Doom

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings six physical cores and twelve threads to this pairing, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process, carries 18 MB of shared L3 cache and per-core L2 cache of 1.25 MB. For a 2016 title like Doom, the CPU's twelve threads provide substantial headroom for the game's engine, which was designed to scale across multiple cores even at higher settings.

The processor's benchmark profile reinforces its competence. In Cinebench R23, it scores 15,935 in multi-core and 2,249 in single-core tests. The single-thread performance is particularly relevant for Doom, as the game's ID Tech 6 engine relies heavily on strong per-core performance for its render thread. The 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and the 2-thread score of 1,692 indicate that the i5-12400 can handle the lightly-threaded portions of Doom's workload without becoming the limiting factor at most settings.

However, the data shows that in this specific configuration, the CPU's role is largely subordinated to the GPU. The AMD Radeon RX 580, with its 2,304 shading units and 32 ROPs, delivers a peak FP32 throughput of 6.175 TFLOPS. When examining the measured FPS across resolutions, the pattern clearly indicates that the RX 580 is the bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 102.2 FPS average, but this is still well below what the i5-12400 is capable of driving in Doom. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs, compared to the GPU's 53rd percentile, suggests the processor is far from being the constraint.

The i5-12400's nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores include the Intel Core i7-9700 (0.1% ahead), the Intel Core i7-8700 (0.2% behind), the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (0.4% behind), and the Intel Core i5-11600K (0.4% ahead). These delta percentages are all within a single percentage point, meaning the i5-12400's computational throughput is essentially on par with these alternatives. In Doom specifically, the differences among these CPUs would likely be negligible at the resolutions where the GPU is the bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 102.2, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that breaks the 100 FPS barrier.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 21.1 on Ultra settings to 37.8 on Low settings. The High preset yields 26.2 FPS, while Medium produces 28.5 FPS. None of these scores reach playable levels for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1080p, dropping from Ultra to Low only improves FPS from 64 to 102.2, showing the RX 580's pixel throughput limits the frame rate. The i5-12400's strong single-thread score of 2,249 in Cinebench R23 suggests it could drive higher FPS if paired with a more powerful GPU.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RX 580's average benchmark score of 13,559 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13,564, 0% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (13,549, 0.1% ahead), and the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (13,416, 1.1% ahead). The NVIDIA P106-090 scores 13,716, which is 1.1% higher.

Q: What settings provide the best balance at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers 60.6 FPS average, which is the closest to a smooth 60 FPS experience. High produces 52.1 FPS, Low achieves 66.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 39.5 FPS. The Low preset at 1440p offers the highest frame rate but Medium provides better visual quality at playable performance.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested configurations?

A: The combo is ranked 1,545 out of 1,681 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the lower tier of all tested combos, consistent with the GPU's mid-range positioning (53rd percentile) and the relatively demanding nature of the game at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of what settings deliver the best experience for this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the most common gaming resolution, the High preset achieves 79.2 FPS average, which provides smooth gameplay on standard 60 Hz monitors and even approaches 144 Hz territory. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 64 FPS, which is still playable but sacrifices 15.2 FPS compared to High. Given that the visual difference between High and Ultra in Doom is often subtle, the High preset represents the sweet spot at 1080p.

For users with 1440p displays, the situation becomes more nuanced. The Medium preset delivers 60.6 FPS, which is the recommended choice for maintaining playable frame rates. Low settings at 1440p produce 66.4 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is significant. High at 1440p yields 52.1 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced sections but could feel less responsive in combat. Ultra at 1440p falls to 39.5 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay.

At 4K resolution, none of the settings achieve playable performance. The best result is 37.8 FPS on Low, with Ultra dropping to 21.1 FPS. This hardware combination is not suitable for 4K gaming in Doom, regardless of settings. Users with 4K displays should consider lowering resolution scaling or accepting sub-30 FPS performance on Low settings.

The data suggests that the optimal experience is at 1080p with High settings, delivering 79.2 FPS. This represents a 23.7% improvement over Ultra settings while maintaining high visual fidelity. For those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, the Low preset at 1080p provides 102.2 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1,545 out of 1,681 tested combinations places this configuration in the bottom 8% of all tested hardware pairings in Doom. This ranking reflects the combination of a mid-range GPU and a capable CPU in a game that can be demanding at higher resolutions. The RX 580's 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it is essentially average in the broader GPU landscape, but Doom's engine appears to stress the GPU's pixel throughput capabilities.

The CPU's 77th percentile ranking suggests that the i5-12400 is well above average in computational performance. This disparity between CPU and GPU percentiles explains the ranking: the combo is limited by the GPU's ability to render frames, not the CPU's ability to feed it data. In aggregate benchmarks, the CPU scores 19,850 average, which is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700 (19,831) and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-8700 (19,894). These margins are negligible in real-world gaming.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 13,559 places it within 1.1% of its nearest rivals, indicating that the RX 580's performance is typical for its class. The combo's low rank is therefore a reflection of the GPU's mid-range positioning relative to the full spectrum of tested hardware, rather than any specific incompatibility or bottleneck issue.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 102.2 at 1080p to 66.4 at 1440p, a 35% reduction, and further to 37.8 at 4K, a 63% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload increases proportionally with pixel count.

At High settings, the scaling is similar: 79.2 FPS at 1080p drops to 52.1 at 1440p (34% reduction) and 26.2 at 4K (67% reduction). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the limiting factor is the GPU's fill rate and shading capability, not any CPU-side bottleneck. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see diminishing FPS differences between resolutions as the CPU reaches its limit at lower resolutions.

The Medium settings show a slightly different pattern: 86.9 FPS at 1080p, 60.6 at 1440p (30% reduction), and 28.5 at 4K (67% reduction). The Ultra settings exhibit the steepest drop: 64 FPS at 1080p to 39.5 at 1440p (38% reduction) and 21.1 at 4K (67% reduction). The consistent 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K across High, Medium, and Ultra settings strongly indicates that the RX 580's pixel processing capability is the primary determinant of performance at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset provides a comprehensive view of this combo's performance across all tested configurations.

1920x1080:

• Low: 102.2 FPS average
• Medium: 86.9 FPS average
• High: 79.2 FPS average
• Ultra: 64 FPS average

At 1080p, the combo delivers playable performance across all settings. The spread from Low to Ultra is 38.2 FPS, showing that settings have a meaningful impact at this resolution. The Low preset is the only configuration that exceeds 100 FPS, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

2560x1440:

• Low: 66.4 FPS average
• Medium: 60.6 FPS average
• High: 52.1 FPS average
• Ultra: 39.5 FPS average

At 1440p, the performance drops noticeably. Low and Medium settings maintain playable frame rates above 60 FPS, while High dips below 60 and Ultra falls well below. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 26.9 FPS, indicating that settings tuning becomes more critical at this resolution.

3840x2160:

• Low: 37.8 FPS average
• Medium: 28.5 FPS average
• High: 26.2 FPS average
• Ultra: 21.1 FPS average

At 4K, none of the settings achieve playable performance. The best result is 37.8 FPS on Low, which is below the 40 FPS threshold many players consider minimally playable. The Ultra preset at 21.1 FPS is effectively unplayable for a fast-paced FPS like Doom.

The data reveals that the RX 580's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus width, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, are sufficient for the game's texture requirements even at 4K, but the GPU's 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at that resolution. The 32 ROPs and 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate are the likely bottlenecks at 4K, given the consistent 67% FPS reduction from 1080p to 4K across multiple settings.