Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT delivers a benchmark profile in Doom that is defined by massive headroom at lower resolutions and a predictable shift to GPU-bound performance at 4K. The measured data shows a system that can push well beyond typical display refresh rates at 1080p, with the Ultra preset being the most demanding configuration tested. The data indicates that the Ultra preset at 2560x1440, yielding an average of 114 FPS, is the optimal balance of visual fidelity and fluidity for high-refresh-rate monitors. While the High preset at 1080p reaches 215 FPS average, the Ultra preset at 1440p provides a more significant visual upgrade while still maintaining a frame rate comfortably above the 100 FPS threshold. For users prioritizing maximum smoothness over visual detail, the Low preset at 1080p achieves 292 FPS, but this comes at a substantial cost to image quality. The Medium preset at 1440p, with an average of 165 FPS and a minimum of 140 FPS, is a strong alternative for those who want a high refresh rate with moderate settings, as it remains well within the VRR window of most modern displays. Ultimately, the Ultra preset at 1440p is the recommended choice, as it showcases the hardware’s capability without sacrificing playability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3. In the context of Doom, a title that is not heavily multithreaded, the processor’s single-thread performance is a critical factor. Benchmark data shows a 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257, which indicates excellent per-core capability. The processor’s multi-threaded performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and a Passmark multithread score of 18747, but these are less relevant for this game’s engine which favors fewer, faster cores.

The data reveals that at 1080p, the CPU is sufficiently powerful to drive high frame rates, as evidenced by the 292 FPS average on the Low preset. This suggests that the i5-12400 does not become a bottleneck at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do. However, as the resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the frame rates decline, indicating that the load shifts increasingly to the GPU. The processor’s performance relative to the market is solid, with a percentile rank of 72 against all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7643, has a negligible 0.1% lower average score, while the Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% slower, confirming that the i5-12400 sits in a competitive performance tier for gaming workloads. The 3DMark multi-thread scores, such as 5873 for 16 threads and 5890 for max threads, show a scaling pattern that is typical for a 6-core part, providing ample throughput for background tasks without hindering game performance.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring the Navi 21 chip on TSMC’s 7 nm process. It comes with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s clock speeds are notable, with a base of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. The memory operates at 2000 MHz, translating to 16 Gbps effective. This configuration provides substantial raw compute power, with an FP32 rating of 20.74 TFLOPS and a texture rate of 648.0 GTexel/s. The GPU’s percentile rank against all GPUs is 85, placing it in the high-performance tier.

In Doom, the GPU’s role becomes increasingly apparent as resolution scales. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully taxed, allowing the CPU to push frame rates to 292 FPS on Low settings. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor, with the Ultra preset dropping to an average of 62 FPS. The VRAM capacity of 16 GB is not a limiting factor at any tested setting, as even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset does not show signs of memory-related stuttering in the average frame rate data. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile, which is 1.5% slower, and the Intel Arc A550M, which is 2.5% faster. The data suggests that the RX 6800 XT is well-matched to the i5-12400, as the CPU can consistently feed the GPU enough data to maintain high utilization, particularly at 1440p where the 139 FPS average on High settings indicates a balanced workload.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 3712 tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT holds a combo rank of 1158. This places the system in the top third of all configurations tested, which is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank reflects the system’s ability to deliver high frame rates across all tested resolutions, although it is not at the very top of the charts where newer, more expensive CPUs and GPUs reside. The ranking implies that while the RX 6800 XT is a powerful GPU, the i5-12400 may slightly hold back performance in extremely CPU-intensive scenarios, though this is not evident in the Doom data. The gap between this combo and the top-ranked systems is likely due to newer processors with higher single-thread performance, but for this specific game, the i5-12400 proves more than adequate. The combo’s position suggests that users can expect a consistent high-refresh-rate experience without needing to upgrade either component for Doom. The fact that the data is measured, rather than estimated, adds confidence to this ranking.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is indicative of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p on the Low preset, the average FPS is 292. Moving to 1440p on the same settings, the average drops to 189 FPS, a decrease of approximately 35%. At 4K Low, the average further drops to 102 FPS, representing a 46% reduction from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. For the High preset, the 1080p average of 215 FPS falls to 139 FPS at 1440p (a 35% drop) and then to 75 FPS at 4K (a 46% drop from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across settings indicate that the GPU’s rendering load scales uniformly with pixel count, while the CPU maintains sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a limiting factor.

The most telling insight comes from the Ultra preset. At 1080p, the average is 176 FPS, which drops to 114 FPS at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and then to 62 FPS at 4K (a 46% reduction from 1440p). This shows that even at the highest settings, the CPU is not the bottleneck; the GPU’s performance is the deciding factor. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see a less pronounced drop from 1440p to 4K, as the GPU would have more time to render frames. The data indicates that the i5-12400 is capable of maintaining a frame rate above 60 FPS at 4K on the Low preset, but for Ultra settings, users would need to consider a more powerful GPU to achieve higher frame rates at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table summarizes the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings combination:

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• High: 75 FPS
• Low: 102 FPS
• Medium: 89 FPS (min 76, max 103)
• Ultra: 62 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• High: 139 FPS
• Low: 189 FPS
• Medium: 165 FPS (min 140, max 189)
• Ultra: 114 FPS

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• High: 215 FPS
• Low: 292 FPS
• Medium: 254 FPS (min 216, max 292)
• Ultra: 176 FPS

At 1080p, the system delivers exceptional performance, with even the Ultra preset exceeding the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many gaming monitors. The Low preset’s 292 FPS average reflects the CPU’s strength at lower resolutions. The Medium preset at 1080p shows a minimum of 216 FPS, which is still incredibly high. Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain very playable, with all presets above 114 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded at this resolution is 140 FPS on Medium settings, ensuring a smooth experience. At 4K, the performance becomes more varied, with the Low preset hitting 102 FPS, making it the only preset at this resolution that consistently exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 62 FPS, is borderline playable but may exhibit dips below 60 FPS in demanding scenes, as the minimum FPS is not recorded for this configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 114 FPS, which is below 144 Hz. The High preset at 1440p, with an average of 139 FPS, is better suited for a 144 Hz display, while the Medium preset at 165 FPS average is optimal for such a monitor.

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

A: Yes, on the Low preset at 3840x2160, the average FPS is 102, which is above the 60 FPS standard. On the High preset, the average drops to 75 FPS, which is still playable. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 62 FPS, which is at the edge of playability.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at 1080p. The Low preset achieves 292 FPS average, indicating that the GPU has spare capacity. The CPU’s strong single-thread performance, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 910, supports this.

Q: How does the RX 6800 XT compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT has an average benchmark score of 48477. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile, has a score of 47743, which is 1.5% lower. The Intel Arc A550M is 2.5% higher with a score of 49737.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: For the Medium preset at 2560x1440, the minimum FPS is 140, with a maximum of 189 and an average of 165. This ensures a consistent experience without major frame drops.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM cause any performance issues in this game?

A: No. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on the RX 6800 XT is more than sufficient for Doom. Even at 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS of 62 is not indicative of VRAM limitations, as the game is likely not using the full memory capacity.