Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB delivers a playable experience in Doom, but the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card. The benchmark results show a clear progression where performance scales inversely with resolution, but the GPU's 4 GB memory capacity and modest compute resources cap the experience at higher settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions, examines the CPU and GPU roles, and provides settings guidance based on the empirical data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data illustrates a dramatic shift in performance as resolution increases, indicating a system where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 136 FPS average, which drops to 118 FPS at Medium and 100 FPS at High. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is steep: at High settings, the average falls from 100 FPS to 65 FPS, a 35% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings sees another substantial decline, from 65 FPS to 35 FPS, representing a 46% loss in performance.

The scaling pattern across all settings shows that the RTX 3050 4 GB struggles to maintain frame rates as pixel count grows. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 29, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions: at 1080p, the difference between Low (136 FPS) and Ultra (82 FPS) is 54 FPS, while at 4K, the same settings comparison shows only a 19 FPS difference (48 FPS vs 29 FPS). This compression at 4K indicates that the GPU is saturated, and reducing settings yields diminishing returns.

The 1440p Medium result of 77 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS and maximum of 88 FPS shows the system can maintain playable frame rates at this resolution, but the 4K Medium result of 41 FPS with a 35 FPS minimum reveals the GPU's bandwidth and memory limitations. The data suggests that the CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads running at a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, is not the bottleneck at any resolution. The consistent FPS drops proportional to pixel count increases point directly to the GPU's 192.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 4 GB VRAM as the limiting factors.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at reduced settings. The measured data shows 4K Low averages 48 FPS, 4K Medium averages 41 FPS, and 4K High averages 35 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 29 FPS, which is likely below the playability threshold for most users.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 provides the most comfortable experience. At High settings, the combo achieves 100 FPS average, while Medium delivers 118 FPS and Low reaches 136 FPS. These frame rates offer smooth gameplay with headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: How does the RTX 3050 4 GB's memory capacity affect performance?

A: The 4 GB VRAM appears to be a constraint at higher resolutions. At 4K, the FPS drops are more severe, and the difference between Low and Ultra settings narrows, suggesting the GPU runs out of memory resources before compute capabilities become the limiting factor.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 holding back the GPU?

A: The benchmark data does not indicate CPU bottlenecking. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 are strong, and the FPS scaling pattern across resolutions aligns with GPU limitations rather than CPU performance ceilings.

Q: What settings provide the best balance of quality and performance?

A: The 1440p Medium preset, averaging 77 FPS, appears to be the sweet spot for higher resolutions. At 1080p, High settings at 100 FPS offer a good balance, while Ultra at 82 FPS is also playable if visual fidelity is prioritized.

Q: How does the combo rank among tested systems?

A: This configuration ranks 3255 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the lower portion of the database. The GPU's 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs and the CPU's 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs suggest the graphics card is the weaker component in this pairing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is the defining component in this system's Doom performance. Built on the Ampere architecture with a GA107 chip on Samsung's 8 nm process, this GPU features 2048 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The boost clock of 1740 MHz and base clock of 1545 MHz provide the compute throughput, while the 4 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivers 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU's specifications directly explain the measured performance. The 7.127 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 111.4 GTexel/s texture rate are sufficient for 1080p gaming, but the memory subsystem becomes a bottleneck at higher resolutions. The 4 GB VRAM capacity is the most likely culprit for the severe FPS drops at 4K, as modern game assets at that resolution exceed the available memory. The pixel rate of 55.68 GPixel/s also limits fill-rate-heavy scenarios at 4K.

The RTX 3050 4 GB's 90 W TDP and 250 W suggested PSU requirement indicate a power-efficient design, but this efficiency comes at the cost of raw performance. The GPU's 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms it sits at the median of the database, and the measured FPS data aligns with this mid-range positioning. The memory clock of 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) and 128-bit bus width result in the 192.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p but struggles to feed the shader units at 4K.

