Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers exceptional performance in Doom, securing a combo rank of 363 out of 1681 tested combinations. This places the pairing comfortably within the top quarter of all tested systems, indicating a well-balanced configuration for this title. The data shows that this combination is not merely adequate but is positioned to exploit the game’s high frame rate ceiling, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU and GPU can both operate without significant bottlenecks.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 363 out of 1681, this configuration sits in the top 21.6% of all tested pairings for Doom. This is a strong result, reflecting that the i5-12400F and RX 7900 XT work cohesively to deliver high average frame rates across all settings. The rank is particularly impressive given that the GPU’s average benchmark score places it at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU sits at the 77th percentile. The synergy between these components is evident; the CPU provides sufficient throughput to keep the powerful GPU fed, avoiding the scenario where a weaker processor would drag down overall results. In practical terms, this rank means the system will outperform the vast majority of configurations in this game, making it a reliable choice for high-refresh-rate displays. The delta between the CPU’s nearest rivals is minimal, with the i5-12400F averaging a benchmark score of 19221, which is only 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-8700K’s 19210. This tight grouping suggests that at the CPU level, performance is highly competitive, and the overall rank is largely driven by the GPU’s substantial contribution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the high frame rates observed. The GPU features 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are critical for Doom’s texture-heavy environments, ensuring that data flows quickly to the processing units. The card’s boost clock of 2394 MHz, with a game clock of 2025 MHz, allows it to sustain high throughput during intense combat scenes. With 5376 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 192 ROPs, the GPU has ample raw processing power. The pixel rate of 459.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 804.4 GTexel/s further underscore its ability to handle high resolutions. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 38358 places it at the 82nd percentile, and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile, scores 38349, a delta of 0.0%. This indicates the RX 7900 XT is on par with top-tier mobile parts, but in Doom, its desktop-class power shines through. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, especially at 4K, where its memory bandwidth and compute capabilities are fully utilized.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates provide a clear picture of how settings impact performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 338.8 FPS, which is exceptionally high. However, the Ultra preset still achieves 204.3 FPS, a difference of 134.5 FPS. Given the game’s fast-paced nature, the High preset at 248.9 FPS offers an excellent balance, providing a significant visual upgrade over Low while remaining far above the refresh rate of most monitors. At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 160.1 FPS, which is still ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming. The Ultra preset here drops to 131.7 FPS, which remains playable but begins to approach the limit for 144Hz displays. At 3840x2160, the situation changes: High averages 86.7 FPS, while Ultra drops to 71.5 FPS. For 4K, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it maintains a comfortable frame rate above 60 FPS, whereas Ultra may dip into less smooth territory on demanding displays. The data suggests that the best overall experience is achieved with the High preset across all resolutions, as it offers a strong balance between visual fidelity and performance, with the Medium preset serving as a solid fallback for those prioritizing higher frame rates at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate for the High preset at 1920x1080 is 248.9 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank in Doom compare to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 363rd out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the top quarter of all systems.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and size?

A: The GPU has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory with a bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s.

Q: Is the i5-12400F’s performance close to its nearest rival?

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

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 219.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 131.7 FPS, a difference of 87.8 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU’s boost clock impact 4K performance?

A: The boost clock of 2394 MHz contributes to the GPU’s high throughput, but at 4K, the performance is also heavily dependent on the 800.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, with the High preset averaging 86.7 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data shows a clear pattern of frame rate decline as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average is 248.9 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 160.1 FPS, a decrease of 88.8 FPS or 35.7%. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 86.7 FPS, a further drop of 73.4 FPS from 1440p. This scaling behavior indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component. The CPU’s role diminishes as resolution increases because the number of pixels to render grows, placing more strain on the GPU’s shading units and memory system. The RX 7900 XT’s 20 GB of VRAM and 800.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to handle the increased data load, but the sheer pixel count at 4K reduces the frame rate significantly. The fact that the frame rate drops by approximately 35% from 1080p to 1440p, and then another 46% from 1440p to 4K, suggests that the GPU is being progressively saturated. This is in contrast to a CPU-bound scenario, where the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Here, the data confirms that the graphics card is the bottleneck, and users seeking higher 4K performance would need a more powerful GPU, though the current frame rates are already quite playable.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F provides the computational backbone for this system, and its specifications are well-suited for Doom. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the CPU offers enough parallel processing power to handle the game’s logic and physics without becoming a bottleneck. The base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz allow for strong single-threaded performance, which is often critical for game engines. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 19221 places it at the 77th percentile, and its nearest rivals show a tight performance spread. For instance, the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS scores 19364, which is 0.7% higher, while the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979, which is 1.3% lower. This indicates that the i5-12400F is competitively positioned. In Doom, the CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support contribute to smooth frame delivery. However, the benchmark results suggest that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p, where CPU load is relatively higher, the system achieves 248.9 FPS on High, which is far above what the CPU would constrain. The data implies that even at lower resolutions, the GPU remains the primary driver, meaning the i5-12400F has ample headroom. This is a well-matched pairing, as the CPU’s performance is sufficient to fully utilize the RX 7900 XT’s capabilities without creating a significant imbalance.