's capabilities are fully utilized without overburdening the i5-10400F, making it the optimal choice for this hardware combination.