Doom

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The chip carries 18 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 1.25 MB of L2 per core and 80 KB of L1 per core. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU posts a 3DMark single-thread score of 910, a 3DMark max-thread score of 5890, and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935 against a single-core score of 2249. Its PassMark multithread score is 18747, with a single-thread PassMark score of 3456.

For a game like Doom, which was released in 2016, the CPU's single-thread performance is often the gatekeeper for high frame rates, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not saturated. The i5-12400's strong single-core showing — a 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2249 — suggests it is more than capable of feeding frames to the GPU in this title. The 6-core/12-thread configuration provides ample headroom for background tasks and modern game engines that utilize multiple threads, though Doom itself is known for scaling well across cores.

The CPU's overall percentile rank against all CPUs is 77, meaning it outperforms 77% of tested processors in the database. Its average benchmark score is 19850. Comparing it to its nearest rivals, the Intel Core i7-9700 scores 19831 (0.1% behind), the Intel Core i7-8700 scores 19894 (0.2% ahead), the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 19928 (0.4% ahead), and the Intel Core i5-11600K scores 19771 (0.4% behind). These deltas are negligible, placing the i5-12400 in a tight performance cluster where no single chip holds a decisive synthetic advantage.

In the context of Doom's measured results, the CPU's role becomes clear when examining frame rates at 1080p. At Low settings, the combo achieves 150.2 FPS average. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU can push well beyond typical 60 Hz refresh rates, and the limiting factor at this point shifts to the GPU. The i5-12400's boost clock of 4.40 GHz and efficient architecture ensure that even in fast-paced combat scenarios with numerous enemies, the processor is unlikely to be the bottleneck. The data suggests that this CPU provides a solid foundation for the GTX 1660 SUPER to operate within its performance envelope, particularly at 1440p and 4K where GPU load increases.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture (TU116 chip) using TSMC's 12 nm process, with 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die. It features 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1530 MHz with a boost clock of 1785 MHz. Memory is 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card's pixel rate is 85.68 GPixel/s, texture rate is 157.1 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 5.027 TFLOPS. Its TDP is 125 W, requiring a 300 W suggested PSU and a single 8-pin connector.

In Doom, the GTX 1660 SUPER shows clear scaling across resolutions and settings. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 131 FPS, while at 1440p Medium it drops to 84.4 FPS, and at 4K Medium it falls to 43.7 FPS. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in frame rate scaling as resolution increases. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Doom's texture requirements at all tested settings, as the game is from 2016 and does not demand excessive memory. The memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s supports smooth operation even at Ultra settings, where the 4K result of 28.8 FPS suggests the card is reaching its computational limits.

The GPU's percentile rank against all GPUs is 55, placing it just above the median. Its average benchmark score is 14286. Its nearest rivals show tight clustering: the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 14314 (0.2% ahead), the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 14315 (0.2% ahead), the AMD Radeon Vega 11 scores 14352 (0.5% ahead), and the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT scores 14389 (0.7% ahead). These differences are within noise, indicating that the GTX 1660 SUPER performs competitively with these integrated and entry-level discrete solutions in synthetic tests, though its real-world gaming performance in Doom is what matters here.

The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU can handle High settings at 109.3 FPS, but Ultra drops to 86.6 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra yields 56.6 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. At 4K, even Low settings only reach 49.7 FPS, highlighting that 4K gaming is not a realistic option for this card in Doom. The GPU's boost clock of 1785 MHz provides adequate headroom for sustained performance, but the 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 throughput becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings-preset balance depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 150.2 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors and competitive play. However, the Medium preset at 131 FPS still offers a substantial frame rate while improving visual fidelity. The High preset at 109.3 FPS is also viable for most gamers, providing a smooth experience on standard 60 Hz displays with room to spare. The Ultra preset at 86.6 FPS is the most demanding, and while it remains above 60 FPS, the visual difference between High and Ultra may not justify the 20.8% performance drop from High to Ultra.

At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 93.3 FPS, which is excellent for this resolution. The Medium preset at 84.4 FPS is a strong recommendation, offering a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. The High preset at 67.7 FPS is still playable, but the Ultra preset at 56.6 FPS dips below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable in fast-paced action. For 1440p, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, as it maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while providing better visuals than Low.

At 4K, none of the presets achieve 60 FPS. The Low preset at 49.7 FPS is the highest achievable, but even this falls short of a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 43.7 FPS and High at 38.2 FPS are progressively worse, while Ultra at 28.8 FPS is nearly unplayable. For 4K, the recommendation would be to use the Low preset only if the user prioritizes resolution over frame rate, but the data clearly shows that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming. The measured rows indicate that the best overall experience is at 1080p with Medium or High settings, or at 1440p with Low or Medium settings, depending on the user's preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate stability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1501 out of 1681 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the lower 11% of all combos, which is a significant finding given the individual component benchmarks. The CPU alone ranks at the 77th percentile among CPUs, and the GPU at the 55th percentile among GPUs, yet their combined performance in this specific game is well below average. This suggests that Doom's engine, while well-optimized, is particularly sensitive to the GPU's raw throughput, and the GTX 1660 SUPER's mid-range position becomes a bottleneck.

