Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Doom, scaling predictably across resolutions. At 1080p, the combination is clearly CPU-bound at lower presets, while at 4K, the GPU takes over as the primary limiting factor. The data shows a system that can push high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, and remains playable at 4K with settings adjustments. This is a balanced pairing for a fast-paced FPS, though the specific bottlenecks shift dramatically depending on your target resolution and quality preset.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and expected trend: performance degrades as resolution increases, but the rate of degradation is not uniform across settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 241 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 156 FPS, a reduction of 35%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 85 FPS, which is another 46% drop from 1440p. This steep decline from 1080p to 1440p suggests the system is heavily CPU-bound at the lowest settings, as the graphics card has ample headroom to render frames quickly at lower pixel counts.

The scaling pattern changes when we look at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 178 at 1080p, to 115 at 1440p, and finally to 62 at 4K. The percentage drops here are 35% and 46% respectively, which is nearly identical to the Low preset scaling. This indicates that even at High settings, the CPU is still a significant factor at 1080p, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs. The Ultra preset tells a similar story: 145 FPS at 1080p, 94 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K. The consistent ~35% drop from 1080p to 1440p across all presets strongly implies that the CPU's single-thread performance is the limiting factor at the lower resolution.

However, the transition from 1440p to 4K shows a different bottleneck. At Low settings, the drop from 156 to 85 FPS is 46%, while at Ultra settings, the drop from 94 to 51 FPS is 46%. This consistency suggests that at 4K, the GPU is becoming the primary constraint, as the pixel fill rate and shading demands overwhelm the CPU's ability to feed frames. The fact that the 4K Ultra average of 51 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay indicates that this resolution is the practical ceiling for this pairing with maximum quality. The data shows that this system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can consistently deliver high frame rates, while 4K requires compromising on settings to maintain playability.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 62, and at 4K Medium it is 74. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 51 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, you will need to stick to High or Medium settings at 4K, as Ultra falls below the ideal threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate monitors?

A: The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo consistently exceeds 144 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average is 210 FPS, and at 1080p High, it is 178 FPS. At 1440p, you can achieve 115 FPS on High, which is good for 100Hz+ monitors, but not for 144Hz+ displays.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the Intel Core i5-12400F is the limiting factor at 1080p. The evidence is that FPS drops from 241 at Low to 145 at Ultra, a 40% reduction, which is a relatively small change compared to the increase in graphical load. This suggests the CPU cannot feed frames fast enough to fully utilize the Radeon RX 7700 at this resolution.

Q: How does the RX 7700 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: According to the data, the Radeon RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 370X, scores 15862, which is a delta of -0.1%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, putting it 1.7% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014, which is 1% higher. This places the RX 7700 in a competitive position, though slightly behind some peers.

Q: What are the minimum FPS numbers for this combo?

A: The FACT PACK includes minimum FPS data only for the Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 179 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 116 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 63 FPS. These numbers indicate that the system maintains a stable frame rate without significant dips, which is crucial for a fast-paced FPS.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has a percentile score of 73, meaning it performs better than 73% of all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 19039, which is nearly identical to its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, which scores 19047. This confirms that the CPU is a solid mid-range performer.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1314 out of 2930 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the 55th percentile of all system pairings, indicating that it is a better-than-average configuration for this game, but not at the top tier. The ranking suggests that while this combo delivers excellent frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, there are many more powerful systems that can push higher numbers, particularly at 4K.

The rank of 1314 is influenced by both components. The CPU's percentile of 73 versus all processors shows it is a strong performer, but not top-tier. The GPU's percentile of 58 versus all GPUs is lower, meaning the graphics card is the weaker link in this pairing. This is consistent with the resolution scaling analysis, which showed the GPU becoming the bottleneck at 4K. The combo's overall rank is a reflection of the balance between these two components, and the data indicates that the CPU is capable of supporting the GPU well at lower resolutions, but the GPU limits the system's potential at higher resolutions.

