Doom

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In this Doom benchmark configuration, the CPU’s role is to feed the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, and the data suggests it does so without becoming the primary constraint at most settings. The CPU’s multi-threaded capability, reflected in a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14372, provides ample headroom for a game released in 2016. The single-thread performance, with a Geekbench single-core score of 1979 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 868, is more relevant for older titles like Doom, which often rely heavily on one or two cores for game logic and physics.

The RTX 3060 Ti’s specifications, including 4864 shading units and a boost clock of 1665 MHz, are the dominant factor in this pairing. Benchmark results confirm this: at 1080p, the CPU can push frame rates high enough that the GPU becomes the limiting factor. For instance, at 1080p Low settings, the average FPS is 189.9, a figure that exceeds what most 60Hz displays can use. The CPU’s 12 threads handle the game’s engine demands with ease, as its 3DMark 16-thread score of 5619 and PassMark multithread score of 16908 indicate substantial parallel processing capability. However, the processor’s performance tier, sitting at the 75th percentile among all CPUs, is adequate but not exceptional, meaning it will not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios but also won't push frame rates beyond what the GPU can render.

The relationship between the CPU and GPU is clear when examining the frame rate scaling with resolution. At 1080p High settings, the average FPS is 142.8, which drops to 89.5 at 1440p and 52.6 at 4K. This linear progression, with each resolution step roughly halving the pixel count and similarly reducing FPS, points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck, as the CPU’s workload does not scale with resolution. The CPU’s performance is more than sufficient for the game’s requirements, as evidenced by its PassMark single-thread score of 2981 and its ability to maintain high frame rates even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has less work to do.

FAQ

Q: How does the Core i5-11400F’s CPU performance compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i5-11400F’s average benchmark score of 17181 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. It is exactly matched with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (deltaPct 0), and only 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-1260P and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U. It is also 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i5-1240U. These deltas are within a negligible margin, indicating that the CPU’s raw processing power is comparable to these other options.

Q: What is the GPU’s standing relative to other graphics cards in its performance class?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has an average benchmark score of 25120, placing it at the 69th percentile among all GPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6700M, scores 25180, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 and AMD Radeon 890M are also close, with scores of 25235 and 25246 respectively, representing 0.5% deltas. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP scores 25287, which is 0.7% higher. These figures show the 3060 Ti is firmly in the mid-range tier, slightly behind several competing AMD offerings.

Q: In this game, what is the difference in average FPS between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate with Low settings is 189.9 FPS. Moving to Ultra settings drops the average to 114.2 FPS. This represents a performance decrease of 75.7 FPS, or roughly 40%, when enabling maximum visual quality. This large gap demonstrates the significant graphical load that the Ultra preset places on the GPU.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor in this config?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the CPU can push the average FPS to 189.9, but as resolution and settings increase, the frame rate drops dramatically. For example, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 39.1. Since the CPU’s workload remains constant while the GPU’s workload increases with resolution, the consistent FPS drops across resolutions point to the RTX 3060 Ti being the bottleneck, not the Core i5-11400F.

Q: How well does the CPU handle multi-threaded workloads compared to its single-thread performance?

A: The CPU demonstrates strong multi-threading capabilities. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14372, while its single-core score is 2029. The ratio between these scores shows a significant scaling benefit from its 12 threads. The 3DMark scores also reflect this, with a max-thread score of 5652 versus a single-thread score of 868. This suggests that while the CPU is capable for modern multi-threaded tasks, its single-thread performance is also solid, which is relevant for older games like Doom.

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU+GPU combination in the database?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti ranks 1181 out of 1681 tested combos in this game. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all tested configurations, indicating that while it is not a top-tier setup, it still delivers competent performance in this title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data clearly shows that the Ultra preset is the most demanding, with frame rates dropping to 39.1 FPS at 4K and 75.4 FPS at 1440p. At 1080p, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 114.2 FPS, which is playable but leaves less headroom. The High preset offers a significant improvement in performance while still providing high visual fidelity. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 142.8, which is 28.6 FPS higher than Ultra. At 1440p High, the average is 89.5 FPS, which is 14.1 FPS higher than Ultra at the same resolution. This makes High the recommended preset for a balanced experience.

For users prioritizing high refresh rate gaming, the Medium preset provides an even larger performance boost. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 168.5, which is 54.3 FPS higher than Ultra. At 1440p Medium, the average is 109.5 FPS, representing a 34.1 FPS improvement over Ultra. The Low preset yields the highest frame rates, with an average of 189.9 FPS at 1080p and 126.3 FPS at 1440p, but this comes at the cost of significant visual quality reduction. Given the data, the High preset at 1080p or 1440p offers the best combination of visual quality and frame rate, providing a smooth experience without sacrificing too much graphical fidelity. The Ultra preset is only advisable for users with 1080p displays who want maximum visual detail and can tolerate frame rates around the 114.2 FPS mark.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti achieves a rank of 1181 out of 1681 tested combos in this game. This position places it in the 30th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning that roughly 70% of the tested combos perform better in Doom. This lower-mid-tier ranking is a direct result of the GPU’s performance class, as the RTX 3060 Ti is a mid-range card that falls behind more powerful options. The CPU’s performance, while not exceptional, is sufficient to avoid being a major bottleneck, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling data.

The ranking suggests that while this setup is capable of running Doom smoothly, it is not a high-end configuration. For context, the CPU’s average benchmark score of 17181 puts it in the 75th percentile, but the GPU’s average score of 25120 places it in the 69th percentile. The combination’s rank of 1181 indicates that the GPU’s relative weakness is the primary factor holding back the overall performance. Users with this combo can expect a solid experience, but they should not expect to max out settings at high resolutions. The data shows that the combo’s performance is limited by the GPU, which is the component that determines the final frame rate in most scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data demonstrates a clear and consistent scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 142.8. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 89.5, and at 4K High, it falls to 52.6. This represents a 37% decrease in FPS from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 41% decrease from 1440p to 4K. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets, indicating that the GPU workload is scaling directly with the number of pixels rendered.

This scaling behavior strongly suggests that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the limiting component in this configuration. The CPU’s workload, which involves game logic and physics calculations, does not increase with resolution. Therefore, if the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively constant across resolutions. Instead, the substantial frame rate drops at higher resolutions point to the GPU’s rendering capabilities being overwhelmed as pixel count increases. For example, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 39.1, which is a very demanding scenario for this GPU. The data confirms that to maintain high frame rates at 1440p or 4K, users would need to lower the settings preset to compensate for the GPU’s limitations, as the CPU has sufficient headroom to handle higher resolutions.