Doom

# Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rate data for Doom with the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D reveals a pronounced GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p High settings, the combo delivers 326 FPS average, which drops to 231 FPS at 1440p High (-29%) and further to 125 FPS at 4K High (-62% from 1080p). This steep decline with pixel count is the classic signature of a graphics card operating near its full capacity at higher resolutions, while the CPU has ample headroom at lower settings.

The scaling behavior differs markedly across presets. With Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 363 FPS at 1080p to 314 FPS at 1440p (-13.5%) and then to 170 FPS at 4K (-53% from 1080p). The relatively modest drop between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings suggests that at these lower resolutions, the i5-12400's six cores and twelve threads are beginning to limit performance, since a purely GPU-bound scenario would show a more consistent percentage decline across all resolution steps.

Ultra preset tells a different story: 292 FPS at 1080p, 189 FPS at 1440p (-35%), and 102 FPS at 4K (-65% from 1080p). The Ultra preset's heavier graphics load makes the GPU the definitive bottleneck even at 1080p, with a smoother, more linear scaling curve. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K (170 vs 102 FPS) shows that even the RTX 5090 D, with its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, cannot fully compensate for the rendering cost of the highest quality settings at 4K.

The Medium preset data provides the only complete min/max frame ranges in the measured set. At 4K Medium, the average is 148 FPS with a minimum of 126 FPS and maximum of 170 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average rises to 273 FPS with a range of 232 to 314 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average reaches 345 FPS with a spread from 294 to 397 FPS. The widening gap between minimum and maximum frame rates as resolution decreases—from a 44 FPS spread at 4K to a 103 FPS spread at 1080p—indicates that at lower resolutions, CPU-driven frame time variance becomes more visible, while at 4K the GPU's consistent workload smooths out the frame delivery.

This resolution scaling analysis points to a system where the RTX 5090 D is the dominant performance determinant at 4K and 1440p across all settings, while at 1080p with Low or Medium presets, the i5-12400's 2.50 GHz base clock and 4.40 GHz boost clock become more relevant. The 72nd percentile CPU ranking (versus all CPUs) and 92nd percentile GPU ranking (versus all GPUs) further confirm that this pairing has a substantial GPU advantage, making high-resolution gameplay the most balanced use case.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the clear performance driver in this Doom configuration. With 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, the card's raw throughput is extraordinary. The 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate provide the computational foundation for the high frame rates observed. The GPU's boost clock of 2407 MHz (base 2017 MHz) sustains these workloads, and the 32 GB of GDDR7 memory across a 512-bit bus delivers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth—more than sufficient for Doom's texture streaming demands.

The GPU's benchmark scores contextualize its in-game performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and PassMark G3D score of 44,065 reflect a card that sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in aggregate score include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (delta -1.6%), NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (delta -2.4%), and AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (delta +1.1%). These deltas are small (within ±2.5%), indicating that the RTX 5090 D's aggregate benchmark performance is closely matched by these competitors, although the in-game Doom results may diverge due to driver optimization and architecture-specific strengths.

The GPU's role in Doom is best illustrated by the 4K Ultra result of 102 FPS average. This is the most demanding scenario measured, and the fact that it still exceeds 100 FPS speaks to the card's capability. The 4K Low result of 170 FPS shows that even at reduced settings, the GPU maintains high throughput. The memory subsystem is particularly relevant: with 32 GB of VRAM, there is no risk of capacity-related stuttering at any resolution or setting in this game, which is a 2016 release with modest VRAM requirements. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture fetch operations do not become a bottleneck, even at 4K with Ultra settings.

The RTX 5090 D's predecessor is the GeForce 40 series and its successor is the GeForce 60 series, placing it as a current-generation flagship. Its 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU indicate substantial power requirements, but the measured FPS data shows that this power budget translates into consistently high frame rates across all tested configurations. The card's PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides ample bandwidth for data transfer, and the display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b) support high-refresh-rate monitors that can take advantage of the frame rates this GPU produces.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on optimal settings for different priorities. For maximum visual fidelity at 4K, the Ultra preset delivers 102 FPS average, which remains playable but sacrifices 23 FPS compared to High settings (125 FPS). The High preset at 4K offers the best balance of image quality and performance, with a 22.5% improvement over Ultra while still maintaining the game's high-resolution detail. At 1440p, High settings achieve 231 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-refresh monitors, while Ultra drops to 189 FPS—still excellent but with diminishing returns given the visual difference between High and Ultra in this title.

