Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER produces a fascinating dataset in Doom, one that clearly delineates the boundaries between CPU and GPU limitations. At 1080p, the combination delivers staggering frame rates that suggest the CPU is the primary bottleneck, while at 4K, the GPU takes over as the limiting factor. The measured results show a clear hierarchy of performance scaling that reveals how this 2016 title interacts with modern hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a dramatic shift in system behavior. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 294.7 FPS, but at 4K High, that figure drops to 102.1 FPS — a reduction of roughly 65% as resolution quadruples the pixel count. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is being pushed to its limits at 4K, while at 1080p the CPU is likely holding performance back from even higher peaks.

Looking at the Low preset, the pattern becomes even more telling. At 1080p Low, the system hits 360.8 FPS, but at 4K Low it falls to 138.1 FPS. The 4K-to-1080p ratio here is about 38%, which is close to the theoretical pixel-count ratio of 25% (4K has 4x the pixels of 1080p), suggesting the GPU is the dominant constraint at 4K even on the lightest settings. Conversely, the 1080p Low result of 360.8 FPS versus 1080p High at 294.7 FPS shows only a 22% difference, implying the CPU is becoming the ceiling at lower resolutions.

The Medium preset tells a similar story: 344.7 FPS at 1080p, 224.2 FPS at 1440p, and 122.8 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 1080p is 35%, while the gap between 4K and 1440p is 45%, indicating that the GPU's workload increases disproportionately as resolution climbs. This data suggests that for players targeting 4K, the RTX 4080 SUPER is the clear limiting component, while at 1080p the i5-12400's six cores are struggling to feed the GPU enough frames to reach its full potential.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark results place it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19850. Notably, its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-9700 (deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core i7-8700 (deltaPct -0.2), meaning the i5-12400 performs essentially identically to those older i7 parts in synthetic tests.

In Doom, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining the frame rate ceiling at 1080p. The jump from Low (360.8 FPS) to Ultra (242.6 FPS) at 1080p is a 33% reduction, which is larger than the 4K drop from Low (138.1 FPS) to Ultra (85.4 FPS) at 39%. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance — measured at 910 in 3DMark single-thread and 2249 in Cinebench R23 single-core — is sufficient to drive very high frame rates, but the gap between settings indicates that the game's draw calls and physics calculations are taxing the processor.

The i5-12400's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935 and 3DMark max-thread score of 5890 show solid multi-threaded capability, but Doom's engine is known for being heavily single-thread dependent. The single-core Cinebench R15 score of 226 and the 3DMark 2-thread score of 1692 suggest that while the CPU is capable, it may not be the ideal match for pushing beyond 360 FPS at 1080p Low. The data implies that the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p, as the GPU could likely render more frames if the processor could feed it faster.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data offers clear guidance for optimizing the experience across different resolutions. At 4K, the High preset (102.1 FPS) provides a better balance than Ultra (85.4 FPS) — the 16% performance gain from dropping from Ultra to High is substantial, and given that Doom is a fast-paced FPS, the higher frame rate likely matters more than the visual increment between High and Ultra. Medium at 4K (122.8 FPS) offers another 20% improvement over High, making it a strong choice for players with high-refresh-rate 4K displays.

At 1440p, the situation is more forgiving. Ultra delivers 157.3 FPS, which is already above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors. High at 188.7 FPS and Medium at 224.2 FPS both provide headroom for competitive play, while Low at 260 FPS is optimal for esports-style gameplay. The 1440p dataset suggests that Ultra is viable for most players, but High is the sweet spot for those who want a safety margin above 144 Hz.

