Doom

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a high-refresh-rate experience in Doom, with the data showing a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. This combination ranks in the 78th percentile of all tested configurations for this title, placing it comfortably ahead of the majority of systems while leaving headroom for more demanding titles. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is exceptionally capable at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K performance remaining playable though more demanding on the GPU.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Comet Lake architecture, using Intel's 14 nm process node. It operates at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boosts up to 4.30 GHz, drawing 65 W of thermal design power. This processor supports DDR4 memory on a dual-channel interface, providing 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and connects to the rest of the system via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes for the CPU.

In Doom, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates, and the benchmark results indicate this processor is more than sufficient for the task. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 266 avg FPS, a figure that is only slightly higher than the 239 avg FPS seen at High settings. This narrow gap suggests that the processor is not a limiting factor at these settings; the GPU is handling the majority of the workload. The 3DMark single-thread score of 688 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1451 indicate solid per-core performance, which is adequate for Doom's engine. The multi-threaded results, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10283, show that the 12 threads are well-utilized, but the game's performance scaling from Low to High settings is modest, pointing to the GPU as the primary constraint even at lower resolutions.

The processor's performance relative to other CPUs is competitive, as it sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E, which scores 0.2% higher, and the AMD EPYC 7552, which scores 0.5% higher. These are enterprise-class parts, indicating that the i5-10400F's consumer-oriented design delivers comparable average benchmark scores. The data shows that the CPU is not bottlenecking the RTX 5070 in this game, as the FPS deltas between settings are more pronounced at higher resolutions, where the GPU workload increases.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the dominant component in this pairing, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node from TSMC. It features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 672.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, and its memory runs at 1750 MHz, which translates to 28 Gbps effective. The card has 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units, along with 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores.

The GPU's performance in Doom is exceptional, as evidenced by the measured FPS across all resolutions. At 1080p with Medium settings, the system achieves 254 avg FPS, with a minimum of 216 and a maximum of 292 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 5070 has substantial headroom, as the frame rates are well above the refresh rates of most monitors. The GPU's memory bandwidth is a key asset here, as Doom's textures and geometry can be demanding, and the 672.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures no stuttering or frame drops due to memory constraints. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for this game, even at 4K Ultra settings, where the average FPS drops to 71.

The RTX 5070's standing among other GPUs is strong, ranking in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs tested. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 580, which scores 0.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, which scores 0.8% higher. These are professional workstation cards, and the RTX 5070's consumer-oriented design offers similar average benchmark scores, with the Geekbench OpenCL score of 172660 and Vulkan score of 178923 highlighting its compute capabilities. In Doom, the GPU is clearly the primary driver of performance, as the FPS scales predictably with resolution and settings changes, with the card's raw throughput and memory bandwidth allowing it to maintain high frame rates even under heavy load.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-10400F perform relative to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185, which places it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6756E, scores 14163, which is 0.2% lower, while the AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115, which is 0.5% lower. The Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14232, which is 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277, which is 0.6% higher.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and how does it affect Doom's performance?

A: The RTX 5070 has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This high bandwidth is sufficient for Doom's memory-intensive scenes, as evidenced by the 4K Medium settings achieving 102 avg FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS, indicating no memory-related stuttering.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the system achieve its highest average frame rate?

A: The highest average frame rate is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where the system reaches 266 avg FPS. This is closely followed by 1080p Medium settings at 254 avg FPS and 1080p High settings at 239 avg FPS.

Q: How does the system's performance scale from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 202 avg FPS, which drops to 131 avg FPS at 1440p Ultra, and further to 71 avg FPS at 4K Ultra. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the system's overall ranking among all tested combinations for Doom?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 819th out of 3712 tested combinations for Doom. This places it in the top 22% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU have a higher percentile ranking among their respective component categories?

