Doom

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second across the three resolutions reveals a system that is dramatically overbuilt for 1080p gaming in Doom, with the scaling curve showing a steep drop as pixel count rises. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 produces 241 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same preset drops that to 156 FPS, a reduction of 35%. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 85 FPS, which is 65% lower than the 1080p result. This pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions, where the RTX 4080's raw throughput becomes the limiting factor rather than the CPU's processing headroom.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with a different slope. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 401 FPS average, which is an extraordinary figure that approaches the limits of what display technology can show. At 1440p Low, the average is 260 FPS, a 35% drop. At 4K Low, the average is 141 FPS, which is 65% below the 1080p number. The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Ultra settings suggests that the scaling behavior is governed by the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity. The RTX 4080, with its 9728 shading units and 112 ROPs, has to process four times the pixels at 4K compared to 1080p, and the measured data reflects that arithmetic pressure.

The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum FPS of 104 and a maximum of 141, which brackets the average of 123. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 192 and the maximum is 260, giving an average of 226. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 297 and the maximum is 402, averaging 350. These recorded minima and maxima indicate that the frame time variance is relatively tight, with the spread between worst and best frames staying proportional to the average. The 4K Medium spread of 37 FPS is smaller in absolute terms than the 1080p Medium spread of 105 FPS, but as a percentage of the average, both are around 30%. This points to a stable frame pacing characteristic rather than erratic spikes.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p at High settings shows the average FPS moving from 295 to 191, a drop of 104 FPS or 35%. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High shows the average moving from 191 to 104, another drop of 87 FPS, which is 46%. The increasing percentage drop between the higher resolutions is typical for a GPU that starts to hit memory bandwidth or pixel throughput ceilings. The RTX 4080's memory bandwidth is 716.8 GB/s across a 256-bit bus, and the data suggests that 4K Ultra, with an 85 FPS average, is the first preset where the GPU's resources are fully saturated. Below that, the combo is leaving performance on the table because the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this CPU and GPU pairing at position 215 out of 3712 tested combinations for Doom. That places it in the top 5.8% of all recorded combos, which is a strong showing for a system built around a Core i5 processor and an RTX 4080 graphics card. The percentile data for the individual components supports this: the i5-12600KF sits at the 79th percentile among all CPUs, and the RTX 4080 sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs. The combination of two high-percentile parts produces a result that outperforms the vast majority of systems in the database.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the aggregate benchmark scores provide context for why this combo ranks where it does. The Intel Core i9-10900K has an average score of 27872, which is 0.3% higher than the i5-12600KF's 27799. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D has an average score of 27896, also 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800U and AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE are within 0.3% in the other direction. This cluster of scores around 27800 means the i5-12600KF is competitive with several well-regarded processors, but it is not a leader in raw CPU throughput. For Doom specifically, the game's engine responds well to high single-thread performance, and the i5-12600KF's 3dmark single-thread score of 1016 and passmark single-thread score of 3925 show it has ample capability for this title.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the aggregate benchmarks show a similar tight grouping. The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209, just 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080's 54247. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, which is 2.6% higher. The AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, 2.7% higher. These deltas are small, and in Doom specifically, the measured FPS results show the RTX 4080 performing at a level that justifies its position in the ranking. The 4K Ultra average of 85 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold that many users consider the minimum for smooth play, and the 1080p Low average of 401 FPS is among the highest recorded for any GPU in this database.

The rank of 215 out of 3712 reflects the fact that the RTX 4080 is not the fastest GPU ever tested, but it is paired with a CPU that does not bottleneck it in Doom. Many of the combos ranked above this one will feature higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX, which have more shading units and higher memory bandwidth. The data shows that the i5-12600KF plus RTX 4080 combo delivers a balanced result, with the CPU keeping up with the GPU across all resolutions and presets. The largest gap between what the CPU can feed and what the GPU can render appears only at 1080p Low, where the 401 FPS average is likely constrained by the CPU's maximum frame generation rate rather than the GPU's rendering capacity.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?

A: The 2560x1440 High preset delivers 191 FPS average, which is above the refresh rate of most 1440p gaming monitors and leaves headroom for frame drops. At 4K High, the average is 104 FPS, which is still smooth but closer to the edge of what a 120 Hz display needs.

Q: How much performance does the Ultra preset cost compared to High?

A: At 4K, Ultra averages 85 FPS versus 104 FPS for High, a 19 FPS difference. At 1440p, Ultra averages 156 FPS versus 191 FPS for High, a 35 FPS difference. At 1080p, Ultra averages 241 FPS versus 295 FPS for High, a 54 FPS difference.

Q: Does the CPU hold back the GPU at any resolution?

A: The recorded data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at 4K, where the GPU's pixel throughput dominates. At 1080p Low, the 401 FPS average is likely near the CPU's frame generation ceiling, but the i5-12600KF's 10 cores and 16 threads provide enough headroom to avoid visible stutter.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only settings with recorded minimum FPS values are the Medium presets. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 104 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 192 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 297 FPS. The High, Low, and Ultra presets do not have minimum FPS data in the database.

Q: How does the i5-12600KF compare to the Ryzen 7 5800X3D?

