Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a robust 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, with the data indicating a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The combination ranks in the 60th percentile of tested configurations, and the measured frame rates show that while 4K Ultra is demanding, the system remains highly capable at lower settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the optimal balance, with High settings producing an average of 96 FPS. At 1920x1080, the average exceeds 120 FPS on all presets, while 3840x2160 only reaches 52 FPS on High, making 1440p the sweet spot for high refresh rates without sacrificing image quality.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 21035, placing it 0.6% below the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153) and 1.6% above the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713). It also trails the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379) by 1.6%, showing it sits in a tightly contested mid-range segment.

Q: Is the Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RTX 5050 in Doom?

A: Benchmark results indicate the CPU is not the limiting factor. The i5-12400's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 are strong, and the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows the GPU becoming the primary constraint as resolution increases.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 122. This is the most demanding preset, yet it still delivers a smooth experience suitable for fast-paced FPS gameplay, staying well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 149 at 1920x1080 to 52 at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 65%. This steep decline highlights the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus as limiting factors at 4K resolution.

Q: Which preset provides the most consistent frame pacing?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 shows a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS, with an average of 114. This tight range suggests more consistent performance compared to other settings, making it a reliable choice for competitive play.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, which directly influence its pixel and texture processing rates of 82.30 GPixel/s and 205.8 GTexel/s respectively. The GPU's boost clock of 2572 MHz provides the raw compute throughput needed for Doom's fast-paced rendering.

Memory configuration is a critical factor for 4K performance. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivers 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In Doom, this bandwidth becomes a constraint at 3840x2160, where the average FPS at High settings is 52. The 4K Ultra preset drops to 43 FPS, indicating that the memory subsystem is saturated by the higher resolution textures and geometry. At 2560x1440, the bandwidth is sufficient, with High settings achieving 96 FPS, showing the GPU can handle moderate resolutions without issue.

The RTX 5050's 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 20 RT cores provide ample compute for Doom's Vulkan-based rendering. The GPU's percentile rank of 66 against all GPUs places it in the upper third of the market. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, is 1.6% slower in average score, yet the RTX 5050's newer architecture offers better feature support. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502 reflects its DirectX 12 Ultimate capability, which is relevant for modern game engines.

The GPU's power envelope of 130 W and dual-slot design suggest it is a mainstream part, and the data shows it performs as such. The transition from Medium to High at 1440p yields a 18 FPS drop (from 114 to 96), a modest cost for visual fidelity. This indicates the GPU has headroom for enhanced settings at lower resolutions, but the 4K results show its limits are clearly defined.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the RTX 5050 delivers an average of 202 FPS on Low settings, which is the highest score recorded. Moving to 2560x1440, the same settings yield 131 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 3840x2160, the Low preset drops to 71 FPS, a further 46% decrease from 1440p.

This scaling behavior indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component. The CPU's performance, with a PassMark multi-thread score of 18747, remains constant across resolutions, so the FPS decline is directly attributable to the GPU's rendering load. The 1080p Medium preset shows a maximum of 203 FPS, which is higher than the Low preset's average at that resolution, suggesting that even at 1080p the CPU can feed the GPU effectively.

The 4K results are particularly revealing. At High settings, the average is 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 43 FPS, a 17% decrease from High. This steep drop suggests that the 8 GB VRAM capacity is exceeded, causing texture thrashing or reduced memory efficiency. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS, indicating frame time variance that could be noticeable.

The resolution scaling data also highlights the CPU's strength. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 202 FPS, which is close to the 203 FPS maximum seen on Medium. This plateau suggests that the i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads with a 4.40 GHz boost clock are sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions. The GPU becomes the bottleneck at 1440p and beyond, where the FPS drops are proportionate to the pixel count increase.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination holds a rank of 1766 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the 60th percentile, meaning it outperforms nearly 60% of all configurations tested. The rank reflects the system's balanced performance, where the CPU's strong multi-threading and the GPU's mid-range compute power complement each other.

