Doom

Doom, the 2016 reboot, remains a demanding title at higher resolutions, and the combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F with the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT provides a substantial dataset for analysis. The measured frames per second across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a component pairing that is well-balanced, with the performance ceiling shifting from the CPU at lower resolutions to the GPU as pixel count rises. The data indicates that this system is highly capable at 1080p, robust at 1440p, and still playable at 4K, with the balance between the processor and graphics card dictating the optimal settings for each scenario.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and clearly illustrates the growing burden on the GPU. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 179.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 112.5 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 67.2 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 60.3 FPS, which is a 119.4 FPS decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is classic for a GPU-bound scenario: the processor has ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the graphics card's fillrate and memory bandwidth become the limiting factors as the number of pixels rendered increases by a factor of four from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling behavior is consistent across all settings, though the relative drop is steeper for the higher quality presets. For instance, at the Ultra preset, the frame rate descends from 146 FPS at 1080p to 93.9 FPS at 1440p and finally to 50 FPS at 4K. This 96 FPS total drop indicates that the Ultra preset's additional visual effects, which likely include more complex lighting and shadow calculations, place a disproportionately heavier load on the GPU. In contrast, the Low preset sees a less dramatic but still substantial reduction, going from 240.8 FPS at 1080p to 155.8 FPS at 1440p and 84.8 FPS at 4K. The fact that the frame rate still halves from 1080p to 4K on the Low preset confirms that even with minimal graphical features, the sheer pixel count at 4K is a significant challenge for the RX 6750 XT.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is not fully GPU-bound, as the differences between presets are large but the absolute numbers are very high. The Core i5-14400F, which sits in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, is likely capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to reach these frame rates. However, the 240.8 FPS result at Low settings might be approaching the CPU's practical limit for this game engine, as the GPU has less work to do and the processor's single-thread performance becomes more relevant. At 4K, the reverse is true; the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, and the CPU's role diminishes, as evidenced by the frame rates being more tightly grouped across all settings.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data points to a clear recommendation for each resolution, prioritizing a stable and high frame rate experience. For 4K gaming, the High preset is the optimal choice. It delivers an average of 60.3 FPS, which is just above the threshold for smooth, playable performance. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 50 FPS, which is a noticeable step down in fluidity, while the Medium preset offers 76 FPS but at a minor visual cost. The High preset strikes the best balance, providing the necessary performance without compromising on visual quality.

At 1440p, the system has more headroom, and the High preset shines with an average of 112.5 FPS. This is an excellent result for a high-refresh-rate monitor. While the Ultra preset is playable at 93.9 FPS, the Medium preset at 135.9 FPS and Low at 155.8 FPS are faster but may not be worth the visual sacrifices. For users with a 144Hz display, the High preset is the sweet spot, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium while still maintaining a frame rate high enough to take advantage of the display's capabilities.

For 1080p, the story is about maximizing frame rates. The High preset delivers a very high 179.7 FPS, which is well over the threshold for even the most demanding 144Hz or 165Hz displays. The Ultra preset, at 146 FPS, still provides an excellent experience and is the recommended choice for users who prioritize visual fidelity over pushing the absolute maximum frame rate. The Low and Medium presets offer 240.8 FPS and 211.3 FPS respectively, which are only beneficial for 240Hz displays, but the visual downgrade is significant. The data suggests that the High or Ultra presets are the most sensible choices at this resolution, as the system is powerful enough to render the game at high quality without sacrificing performance.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance of high image quality and performance, with the High preset achieving 112.5 FPS. At 1080p, the system is capable of very high frame rates, but 4K at the High preset is just playable at 60.3 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT capable of running Doom at 4K?

A: Yes, but only with settings adjustments. At the High preset, the average frame rate is 60.3 FPS, which is considered playable. However, the Ultra preset drops to 50 FPS, which is a less fluid experience.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to the High preset at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset averages 93.9 FPS, while High averages 112.5 FPS. This is a difference of 18.6 FPS, making the High preset a better option for smoother gameplay with a minimal visual difference.

Q: Does the CPU become a bottleneck at any resolution?

