Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a robust performance profile in Doom, with measured data indicating a system that scales predictably across resolutions and settings. The dataset shows a clear hierarchy where frame rates decrease as resolution increases, while the gap between low and ultra settings widens at higher resolutions, revealing the GPU as the primary constraint at 4K. At 1080p, the combination produces extremely high frame rates that suggest a balanced workload, though the CPU’s six cores and 12 threads still play a significant role in maintaining those numbers.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent and steep decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 122 FPS at 1080p to 79 FPS at 1440p, then further to 43 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and an additional 46% reduction from 1440p to 4K, totaling a 65% drop from the lowest to the highest resolution tested. Such scaling is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload grows exponentially with pixel count, and the RTX 5050’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus width become limiting factors.

At High settings, the same pattern emerges but with slightly different magnitudes. The average FPS at 1080p is 149, falling to 96 at 1440p (a 36% decrease) and then to 52 at 4K (a 46% decrease from 1440p). The Low settings preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with 202 FPS at 1080p dropping to 131 FPS at 1440p and 71 FPS at 4K. Interestingly, the percentage drop from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is 46%, identical to the drop at Ultra settings, suggesting that the resolution penalty is relatively consistent regardless of quality preset.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is not fully GPU-limited, as even at Ultra settings the frame rate exceeds 120 FPS. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with even Low settings failing to reach 72 FPS. This behavior is typical for a mid-range GPU like the RTX 5050, which features a boost clock of 2572 MHz and 2560 shading units. The scaling curve suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combination, offering a 96 FPS average at High settings, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 plays a central role in determining Doom’s performance, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU’s memory configuration includes 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes strained at 4K, where the texture and geometry demands increase substantially. The measured data supports this, as the 4K Ultra preset yields only 43 FPS, while the 4K Medium preset improves to 62 FPS, indicating that reducing memory pressure directly translates to higher frame rates.

The GPU’s clock speeds, with a base of 2317 MHz and a boost of 2572 MHz, are relatively high for a 50-series card, contributing to its strong performance in a game like Doom that responds well to raw compute throughput. The FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS is delivered through 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, which collectively handle the game’s rendering pipeline efficiently at up to 1440p. At 4K, the pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are insufficient to maintain high frame rates, as evidenced by the sub-60 FPS results across all settings at that resolution.

The data also shows that the GPU’s performance relative to its rivals is modest. The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, scores 21153, a delta of -0.6%, meaning the RTX 5050 is slightly slower. In contrast, the AMD Radeon HD 8970M scores 21237, a 1% advantage for the rival, while the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 20713, which is 1.6% slower than the RTX 5050. These small deltas indicate that the RTX 5050 sits in a tightly contested performance tier, and its 8 GB VRAM capacity may be a differentiator in memory-intensive scenarios, though not in Doom’s measured results.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 achieves a combo rank of 1766 out of 2930 total combos. This places the system in the 60th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating that it outperforms a majority of combinations but is not among the top performers. Given the CPU’s 73rd percentile ranking among all processors and the GPU’s 66th percentile ranking, the combo’s overall rank is slightly lower than either component’s individual percentile, suggesting that the pairing may not be perfectly optimized for Doom or that other factors in the test environment influence the result.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, which scores 19047, a 0% delta from the i5-12400F’s 19039 average. The Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056, a -0.1% delta, meaning it is marginally faster, while the Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982, a 0.3% delta, making it slightly slower. These rival comparisons show that the i5-12400F is well-positioned within its performance class, and its 6 cores and 12 threads provide ample parallelism for Doom’s engine.

The combo rank of 1766 suggests that while the CPU and GPU individually are solid mid-range performers, the combination does not reach the upper echelons of the database. This is likely due to the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus limiting 4K performance, as well as the CPU’s modest 2.50 GHz base clock and 4.40 GHz boost clock not providing a significant advantage over rivals in single-threaded workloads. However, for a game like Doom that is well-optimized for multi-core CPUs, the i5-12400F’s 12 threads help maintain high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, as the measured data confirms.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 96 FPS, with no minimum or maximum values recorded for this specific configuration.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rival in terms of benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL’s score of 21153, and 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT’s score of 20713.

Q: What is the combo’s rank in the database?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination ranks 1766 out of 2930 tested combos, placing it in the 60th percentile.

