Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400 pairs six Physical cores with twelve threads, a configuration that proves highly effective for Doom’s engine. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide the single-thread strength that this 2016 FPS title leverages heavily. The CPU’s L3 cache is 18 MB shared, and its 10 nm Alder Lake architecture delivers strong per-core performance, as evidenced by a 3dmark single-thread score of 910. This places the processor in the 77th percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,850. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400 sits within a razor-thin margin: it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700, 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600K, but 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-8700 and 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX. These negligible deltas indicate that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any settings level.

The core count is sufficient for Doom’s multi-threaded tasks, but the real story is the headroom. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 311 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is keeping up with the GPU’s output. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15,935 and single-core score of 2,249 reinforce that the processor has ample reserve for the game’s logic and physics threads. The data implies that the i5-12400 is not the limiting factor in this combo; instead, it provides a stable platform for the GPU to stretch its legs. The 65W TDP also indicates efficient power delivery, though the benchmark results are what matter most here.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the undisputed workhorse in this pairing, built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a 4 nm process. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a massive 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for Doom’s texture streaming at high resolutions. The GPU’s base clock of 1660 MHz and boost clock of 2970 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz, show a wide dynamic range that allows it to scale aggressively under load. With 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs, the card is equipped for raw rasterization, which is what Doom primarily demands.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 39,647. Its nearest rivals show a curious pattern: the AMD Radeon Pro 575 is 0.1% ahead, the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile is 0.2% behind, and the AMD Radeon Pro 575X is 0.5% behind. This suggests that while the RX 9070 XT is a top-tier card, the relative deltas are small, and its performance in Doom is dictated more by driver optimization than raw compute. The GPU’s FP32 throughput of 48.66 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 380.2 GPixel/s are impressive, but the measured FPS tells the real story. At 1080p Low, the card hits 311 FPS, and even at 4K Ultra, it maintains 68.2 FPS, showing that the 16 GB frame buffer is sufficient for the game’s highest settings without any apparent memory throttling.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 311 FPS, which drops to 202.3 FPS at 1440p and further to 111.6 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 64% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is consistent across all settings, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions, while the CPU remains capable of feeding it frames.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is partially CPU-limited, as the FPS differences between Low (311) and High (229.3) are substantial, but the CPU’s single-thread score of 910 in 3dmark indicates it is not fully saturated. Moving to 4K, the FPS spread tightens: Low is 111.6, Medium is 94.1, High is 83.1, and Ultra is 68.2. This narrowing implies that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth become the dominant factors, with the CPU’s role diminishing. The 4K Ultra result of 68.2 FPS is still playable, but the 4K Low result of 111.6 FPS shows that the GPU has headroom to spare when settings are reduced. The resolution scaling analysis points to a balanced combo at 1440p, where the FPS range (120.5 to 202.3) is wide enough to accommodate both high-refresh-rate monitors and demanding visual presets.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT in Doom?

A: No, the data shows the CPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system produces 311 FPS, and the CPU’s average benchmark score of 19,850 is within 0.4% of its nearest rivals, indicating it has enough headroom to feed the GPU.

Q: What is the best resolution for a smooth 144Hz experience with this combo?

A: At 1440p with High settings, the system achieves 151.2 FPS, which exceeds 144Hz. For a 240Hz display, 1080p Medium delivers 269.9 FPS, while 1080p High hits 229.3 FPS.

Q: How much does the Ultra preset cost in performance compared to High?

A: At 1080p, Ultra is 190.7 FPS versus High’s 229.3 FPS, a drop of 38.6 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra is 120.5 FPS versus High’s 151.2 FPS, a drop of 30.7 FPS. At 4K, Ultra is 68.2 FPS versus High’s 83.1 FPS, a drop of 14.9 FPS.

Q: Does the RX 9070 XT’s 16 GB VRAM cause any issues at 4K?

A: The data shows no evidence of VRAM bottlenecking. At 4K Ultra, the system still produces 68.2 FPS, and the GPU’s 644.6 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the game’s textures at this resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 461st out of 1,681 tested combinations, placing it in the top 27% of all systems tested for Doom.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between Medium and High settings?

A: Yes, the difference is notable. At 1080p, Medium is 269.9 FPS versus High’s 229.3 FPS, a gap of 40.6 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 23.9 FPS (175.1 vs 151.2), and at 4K, it is 11 FPS (94.1 vs 83.1).

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the system leads with Low settings at 311 FPS, then Medium at 269.9 FPS, High at 229.3 FPS, and Ultra at 190.7 FPS. This shows a linear decline of roughly 40 FPS per step from Low to High, with a slightly larger 38.6 FPS drop from High to Ultra. The 1080p results indicate that the GPU is rarely the limiting factor, as even the lowest setting produces frame rates far beyond typical display refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally: Low is 202.3 FPS, Medium is 175.1 FPS, High is 151.2 FPS, and Ultra is 120.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 81.8 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p (120.3 FPS), suggesting that the GPU’s workload is becoming more balanced with the CPU’s output. The 1440p results are ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming, as even Ultra settings stay above 120 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the FPS drops significantly: Low is 111.6 FPS, Medium is 94.1 FPS, High is 83.1 FPS, and Ultra is 68.2 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 43.4 FPS, which is the smallest spread across all resolutions. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is fully saturated, and the settings have a reduced relative impact on performance. The 4K results show that the combo is capable of 4K gaming, but only at Low settings for 100+ FPS, while Ultra dips below 70 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal preset depends on the target refresh rate and resolution. For 1080p, the High preset at 229.3 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it stays above 200 FPS while providing significantly better graphics than Medium (269.9 FPS). Ultra at 190.7 FPS is still excellent, but the 38.6 FPS cost over High is not justified for the marginal visual gain.

For 1440p, the High preset at 151.2 FPS is the sweet spot for 144Hz monitors, as it delivers 7.2 FPS of headroom. Medium at 175.1 FPS is preferable for 165Hz displays, while Ultra at 120.5 FPS is suitable for 120Hz panels. Low at 202.3 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate outweighs visual fidelity.

For 4K, the results are more constrained. Medium at 94.1 FPS is the best choice for 60Hz displays, providing 34.1 FPS of headroom. High at 83.1 FPS is also viable, but Ultra at 68.2 FPS is the only preset that drops below 70 FPS. Low at 111.6 FPS is the only way to reach 100+ FPS at 4K, but it sacrifices most graphical features. The data suggests that for the best experience at 4K, Medium offers the best compromise between frame rate and image quality, as the gap between Medium and High is only 11 FPS, while the visual difference is substantial.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 + AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination ranks 461st out of 1,681 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the top 27.4% of all systems. This rank is noteworthy because it combines a mid-range CPU with a high-end GPU, and the result is a system that outperforms many more expensive pairings. The CPU’s 77th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 82nd percentile ranking suggest that both components are above average, but the combo’s ranking indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance in this game.

The rank implies that this system is well-suited for Doom, but it also suggests that there is room for improvement. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-8700, are within 0.2% of its average score, meaning that a CPU upgrade would not yield significant gains in this title. Conversely, the GPU’s nearest rivals, like the AMD Radeon Pro 575, are within 0.1%, indicating that the RX 9070 XT is already near the top of its class. The data shows that the combo’s ranking is driven by the GPU’s strong performance, particularly at 4K where it maintains playable frame rates. This suggests that the system is balanced, but the CPU’s modest core count prevents it from achieving a higher rank at lower resolutions where CPU overhead is more pronounced.