Doom

The pairing of a six-core Intel Core i5-10400F with the high-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER in Doom presents a classic study in bottleneck dynamics. The data shows a system capable of extreme frame rates, yet the relationship between the CPU's older architecture and the GPU's massive rendering power shifts dramatically depending on resolution and settings. At 1080p, the combination produces triple-digit averages that often exceed 240 FPS, but the scaling to 4K reveals where the RTX 4080 SUPER takes over as the definitive performance limiter. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to determine how these components interact in this specific title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Doom?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 266, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is followed closely by 254 FPS at 1080p Medium and 239 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. It is effectively tied with the Intel Xeon 6756E, which scores 14163 (a 0.2% delta), and sits just 0.3% behind the Intel Core 7 160UL's score of 14232.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested systems for this game?

A: The combo rank for this specific CPU and GPU pairing in Doom is 648 out of 3712 tested combinations. This places it comfortably within the top 17.5% of all tested systems.

Q: What is the only resolution and settings pair that provides both minimum and maximum FPS data?

A: The only rows with both min and max FPS values are the Medium settings at 3840x2160 (min 104, max 140), 2560x1440 (min 186, max 252), and 1920x1080 (min 216, max 292). All other settings only have an average FPS.

Q: How big is the performance gap between the RTX 4080 SUPER and its closest rival?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER's average benchmark score is 54209, which is only 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080's score of 54247. The gap is also narrow against the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, which is 1.1% higher.

Q: Does the GPU's performance percentile indicate it is a top-tier part?

A: Yes, the GPU holds an 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score is 54209. This high percentile is consistent with its classification as a high-end Ada Lovelace part with 16 GB of memory.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a Comet Lake processor built on a 14 nm process, featuring 6 cores and 12 threads. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, which can boost up to 4.30 GHz. General benchmark scores show a balanced profile: a single-thread score of 688 in 3dmark and a max-thread score of 4735, indicating that while multi-threaded scaling is present, the single-thread performance is the more defining characteristic for gaming. This is further supported by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10283 and a single-core score of 1451. In the context of Doom, a game from 2016 with a high frame-rate ceiling, the CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions.

The data shows that the CPU's influence on the measured FPS is most apparent at 1080p. At this resolution, the rendering load on the GPU is lower, allowing the processor to keep up with the game's draw calls. However, the i5-10400F's performance relative to other CPUs is moderate; it sits in the 68th percentile and is nearly identical in average score to the Intel Xeon 6756E and Intel Core 7 160UL. This suggests that while it is not a weak processor, it is not a top-tier part that would be expected to push frame rates to the absolute maximum in a CPU-bound scenario. The fact that the Ultra preset at 1080p (222 FPS) is slower than the High preset (239 FPS) hints that the additional settings are increasing CPU load, but the difference is not massive.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and lack of an integrated GPU are standard for the segment. The benchmark results indicate a processor that is competent for gaming but not exceptional. The measured FPS figures suggest that at 1080p, the i5-10400F is likely the limiting factor in Doom, as the frame rates cap out around 266 FPS even at Low settings, which is a typical ceiling for a mid-range CPU of this generation. The performance delta to its rivals is negligible, under 1%, meaning the choice between these CPUs would not yield a significant difference in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a rank of 648 out of 3712 tested combinations in Doom. This percentile placement is high, indicating that this pairing is significantly faster than the majority of systems tested. However, the rank also implies that there are 647 other configurations that perform better, which is expected given the presence of faster CPUs and more powerful GPUs in the database.

This ranking is a composite result of the CPU's 68th percentile and the GPU's 86th percentile. The GPU's higher percentile suggests that the combo's strong rank is largely driven by the RTX 4080 SUPER's capabilities. The CPU, while not a bottleneck at 4K, does not contribute to pushing the system into the top 1% of all combos. The rank reflects a system that is excellent for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and capable of 4K, but not the absolute fastest configuration possible.

The delta between the nearest CPU rivals is small, but the ranking shows the overall system is well above average. For context, being in the top 648 out of 3712 means the system is faster than roughly 82.5% of tested setups. This is a strong result, but the data implies that the i5-10400F is the component holding the combo back from a higher rank, as a newer CPU would likely push the score higher in CPU-bound scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance scaling across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 266 at Low to 222 at Ultra. The Medium preset yields 254 FPS with a minimum of 216 and a maximum of 292. High settings produce 239 FPS. These numbers show that even at the highest settings, the system is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate mark, making it ideal for competitive play. The spread of 44 FPS between Low and Ultra suggests that the CPU is starting to become a factor, as the GPU is not fully saturated at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops but remains exceptionally high. Low settings produce 230 FPS, while High yields 190 FPS. The Medium preset averages 219 FPS with a min of 186 and max of 252. Ultra settings drop to 155 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a performance hit of roughly 13-15% at each settings level, which is a typical cost for the increased pixel count. The system still comfortably exceeds 144 FPS at High settings, making this the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The average FPS at High settings is 103, at Medium it is 122 (with a min of 104 and max of 140), and at Low it is 140. Ultra settings drop to 84 FPS. The performance difference between 1440p and 4K is substantial; for example, High settings drop from 190 FPS to 103 FPS, a 46% reduction. This indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of VRAM and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are being utilized heavily, and the CPU is no longer the primary constraint. The 4K Ultra setting is the only one that dips below the 100 FPS mark, suggesting that for a locked 60 FPS experience, even the most demanding preset is playable.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is an Ada Lovelace architecture GPU with a 5 nm process node and 45,900 million transistors. It features 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, alongside 80 ray tracing cores and 320 tensor cores. Its boost clock is 2550 MHz, and it is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, resulting in a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. The GPU's FP32 performance is 52.22 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 285.6 GPixel/s. These specifications position it as a top-tier consumer card, confirmed by its 86th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 54209.