Q: What is the maximum FPS recorded at 1080p?

A: The maximum FPS recorded at 1920x1080 is 203 FPS, which occurs at Medium settings, with an average FPS of 176 for that preset.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data shows the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, as the average FPS at Ultra settings is 43, while at Low settings it is 71, indicating that reducing graphics load improves performance more than any CPU change would.

Q: What is the CPU’s single-thread benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F scores 909 in the 3dmark_single_thread test and 1680 in cinebench_r23_singlecore, reflecting its 2.50 GHz base clock and 4.40 GHz boost clock.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver playable frame rates, with Low settings achieving 202 FPS, Medium at 176 FPS, High at 149 FPS, and Ultra at 122 FPS. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, the Low or Medium presets are recommended, as they provide frame rates well above 144 FPS, ensuring smooth motion and minimal input latency. However, for a balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 149 FPS is an excellent choice, offering better textures and effects without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts toward High settings, which deliver 96 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for standard displays and provides a good visual experience. The Medium preset at 114 FPS is also viable, particularly for gamers who prioritize higher frame rates over visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 79 FPS is acceptable but may exhibit occasional dips in demanding scenes, as the minimum FPS is not recorded for this setting. Low settings at 131 FPS are unnecessary at this resolution, as the visual compromise is significant and the frame rate gain over High is modest.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that only the Low preset, with 71 FPS, provides a consistently playable experience. The Medium preset at 62 FPS is borderline, with a minimum FPS of 52, which could result in noticeable stutters during intense action. The High preset at 52 FPS and Ultra at 43 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as they fall below the 60 FPS target. For 4K gaming, users should accept lower visual settings or consider a more powerful GPU, as the RTX 5050’s 8 GB VRAM and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-quality 4K rendering in Doom.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide solid single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 909 and cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 1680. In Doom, which is known to utilize multiple threads effectively, the CPU’s 12 threads ensure that the game engine has sufficient resources to handle physics, AI, and scene management without bottlenecking the GPU.

The CPU’s L3 cache of 18 MB shared across all cores is adequate for Doom’s level data, and its dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 provides flexibility, though the measured FPS data does not specify which memory type was used. The processor’s 65 W TDP indicates efficient power consumption, which allows for sustained boost clocks during extended gaming sessions. In the context of the measured results, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p, where frame rates reach 202 FPS at Low settings, indicating that the i5-12400F can feed the RTX 5050 with data faster than the GPU can render at lower resolutions.

Benchmark data places the i5-12400F in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19039. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, scores 19047, a negligible 0% delta, while the Intel Core 3 201E is 0.1% faster. The CPU’s multithreaded performance is strong, with a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 12380 and a geekbench_multicore score of 9472, ensuring that Doom’s multi-threaded workload is handled efficiently. However, at 4K resolution, the CPU’s performance becomes less critical, as the GPU’s rendering capacity is the primary constraint, as shown by the consistent frame rate drops across all settings.

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 122 at Ultra to 202 at Low. The Medium preset records an average of 176 FPS, with a minimum of 150 FPS and a maximum of 203 FPS, indicating a tight frame pacing. The High preset achieves 149 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. These numbers demonstrate that at 1080p, the system is capable of delivering high-refresh-rate gaming, with even the most demanding Ultra preset exceeding 120 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS decreases across all settings. The Low preset yields 131 FPS, Medium delivers 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS and maximum of 131 FPS, High achieves 96 FPS, and Ultra drops to 79 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra widens at this resolution, from 80 FPS at 1080p to 52 FPS at 1440p, indicating that the GPU’s workload increases disproportionately with resolution. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 97 suggests that even during intense scenes, the system maintains a high level of performance.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS falls significantly. The Low preset records 71 FPS, Medium achieves 62 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS and maximum of 71 FPS, High drops to 52 FPS, and Ultra reaches only 43 FPS. The minimum FPS of 52 at Medium settings indicates that the system can experience noticeable frame drops at 4K, making this resolution marginal for smooth gameplay. The data clearly shows that the RTX 5050, with its 8 GB VRAM and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth, is not designed for high-quality 4K gaming in Doom, as even the Low preset struggles to maintain 72 FPS consistently. The measured results across all resolutions and settings provide a clear picture of the system’s capabilities, highlighting 1080p and 1440p as the optimal resolutions for this combination.