Doom

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a strong performance profile in Doom, with the data showing a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rate gaming at lower resolutions while remaining playable at 4K. The measured FPS values across all three resolutions and four quality presets indicate a balanced pairing where the GPU becomes the primary scaling factor as resolution increases, though the CPU’s six cores and 12 threads provide ample headroom for the game’s engine. This analysis breaks down the measured results, contextualizes the combo’s standing against other tested configurations, and offers practical guidance based strictly on the provided data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 167 at 1080p to 108 at 1440p, representing a 35.3% reduction, and then further declines to 59 at 4K, which is a 45.4% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline between 1440p and 4K strongly indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the rendering workload on the RTX 4060’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth grows substantially.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p, the difference between Low (228 FPS) and Ultra (137 FPS) is 91 FPS, showing that the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently even at very high frame rates. However, at 4K, the spread narrows to 32 FPS between Low (80 FPS) and Ultra (48 FPS). This compression at 4K suggests that the GPU’s compute resources—specifically its 3072 shading units and 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 throughput—are saturated, leaving less room for settings to influence performance. The data indicates that at 1080p, the i5-10400F’s boost clock of 4.30 GHz and 12 MB of shared L3 cache are sufficient to keep frame rates high, but at 4K, the RTX 4060’s 128-bit memory bus and 17 Gbps effective memory clock become the bottleneck.

The Medium preset at each resolution provides the most complete data with min and max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the range is 168 to 228 FPS, a 60 FPS spread that indicates some frame time variance. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 109 to 148 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it tightens further to 59 to 80 FPS. This progressive narrowing of the FPS range as resolution increases is consistent with the GPU becoming the primary constraint, as frame pacing becomes more consistent when the GPU is fully utilized. The data suggests that the limiting component shifts from a balanced CPU/GPU mix at 1080p to a clearly GPU-bound scenario at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank in Doom is 2001 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the 46.1st percentile of all tested configs. This mid-pack ranking is notable given the individual component percentiles: the i5-10400F sits at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4060 is at the 61st percentile among all GPUs. The discrepancy between the component-level percentiles and the combo’s lower rank suggests that this pairing is not fully optimized for Doom’s specific demands, or that many competing combos in the database leverage higher-end GPUs that scale better at the resolutions tested.

Examining the CPU’s nearest rivals provides context for its contribution. The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163) and 0.5% higher than the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115). It trails the Intel Core 7 160UL by 0.3% (14232) and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C by 0.6% (14277). These deltas are all within a single percentage point, indicating that the CPU’s raw processing power is competitive with a wide range of server and mobile parts, though none of these rivals are direct gaming competitors. For the GPU, the RTX 4060’s average benchmark score of 17639 puts it 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666) but 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M (17588) and 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551). These rival deltas are similarly tight, suggesting that the GPU’s benchmark score does not fully capture its gaming performance in Doom.

The rank of 2001 indicates that while the combo is functional, it does not crack the top half of tested configurations. Given that the GPU’s passmark G3D score is 19545 and the CPU’s passmark multithread score is 12115, the data suggests that this pairing delivers solid but not exceptional results. The combo’s mid-pack rank likely reflects that many other tested combos include higher-tier GPUs or newer CPUs that provide better frame rates in Doom, particularly at 1440p and 4K where the RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus become limiting factors.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, with all presets achieving at least 137 FPS. The High preset averages 167 FPS, and even Ultra stays above 137 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay at standard refresh rates.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 48, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold typically considered ideal for fast-paced FPS games. The 4K High preset achieves 59 FPS, just under 60, while Medium reaches 70 FPS.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the limiting component at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the FPS spread between Low and Ultra is 91 FPS, showing CPU headroom. At 4K, the spread narrows to 32 FPS, indicating the RTX 4060 is saturated.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested configurations in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 2001 out of 3712 total tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the database. This rank reflects a balanced but not top-tier performance profile.

Q: How does the i5-10400F compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The i5-10400F’s average benchmark score of 14185 is 0.2% higher than the Intel Xeon 6756E and 0.5% higher than the AMD EPYC 7552, while being 0.3% lower than the Intel Core 7 160UL and 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C.

Q: Does the RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Doom?

