Doom

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers a performance profile in Doom that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset selection. The measured data reveals a system capable of extremely high frame rates at 1080p, with a predictable decline as resolution increases. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, scaling behavior, and the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping the experience, using only the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 produces a dramatic and consistent drop in average frame rates across all settings, indicating a shift from a CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound one at higher resolutions. At the Low preset, the average FPS falls from an exceptional 314 at 1080p to 203 at 1440p, before settling at 110 at 4K. This represents a reduction of roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46% from 1440p to 4K. The sheer magnitude of these drops suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the limiting factor, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs.

Moving to the High preset, the scaling follows a similar pattern but with lower absolute numbers. The average FPS drops from 231 at 1080p to 149 at 1440p, a 35% decrease, and then to 81 at 4K, another 46% decrease. The fact that the percentage drop between resolutions is nearly identical for both Low and High presets is telling. It implies that the relative cost of increasing resolution is consistent, and the GPU is still the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, even with the CPU having more headroom at the higher settings.

The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with averages of 189 at 1080p, 122 at 1440p, and 66 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is a steeper 46%. This suggests that the Ultra preset's increased graphical complexity, likely involving more demanding shaders and effects, puts an even greater strain on the GPU as resolution climbs, making the 4K experience significantly more demanding relative to 1440p than it is at lower settings. The data clearly indicates that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at 4K across all settings, while the CPU's influence is most apparent at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Core i5-14400F and Radeon RX 9070 XT holds a comboRankInGame of 895 out of 3712 tested combos. This places it in the top 25% of all recorded system configurations for Doom. This is a strong showing, indicating that this combination is well-suited for the game, even if it's not at the very top of the leaderboard. The rank suggests a high level of performance that should satisfy most users seeking a smooth, high-frame-rate experience.

The rank of 895 is particularly impressive when considering the individual component stats. The GPU's average benchmark score of 13543 places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, yet its nearest rivals in the database are older, less powerful cards like the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570. This is a stark contrast that highlights the importance of game-specific testing. The GPU's raw compute benchmarks might not tell the whole story for Doom, but the in-game measured FPS and the resulting combo rank show a far more capable performance. The combination's rank confirms the effective pairing, where the CPU's strong single-thread performance likely complements the GPU's capabilities well.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the clear driver of performance at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the FPS scaling. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a substantial 644.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is crucial for feeding the RDNA 4.0 architecture at 4K. The GPU's core clocks are also noteworthy, with a base clock of 1660 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2970 MHz. These high clocks, combined with 4096 shading units, allow the card to process the complex geometry and textures in Doom efficiently.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p, the average FPS at the Low preset (314) is over 1.6 times higher than at the High preset (231). This gap is not solely due to GPU load; it also indicates that the CPU is able to feed frames fast enough to keep the GPU busy at Low settings. However, at 4K, the difference between Low (110 FPS) and High (81 FPS) narrows to roughly 1.35 times. This convergence shows that at 4K, the GPU's raw processing power is the primary constraint. The card's performance is also reflected in its synthetic benchmarks, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 7260, which, while not directly comparable to in-game FPS, confirms its high-end capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the High preset at 2560x1440 offers the most balanced experience for this combo. It delivers an average of 149 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth, high-refresh-rate gameplay. The jump from High to Ultra at 1440p yields a significant performance cost, dropping the average from 149 to 122 FPS, a decrease of 18%. This is a substantial hit for what is often a marginal visual improvement in practice. Therefore, the High preset at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot, capturing most of the visual fidelity without sacrificing the responsiveness that Doom demands.

For players targeting 4K, the data suggests that the High preset is also the most viable option, with an average of 81 FPS. While this is playable, it is not as fluid as the 1440p experience. The Medium preset at 4K yields an average of 96 FPS, which is a more comfortable margin, but the step down from High to Medium might be noticeable in visual quality. At 1080p, the High preset is the clear recommendation, as it provides an average of 231 FPS, ensuring maximum fluidity on high-refresh monitors. The Ultra preset at 1080p, with 189 FPS, is still excellent, but the performance gain from upgrading to a higher resolution with the High preset is generally more impactful than pushing the settings to Ultra at the same resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Here is the complete breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

1920x1080:

• Low: 314 FPS
• Medium: 273 FPS (min 232, max 314)
• High: 231 FPS
• Ultra: 189 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 203 FPS
• Medium: 177 FPS (min 150, max 203)
• High: 149 FPS
• Ultra: 122 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 110 FPS
• Medium: 96 FPS (min 81, max 110)
• High: 81 FPS
• Ultra: 66 FPS

The data shows a clear hierarchy, with performance scaling smoothly with both resolution and settings. The spread between Low and Ultra presets is consistent, with Ultra generally performing at about 60% of Low's frame rate at each resolution. The measured rows for Medium settings include min and max FPS values, which provide a small insight into frame time consistency. For example, at 1080p Medium, the min FPS of 232 indicates that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above 200 FPS, suggesting a very stable experience.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Doom?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 314, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 3840x2160, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops from 1440p to 4K across all settings, while the CPU's role becomes more prominent at lower resolutions like 1080p.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested system combinations for this game?

A: This specific combo has a comboRankInGame of 895 out of 3712 total tested combinations.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 149 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 122 FPS. This represents a performance decrease of 27 FPS, or roughly 18%, when moving from High to Ultra.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to the Ultra preset at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 314 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 189 FPS. This means the Low preset is approximately 66% faster than the Ultra preset.

Q: Does the Radeon RX 9070 XT have enough memory for this game?

A: Yes, the GPU is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. Given the high average FPS and the game's 2016 release date, this memory configuration appears more than sufficient for Doom at all tested settings and resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F plays a crucial role in ensuring the GPU can achieve its high frame rates, particularly at 1080p. With 10 cores and 16 threads, this processor offers substantial multi-threaded capability, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645. This is important for handling the game's engine logic, AI, and physics simulations, which can run concurrently. The CPU's architecture, Raptor Lake, and its 20 MB of shared L3 cache provide the headroom needed to keep the data flowing to the GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

The processor's single-thread performance is equally critical for Doom. Its boost clock of 4.70 GHz and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055 are strong indicators of its ability to handle the main game thread efficiently. This is essential for maintaining high frame rates, as a weak single-core performance would limit the maximum FPS, even with a powerful GPU. The data supports this; at 1080p Low, the FPS reaches 314, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game. The CPU's average benchmark score of 32279 places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, and its performance is nearly identical to rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, with a deltaPct of just 0.1.

In this combo, the CPU's job is to feed the GPU with enough frames to keep it busy. At 4K, the GPU's workload is so high that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor, allowing the GPU to be the primary determinant of performance. However, at 1080p, the CPU's strong single-core performance is what allows the system to hit such high frame rates, demonstrating a well-balanced pairing. The 65W TDP also suggests efficient power delivery, allowing for sustained boost clocks during intense gaming sessions.