Doom

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 pairing in Doom presents a clear picture of a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, yet the combination remains highly playable at 1080p. The measured data shows a predictable but steep performance cliff as resolution increases, with the gap between settings narrowing as pixel count grows.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a dramatic drop in frame rates across all settings, confirming that the GTX 1070's 8 GB GDDR5 frame buffer and 256-bit memory interface are the limiting factors. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 157 FPS, but at 4K with the same settings, it falls to 53.8 FPS—a 65.7% reduction in performance. This scaling is typical of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits, as the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions.

The data indicates that the i5-14400F is not the constraint here. At 1080p Ultra, the system still manages 96.8 FPS, which is significantly above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. However, the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is steep—from 96.8 FPS to 61.7 FPS—a 36.3% decrease. This suggests that the GPU is struggling to fill the extra pixels, while the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads remain underutilized.

At 4K, the performance becomes marginal. The best result at 3840x2160 is 53.8 FPS on Low settings, while Ultra dips to 31.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 21.9 FPS, compared to a 60.2 FPS gap at 1080p. This compression of the settings range at higher resolutions is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering, where the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth dominate over shading complexity.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more moderate. At High settings, the drop is from 117.7 FPS to 78 FPS, a 33.7% reduction. At Medium, the drop is from 135.6 FPS to 89.9 FPS, a 33.7% reduction as well. This consistency suggests a stable GPU bottleneck, with the CPU providing consistent frame pacing. The 4K results, however, show a more erratic pattern, with the Low setting at 53.8 FPS being the only value above 50 FPS, indicating that the GPU is running out of bandwidth at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1414 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the bottom 16th percentile of all tested systems. This low ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU, which itself sits at the 51st percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is at the 88th percentile among all CPUs. The mismatch is stark: the CPU is a top-tier performer, but the GPU is a mid-range part from a previous generation.

In comparison to its nearest rivals, the GTX 1070's average benchmark score of 12331 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 (12241, a 0.7% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M (12490, a -1.3% delta). The GTX 1650 SUPER is also close at 12504, a -1.4% delta. This means the GTX 1070 is effectively a peer of the GTX 1650 SUPER in raw compute, despite being older and having a different architecture. The ranking data confirms that this combo is not optimized for high-end gaming, but rather for 1080p or light 1440p play.

The CPU's nearest rivals further illustrate the imbalance. The i5-14400F's average benchmark score of 32508 is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446) and the Intel Core i7-12800H (32513). This puts the CPU in a class above the GPU, which is why the combo ranking is dragged down. In Doom, the combo rank of 1414 out of 1681 means that only 267 other combos perform worse, which reflects how dated the GTX 1070 has become in this title.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only marginally. The best 4K result is 53.8 FPS on Low settings, while High produces 42.4 FPS and Ultra drops to 31.9 FPS. It is playable only on Low, and even then it is below the 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: 1920x1080 is clearly the sweet spot. All settings produce above 96 FPS, with Low reaching 157 FPS and High hitting 117.7 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium remain above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GTX 1070's average benchmark score of 12331 is within 1.4% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER (12504) and within 0.7% of the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 (12241). It trails the GTX 880M by 1.3%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The i5-14400F is at the 88th percentile of all CPUs, while the GTX 1070 is at the 51st percentile. The frame rate drops significantly at higher resolutions, which is a GPU-bound behavior.

Q: What is the highest FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 157 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest is 31.9 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the combo rank change with different settings?

A: The combo rank of 1414 out of 1681 is a static metric for the game as a whole. However, the measured FPS data shows that settings have a large impact, with a 60.2 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

For a balanced experience, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended choice, delivering 117.7 FPS. This provides a substantial margin above the 60 FPS threshold, allowing for smooth gameplay without the visual degradation of Low settings. The Medium preset at 1080p also works well at 135.6 FPS, but High offers a better visual quality without a significant performance hit.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best option, producing 89.9 FPS. High at 1440p still manages 78 FPS, which is acceptable, but Medium provides a safer buffer for demanding scenes. Low at 1440p yields 102.1 FPS but sacrifices too much visual fidelity for the gain. Ultra at 1440p should be avoided, as it drops to 61.7 FPS, which is too close to the 60 FPS line for comfort.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings are viable, with 53.8 FPS. Medium drops to 45.7 FPS, and High falls to 42.4 FPS. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as the 31.9 FPS result is below playable thresholds. For users who prioritize frame rate over visuals, the Low preset at 4K is the only sensible choice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear progression across settings. Low produces 157 FPS, Medium 135.6 FPS, High 117.7 FPS, and Ultra 96.8 FPS. This represents a 38.4% drop from Low to Ultra, which is the largest relative spread across all resolutions.

At 2560x1440, the values are 102.1 FPS on Low, 89.9 FPS on Medium, 78 FPS on High, and 61.7 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 39.6%, slightly larger than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is starting to struggle with the higher pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the results are 53.8 FPS on Low, 45.7 FPS on Medium, 42.4 FPS on High, and 31.9 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 40.7%, the largest relative decline. The absolute values are all below 60 FPS, confirming that 4K is not a practical target for this combo.

The pattern across resolutions is consistent: the GTX 1070 cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K on any setting, can maintain 60 FPS at 1440p on Low and Medium, and can comfortably exceed 60 FPS at 1080p on all settings. The i5-14400F's strong single-thread and multi-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 scores (21914 multi, 3093 single), ensures that it never becomes the limiting factor in this GPU-bound scenario.