For 1080p, the recommendation depends entirely on the display's refresh rate. At 360.8 FPS, Low is overkill for all but the most extreme 360 Hz monitors, but it does demonstrate the CPU's ceiling. Medium at 344.7 FPS and High at 294.7 FPS are both excellent choices for 240 Hz displays, while Ultra at 242.6 FPS still comfortably exceeds 240 Hz. The data suggests that High is the best all-around preset at 1080p, offering a balance of visual quality and frame rate headroom without pushing the CPU to its absolute limit.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 117th out of 1681 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the top 7% of all combinations tested, which is impressive given that the CPU is a mid-range part from 2022 and the GPU is a high-end card from 2024. The rank reflects the GPU's dominance in this title, as the RTX 4080 SUPER's raw rendering power compensates for the i5-12400's more modest CPU performance.

The ranking also makes sense when considering the GPU's position relative to its rivals. The RTX 4080 SUPER sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53610. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53489 (deltaPct 0.2), meaning the RTX 4080 SUPER is nearly tied with that previous-generation flagship. The combo's 117th place out of 1681 suggests that while many higher-ranked combos likely pair the RTX 4080 SUPER with stronger CPUs like the Core i9 or Ryzen 9, the i5-12400 does not significantly hold back the GPU in Doom at most resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with an AD103 chip, manufactured on a 5nm process by TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs provide substantial raw compute power, with FP32 performance rated at 52.22 TFLOPS.

In Doom, the GPU's role is most evident at 4K, where it becomes the clear bottleneck. The difference between 4K Low (138.1 FPS) and 4K Ultra (85.4 FPS) is 38%, which is a significant hit from visual settings. This sensitivity to settings at 4K indicates that the GPU is fully utilized, as reducing settings directly translates to higher frame rates. The 4K High result of 102.1 FPS is particularly notable because it shows the RTX 4080 SUPER can handle 4K at high settings well above 60 FPS, making it a viable 4K gaming card for this title.

The GPU's memory configuration also matters here. With 16 GB of VRAM and a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s, the RTX 4080 SUPER has ample resources for Doom's textures and geometry, even at 4K Ultra. The fact that frame rates don't collapse at 4K suggests that memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor; instead, the GPU's compute units are doing the heavy lifting. The GPU's passmark G3D score of 34245 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 further confirm its high-end positioning.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a comprehensive view of performance across all resolution and settings combinations.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 360.8 FPS, Medium delivers 344.7 FPS, High reaches 294.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 242.6 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 118.2 FPS, showing that settings have a meaningful impact even at 1080p, though all results are exceptionally high.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low yields 260 FPS, Medium hits 224.2 FPS, High manages 188.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 157.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 102.7 FPS, slightly narrower than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is beginning to assert more influence over performance.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are considerably lower. Low produces 138.1 FPS, Medium reaches 122.8 FPS, High sustains 102.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 85.4 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 52.7 FPS, which is a smaller absolute gap but a similar relative drop of 38%. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU's workload is so heavy that even the lightest settings can't fully escape the resolution penalty.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?*

A: The data shows that 1440p provides the best balance of performance and quality. At 1440p High, the combo achieves 188.7 FPS, which exceeds most high-refresh-rate monitors' capabilities, while 4K High still delivers 102.1 FPS.

*Q: How does the CPU bottleneck manifest in Doom?*

A: At 1080p Low, the system reaches 360.8 FPS, but the CPU's single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 910) appears to cap frame rates around that level, as the GPU could likely render faster if fed more data.

*Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER overkill for Doom?*

A: At 4K Ultra, the GPU produces 85.4 FPS, which is below 100 FPS, suggesting it is not overkill for 4K high-refresh-rate play. However, at 1080p, the CPU becomes the bottleneck, making the GPU's power underutilized.

Q: What settings should be used for competitive play at 1080p?

A: Low settings at 1080p yield 360.8 FPS, which is ideal for 360 Hz monitors. Medium at 344.7 FPS is also viable for 240 Hz displays, while High at 294.7 FPS offers better visuals with still exceptional frame rates.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 117th out of 1681 tested combos, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations tested in Doom, which is strong given the CPU's mid-range positioning.

*Q: Does the GPU's memory bandwidth limit performance in Doom?*

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth and 16 GB of VRAM. The frame rates at 4K do not show signs of memory-related stuttering or collapses, indicating that memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor in this title.