Doom

The Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination produces a playable experience in Doom, but the data clearly shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the system delivers excellent frame rates, but the performance curve indicates a classic GPU-bound scenario where the 8 GB VRAM and the TU106 chip are stretched as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the system averages 141 FPS, but this falls to 91 FPS at 1440p and further to 50 FPS at 4K. This represents a 64.5% performance loss from 1080p to 4K at High settings, indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot maintain its 1080p performance headroom when pixel count quadruples.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. With Low settings, the system achieves 192 FPS at 1080p, 124 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K — again a 65.1% drop from 1080p to 4K. The consistency of this drop across settings is telling: even when the game’s visual load is minimized, the GPU still cannot keep pace with 4K demands. This suggests that raw pixel throughput, not shader complexity, is the bottleneck.

At Ultra settings, the 4K average falls to 40 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 1440p Ultra result of 75 FPS and 1080p Ultra of 115 FPS show that the system has enough headroom at lower resolutions to handle maximum settings, but 4K Ultra is simply beyond the GPU’s capabilities. The data indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K resolution exposes the hardware’s limits.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less punishing than 1440p to 4K. At High settings, the drop from 141 to 91 FPS is a 35.5% reduction, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 45.1%. This non-linear scaling is typical of memory bandwidth constraints; the 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become increasingly saturated as resolution increases, creating a compounding effect at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to Medium settings as the optimal balance for this hardware combination, particularly for users targeting higher resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 167 FPS average with a minimum of 142 FPS and maximum of 192 FPS, which is only 25 FPS below the Low setting’s average but provides substantially better visual quality. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 26 FPS (167 to 141), which may be acceptable for users with 144Hz displays, but the Medium preset offers the best stability for competitive play.

At 1440p, Medium produces 108 FPS average with a minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 125 FPS. This is the only 1440p setting that maintains an average above 100 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 1440p monitors. High at 1440p drops to 91 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra at 1440p falls to 75 FPS, which is adequate but not ideal for fast-paced FPS gameplay.

For 4K, the data suggests that Low settings at 67 FPS is the only preset that approaches playability, while Medium at 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS may cause noticeable stutter in intense combat. High at 50 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold and are not recommended for this resolution. The 4K Medium result shows a minimum of 50 FPS versus a maximum of 67 FPS, indicating significant frame time variance that could impact gameplay consistency.

The best experience per the measured rows is Medium at 1080p or 1440p, depending on the user’s display. The 1080p Medium result provides 167 FPS average, which exceeds the refresh rate of most standard monitors, while 1440p Medium offers 108 FPS, suitable for high-refresh 1440p panels. For users prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate, High at 1440p at 91 FPS is a viable alternative, but Ultra should be reserved for 1080p where the 115 FPS average remains playable.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F provides 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In Doom, a game known for its id Tech engine efficiency, this processor demonstrates sufficient capability to avoid becoming the bottleneck in most scenarios. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 192 FPS, which indicates the CPU can feed the GPU with frames even at high speeds.

The processor’s Rocket Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 14 nm process, delivers strong single-thread performance as evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 868 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2024. These scores suggest the i5-11400F excels at the primary-thread-heavy workloads typical of game logic and draw call submission. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide adequate data throughput for game assets.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are solid but not exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 and 3dmark_max_threads score of 5652. In Doom, which scales reasonably across multiple cores, the 12 threads ensure that background tasks do not interfere with frame rendering. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU can sustain frame rates above 190 FPS in Low settings, suggesting it is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

However, at higher resolutions, the CPU’s role diminishes as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 4K results show minimal variation between settings (40 to 67 FPS), which confirms that the CPU is not constraining performance at 4K — the GPU is. The processor’s 71st percentile ranking among all CPUs and its average benchmark score of 17177 place it in a capable tier for gaming, with nearest rivals like the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% higher score) and Intel Core i5-12450H (0.4% lower) providing comparable performance.

The boost clock of 4.40 GHz is particularly relevant for Doom’s engine, which benefits from high single-core frequencies. The 2.60 GHz base clock ensures power efficiency, but the processor can ramp to boost speeds under load, as evidenced by the high FPS counts at 1080p. For this game, the CPU is more than adequate, and the measured data shows no evidence of CPU-induced frame drops or stuttering at any resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: The data shows that only Low settings at 4K achieve an average of 67 FPS, which is playable. Medium at 4K drops to 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS, while High and Ultra fall to 50 and 40 FPS respectively. For consistent 60+ FPS at 4K, Low settings are required.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Medium settings at 1440p deliver 108 FPS average with a minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 125 FPS. This is the only 1440p preset that maintains an average above 100 FPS, making it the optimal choice for smooth gameplay on 1440p displays.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 18093, placing it 0.4% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159), 0.5% below the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189), 1.5% below the AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373), and 1.6% below the Intel Arc A770M (18383). It ranks in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU powerful enough for maximum frame rates in Doom?

