Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT delivers a strong showing in Doom, with measured frame rates that scale predictably across resolutions. At 1080p, the combo is clearly CPU-bound at lower settings, but it remains highly playable even at 4K Ultra. The data indicates a balanced pairing where the GPU becomes the primary limiter at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s six cores prove sufficient for this title’s demands.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher pixel counts. At 1080p High, the combo produces an average of 206.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces that to 135.6 FPS, a drop of roughly 34%. At 4K High, the average falls further to 74 FPS, which is about 45% lower than the 1440p result. This scaling pattern indicates that the RX 7800 XT’s rendering load grows significantly with resolution, and the CPU is not the bottleneck at these settings.

The differences between settings presets at each resolution reinforce this. At 1080p, the gap between Low (280.9 FPS) and Ultra (166.7 FPS) is substantial, showing that the CPU can feed the GPU enough frames even at low settings. However, at 4K, the spread narrows: Low yields 99 FPS, Medium 88.1 FPS, High 74 FPS, and Ultra 61.9 FPS. The diminishing returns from Low to Ultra at 4K suggest the GPU is nearing its limits, as raising quality has a smaller relative impact on frame rate compared to 1080p. At 1080p, the jump from High (206.9) to Low (280.9) is 74 FPS, while at 4K the same settings change only adds 25 FPS. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU’s pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor, whereas at 1080p, the CPU’s ability to prepare frames is more influential.

The data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a high refresh rate experience with 135.6 FPS on High. At 4K, the combo still delivers playable performance, but users targeting 144Hz monitors will need to lower settings or accept the 74 FPS ceiling on High.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 32 chip. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1295 MHz, a game clock of 2124 MHz, and a boost clock of 2430 MHz. These specs position it as a capable 1440p and entry-level 4K card, which the measured FPS confirms.

In Doom, the GPU’s memory capacity and bandwidth are sufficient for the game’s textures at all tested settings. The 16 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is 61.9, indicating that the card’s compute units, not its memory, are the constraint. The GPU’s raw compute performance, rated at 37.32 TFLOPS FP32, drives the frame rates seen in the benchmarks. The boost clock of 2430 MHz allows the card to sustain high throughput, but the scaling from 1080p to 4K shows that the shading units and ROPs (96) are fully utilized at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s average benchmark score is 32619, placing it in the 76th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD FirePro S9300 X2, scores 32540, a delta of 0.2%, meaning the RX 7800 XT is essentially tied with that workstation card. In practical terms for Doom, the RX 7800 XT delivers over 100 FPS at 1440p High and over 60 FPS at 4K High, showing it has enough headroom for smooth gameplay in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ranks 633rd out of 1681 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the top 38% of all pairings, which is a solid result given the mid-range positioning of the CPU and the upper-mid-range GPU. The ranking reflects that while the combo is not at the extreme high-end, it outperforms a majority of systems tested.

The CPU’s average benchmark score is 19221, which is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210 with a delta of 0.1%. This means the i5-12400F is performing on par with that older high-end chip. The GPU’s average score of 32619 is also closely matched with its nearest rival, the AMD FirePro S9300 X2, at 32540 (delta 0.2%). This parity in component scores suggests that the combo’s ranking is not held back by a weak link; both parts are performing as expected relative to their peers. The 633rd rank out of 1681 combos indicates a well-balanced system that should not bottleneck significantly in Doom, based on the FPS data showing good scaling across resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 206.9 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 61.9 FPS, which is playable but not high-refresh-rate territory.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the average FPS is 157. The data shows that the FPS scales down from 1080p (245.8 FPS) to 1440p, indicating the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19221, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-8700K’s score of 19210.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 633rd out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the top 38% of systems.

Q: Does the combo exceed 60 FPS at 4K on High settings?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 74, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

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, with an 18 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU’s single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332 and Geekbench single-core score of 2221. In Doom, which is a fast-paced FPS that benefits from high single-thread performance, this CPU is more than adequate.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities, shown by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518, are not heavily taxed by Doom’s engine. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (280.9) versus Ultra (166.7) shows that the CPU can deliver well over 200 FPS when the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes, as the GPU’s rendering load dominates. The CPU’s 65 W TDP and 10 nm process node allow for efficient operation, and its 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is a capable performer for this title. The data suggests that the i5-12400F will not limit the RX 7800 XT in Doom, even at high frame rates, since the FPS drops align with GPU load rather than CPU limitations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p users with a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor, the High preset (206.9 FPS) is recommended, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Low (280.9 FPS) while still exceeding 200 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p (166.7 FPS) is also viable for those prioritizing image quality, as it remains above 144 FPS.

For 1440p users, the High preset (135.6 FPS) is the optimal balance, delivering smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset (157 FPS) offers higher frame rates but with reduced visual fidelity. The Ultra preset (107.7 FPS) is still playable and provides the best image quality, but the drop below 120 FPS may be noticeable on 144Hz monitors. The Low preset (180.9 FPS) is unnecessary unless chasing maximum frame rates.

At 4K, the High preset (74 FPS) is the recommended choice for a balance of quality and performance. The Medium preset (88.1 FPS) is also a good option for those prioritizing smoothness, as it offers a 14 FPS increase over High. The Ultra preset (61.9 FPS) is playable but sits close to the 60 FPS threshold, making it risky for games with sudden frame drops. The Low preset (99 FPS) sacrifices too much visual quality for the modest FPS gain over Medium. For a 60Hz 4K display, High or Ultra is recommended; for a 120Hz display, Medium is the safer choice.