A: The aggregate benchmark scores show the Ryzen 7 5800X3D at 27896, which is 0.3% higher than the i5-12600KF's 27799. In Doom, the difference is negligible because the game's frame rates are GPU-limited at most settings.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 significantly slower than the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The aggregate GPU benchmark scores show the RTX 4080 at 54247 and the RTX 4080 SUPER at 54209, meaning the SUPER is actually 0.1% lower in this database's measurements. The two cards perform nearly identically in the recorded data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces an average of 401 FPS. The Medium preset produces an average of 350 FPS, with a minimum of 297 and a maximum of 402. The High preset produces an average of 295 FPS. The Ultra preset produces an average of 241 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 40% reduction in average FPS, from 401 down to 241. Each step up in quality costs a consistent amount: Low to Medium is 51 FPS, Medium to High is 55 FPS, and High to Ultra is 54 FPS. This linear degradation is the signature of a GPU that has plenty of spare capacity at 1080p, with each additional graphical effect or texture quality increment consuming a predictable slice of performance.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 260 FPS. The Medium preset averages 226 FPS, with a minimum of 192 and a maximum of 260. The High preset averages 191 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 156 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 104 FPS, which is a 40% reduction, matching the 1080p pattern. The absolute numbers are lower because the pixel count at 1440p is 78% higher than 1080p, but the relative cost of each settings tier remains the same. The Medium preset's maximum FPS of 260 matches the Low preset's average exactly, which indicates that the Medium settings allow the GPU to burst up to the Low-level performance in scenes with low complexity.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 141 FPS. The Medium preset averages 123 FPS, with a minimum of 104 and a maximum of 141. The High preset averages 104 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 85 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra is 56 FPS, which is a 40% drop, consistent with the other resolutions. At 4K, even the Low preset demands significant GPU work, and the 141 FPS average shows that the RTX 4080 can handle 4K gaming at high frame rates when visual quality is sacrificed. The High preset at 4K produces the same average FPS as the Medium preset's minimum at 4K, both at 104 FPS, which suggests that the High preset's average is close to the floor of what this GPU can deliver at that resolution.

The measured data includes only average FPS for most settings, with the Medium presets being the exception that have both minimum and maximum values. This asymmetry in the database means that conclusions about frame time consistency for High, Low, and Ultra must be drawn from the averages alone. The Medium data points show that the minimum FPS is consistently 15% to 18% below the average, and the maximum is consistently 14% to 15% above the average. This tight clustering around the mean is a positive indicator for smooth gameplay, as it suggests the frame pacing does not have large spikes or drops.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. It has 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. The 3dmark benchmarks show a single-thread score of 1016, a 2-thread score of 1995, a 4-thread score of 3806, an 8-thread score of 6128, a 16-thread score of 7956, and a max-thread score of 7952. The near-identical 16-thread and max-thread scores indicate that the processor's performance scales linearly up to its thread count, with no significant drop-off when all 16 threads are active.

For Doom, the game's engine benefits from high clock speeds and large caches. The i5-12600KF's boost clock of 4.90 GHz is sufficient to keep the RTX 4080 fed at resolutions below 4K. The passmark single-thread score of 3925 places it in the upper tier of desktop CPUs, and the cinebench R23 single-core score of 3302 confirms that the processor has strong per-thread performance. The L3 cache of 20 MB is shared across the cores, which helps with game data that is frequently accessed across multiple threads.

The CPU's role in this combo becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 401 approaches the limits of what any CPU can generate for a game like Doom, which has relatively simple draw calls compared to modern open-world titles. The fact that the 1080p Medium maximum FPS is 402, which is nearly identical to the Low average, suggests that the CPU is capping the frame rate at around 400 FPS regardless of settings. The GPU could likely render more frames at Low settings, but the CPU cannot issue draw calls fast enough to exceed this ceiling.

At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes. The 4K Low average of 141 FPS and the 4K Ultra average of 85 FPS are both well below the CPU's frame generation ceiling, meaning the GPU is the sole bottleneck. The RTX 4080's 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 761.5 GTexel/s texture rate are the determining factors at this resolution. The i5-12600KF's 16 threads provide enough parallelism for the game's rendering threads, and the 10 cores prevent any single-thread bottlenecks from emerging. The processor's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier indicate that it is designed for overclocking, but the recorded data does not include any overclocked results, so the stock performance is what ranks this combo at 215 out of 3712.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data for Doom shows that the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate across all resolutions. At 1080p High, the average of 295 FPS is far above any display's refresh rate, making this preset a waste of GPU headroom but not a problem for smoothness. At 1440p High, the 191 FPS average is ideal for 144 Hz monitors, with enough margin to prevent drops below the refresh rate in demanding scenes. At 4K High, the 104 FPS average is suitable for 100 Hz or 120 Hz displays, though users with 144 Hz 4K monitors will need to consider the Medium preset.

The Medium preset is the fallback option for users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. At 4K Medium, the 123 FPS average with a minimum of 104 FPS provides a comfortable margin for 120 Hz displays. The recorded minimum of 104 FPS means that even the worst-case frame times stay above the 100 FPS threshold, which is important for maintaining smooth gameplay during explosions or heavy particle effects. At 1440p Medium, the 226 FPS average is excessive for most monitors, but the 192 FPS minimum ensures that even a 240 Hz display would rarely see a dip below its refresh rate.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding. At 4K Ultra, the 85 FPS average is playable on a 60 Hz monitor, but it leaves little headroom for frame time spikes. This preset is best suited for 1440p, where the 156 FPS average provides a smooth experience on 144 Hz displays. At 1080p Ultra, the 241 FPS average is still high, but the visual benefits of Ultra over High at that resolution are typically small, and the 54 FPS cost per settings tier at 1080p suggests that High is the more efficient choice.

The Low preset is not recommended for this combo, as the visual degradation is severe and the frame rate gains are unnecessary. At 4K Low, the 141 FPS average is only 37 FPS higher than High, which is a modest improvement considering the loss of texture quality, shadows, and post-processing effects. At 1080p Low, the 401 FPS average is beyond the refresh rate of any consumer monitor, making the preset pointless. The data indicates that this system should be run at High settings for the best combination of image quality and performance, with Medium as a fallback for 4K users with high refresh rate displays.