A: Yes. The Intel Core i5-11400F supports frame rates up to 192 FPS at 1080p Low settings, and its single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 score of 2024) is sufficient for the game’s engine. The data shows no CPU bottleneck at any resolution, as the GPU limits performance at higher resolutions.

Q: What frame rates can users expect at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The measured data shows 115 FPS average at 1080p Ultra. This is 76 FPS lower than Low settings (192 FPS) but still above 60 FPS, providing a playable experience with maximum visual quality.

Q: How does the performance drop from 1440p to 4K compare to the drop from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At High settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35.5% (141 to 91 FPS), while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 45.1% (91 to 50 FPS). The larger drop at 4K indicates memory bandwidth constraints become more significant at higher pixel counts.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the dominant factor in this system’s Doom performance. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, the GPU provides sufficient memory throughput for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data shows 4K resolutions push it beyond comfortable limits. The TU106 chip, built on TSMC’s 12 nm process with 10,800 million transistors, operates at a base clock of 1470 MHz and boost clock of 1650 MHz.

The GPU’s 2176 shading units and 136 texture mapping units handle Doom’s geometry and texture work efficiently at lower resolutions. The 64 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s, which is adequate for 1080p but becomes strained at 4K where the pixel count quadruples. The texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s ensures that texture-heavy scenes do not cause significant frame drops at 1080p and 1440p.

The 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is the key metric for Doom’s rendering. At 1080p, this compute power translates to 141 FPS on High settings, but the same compute power yields only 50 FPS at 4K. This 65% performance loss aligns with the 4x increase in pixel count, indicating that the GPU’s compute units are the primary constraint at 4K, not memory bandwidth.

The GPU’s Turing architecture includes 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, though Doom does not use ray tracing or DLSS, so these features do not affect the measured results. The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory (note: the fact pack specifies 8 GB, so this is incorrect — the correct figure is 8 GB) is sufficient for Doom’s texture requirements at all settings, as the game’s textures fit within 8 GB even at 4K Ultra. The measured data does not indicate any VRAM-related stuttering or texture pop-in.

The GPU’s 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs and average benchmark score of 18093 place it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 3060 Mobile (0.4% higher score) and AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (0.5% higher), with the AMD Radeon RX 460 showing a 1.5% higher score, which is surprising given its different market position. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s performance in Doom aligns with its benchmark position — capable at 1080p and 1440p, but not a 4K powerhouse.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER in Doom is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 192 FPS average
• Medium: 167 FPS average, with minimum 142 FPS and maximum 192 FPS
• High: 141 FPS average
• Ultra: 115 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 124 FPS average
• Medium: 108 FPS average, with minimum 92 FPS and maximum 125 FPS
• High: 91 FPS average
• Ultra: 75 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 67 FPS average
• Medium: 59 FPS average, with minimum 50 FPS and maximum 67 FPS
• High: 50 FPS average
• Ultra: 40 FPS average

The data shows that at 1080p, all settings exceed 60 FPS, with Low providing nearly 200 FPS for competitive play. The Medium preset at 1080p offers the best combination of visual quality and performance, with a minimum of 142 FPS ensuring no drops below most monitors’ refresh rates. At 1440p, only Low and Medium maintain averages above 100 FPS, with High at 91 FPS still playable but Ultra dropping to 75 FPS.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. Low settings at 67 FPS is the only preset that reaches the 60 FPS threshold, while Medium at 59 FPS is borderline with a 50 FPS minimum that could cause noticeable frame pacing issues. High at 50 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are below playable thresholds for a fast-paced FPS, and users should avoid these settings at 4K.

The Medium preset’s minimum FPS values are particularly informative. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 142 FPS, which is 25 FPS below the average but still high. At 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 92 FPS, a 16 FPS gap from the average. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 50 FPS, an 9 FPS gap from the average. These minimums show that the frame time consistency degrades as resolution increases, which aligns with the GPU becoming the bottleneck.

The combination ranks 2617th out of 3712 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all hardware configurations. This ranking reflects the system’s strong 1080p performance but weaker 4K capabilities. The data overall paints a clear picture: this system is ideal for 1080p and 1440p gaming with high settings, but users targeting 4K should stick to Low or Medium presets for playable frame rates.