A: At 1080p with the Low preset, the system achieves 240.8 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as frame rates are much lower and more consistent across presets.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. The Low preset averages 240.8 FPS, while Ultra averages 146 FPS. This 94.8 FPS gap highlights the significant graphical workload added by the Ultra settings.

Q: Is the frame rate stable enough for competitive play?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the average frame rates are high enough for competitive play. At 1080p High (179.7 FPS) and 1440p High (112.5 FPS), the system provides a responsive experience. At 4K, the 60.3 FPS average is less suitable for fast-paced competitive scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT ranks 835th out of 1681 tested combos in Doom. This places the system in the middle of the pack, which is a reasonable result given the individual component rankings. The CPU sits in the 88th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 79th percentile among all GPUs. The combination's mid-pack ranking suggests that while each component is strong, the pairing does not push the system into the top tier for this specific game, likely due to the GPU's performance ceiling at higher resolutions.

The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-12800H and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with a delta percentage of 0 and 0.2, respectively. This indicates that the Core i5-14400F is not the limiting factor in this system, as a different CPU with similar performance would likely yield the same frame rates. On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is closely matched with the AMD Radeon RX 5600M, which has a delta percentage of 0.2. It is also comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile, which is actually 0.3% faster in the aggregate benchmark.

The ranking suggests that the system is well-balanced, but the GPU is the component that determines the overall position in the game-specific rankings. The CPU has the headroom to support a more powerful graphics card, as indicated by its high percentile ranking. The data implies that this combo is a solid, mid-range performer, capable of handling the game well at mainstream resolutions but not optimized for the absolute highest frame rates at 4K.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT plays the critical role in determining the performance at higher resolutions. With 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, the GPU has a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is a key factor in the 4K results, as the large texture and geometry data required at that resolution must be fed to the processing units quickly. The observed frame rate drops from 1440p to 4K, such as from 112.5 FPS to 60.3 FPS at High settings, are a direct consequence of the GPU's ability to handle this increased memory pressure.

The GPU's clock speeds are also relevant to the performance scaling. The base clock is 2150 MHz, with a game clock of 2495 MHz and a boost clock of 2600 MHz. The difference between the game and boost clocks allows the GPU to dynamically increase its performance under load, which helps maintain frame rates in less demanding scenes. The 40 ray accelerators and 2560 shading units are the primary processing elements, and their workload scales directly with resolution and settings. The transition from the High to Ultra preset at 1080p, which drops the frame rate from 179.7 FPS to 146 FPS, demonstrates the extra load these additional features place on the GPU's compute units.

The GPU's VRAM capacity of 12 GB is adequate for Doom at all tested settings, as the game was released in 2016 and is not particularly demanding in terms of memory usage. The fact that the GPU does not appear to be running out of memory at 4K is supported by the data, as the frame rates are consistent and not showing signs of a hard bottleneck that would be caused by swapping. The GPU's role is clearly as the primary performance limiter at 4K, while at 1080p, it has more than enough power to keep up with the CPU, resulting in the very high frame rates observed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 240.8 FPS (Low), 211.3 FPS (Medium), 179.7 FPS (High), and 146 FPS (Ultra). This shows a clear progression, with the Ultra preset being 94.8 FPS slower than Low. The data indicates that at this resolution, the system is highly capable, and even the most demanding preset provides a frame rate well above 144 Hz.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 155.8 FPS (Low), 135.9 FPS (Medium), 112.5 FPS (High), and 93.9 FPS (Ultra). The performance drop from 1080p is significant, ranging from an 85 FPS decrease on the Low preset to a 52.1 FPS decrease on the Ultra preset. This resolution is where the GPU starts to become the dominant factor, and the system still provides excellent performance for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 84.8 FPS (Low), 76 FPS (Medium), 60.3 FPS (High), and 50 FPS (Ultra). The difference between the Low and High presets is 24.5 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is 10.3 FPS. This compression of frame rates at 4K confirms that the GPU is the sole bottleneck, as even the lowest settings cannot prevent the average frame rate from dropping below 85 FPS. The High preset is the only one that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the recommended setting for a playable 4K experience.