Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT delivers a playable experience in Doom, but the data clearly indicates that the graphics card is the primary performance limiter at higher resolutions. The combination ranks in the 30th percentile of all tested configurations, placing it at 1178 out of 1681 combos, which reflects a balanced but not top-tier pairing for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, revealing that the RX 6600 XT’s 8 GB frame buffer and 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth become strained as pixel count increases. At 1920x1080 High settings, the combo produces 139.5 FPS average, which is smooth for fast-paced gameplay. Moving to 2560x1440 High drops the average to 90.6 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 3840x2160 High, the average falls to 52 FPS, which is a 63% drop from the 1080p result. This steep decline shows that the GPU is fully saturated at 4K, with the CPU’s 14 cores and 20 threads having ample headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern across settings tells a similar story. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 191.3 FPS, while 4K Low produces 64.6 FPS, a 66% reduction. This consistent ~65% penalty from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates that the RX 6600 XT’s raw compute power, measured at 10.60 TFLOPS FP32, is the bottleneck. The i5-14600K’s 5.30 GHz boost clock is more than sufficient to keep up with the GPU’s output at 1080p, as evidenced by the high frame rates there. The data suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for maintaining high refresh rates, as 4K only offers playable but not optimal performance.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the decisive factor in this combo’s performance, and its specifications align with the measured results. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is adequate for Doom at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results show that the frame buffer and bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates. The card’s boost clock of 2589 MHz and game clock of 2359 MHz contribute to its 10.60 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, which drives the 191.3 FPS result at 1080p Low.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range positioning. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 16461, placing it in the 71st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, scores 27956, a mere 0.1% difference, while the RTX 3070 scores 28238, putting the RX 6600 XT 0.9% behind. This tight grouping indicates that the card performs predictably within its class. In Doom, the 4K Ultra setting yields only 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. The GPU’s 64 ROPs and 128 TMUs are not enough to handle the pixel and texture workload at 4K Ultra, making lower settings mandatory at that resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K provides a robust foundation for this gaming combo, with its 14 cores (6 performance and 8 efficiency) and 20 threads ensuring that the CPU is never the limiting factor in Doom. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 5.30 GHz boost clock deliver excellent single-threaded performance, which is critical for game logic and draw calls. The processor scores 4642 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 32881 in multi-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, scores 49062, a mere 0.2% difference, while the Intel Core i5-14600KF scores 49367, putting the i5-14600K 0.4% behind its KF counterpart. This parity shows that the CPU has more than enough compute power for Doom’s engine. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 191.3 FPS, which is likely near the engine’s frame rate ceiling given the GPU’s capabilities. At 1440p Low, the drop to 123.4 FPS is entirely attributable to the GPU, not the CPU. The CPU’s 125 W TDP and 10 nm process node are irrelevant to gaming performance here, but its high clock speeds are clearly beneficial. The data shows that upgrading the GPU would yield far more performance in Doom than upgrading the CPU, which is already performing at a high level.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest measured average is 191.3 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this combo?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average is 43 FPS, which is below the smooth 60 FPS threshold. At 4K Low, it reaches 64.6 FPS, making it playable but not ideal.

Q: How does the RX 6600 XT compare to the GTX 980 Ti?

A: The RX 6600 XT scores 27985 in average benchmarks, while the GTX 980 Ti scores 27956, a difference of only 0.1%, indicating nearly identical performance.

Q: What is the CPU’s percentile ranking?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K ranks in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49166.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings produce 90.6 FPS, while Ultra produces 74 FPS, a difference of 16.6 FPS.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 1178 out of 1681 tested configurations, placing it in the 30th percentile.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to 1440p High settings as the optimal balance. This configuration yields 90.6 FPS, which is smooth for a fast-paced FPS, without the visual compromises of Low settings. At 1080p, High settings provide 139.5 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the 1440p High option offers a better resolution-to-performance trade-off. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 74 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for competitive play, while the Medium preset at 109.4 FPS is a reasonable alternative if more visual fidelity is desired.

At 4K, the data shows that High settings at 52 FPS are borderline, and Ultra at 43 FPS is too demanding. For 4K users, Low settings at 64.6 FPS are the only viable option for consistent gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K yields 61.2 FPS, which is similar to Low, but Low offers better performance. For most users, 1440p High is the clear recommendation, as it delivers over 90 FPS while maintaining visual quality. The 1080p Medium setting at 169 FPS is also a strong choice for those prioritizing frame rate over resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce 191.3 FPS, Medium produces 169 FPS, High produces 139.5 FPS, and Ultra produces 117.5 FPS. These numbers show a consistent scaling, with Ultra being 38% slower than Low. At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings yield 123.4 FPS, Medium yields 109.4 FPS, High yields 90.6 FPS, and Ultra yields 74 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 40%, similar to the 1080p scaling.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. Low settings produce 64.6 FPS, Medium produces 61.2 FPS, High produces 52 FPS, and Ultra produces 43 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 33%, which is narrower than at lower resolutions, indicating that the GPU is hitting a hard performance ceiling. The data shows that the step from Medium to High at 4K costs 9.2 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra costs 9 FPS, making each preset tier impactful at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT combination ranks 1178 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the 30th percentile. This ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range positioning, as the CPU is in the top 7% of all processors. The GPU’s 71st percentile ranking is the limiting factor, pulling the overall combo down. The nearest rival GPU, the GTX 980 Ti, has nearly identical average scores, meaning any combo with that card would likely perform similarly. The RTX 3070, which scores 0.9% higher, would offer a slight improvement, but the gap is minimal.

The combo rank of 1178 suggests that many other configurations outperform it, primarily those with higher-tier GPUs. However, the data shows that this pairing is well-matched for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it delivers high frame rates. The CPU’s 93rd percentile ranking means that it will not hold back future GPU upgrades, making this a solid foundation for a system that can be improved later. For Doom specifically, the combo’s performance is adequate for most players, but those seeking 4K Ultra or 1440p 120+ FPS would need to consider a stronger GPU.