Doom

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT paired with the Intel Core i5-14400F delivers a robust 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, with performance scaling predictably as resolution increases. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom at lower settings, making this combination a strong contender for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear performance hierarchy tied to resolution. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 141 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset drops the average to 91 FPS, a reduction of 50 FPS (approximately 35%). The jump to 3840x2160 at High settings yields just 49 FPS average, which is roughly 46% lower than the 1440p result and 65% lower than the 1080p figure.

This scaling pattern indicates that the RX 6600 XT is the primary limiting component as resolution climbs. The transition from 1080p to 1440p sees a significant but manageable drop, while the move to 4K pushes the GPU to its limits, resulting in sub-60 FPS averages even on Medium settings. The i5-14400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, is not the bottleneck here; the consistent frame-rate drops across all settings at each higher resolution point to the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth constraints.

At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra settings is 77 FPS (192 vs 115), which is substantial. However, at 4K, the same settings gap is only 27 FPS (67 vs 40). This compression of frame-rate differences at 4K confirms that the GPU is saturated at that resolution, regardless of the quality preset. The RDNA 2.0 architecture's 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth on a 128-bit bus becomes a limiting factor when pushing 8.3 million pixels per frame.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 2660 out of 3712 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the 28th percentile of all systems tested. This rank reflects a mid-tier position, which aligns with the hardware's specifications. The RX 6600 XT holds a 70th percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the i5-14400F sits at an 83rd percentile among all CPUs. The combo rank being lower than either component's individual percentile suggests that the pairing is somewhat mismatched for this specific title, or that the game's optimization favors other hardware combinations.

When compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RX 6600 XT shows a 0.7% advantage over the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 and a 1.1% lead over the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER. It trails the Intel Arc A350M by 0.8%. These narrow margins indicate that the GPU's raw benchmark scores are competitive with older and newer mid-range offerings, though Doom's specific engine performance may vary. For the CPU, the i5-14400F is within 0.5% of the Intel Core i7-12800H and 0.2% of the Intel Core i9-11900, showing that its computational performance is well-matched to those mobile and older desktop parts.

The 3712-combo pool includes many configurations with higher-end GPUs, which explains why this mid-range pairing sits in the lower half of the rankings. The data suggests that while this combo is competent, it will be outpaced in Doom by systems featuring GPUs with higher memory bandwidth and larger frame buffers, particularly at 4K resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance on the optimal settings for this hardware. At 1920x1080, every preset delivers playable frame rates, but the High preset at 141 FPS average offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset, at 115 FPS average, is still exceptionally smooth and would be the choice for users prioritizing image quality, but the 26 FPS cost over High is notable. Low at 192 FPS is excessive for most displays and sacrifices too much visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended target, delivering 91 FPS average. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and maintains good visual detail. The Medium preset at 108 FPS is a viable alternative for those who prefer higher frame rates, but the drop to Ultra at 75 FPS is manageable and still playable. Low at 124 FPS, while fast, is not recommended due to the significant visual downgrade.

The 3840x2160 resolution presents a challenge. The Medium preset, with an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50 FPS, is the only 4K option that approaches smoothness. High at 49 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS will show visible stutter on standard 60 Hz displays. Low at 67 FPS is playable but looks poor. For a consistent experience, the Medium preset is the highest quality option that maintains near-60 FPS, while users with variable refresh rate monitors could tolerate High.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset shows a consistent performance pattern across all twelve measured configurations. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 115 FPS at Ultra to 192 FPS at Low. The Medium preset records an average of 167 FPS, with a minimum of 142 and a maximum of 192. High sits between at 141 FPS. The 1080p results demonstrate the CPU's capability to feed the GPU adequately, as even the lowest preset does not expose a CPU bottleneck.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 75 FPS at Ultra, 91 FPS at High, 108 FPS at Medium, and 124 FPS at Low. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS, representing a 32 FPS variance. This spread is typical for a GPU operating near its limits, where scene complexity causes frame-time fluctuations. The High preset, without recorded min/max values, likely maintains a tighter range given its lower average.

The 3840x2160 results show the greatest sensitivity to settings. Ultra averages 40 FPS, High 49 FPS, Medium 59 FPS, and Low 67 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 50 FPS and maximum of 67 FPS indicate that even this middle ground occasionally drops below the 60 FPS target. The 27 FPS difference between Ultra and Low at 4K, compared to the 77 FPS difference at 1080p, quantifies the GPU saturation at higher pixel counts.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT utilizes 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1968 MHz and a boost clock of 2589 MHz, with a game clock rated at 2359 MHz. These specifications place the card in the mid-range segment, and the benchmark data reflects this positioning. The 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 165.7 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 331.4 GTexel/s.

In Doom, the 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, but becomes a constraint at 4K where higher resolution textures and effects demand more memory. The 128-bit memory interface, while providing adequate bandwidth for lower resolutions, limits performance when the GPU must fetch large amounts of texture data for 4K rendering. The FP32 performance of 10.60 TFLOPS is competitive for the card's class, but the game's engine relies more on memory subsystem efficiency than raw compute.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a PassMark G3D score of 16461 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1804. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 72417 indicates strong API-level performance, which is relevant for a Vulkan-based title like Doom. The card's 70th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its mid-range status, and the measured FPS data aligns with this expectation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The processor includes 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. This configuration provides substantial computational headroom for gaming, as evidenced by the benchmark scores: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055. The Geekbench multi-core score of 11268 and single-core score of 2058 further demonstrate the CPU's capabilities.

Doom is a GPU-bound title at higher resolutions, and the data confirms that the i5-14400F does not bottleneck the RX 6600 XT. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 192 FPS, which is likely near the engine's upper limit for this hardware configuration. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279, places it in the upper tier of processors. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% faster), showing that the i5-14400F performs comparably to previous-generation flagship parts.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and 10 nm process node contribute to efficient operation, though these factors do not directly influence in-game FPS. The processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, which allows for flexible system configuration. With a PassMark single-thread score of 3701, the i5-14400F excels at the lightly-threaded workloads that many game engines use for main game logic, ensuring consistent frame pacing.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 at High settings delivers 91 FPS average, which is an excellent balance of visual quality and smoothness. At 1920x1080, any preset exceeds 115 FPS, while 3840x2160 struggles to maintain 60 FPS on most presets.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but with compromises. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 59 FPS with a 50 FPS minimum, which is playable. High and Ultra presets drop to 49 and 40 FPS respectively, which may be acceptable on a variable refresh rate display.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 192 FPS, and the difference between Low and Ultra is 77 FPS. The i5-14400F has sufficient headroom, as shown by its 83rd percentile CPU ranking and 16 threads.

Q: How does the RX 6600 XT compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 6600 XT has a 0.7% higher average benchmark score than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 and a 1.1% advantage over the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER. It is 0.8% slower than the Intel Arc A350M in synthetic benchmarks.

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

A: The only recorded minimum FPS values are for the Medium preset: 142 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. Other presets did not have min/max values recorded.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Doom?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient, as evidenced by playable frame rates at all presets. At 4K Ultra, the average of 40 FPS suggests VRAM capacity and bandwidth are limiting factors, though the GPU's overall throughput also contributes.