Doom

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti delivers a strong performance profile in Doom, with the data showing that the combination is capable of high frame rates across all tested resolutions. The measured results indicate that the GPU is the primary scaling factor as resolution increases, while the CPU provides ample headroom for the game’s engine. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to explain where the bottleneck lies and how the hardware responds to different settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable and steep decline in performance as resolution scales from 1080p to 4K. At the Ultra preset, the average frame rate drops from 130 FPS at 1920x1080 to 84 FPS at 2560x1440, and further down to 46 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 45% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings, indicating that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Looking at the High preset, the scaling is slightly less aggressive: 160 FPS at 1080p, 103 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 46%, which is nearly identical to the Ultra preset’s decline. This suggests that the GTX 1080 Ti’s rendering pipeline is saturated by the pixel count at 4K, regardless of the complexity of the scene. The Medium preset shows a similar trend, with 189 FPS at 1080p, 122 FPS at 1440p, and 66 FPS at 4K.

The Low preset provides the clearest view of the scaling behavior. At 1080p, the average FPS reaches 217, which is the highest recorded value in the dataset. At 1440p, it drops to 140 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 76 FPS. The relative drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 46%. This indicates that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is still the primary constraint at 4K, as the rendering load grows with the number of pixels.

The data suggests that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU’s single-threaded performance might become relevant, but the consistent scaling pattern across all presets points to the GPU as the dominant factor. The GTX 1080 Ti’s 11 GB of GDDR5X memory and 484.4 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game’s textures, but the 352-bit memory bus and 88 ROPs are likely the hardware resources that determine the 4K performance ceiling.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is a Pascal-architecture GPU with 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 88 ROPs. Its base clock is 1481 MHz, boosting to 1582 MHz, and the memory runs at 1376 MHz with an effective speed of 11 Gbps. The GPU’s theoretical peak performance is 11.34 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, which is substantial for a card of its generation. The measured data shows that this hardware is well-suited for Doom at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K on the Ultra preset.

At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 46, which is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth for FPS games. The High preset at 4K achieves 56 FPS, which is close but still short. Only the Low preset at 4K reaches a playable 76 FPS. This indicates that the GTX 1080 Ti’s raw compute power is not sufficient for maxed-out 4K gaming in this title, despite its strong benchmark scores. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score is 18600, and its percentile rank among all GPUs is 58, placing it in the mid-upper tier of graphics cards.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, which scores 15290 (1.7% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, which scores 15679 (0.8% higher). The GTX 1080 Ti’s average benchmark score of 15548 is slightly above the RTX 2060, but the real-world Doom results show that the card can deliver high frame rates at lower resolutions. The 11 GB VRAM capacity is generous for the game’s requirements, and the 484.4 GB/s memory bandwidth helps maintain texture streaming performance at higher resolutions.

The data shows that the GPU’s clocks are stable across the measured scenarios, with the boost clock of 1582 MHz providing the necessary headroom for demanding scenes. The 250 W TDP and dual-slot design are consistent with the card’s performance class, but the power draw is not a factor in the frame rate results. The GPU’s role in this combo is clear: it is the primary driver of FPS at all resolutions, and its limitations become apparent at 4K with higher presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.60 GHz, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and it features 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores indicate strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and a single-core score of 2024. The PassMark multi-thread score is 16908, and the single-thread score is 2981. These numbers place the i5-11400F in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, which is respectable for a mainstream desktop processor.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The measured FPS data suggests that the i5-11400F is not a bottleneck at any tested resolution. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS reaches 217, which is likely near the engine’s ceiling for this hardware combination. Even at 4K with Ultra settings, the frame rate drops to 46 FPS, but this is clearly due to the GPU’s pixel processing limits rather than CPU constraints.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD EPYC 7H12, which scores 17120 (0.3% higher), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U, which scores 17074 (0.6% higher). The i5-11400F’s average benchmark score of 17177 is nearly identical to these competitors, indicating that its computational throughput is well-balanced. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration provides sufficient parallelism for modern game engines, and the 4.40 GHz boost clock ensures responsive single-threaded performance for the game’s main thread.

The data indicates that the CPU’s 65 W TDP and 14 nm process node are adequate for sustained gaming workloads. The 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth from dual-channel DDR4 is sufficient for the game’s data transfer needs, and the PCIe Gen 4 interface provides fast communication with the GPU. The CPU’s percentile rank of 71 means that it outperforms the majority of processors in the database, making it a capable partner for the GTX 1080 Ti in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Doom?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 217, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Medium preset achieves 66 FPS and the Low preset achieves 76 FPS. The High preset falls short at 56 FPS, and Ultra is below playable at 46 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 7H12 (17120) and 0.6% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (17074).

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, based on its average benchmark score of 15548.

Q: Does the frame rate drop uniformly across resolutions?

A: No, the drop is steeper from 1440p to 4K than from 1080p to 1440p. For example, on High settings, the FPS drops 36% from 1080p to 1440p, but 46% from 1440p to 4K.

Q: Which preset provides a 60+ FPS experience at 2560x1440?

A: All presets at 2560x1440 exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra at 84 FPS, High at 103 FPS, Medium at 122 FPS, and Low at 140 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti combination ranks 2084 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the 56th percentile of all system configurations, meaning that it outperforms a majority of the tested hardware pairings. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU’s strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU’s mid-tier standing among graphics cards.

The combo’s rank is influenced by the GPU’s 58th percentile ranking, which is slightly above average, while the CPU’s 71st percentile ranking is notably higher. This disparity suggests that the system is CPU-favorable, meaning that the processor has more headroom than the graphics card for future upgrades. The measured FPS data supports this, as the frame rates are consistently high at 1080p and 1440p, but the GPU’s limitations at 4K cap the overall performance.

Compared to other combos, this pairing is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming at high refresh rates. The 217 FPS at 1080p Low and 160 FPS at 1080p High indicate that the system can drive high-refresh monitors without issue. At 1440p, the 103 FPS on High settings is still excellent for competitive play. The rank of 2084 out of 3712 shows that while this is not a top-tier combination, it is far from the bottom, offering a solid mid-range experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the ideal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset delivers 130 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh displays. The High preset at 160 FPS is even better for competitive play, and the Medium preset at 189 FPS offers diminishing returns in visual quality but maximizes frame rate. The Low preset at 217 FPS is only recommended for extreme refresh rates above 200 Hz.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves 84 FPS, which is smooth for most players. The High preset at 103 FPS is the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, as it stays above 100 FPS while maintaining good image quality. The Medium preset at 122 FPS is suitable for players who prioritize frame rate over graphics, and the Low preset at 140 FPS is excessive unless the monitor supports over 140 Hz.

For 4K gaming, the options are more limited. The Medium preset at 66 FPS is the only settings level that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for a playable experience. The Low preset at 76 FPS also works, but the visual downgrades are significant. The High preset at 56 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 46 FPS should be avoided for smooth gameplay. For 4K, the data suggests that Medium settings provide the best experience, as they balance the GPU’s load with acceptable frame rates.