The CPU's percentile rank of 72 against all CPUs is higher than the combo's overall rank, indicating that the processor is a stronger component relative to its peers. The i5-12400's nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7643, has an average score of 18697, which is 0.1% higher. This close margin shows the i5-12400 is competitive with server-grade parts in synthetic workloads.

The GPU's percentile rank of 66 is slightly lower than the CPU's, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, is 0.6% faster in average score. This suggests the GPU is the weaker link in the combo, which is consistent with the resolution scaling data showing GPU-bound behavior at higher settings. The combo rank of 1766 is a composite measure, and the data shows that while the CPU can push high frame rates at 1080p, the GPU limits performance at 4K.

The rank also benefits from the system's ability to maintain playable frame rates across settings. At 1440p, every preset from Low to Ultra is above 79 FPS, which is a strong showing for a mid-range GPU. This versatility contributes to the combo's position in the upper half of the rankings, as it can handle both competitive settings (Low for high refresh) and visual quality presets (High for immersion) without significant compromise.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data supports a tiered approach to settings based on resolution and performance targets. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 122 FPS is the best choice for visual quality, as it remains well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a fully immersive experience. The High preset at 149 FPS is also viable for players prioritizing frame rate, but the 27 FPS difference between High and Ultra is minimal compared to the visual gains.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 96 FPS is recommended as the primary choice. It offers a substantial improvement over Ultra (79 FPS) while maintaining smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 114 FPS is a suitable alternative for those who prefer higher frame rates, but the data shows High provides a better balance of quality and performance. The Low preset at 131 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is essential.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 62 FPS is the only viable option for a playable experience. The High preset at 52 FPS is below the ideal threshold, and Ultra at 43 FPS is too demanding. The Low preset at 71 FPS offers the highest frame rate but sacrifices significant visual fidelity. The Medium preset provides a compromise, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS, indicating some frame variance but acceptable performance.

The data also shows that the Medium preset at 1440p has a tight frame range of 97 to 131 FPS, making it the most consistent option for competitive play. For most users, the High preset at 1440p is the recommended baseline, as it delivers 96 FPS with only a 18 FPS penalty over Medium while providing better image quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest performance. The Low preset delivers an average of 202 FPS, while Medium reaches 176 FPS with a minimum of 150 and a maximum of 203. High settings produce 149 FPS, and Ultra drops to 122 FPS. These results show that even at the most demanding 1080p preset, the system maintains a frame rate well above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 131 FPS, Medium averages 114 FPS with a range of 97 to 131, High averages 96 FPS, and Ultra averages 79 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 52 FPS, demonstrating the GPU's sensitivity to settings at this resolution.

The 3840x2160 results show a significant drop. Low settings average 71 FPS, Medium averages 62 FPS with a minimum of 52 and a maximum of 71, High averages 52 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has the same minimum as the High preset's average, indicating that the Low and Medium presets are the only ones that can maintain frame rates near 60 FPS.

The frame data reveals that the Medium preset at each resolution provides the most consistent performance. At 1080p, the range is 150 to 203 FPS (53 FPS spread), at 1440p it is 97 to 131 FPS (34 FPS spread), and at 4K it is 52 to 71 FPS (19 FPS spread). This consistency suggests that the Medium preset avoids the memory bandwidth saturation that affects higher presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257 and Geekbench single-core score of 1848. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache support efficient data access for game logic.

In Doom, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with rendered frames. The PassMark multi-thread score of 18747 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 indicate robust multi-threading capability. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 shows the CPU can handle concurrent workloads, which is important for the game's simulation and physics threads.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for its performance. The Intel Core i7-1355U has an average score of 18730, which is 0.3% higher, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811, 0.7% higher. The Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, which is 0.9% lower. These margins are minimal, showing the i5-12400 is competitive with both higher and lower tier parts.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a mainstream choice, and its performance in Doom reflects that positioning. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU can drive the GPU to over 200 FPS on Low settings, demonstrating that it is not a bottleneck. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the FPS drops that align with pixel count increases rather than CPU workload changes. The CPU's 72nd percentile rank against all CPUs confirms its strong standing, and its performance in Doom is consistent with that ranking.