For competitive play where frame rate is paramount, the Low preset at 1080p yields 363 FPS average, the highest measured figure in the entire dataset. The Medium preset at 1080p (345 FPS) provides a substantial improvement over Low in visual quality while sacrificing only 18 FPS (5% difference). Given that the minimum frame rate at 1080p Medium is 294 FPS, even the worst-case frame delivery exceeds typical 240 Hz monitor refresh rates. The Medium preset at 1440p (273 FPS average, 232 FPS minimum) is arguably the sweet spot for high-refresh 1440p gaming, offering a 42 FPS improvement over High while maintaining a minimum above 230 FPS.

The data suggests that the Ultra preset is only advisable for 4K users who prioritize image quality over frame rate headroom, as the 102 FPS average at 4K Ultra is the only measured configuration below 125 FPS. At 1080p and 1440p, Ultra presets still deliver 292 FPS and 189 FPS respectively, making them viable for users with lower refresh rate displays. However, the performance delta between High and Ultra at 1440p (42 FPS, 18% difference) and 1080p (34 FPS, 10% difference) indicates that High settings capture most of the visual benefit with substantially higher frame rates.

For users with 4K displays, the Medium preset (148 FPS average, 126 FPS minimum) offers a compelling alternative to High, providing a 23 FPS improvement over High while likely producing similar visual quality in fast-paced gameplay where fine texture details are less noticeable. The minimum frame rate of 126 FPS at 4K Medium ensures consistent smoothness. Overall, the recommended settings based on measured data are: High at 4K (125 FPS), Medium at 1440p (273 FPS), and Medium at 1080p (345 FPS) for the best balance of visual quality and performance.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 4K resolution, the RTX 5090 D and i5-12400 combination produces a clear performance hierarchy across settings. The Low preset achieves 170 FPS average, Medium reaches 148 FPS (with a minimum of 126 FPS and maximum of 170 FPS), High delivers 125 FPS, and Ultra drops to 102 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 40% performance reduction (170 to 102 FPS), reflecting the increasing computational cost of higher-quality effects at 8.3 million pixels.

At 1440p, the frame rates scale up significantly. Low settings produce 314 FPS average, Medium achieves 273 FPS (minimum 232 FPS, maximum 314 FPS), High delivers 231 FPS, and Ultra reaches 189 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 125 FPS (40% reduction from Low), mirroring the 4K pattern but with higher absolute values. The Medium preset's minimum of 232 FPS at 1440p is notable—it exceeds the 4K High average of 125 FPS by 107 FPS, demonstrating the substantial impact of resolution reduction.

At 1080p, the results show the i5-12400's increasing influence. Low settings reach 363 FPS average, Medium achieves 345 FPS (minimum 294 FPS, maximum 397 FPS), High delivers 326 FPS, and Ultra reaches 292 FPS. The performance delta between Low and Ultra at 1080p is only 71 FPS (19.6% reduction), significantly less than the 40% reduction seen at 4K. This compressed spread at 1080p indicates that the CPU is becoming a limiting factor, as the GPU's capabilities are partially held back by the processor's ability to feed it frames.

The Medium preset's full min/max data across resolutions reveals interesting patterns. At 1080p, the frame range is 294 to 397 FPS (103 FPS spread). At 1440p, the range narrows to 232 to 314 FPS (82 FPS spread). At 4K, the range tightens further to 126 to 170 FPS (44 FPS spread). This progressive narrowing of frame time variance with increasing resolution indicates that the GPU's workload becomes more consistent at higher pixel counts, while at 1080p, CPU-side fluctuations create larger frame rate swings.

The highest measured average frame rate in the entire dataset is 363 FPS (1080p Low), while the lowest is 102 FPS (4K Ultra). The combination of resolution and settings produces a performance envelope from 102 to 363 FPS, giving users a wide range of options depending on their display capabilities and visual preferences. The 4K Medium result of 148 FPS is particularly noteworthy, as it exceeds the 1440p Ultra result of 189 FPS by a smaller margin than expected, suggesting that the Medium preset's reduced effects load at 4K still requires more GPU resources than Ultra at 1440p.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this CPU and GPU combo for Doom?