The GPU's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6 ensures compatibility with Doom's rendering requirements, but the hardware capabilities limit how effectively these APIs can be utilized. The 16 RT cores and 64 tensor cores are present but not heavily leveraged in this title, as Doom's engine primarily relies on traditional rasterization. The benchmark results show that the GPU's compute and memory resources are the deciding factors in performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results: Low settings produce an average of 136 FPS, Medium reaches 118 FPS with a minimum of 100 FPS and maximum of 136 FPS, High achieves 100 FPS, and Ultra drops to 82 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p gaming is entirely viable, with even the most demanding preset staying above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance penalty is significant but manageable. Low settings average 88 FPS, Medium averages 77 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS and maximum of 88 FPS, High averages 65 FPS, and Ultra averages 53 FPS. The 1440p results show that the system can maintain playable frame rates on Medium and High, but Ultra dips below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become pronounced. Low settings average 48 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and maximum of 48 FPS, High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. None of the 4K presets achieve 60 FPS, and even Low settings fall below that target. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (35 FPS) indicates potential stuttering during intense scenes.

The settings scaling at each resolution shows diminishing returns at higher presets. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 18 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs 18 FPS as well. At 1440p, the differences are 11 FPS (Low to Medium), 12 FPS (Medium to High), and 12 FPS (High to Ultra). At 4K, the differences shrink to 7 FPS (Low to Medium), 6 FPS (Medium to High), and 6 FPS (High to Ultra), confirming the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 3255 out of 3712 tested configurations places it in the bottom 12% of the database for Doom performance. This ranking reflects the GPU's modest capabilities rather than CPU shortcomings. The Intel Core i5-12400's percentileVsAllCpus of 72 indicates it outperforms 72% of all CPUs in the database, while the RTX 3050 4 GB's percentileVsAllGpus of 50 places it exactly at the median.

The CPU's benchmark scores support the notion that it is not the bottleneck. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 are respectable for a mid-range desktop processor. The Geekbench multicore score of 8564 and single-core score of 1848 further confirm the CPU's capability. In contrast, the GPU's avgBenchmarkScore of 0 (no synthetic benchmarks provided) and its 50th percentile ranking suggest it underperforms relative to the CPU.

The nearestRivals data for the CPU shows it trades blows with much more expensive processors: the AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18697 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18730 (0.3% higher), the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811 (0.7% higher), and the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519 (0.9% lower). This data indicates the i5-12400 is a strong performer, but the GPU's limitations drag the overall combo ranking down.

The rank of 3255 out of 3712 means 87.7% of tested combos outperform this configuration in Doom. This places the system in the lower quartile of gaming performance, suitable for 1080p gaming but inadequate for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution play. The data suggests that the RTX 3050 4 GB is the component holding back the system, as the CPU's performance metrics are competitive with higher-tier processors.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and performance priorities. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 100 FPS average offers the best balance of visual quality and smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 82 FPS is also playable and provides the maximum visual fidelity, while Medium at 118 FPS and Low at 136 FPS are options for users prioritizing frame rate over graphics.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 77 FPS average with a 65 FPS minimum is the recommended choice. This provides a smooth experience while maintaining acceptable visual quality. High at 65 FPS is marginally playable but risks dropping below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. Ultra at 53 FPS is not recommended for competitive play, and Low at 88 FPS is suitable for users who prioritize performance.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS, so users must accept compromises. Low at 48 FPS is the most playable option, while Medium at 41 FPS may cause noticeable stuttering. High at 35 FPS and Ultra at 29 FPS are not recommended for a satisfactory experience. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant settings reductions and still falls short of smooth frame rates.

The measured minimum FPS values provide additional guidance. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 100 FPS indicates consistent performance. At 1440p Medium, the 65 FPS minimum shows occasional dips but remains playable. At 4K Medium, the 35 FPS minimum reveals potential frame pacing issues. For the most consistent experience, 1080p High or 1440p Medium are the safest choices based on the data.