Doom

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a playable experience in Doom, but the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions. The combination ranks in the 20th percentile of tested combos, indicating that while the CPU is a strong performer, the overall frame rates are held back by the GPU’s capabilities in this specific title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This is a desktop-class chip with a 125 W TDP, and its benchmark scores place it firmly in the upper echelon of CPUs, sitting at the 79th percentile of all processors. In synthetic tests, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302, which demonstrates substantial headroom for gaming workloads that rely on both multi-threaded and single-threaded performance.

For a game like Doom, which is a fast-paced FPS, the CPU's single-thread performance is critical for maintaining high frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. The Geekbench single-core score of 2157 and the 3DMark single-thread score of 1016 indicate that the i5-12600KF is more than capable of feeding frames to the GPU. However, the measured FPS data shows that at 1080p, the system achieves 164 FPS on Low settings, which is a high number, but the GPU is already starting to limit performance. The CPU’s multi-threading capabilities are less relevant here, as Doom is not a heavily threaded title, but the 16 threads ensure that background tasks and game logic do not cause frame hitches.

When comparing to its nearest rivals, the i5-12600KF’s average benchmark score of 27799 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K (27872, deltaPct -0.3) and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (27896, deltaPct -0.3). This tells us that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo; it is performing exactly as expected for its class. The data suggests that the CPU is providing a stable foundation, and the variance in FPS across different settings is almost entirely attributable to the GPU’s workload.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Analyzing the measured frame rates, the most balanced experience is found at Medium settings across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium yields an average of 143 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 164 FPS on Low but still provides a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience. The minimum FPS recorded at this setting is 121, which is well above the threshold for competitive play. Moving up to High at 1080p drops the average to 121 FPS, which is still excellent, but the marginal visual gain from Medium to High does not justify the 22 FPS loss when the Medium preset already looks good.

At 1440p, Medium is again the sweet spot, delivering an average of 92 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS. This is a comfortable range for a 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitor, and it maintains a smooth experience without dipping into stutter territory. High at 1440p drops to 78 FPS, which is still playable but begins to show the GPU’s strain. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls to 64 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for a fast-paced shooter.

For 4K, the situation is more dire. Medium is the highest playable setting, with an average of 50 FPS and a minimum of 43 FPS. High at 4K drops to 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may feel sluggish. Low at 4K yields 57 FPS, which is the only preset that approaches a smooth experience at this resolution, but it requires sacrificing visual fidelity. The data strongly recommends Medium as the default preset for this combo, as it offers the best balance between visual quality and frame rate stability across all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2332 out of 2930 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the bottom 20% of all systems tested, which is a surprising result given the individual component scores. The CPU is a high performer, but the GPU’s average benchmark score of 20556 places it at the 65th percentile of all GPUs, which is modest. The combo’s low rank suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, dragging down the overall performance.

Looking at the GPU’s nearest rivals, the Arc B570’s average score of 20556 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Arc A750 (20582, deltaPct -0.1). This indicates that the B570 is a mid-range graphics card, and in Doom, it performs accordingly. The combo rank reflects this: it is not a top-tier system, but it is also not a low-end one. The data shows that the CPU has plenty of headroom, as evidenced by the fact that the same GPU paired with a weaker CPU would likely produce similar FPS numbers.

The rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the combo performs admirably, but as resolution increases, the frame rates drop precipitously, pulling the overall rank down. This is a classic case of a balanced system being held back by one component, and the data clearly points to the GPU as the weak link.

FAQ

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Core i5-12600KF?

A: The launch MSRP of the Intel Core i5-12600KF is $264.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12600KF compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, which is 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D’s score of 27896, indicating they are effectively tied in performance.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable at 1080p with this combo?

A: The maximum average FPS at 1080p is 164, achieved on the Low settings preset.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B570 capable of running Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, which yields an average of 57 FPS. Medium settings drop to 50 FPS, and Ultra is not recommended at 35 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Arc B570 has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 380.0 GB/s bandwidth and a 160-bit bus width.

Q: How does the combo rank overall in Doom compared to other systems?

A: The combo ranks 2332 out of 2930 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 20% of all systems tested.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B570 is a mid-range graphics card built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, featuring 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. It has a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, and its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at an effective speed of 19 Gbps, providing a memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The GPU’s compute capabilities are rated at 11.52 TFLOPS for FP32, which is modest for modern standards but sufficient for a game like Doom.

The GPU’s benchmark scores show it performs best in DirectX 11, with a Passmark score of 118, while its DirectX 12 score is lower at 72. This is relevant because Doom uses the Vulkan API, and the GPU’s Vulkan score of 96844 in Geekbench suggests it has decent low-level API performance. However, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU can push 164 FPS on Low, but as resolution increases, the frame rate drops off sharply.

The 10 GB VRAM is not a constraint in Doom, as the game is not VRAM-heavy, but the GPU’s raw compute power is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 1440p and 4K. The data shows that the GPU’s performance scales poorly with resolution, which is typical for a mid-range card. The GPU’s 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms that it is not a high-end part, and its performance in Doom reflects this.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear and dramatic drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 143 at 1080p to 92 at 1440p, and then down to 50 at 4K. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% drop from 1440p to 4K. This scaling pattern is a textbook indicator of a GPU-bound system.

If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload does not change significantly with resolution. However, the data shows that FPS drops proportionally with the number of pixels, which means the GPU is working at its maximum capacity at all resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU is still able to keep up with the CPU, but at 4K, it is overwhelmed.

This is further confirmed by the fact that the CPU is a high-end part with a 79th percentile ranking, while the GPU is only at the 65th percentile. The CPU has plenty of headroom, as evidenced by the fact that the FPS at 1080p on Low (164) is not limited by the CPU. The resolution scaling analysis clearly shows that the Intel Arc B570 is the bottleneck in this system, and any attempts to improve performance would require a more powerful GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. On Low settings, the average FPS is 164, which is the highest recorded for this system. Medium settings produce an average of 143 FPS, with a minimum of 121 and a maximum of 164. High settings yield 121 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 99 FPS. All of these numbers are playable, but the jump from Low to Medium is a 21 FPS loss, while the jump from Medium to High is a 22 FPS loss.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates begin to fall. Low settings average 106 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 92 FPS, with a minimum of 79 and a maximum of 106. High settings drop to 78 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 64 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium (79) is still above 60, but the Ultra preset’s 64 FPS average is starting to feel less fluid.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly struggling. Low settings average 57 FPS, which is the only preset that approaches playability. Medium settings average 50 FPS, with a minimum of 43 and a maximum of 58. High settings drop to 42 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 35 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium (43) is below the 60 FPS target, and the Ultra preset’s 35 FPS is not recommended for a fast-paced FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern: the combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, acceptable at 1440p on Medium or lower, and only marginally playable at 4K on Low settings.