A: The measured data does not show VRAM-related failures. The 4K Ultra preset still runs at 48 FPS, indicating that 8 GB is sufficient for Doom at these settings, though performance is limited by the GPU’s compute capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo in Doom is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 228 FPS, which is the highest recorded for this resolution. The Medium preset averages 198 FPS, with a minimum of 168 FPS and a maximum of 228 FPS, showing a 60 FPS range. High settings yield 167 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 137 FPS. This represents a 39.9% reduction from Low to Ultra at 1080p, indicating that the game’s higher presets impose a significant load on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 147 FPS, which is 35.5% lower than the 1080p Low figure. Medium settings achieve 128 FPS on average, with a minimum of 109 FPS and maximum of 148 FPS. High settings produce 108 FPS, and Ultra falls to 89 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 39.5%, nearly identical to the 1080p percentage, suggesting that the GPU is still able to handle the increased pixel count without hitting a hard wall.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 80 FPS, which is 45.6% lower than the 1440p Low result. Medium settings average 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and maximum of 80 FPS. High settings produce 59 FPS, and Ultra drops to 48 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is 40.0%, consistent with the other resolutions, but the absolute values are much lower. The 4K Medium range of 21 FPS (59 to 80) is significantly narrower than the 1080p Medium range of 60 FPS, indicating more consistent frame pacing when the GPU is more heavily loaded.

The data shows that across all resolutions, the jump from Low to Medium costs roughly 30 FPS at 1080p (228 to 198), 19 FPS at 1440p (147 to 128), and 10 FPS at 4K (80 to 70). This diminishing impact of settings at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU’s ability to feed frames allows settings to have a larger effect.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset at 1920x1080 offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 167 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on gaming monitors, and the 137 FPS Ultra preset still exceeds this threshold, though with less headroom. For users targeting 60 FPS at 1440p, the High preset at 108 FPS is more than sufficient, and even Ultra at 89 FPS maintains smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 1440p, with a minimum of 109 FPSate, ensures no drops below triple-digit frame rates.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The High preset averages 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target, making Medium at 70 FPS the recommended choice for a consistent experience. The Medium preset’s minimum of 59 FPS means that occasional dips could occur, but the average is acceptable. The Ultra preset at 48 FPS should be avoided for competitive play, as frame rates below 50 FPS can feel sluggish in a fast-paced FPS. The Low preset at 80 FPS is a viable option for 4K if visual fidelity is less important, as it provides a solid margin above 60 FPS.

For the best overall experience, the data supports using High settings at 1080p, as this preset delivers 167 FPS without sacrificing significant visual quality compared to Ultra. At 1440p, High settings at 108 FPS are recommended, as the difference from Ultra (89 FPS) is noticeable but not critical. The 4K Medium preset at 70 FPS is the most balanced option at that resolution, offering a playable frame rate while retaining some visual enhancements over Low.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process node. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz provide solid single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 688 and passmark_single_thread score of 2541. In Doom, which is a well-optimized FPS engine, the CPU’s role is primarily to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 228 FPS, indicating that the CPU can feed the GPU far beyond what most displays can show.

The CPU’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for Doom’s data requirements. The cinebench R23 multicore score of 10283 and multicore score of 4318 in R20 show that the CPU has sufficient multi-threaded capability for background tasks, but Doom’s engine is unlikely to fully utilize all 12 threads. The passmark_physics score of 696 and passmark_find_prime_numbers score of 35 indicate that the CPU is not a top-tier performer in synthetic compute tests, but these are not directly relevant to gaming performance.

The CPU’s percentile of 68 among all CPUs suggests it is a mid-range part, and its nearest rivals in average benchmark score are all within 0.6% of its 14185 average. This tight clustering indicates that the i5-10400F is a well-balanced processor that does not create a significant bottleneck in Doom. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 4748 and 3dmark_8_threads score of 3929 show that the CPU scales reasonably well with thread count, but the single-thread score of 688 is more indicative of gaming performance. The boost clock of 4.30 GHz is the key specification for Doom, as the game benefits from high per-core performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a chip size of 159 mm² and 18,900 million transistors. Its base clock of 1830 MHz and boost clock of 2460 MHz, combined with 3072 shading units, deliver 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, with a memory clock of 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). These specifications are the primary drivers of the measured FPS at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s role in Doom is critical, as the game’s rendering engine scales significantly with resolution. The data shows that the RTX 4060 is capable of 228 FPS at 1080p Low, but this drops to 80 FPS at 4K Low, a 64.9% reduction. The 4K Ultra preset at 48 FPS demonstrates that the GPU is the clear bottleneck at this resolution, as the 8 GB VRAM is not exhausted (no out-of-memory errors recorded), but the compute throughput is insufficient to maintain high frame rates. The pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s are the limiting factors at 4K.

The GPU’s percentile of 61 among all GPUs places it in the upper-mid range, and its nearest rivals in benchmark score are all within 0.7% of its 17639 average. The passmark G3D score of 19545 and 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 2302 indicate that the GPU is capable of modern DirectX 12 workloads. The RTX 4060’s 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present but not heavily utilized in Doom, which is a rasterization-focused game. The 115 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU indicate this is an efficient card, but the data shows that its performance in Doom is limited by its memory bus width and bandwidth, which are the primary constraints at 1440p and 4K.