When compared to other combos in the database, this pairing is solidly in the middle of the pack. It outperforms 55% of tested systems, which is a respectable result for a mid-range CPU and GPU combination. The number of combos tested (2930) is large, so a rank of 1314 indicates that there is significant headroom for improvement if one were to upgrade either component. However, for the target resolution of 1080p and 1440p, this combo punches above its weight, as the measured FPS numbers are exceptionally high.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 241 at Low to 145 at Ultra. Specifically, 1080p Low hits 241 FPS, 1080p Medium hits 210 FPS with a minimum of 179 and a maximum of 242, 1080p High hits 178 FPS, and 1080p Ultra hits 145 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system is capable of driving very high refresh rate monitors, even at the highest quality settings. The difference between Low and Ultra is 96 FPS, which is a 40% reduction, indicating a significant but not overwhelming impact from graphical settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to a range of 156 at Low to 94 at Ultra. The full breakdown is: 1440p Low at 156 FPS, 1440p Medium at 136 FPS with a minimum of 116 and a maximum of 156, 1440p High at 115 FPS, and 1440p Ultra at 94 FPS. At this resolution, the system still delivers excellent performance, with all presets except Ultra exceeding 100 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 62 FPS, a 40% reduction, which mirrors the 1080p scaling. This consistency suggests that the CPU is still a factor at 1440p, but the GPU is beginning to take on more of the load.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is significantly lower, ranging from 85 at Low to 51 at Ultra. The data shows: 4K Low at 85 FPS, 4K Medium at 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 and a maximum of 85, 4K High at 62 FPS, and 4K Ultra at 51 FPS. At this resolution, the system is clearly GPU-bound, as the pixel count overwhelms the graphics card. The difference between Low and Ultra is 34 FPS, a 40% reduction, which is consistent with the other resolutions. However, the absolute numbers are much lower, and only the Low preset manages to stay above 60 FPS. The 4K Medium minimum of 63 FPS is just above the threshold, but the High and Ultra presets dip below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable in a fast-paced game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset is the best choice if you have a 144Hz monitor, as it delivers 145 FPS. However, if you have a 240Hz display, you should consider the High preset at 178 FPS, or even Medium at 210 FPS, to fully utilize the monitor's capabilities. The Low preset at 241 FPS is only necessary for the most extreme high-refresh-rate displays, and the visual quality loss is likely not worth it for most users.

For 1440p gaming, the High preset at 115 FPS is the sweet spot for 100Hz to 120Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at 94 FPS is also viable for 90Hz displays, but the Medium preset at 136 FPS is better for 144Hz monitors. The Low preset at 156 FPS is unnecessary unless you have a 165Hz+ display and want to maximize frame rates. The data suggests that High is the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p, as it provides a smooth experience without sacrificing too much graphical fidelity.

For 4K gaming, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 85 FPS is the only setting that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for a consistent experience. The Medium preset at 74 FPS is also playable, and the minimum FPS of 63 indicates that it will not drop below 60 FPS. The High preset at 62 FPS is borderline, as it averages just above 60 FPS but may dip below in intense scenes. The Ultra preset at 51 FPS is not recommended for serious play, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. For 4K, the Medium preset is the best recommendation, as it offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a playable frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In the 3DMark benchmarks, it scores 909 in the single-thread test and 5895 in the 16-thread test. This single-thread performance is critical for Doom, as the game's engine relies heavily on single-core performance for game logic and draw calls. The data shows that this CPU is a strong performer, ranking in the 73rd percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 19039.

The CPU's role in this pairing becomes evident when analyzing the resolution scaling. At 1080p, the FPS is consistently high across all settings, but the gap between Low and Ultra is only 40%. This suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor, as it cannot feed the GPU with frames fast enough to see a larger performance difference. The CPU's boost clock of 4.40 GHz helps in this regard, but it is not enough to fully saturate the Radeon RX 7700 at 1080p. The 3DMark single-thread score of 909 is respectable, but it falls short of the top-tier CPUs that can push even higher frame rates.

As the resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the CPU's role diminishes, and the GPU becomes the bottleneck. However, the CPU's performance is still important for maintaining minimum FPS. The minimum FPS data at Medium settings shows 179 FPS at 1080p, 116 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. These minimums are consistently high, indicating that the CPU does not cause stuttering or frame drops. The CPU's 12 threads and 18 MB of shared L3 cache help with multi-threaded workloads, but the single-thread performance is the key factor for Doom. The 3DMark max-threads score of 5912 is close to the 16-thread score of 5895, suggesting that the processor scales well with additional threads, but this is less important for a game like Doom that prioritizes single-core speed.