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p Medium provides 273 FPS average with a 232 FPS minimum, which is the highest frame rate combination that still maintains a substantial quality improvement over Low settings. At 1440p High, the average drops to 231 FPS, still excellent for high-refresh displays.

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

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 326 FPS at 1080p to 231 FPS at 1440p to 125 FPS at 4K. This represents a 29% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a cumulative 62% reduction from 1080p to 4K at High settings.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D the bottleneck in this system at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the i5-12400 becomes a limiting factor at 1080p Low settings. The performance gap between Low (363 FPS) and Ultra (292 FPS) at 1080p is only 19.6%, compared to 40% at 4K, indicating that CPU limitations compress the performance spread at lower resolutions.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates for the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with complete minimum frame data. At 1080p, the minimum is 294 FPS with a 345 FPS average. At 1440p, the minimum is 232 FPS with a 273 FPS average. At 4K, the minimum is 126 FPS with a 148 FPS average.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Doom?

A: This combination ranks 61st out of 2,930 tested combos, placing it in the top 2% of all tested CPU and GPU pairings for this game. The RTX 5090 D's 92nd percentile GPU ranking and the i5-12400's 72nd percentile CPU ranking contribute to this strong overall position.

Q: Can this system maintain 240 FPS at 1440p?

A: At 1440p Medium, the average is 273 FPS with a minimum of 232 FPS, which is below the 240 FPS threshold in the worst case. At 1440p Low, the average is 314 FPS, which would maintain 240 FPS more consistently, though the minimum frame data is not available for this setting.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a supporting but non-trivial role in this Doom configuration. With six cores and twelve threads, the processor's architecture (Alder Lake-S) provides solid multi-threaded performance for game logic and draw call processing. The 2.50 GHz base clock and 4.40 GHz boost clock determine how quickly the CPU can process game state updates and submit rendering commands to the GPU. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache reduce memory latency for frequently accessed data.

The CPU's benchmark results show a balanced profile. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15,989 and single-core score of 2,257 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is critical for games that rely on a few primary threads. The 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and 2-thread score of 1,692 highlight the importance of the two highest-performing cores, which handle most game logic in Doom's engine. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5,873 and max-threads score of 5,890 show that additional threads provide diminishing returns beyond the physical cores.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 72nd among all CPUs places it above average, but its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark score reveal the competitive landscape. The AMD EPYC 7643 (delta -0.1%), Intel Core i7-1355U (delta -0.3%), and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (delta -0.7%) all have nearly identical aggregate scores, while the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 0.9% lower. This clustering indicates that the i5-12400's performance is within 1% of several very different processors, from server-class EPYC to mobile i7 parts.

In Doom specifically, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at 1080p with lower settings. The fact that 1080p Low (363 FPS) is only 5% faster than 1080p Ultra (292 FPS) at the same resolution suggests that the CPU cannot fully exploit the GPU's headroom at lower graphics loads. The 1080p Medium minimum of 294 FPS versus the 4K Medium minimum of 126 FPS shows that CPU frame time variability is masked at higher resolutions where GPU workloads dominate.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and 10 nm Intel process node make it an efficient choice, but its memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 provides flexibility. The dual-channel memory bus and PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only) ensure that data transfer to the RTX 5090 D does not become a bottleneck. The integrated UHD Graphics 730 is irrelevant for this discrete GPU configuration, but its presence doesn't interfere with performance. The CPU's launch MSRP of $199 positions it as a mainstream part, though pricing considerations are beyond the scope of this analysis.

The PassMark multithread score of 18,747 and single-thread score of 3,456 (listed twice with different formatting) provide additional context. The data compression score of 226,908 and encryption score of 11,418 show strong integer performance, while the floating point math score of 45,494 and integer math score of 58,366 indicate balanced arithmetic capabilities. The physical simulation score of 1,105 is relatively modest, which may contribute to the CPU's inability to fully saturate the GPU at 1080p Low settings. Overall, the i5-12400 provides adequate performance for this game, but the RTX 5090 D's massive compute capability means the CPU becomes the secondary bottleneck at lower resolutions and settings.