In Doom, the GPU's role is most evident in the 4K results. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 3840x2160 is 56 FPS (140 vs 84), which is a 40% reduction in performance. This is a direct result of the increased shading and memory load at Ultra settings. The GPU's massive compute throughput is what allows the system to average 103 FPS at 4K High, a feat that would be impossible for lower-tier cards. The data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER is not fully utilized at 1080p, as the frame rates are likely capped by the CPU, but at 4K it is working near its limits.

The GPU's nearest rival, the RTX 4080, has a nearly identical average score (54247 vs 54209), meaning the SUPER variant offers only a marginal performance lead in synthetic benchmarks. However, in this game, the measured FPS shows that the GPU is well-equipped to handle the game's Vulkan API and high-resolution textures. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for Doom's requirements, ensuring no texture swapping or stuttering is likely at 4K. The GPU's power consumption is 320 W, but this is not a factor in the measured FPS data.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's resolution and refresh rate target. For 1080p, the data shows that even Ultra settings produce an average of 222 FPS, which is far above the standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitor. The Low preset at 266 FPS offers the highest average, but the difference between Low and High is only 27 FPS. For most users, High is the best recommendation at 1080p, as it provides a 239 FPS average with better visual quality than Low or Medium, and the performance loss compared to Low is minimal.

For 1440p, the High preset at 190 FPS is the clear winner. This is a 35 FPS improvement over Ultra (155 FPS) and only a 29 FPS reduction compared to Medium (219 FPS). The High setting balances visual fidelity with the ability to fully utilize a 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor. Ultra at 155 FPS is still excellent, but the 18% performance penalty over High is not justified by the marginal visual gains in a fast-paced shooter like Doom. Low at 230 FPS is only for competitive players who prioritize maximum frame rate over visuals.

At 4K, the recommendation is more nuanced. The High preset at 103 FPS is ideal for high-refresh-rate 4K displays, providing a smooth experience above 100 FPS. The Medium preset at 122 FPS offers a 19 FPS improvement and is a great choice for those who want a bit more headroom, though it comes with a visual downgrade. Ultra at 84 FPS is playable and suitable for a 60 Hz display, but the 19 FPS drop from High makes it less desirable for fast-paced action. The Low preset at 140 FPS is the best for maximum performance, but it significantly reduces texture quality and shadows. Overall, High at 4K is the best compromise between visual quality and performance, with Medium as a strong alternative for higher frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K, which indicates the shifting balance between CPU and GPU load. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 239 at 1080p to 190 at 1440p (a 20.5% decrease) and then to 103 at 4K (a 45.8% decrease from 1440p). This progression shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops proportionally with the increase in pixel count. The 4K to 1080p ratio is 103/239, which is 0.43, meaning 4K performance is only 43% of 1080p performance, a direct consequence of the 4x pixel increase.

At Low settings, the trend is similar but the CPU's influence is more pronounced. The average FPS is 266 at 1080p, 230 at 1440p (a 13.5% decrease), and 140 at 4K (a 39.1% decrease). The smaller drop from 1080p to 1440p (13.5% vs 20.5% at High) suggests that at Low settings, the CPU is more of a bottleneck at 1080p, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential. As resolution increases, the GPU takes over, and the frame rate becomes more dependent on the GPU's raw rendering power.

The Medium preset provides the only complete min/max data, which further illustrates the scaling. At 1080p, the average is 254 FPS (min 216, max 292). At 1440p, the average drops to 219 FPS (min 186, max 252), a 13.8% reduction. At 4K, the average is 122 FPS (min 104, max 140), a 44.3% reduction from 1440p. This data confirms that the system is CPU-limited at 1080p, as the GPU is capable of producing far higher frame rates if not for the processor's constraints. The 4K results show a GPU-limited scenario where the RTX 4080 SUPER's performance is the defining factor, and the CPU's role is diminished. The conclusion from this scaling is that the i5-10400F holds the system back at 1080p, but the RTX 4080 SUPER ensures excellent performance at 4K, making this a well-balanced combo for high-resolution gaming.