The ranking of 1501 out of 1681 means that 180 combos perform worse, while the vast majority of tested systems achieve higher frame rates in Doom. This is surprising given that the CPU is a modern 12th-gen part with strong synthetic scores. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing, as the CPU's performance headroom is not fully utilized at higher resolutions where the GPU struggles. The combo's near-bottom ranking highlights that for Doom specifically, a more powerful GPU would yield greater benefits than a CPU upgrade.

When interpreting this rank, it is important to note that the combo's position is relative to all tested systems, which includes high-end GPUs paired with various CPUs. The i5-12400's strong single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 910) cannot compensate for the GTX 1660 SUPER's 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 throughput limit. The percentile data for the GPU (55th) versus its average benchmark score of 14286 suggests that in synthetic loads, the card performs adequately, but Doom's specific rendering demands push it to its limits. This ranking serves as a clear indicator that for this game, the GPU is the primary constraint, and the CPU's capabilities are largely untapped.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a consistent drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 131 at 1080p to 84.4 at 1440p (a 35.6% decrease) and then to 43.7 at 4K (a 48.2% decrease from 1440p). This scaling pattern is nearly linear in terms of pixel count: 1080p has 2.07 million pixels, 1440p has 3.69 million (1.78x), and 4K has 8.29 million (2.25x from 1440p). The FPS drops are roughly proportional to the pixel count increases, indicating that the GPU is fully saturated at each resolution and the CPU is not imposing a significant bottleneck.

At High settings, the FPS goes from 109.3 at 1080p to 67.7 at 1440p (a 38.1% drop) and then to 38.2 at 4K (a 43.6% drop from 1440p). The slightly larger drop from 1080p to 1440p at High settings compared to Medium suggests that the higher settings increase the GPU's per-pixel workload, making the resolution scaling steeper. At Low settings, the FPS goes from 150.2 at 1080p to 93.3 at 1440p (a 37.9% drop) and then to 49.7 at 4K (a 46.7% drop from 1440p). Even at Low settings, the GPU remains the limiting factor, as the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability is not reached at any resolution.

The resolution scaling data reveals that the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see diminishing FPS drops as resolution increases, because the CPU's frame generation would cap the frame rate regardless of resolution. Instead, the FPS drops consistently with pixel count, which is the signature of a GPU-bound system. The GTX 1660 SUPER's 336.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 performance are the constraining factors, and the i5-12400's 4.40 GHz boost clock and 18 MB L3 cache provide more than enough headroom to keep the GPU fed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 150.2 FPS, which is the fastest measured result across all resolutions and settings. The Medium preset averages 131 FPS, a 12.8% reduction from Low. The High preset averages 109.3 FPS, a 16.6% reduction from Medium. The Ultra preset averages 86.6 FPS, a 20.8% reduction from High. This progression shows that each step up in settings costs roughly 15-20% performance at 1080p, which is a reasonable trade-off for improved visuals.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 93.3 FPS, which is a 37.9% drop from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 84.4 FPS, a 35.6% drop from 1080p Medium. The High preset averages 67.7 FPS, a 38.1% drop from 1080p High. The Ultra preset averages 56.6 FPS, a 34.6% drop from 1080p Ultra. The consistency of these percentage drops (roughly 35-38%) across all settings confirms that resolution scaling is uniform and GPU-bound.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 49.7 FPS, which is a 46.7% drop from the 1440p Low result. The Medium preset averages 43.7 FPS, a 48.2% drop from 1440p Medium. The High preset averages 38.2 FPS, a 43.6% drop from 1440p High. The Ultra preset averages 28.8 FPS, a 49.1% drop from 1440p Ultra. At 4K, the larger percentage drops (43-49%) compared to the 1440p drops indicate that the GPU is being pushed beyond its efficient operating range, with memory bandwidth and shading throughput becoming increasingly strained.

The minimum and maximum FPS values are not provided in the data, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates. Across all 12 measured configurations, the highest average is 150.2 FPS (1080p Low) and the lowest is 28.8 FPS (4K Ultra). The spread between these extremes is 121.4 FPS, representing the full performance envelope of this combo in Doom. The data shows that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, the user should stay at or below 1440p Medium settings, as the 1440p High result of 67.7 FPS is the only other configuration above 60 FPS at that resolution, and it offers less margin for demanding scenes.