Doom

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a performance profile in Doom that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet reveals a distinct CPU ceiling at 1080p. The measured frame rates show a smooth scaling curve from 4K to 1440p, but the transition to 1080p exposes diminishing returns that point directly at the processor’s six-core Comet Lake architecture. This combination ranks in the 83rd percentile of all tested combos for this title, a strong result that is nonetheless tempered by the i5-10400F’s position as a mid-range 2020 part relative to the flagship-class RTX 4080.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression across resolutions tells a clear story about where the bottleneck shifts. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the combo averages 104 FPS. Dropping to 2560x1440 at the same preset yields 191 FPS, a substantial 83.7% improvement. Moving further down to 1920x1080 at High produces 239 FPS, which is only a 25.1% gain over the 1440p result. This pattern—a massive leap from 4K to 1440p followed by a much smaller jump to 1080p—indicates that the RTX 4080 is the limiting factor at 4K, while the i5-10400F begins to constrain performance as resolution drops.

The trend repeats across all settings. At Ultra, the averages are 85 FPS at 4K, 156 FPS at 1440p, and 222 FPS at 1080p. The 1440p-to-1080p gain here is 42.3%, which is larger than the High preset’s 25.1% gain, but still far short of the 83.5% improvement seen when moving from 4K to 1440p. At Low settings, the numbers are 141 FPS (4K), 230 FPS (1440p), and 266 FPS (1080p). The 4K-to-1440p jump is 63.1%, while the 1440p-to-1080p jump is only 15.7%. This compressed scaling at Low settings is a classic sign of CPU saturation: the graphics card has ample headroom, but the processor cannot feed it any faster.

Quantitatively, the frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are severe at every preset. At High, the 4K average is 56.5% lower than the 1080p average. At Ultra, the drop is 61.7%. At Medium, it is 51.6%. The data suggests that for users targeting 4K, the RTX 4080 is doing the heavy lifting, and the i5-10400F’s slower single-thread performance (a 3DMark single-thread score of 688) is rarely the primary constraint. However, at 1080p, the processor’s 2.90 GHz base clock and 4.30 GHz boost clock become the ceiling, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 645th out of 3,712 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 17.4% of all configurations. This is a strong showing, but the rank is more indicative of the RTX 4080’s raw power than the i5-10400F’s contribution. The GPU itself holds an 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the CPU sits at a 68th percentile among all CPUs. The disparity in these percentiles explains why the combo does not rank higher: the processor is a bottleneck in a game that can scale to very high frame rates.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the i5-10400F’s average benchmark score of 14,185 is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon 6756E (14,163, a 0.2% delta) and the Intel Core 7 160UL (14,232, a -0.3% delta). The AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14,115 (0.5% higher) and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14,277 (-0.6% lower). This clustering shows that the i5-10400F is a solid mid-pack performer in synthetic tests, but none of these rivals are gaming-focused parts. In Doom, the actual frame rates are far more dependent on the GPU, as evidenced by the 4K High average of 104 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target for most displays.

The GPU’s nearest rivals are telling. The RTX 4080’s average benchmark score of 54,247 is within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209) and 1.1% of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828). The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55,698 (2.6% higher) and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55,757 (2.7% higher). This suggests that the RTX 4080 is not an outlier in synthetic tests, but its real-world performance in Doom is excellent, likely due to its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on optimal settings for different resolutions. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the best balance, averaging 123 FPS with a minimum of 104 FPS and a maximum of 141 FPS. The High preset drops to 104 FPS, which is still playable, but the Medium preset offers a 18.3% higher average with only a modest visual difference. Ultra at 4K falls to 85 FPS, which may be acceptable on a 60 Hz display but is suboptimal for high-refresh monitors.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering 191 FPS. Medium is close at 219 FPS, but High provides better visuals without sacrificing the frame rate needed for a 144 Hz display. Ultra at 1440p yields 156 FPS, which is still excellent, but the gain from High to Ultra is not justified by the 18.3% drop in average FPS. Low at 1440p hits 230 FPS, but the visual compromise is unnecessary given the headroom.

At 1920x1080, the situation is different. High averages 239 FPS, while Ultra averages 222 FPS. The gap is only 7.1%, making Ultra the recommended preset for 1080p users who want maximum image quality without a significant frame rate penalty. Medium (254 FPS) and Low (266 FPS) offer marginal gains over High, but the CPU ceiling is evident—the difference between Low and High is just 10.1%, suggesting that the i5-10400F is already limiting performance. For competitive play, Low at 266 FPS is the best option, but for most users, Ultra at 222 FPS provides the best experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full data set for this combo in Doom is as follows:

• 3840x2160: Ultra averages 85 FPS; High averages 104 FPS; Medium averages 123 FPS (min 104, max 141); Low averages 141 FPS.
• 2560x1440: Ultra averages 156 FPS; High averages 191 FPS; Medium averages 219 FPS (min 186, max 252); Low averages 230 FPS.
• 1920x1080: Ultra averages 222 FPS; High averages 239 FPS; Medium averages 254 FPS (min 216, max 292); Low averages 266 FPS.