A: The GPU has a higher percentile ranking, sitting in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs tested, while the CPU sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs tested. This suggests the GPU is the stronger component in this pairing for gaming workloads.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 819th out of 3712 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the 78th percentile of all systems. This is a strong showing, indicating that the system outperforms roughly three-quarters of all tested configurations in this game. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where the GPU's high performance carries the system, while the CPU provides sufficient support to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

In comparison to other combos, this system's position suggests it is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K performance still being respectable. The rank of 819 implies that there are 818 systems that perform better, likely featuring more powerful CPUs or newer GPU configurations. However, the data shows that this combo is far more capable than the median system, as the majority of tested combinations fall below this rank. The GPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs is the primary driver of this performance, while the CPU's 68th percentile ranking ensures it does not significantly detract from the overall experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 266 avg FPS on Low settings, 254 avg FPS on Medium settings with a minimum of 216 FPS and a maximum of 292 FPS, 239 avg FPS on High settings, and 202 avg FPS on Ultra settings. These numbers indicate that even at the most demanding settings, the system maintains frame rates well above 200 FPS, making it ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive. Low settings yield 217 avg FPS, Medium settings achieve 189 avg FPS with a minimum of 161 FPS and a maximum of 217 FPS, High settings reach 160 avg FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 131 avg FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a frame rate reduction of approximately 18-35%, depending on the settings, with the higher settings showing a more significant drop due to the increased GPU load.

At 3840x2160, the system's performance is still playable but shows more strain. Low settings achieve 118 avg FPS, Medium settings reach 102 avg FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 118 FPS, High settings drop to 87 avg FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 71 avg FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that the RTX 5070 can handle this resolution, but the frame rates at Ultra settings are lower, suggesting that players seeking 4K gaming may need to adjust settings to maintain higher FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the desired frame rate target and resolution. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset delivers 202 avg FPS, which is still exceptionally high and suitable for most high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 239 avg FPS offers a slight performance boost but with marginal visual improvements over Ultra, making Ultra the recommended choice for the best visual experience without sacrificing frame rate.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset achieves 131 avg FPS, which is smooth for most displays. However, for players with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, the High preset at 160 avg FPS provides a better fit, ensuring the frame rate stays above the monitor's refresh rate. The Medium preset at 189 avg FPS is also a viable option for those prioritizing performance over visual fidelity, but the High preset strikes the best balance between image quality and frame rate.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset at 118 avg FPS is the only option that maintains a triple-digit frame rate. The Medium preset at 102 avg FPS is still playable and offers improved visuals, while the High preset at 87 avg FPS and Ultra at 71 avg FPS are suitable for 60Hz displays. For a 60Hz monitor, the High preset at 87 avg FPS provides a good balance of visual quality and performance, as the frame rate exceeds the refresh rate. For players with higher refresh rate 4K displays, the Low or Medium presets are recommended to maximize frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights into the system's limiting component. At Ultra settings, the system achieves 202 avg FPS at 1080p, 131 avg FPS at 1440p, and 71 avg FPS at 4K. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 46% drop from 1440p to 4K, for a total reduction of 65% from 1080p to 4K. This scaling pattern is indicative of a GPU-limited system, as the CPU's performance remains relatively constant across resolutions, while the GPU workload increases significantly.

The data supports this conclusion when examining the Low settings. At Low settings, the system achieves 266 avg FPS at 1080p, 217 avg FPS at 1440p, and 118 avg FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 18%, and from 1440p to 4K is 46%, showing a similar pattern to Ultra settings. The fact that the frame rate drops significantly at 4K even on Low settings suggests that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, not the CPU.

The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal, as the i5-10400F has enough headroom to feed the GPU at all resolutions. This is evident from the 3DMark multi-threaded scores, which show the CPU can handle increased load without significant performance degradation. The GPU's 82nd percentile ranking and its high memory bandwidth are the primary determinants of this scaling behavior, with the RTX 5070's performance dropping as pixel count increases, which is expected for a high-end consumer GPU. The system is therefore well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being the point where the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck.