Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers exceptional performance in Doom, a 2016 FPS title. The data shows a combination of a 6-core processor with a 12-thread layout and a flagship GPU capable of extreme frame rates, making this combo a top-tier performer for this game. The following analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU contributions, settings recommendations, and how this pairing ranks against other tested configurations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This configuration is well-suited for Doom, which is not heavily multi-threaded. The CPU’s single-thread performance is a strong indicator of its gaming capability; benchmark results show a 3dmark_single_thread score of 909 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332, which are robust figures for handling game logic and draw calls.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with frames. The measured data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 367.2 fps, which is likely near the CPU’s frame delivery limit. The 3dmark_2_threads score of 1699 and 3dmark_4_threads score of 3067 indicate that the processor scales well with the limited thread counts that older game engines like Doom’s utilize. The L3 cache of 18 MB (shared) helps keep frequently accessed data local, reducing latency.

The CPU’s percentileVsAllCpus of 77 places it in the upper quartile of all processors. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K, has a nearly identical average benchmark score (19210 vs. 19221), with a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the i5-12400F is effectively on par with that older 6-core part. The AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS is slightly ahead at 19364 (a -0.7 deltaPct for the i5), and the AMD EPYC 7773X is behind at 18979 (a 1.3 deltaPct). This shows the i5-12400F holds its own against both desktop and mobile rivals.

The 65W TDP suggests the CPU is power-efficient, but the data does not include power draw during gaming. The 3dmark_max_threads score of 5912 is close to the 16-thread score of 5895, indicating that the extra threads beyond 16 provide negligible benefit, which aligns with Doom’s engine design. For this title, the CPU is not a bottleneck at higher resolutions; at 3840x2160, the difference between Low (162.9 fps) and Ultra (98.6 fps) is 64.3 fps, showing that the GPU handles the resolution scaling while the CPU maintains consistent frame delivery.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance for the best experience. At 3840x2160 (4K), the High preset delivers 117.7 fps, which is above the 60 fps threshold for smooth play and only 8.5% lower than the Medium preset’s 142.7 fps. The Ultra preset drops to 98.6 fps, which is still playable but sacrifices 19.1 fps compared to High for marginal visual gains. For 4K, the High preset is the optimal balance, offering a high frame rate without the performance hit of Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset achieves 258.6 fps, which is a significant jump from High’s 217.6 fps. The Low preset reaches 296.4 fps, but the visual quality loss is substantial. The Ultra preset at 179.4 fps is still very smooth, but Medium provides a 79.2 fps advantage over Ultra with minimal visual difference in a fast-paced FPS. The data suggests Medium is the sweet spot at 1440p.

At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 328.2 fps, which is already far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. The Low preset (367.2 fps) and Medium (347.3 fps) offer marginal gains, while Ultra (275.2 fps) is still well above 240 fps. For 1080p, the High preset is recommended, as it provides a high frame rate while maintaining better visual fidelity than Low or Medium. The Ultra preset, while lower, still exceeds 240 fps, making it viable for high-refresh displays. Overall, the data indicates that High is the best default choice across all resolutions, with Medium being a strong alternative at 1440p for higher frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 98.6 fps. This is the lowest of the four presets tested at that resolution, but it remains a smooth experience for most displays.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K?

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. This indicates they are statistically equivalent in overall performance, despite the i5 being a newer generation.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data does not indicate a GPU bottleneck. At 1920x1080, the frame rates range from 275.2 fps (Ultra) to 367.2 fps (Low), which suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at these high frame rates, as the GPU has headroom to render faster.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Medium and High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset achieves 258.6 fps, while the High preset achieves 217.6 fps. The difference is 41.0 fps, with Medium being 18.9% faster than High.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 36th out of 1681 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the top 2.1% of all tested configurations, indicating very high performance.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has a percentileVsAllGpus of 94, meaning it performs better than 94% of all GPUs in the benchmark database.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 36th out of 1681 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the 97.9th percentile of all combos, which is an outstanding result. The ranking reflects the GPU’s dominance, as the RTX 5090 is a top-tier card, while the CPU is a solid mid-range performer.

The GPU alone has a percentileVsAllGpus of 94, and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, scores 84241 on average, a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the two are nearly identical. The AMD Radeon PRO W6600 is 1.3% behind with a score of 83209, and the NVIDIA CMP 40HX is 1.6% ahead with a score of 85637. This shows the RTX 5090 is at the top of the GPU hierarchy.

The CPU’s ranking (percentileVsAllCpus of 77) is lower than the GPU’s, but it is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in Doom. The combo’s high rank is driven by the GPU’s ability to push frame rates at 4K, where the CPU’s lower multi-threaded performance is less relevant. In this game, the combo’s rank of 36 means it outperforms the vast majority of systems, including those with more expensive CPUs, because the GPU is the primary driver of FPS at higher resolutions. The data suggests that for Doom, the RTX 5090 is the star of this pairing, with the i5-12400F providing adequate support.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the primary driver of performance in this combo, as evidenced by its massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 512-bit bus, which yields a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This memory configuration is overkill for Doom, but it ensures that the GPU never runs out of memory or bandwidth, even at 4K with Ultra settings. The GPU’s base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and it features 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs.

The GPU’s benchmark scores are exceptional. It achieves a passmark_g3d score of 39650 and a passmark_gpu_compute score of 26756. The 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score is 14411, which is a modern DirectX 12 test, but Doom uses an older API. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 380114 and Vulkan score of 379571 show strong compute and graphics performance across different APIs.

In Doom, the GPU’s role is clear: it scales resolution and settings with minimal FPS loss. At 4K, the difference between Low (162.9 fps) and Ultra (98.6 fps) is 64.3 fps, which shows the GPU is capable of handling the increased load. At 1080p, the difference between Low (367.2 fps) and Ultra (275.2 fps) is 92.0 fps, indicating that even at lower resolutions, the GPU is not fully saturated, as the CPU limits frame delivery.

The RTX 5090’s nearest rival, the RTX 5090 D, is essentially identical (deltaPct of 0.1), confirming that this is a flagship part. The TDP of 575 W and the suggested PSU of 950 W are high, but the data does not include power consumption during gaming. The GPU’s 94th percentile ranking underscores its position as one of the fastest cards available, and in Doom, it delivers frame rates that are well above the refresh rates of most monitors, making the CPU the limiting factor in this pairing.