Examining the deltas between settings at each resolution reveals consistent behavior. At 4K, moving from Ultra to High yields a 22.4% improvement, from High to Medium an 18.3% improvement, and from Medium to Low a 14.6% improvement. At 1440p, the same transitions produce gains of 22.4%, 14.7%, and 5.0%, respectively. At 1080p, the gains shrink to 7.7%, 6.3%, and 4.7%. This progressive compression of setting-based gains at lower resolutions is a textbook example of a CPU bottleneck: as the GPU becomes less stressed, the processor’s limitations dominate.

The minimum and maximum FPS data is only available for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 4K, the range is 104 to 141 FPS (a 35.6% spread). At 1440p, the range is 186 to 252 FPS (a 35.5% spread). At 1080p, the range is 216 to 292 FPS (a 35.2% spread). The consistency of this spread across resolutions suggests that frame time variance is not tied to resolution, but rather to scene complexity and the CPU’s ability to handle draw calls.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing for Doom. Its Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, packs 45,900 million transistors into a 379 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2205 MHz and boosts to 2505 MHz, with 9,728 shading units and 304 texture mapping units. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory runs at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus, yielding 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Doom, which is a fast-paced FPS that benefits from high frame rates, the RTX 4080’s memory bandwidth is a key asset. The 4K High average of 104 FPS demonstrates that the GPU can handle the game’s texture and geometry demands at high resolutions without running out of memory or bandwidth. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for Doom’s requirements, as evidenced by the lack of any notable frame rate drops at Ultra settings that would indicate memory pressure.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its position. The PassMark G3D score of 34,457 and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 263,779 are both strong, placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,567 further confirms its DirectX 12 performance. The RTX 4080’s nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, is essentially tied with a 0.1% delta, indicating that this card is at the top of its class. The fact that the combo still ranks 645th out of 3,712 highlights that the GPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 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. The processor supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. It connects via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes.

In Doom, the CPU’s role becomes increasingly critical as resolution drops. At 1080p, the frame rate ceiling is evident: Low settings yield 266 FPS, which is only 11.7% higher than Ultra’s 222 FPS. This narrow gap indicates that the i5-10400F is struggling to feed the RTX 4080 with enough draw calls, despite the game being relatively well-optimized for multi-threaded CPUs. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10,283 and the 3DMark 16-thread score of 4,748 show that the CPU has adequate multi-threaded capability, but its single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,451) is the limiting factor.

The CPU’s 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs is modest compared to the GPU’s 86th percentile. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Xeon 6756E and the AMD EPYC 7552, both of which are server parts with different performance characteristics. The i5-10400F’s 3DMark single-thread score of 688 is particularly low, which explains why it cannot keep up with the RTX 4080’s frame generation capabilities at lower resolutions. For users with a 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitor, this CPU will prevent the GPU from reaching its full potential at 1080p, as the data clearly shows.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with High settings provides an excellent balance, averaging 191 FPS. This is well above the 144 Hz threshold, while 4K High averages 104 FPS, which is suitable for 60 Hz displays.

Q: Does the i5-10400F bottleneck the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: Yes, particularly at 1080p. The frame rate difference between Low and High settings at 1080p is only 10.1%, whereas at 4K the same settings differ by 35.6%. This indicates the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

Q: What settings should I use for 4K gaming?

A: The Medium preset is recommended, averaging 123 FPS with a minimum of 104 FPS. This provides a 18.3% improvement over High while maintaining a smooth experience.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 645th out of 3,712 combos, placing it in the top 17.4%. This is a strong result, driven primarily by the RTX 4080’s high performance, which sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs.

*Q: Is the RTX 4080’s 16 GB VRAM sufficient for Doom?*

A: Yes. The measured frame rates at Ultra settings across all resolutions show no signs of memory-related stuttering or drops, indicating that 16 GB is more than adequate for this game.

Q: What is the CPU’s single-thread performance, and why does it matter here?

A: The i5-10400F has a 3DMark single-thread score of 688 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,451. These scores are modest, and in Doom, which relies heavily on single-thread performance for frame pacing, this limits maximum FPS at 1080p.