Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, but the data shows that 4K performance is only marginal. This combination ranks 2540th out of 3712 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower half of the pack. The benchmark results paint a clear picture of a system that excels at high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The processor includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 16673, with a single-core score of 2491. The PassMark multithread score is 38682, and the single-thread score is 4270. The processor holds a 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618.

The nearest rivals show a tight grouping around this performance level. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, which is 0.2% lower, while the AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, 0.3% higher. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, 0.8% lower. These deltas are all within one percentage point, indicating that the i5-14600K sits in a highly competitive performance band.

For Doom, the CPU's strong single-thread performance is the most relevant factor. The game's id Tech 6 engine is known for being well-optimized, but it still benefits from high per-core throughput. With a boost clock of 5.30 GHz and a single-core PassMark score of 4270, the i5-14600K provides ample headroom for the game's logic and physics calculations. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 193 FPS average, which indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this scenario. Even at 4K with Ultra settings, where the GPU is heavily stressed, the frame rate drops to 41 FPS, but this is a GPU limitation rather than a CPU one. The 20 threads also handle background tasks and streaming overhead without issue, though Doom itself rarely uses more than a few cores.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 33 chip, manufactured on a 6 nm process by TSMC. It contains 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die. The GPU has a base clock of 1720 MHz, a boost clock of 2655 MHz, and a game clock of 2250 MHz. Memory runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed across a 128-bit bus, yielding 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth and 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

The GPU features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, 64 raster operation units, and 32 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 169.9 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 339.8 GTexel/s. Compute performance is rated at 21.75 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16. The card has a 165 W TDP, requires a single 8-pin power connector, and is a dual-slot design measuring 204 mm in length. It connects via PCIe 4.0 x8 and offers 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1 outputs.

In GPU benchmarks, the RX 7600 scores 2310 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 88051 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 34401 in Geekbench Vulkan. PassMark scores include 16634 for G3D, 8790 for GPU Compute, and 172 for DirectX 11. The GPU holds a 57th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15171. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15199 (0.2% lower), the AMD Radeon Pro 560X at 15082 (0.6% higher), the AMD Radeon 680M at 15270 (0.7% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti at 15063 (0.7% higher).

For Doom, the RX 7600's 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K Ultra settings push the card to its limits. The 288.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is adequate for the game's texture streaming, but the 128-bit bus width limits high-resolution performance. The boost clock of 2655 MHz provides decent fill rate, but the card's overall compute throughput of 21.75 TFLOPS is the determining factor at higher settings. The data shows that moving from Low to Ultra at 4K costs 27 FPS (from 68 to 41), which indicates the GPU is the primary scaling component in this configuration.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured frame rates show a clear progression as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system delivers 193 FPS on Low, 168 FPS on Medium, 142 FPS on High, and 116 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, those numbers drop to 125 FPS on Low, 109 FPS on Medium, 92 FPS on High, and 75 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the results fall to 68 FPS on Low, 59 FPS on Medium, 50 FPS on High, and 41 FPS on Ultra.

The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at each setting is substantial. On Low, the frame rate falls from 193 to 68, a reduction of 64.8%. On Medium, it drops from 168 to 59, a 64.9% decrease. High settings see a decline from 142 to 50, which is 64.8% lower. Ultra settings drop from 116 to 41, a 64.7% reduction. The consistency of these percentages across all settings is notable, suggesting that resolution scaling follows a predictable pattern regardless of quality preset.

This uniform scaling indicates that the GPU is the limiting component across the entire resolution range. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat when lowering resolution, but the data shows a steep decline. The RX 7600's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are the key constraints at 4K, where the larger frame buffer and higher bandwidth demands exceed what the card can efficiently deliver. At 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to push high frame rates, but the 4K results show that this combo is best suited for lower resolutions.

The 1440p results offer a middle ground, with 75 FPS on Ultra being playable but not ideal for competitive play. The 1080p results are the standout, with even Ultra settings exceeding 100 FPS. The data suggests that users targeting 4K should consider a more powerful GPU, while those sticking to 1080p or 1440p will find this combination well-matched.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1080p is the strongest resolution, with all settings exceeding 100 FPS average. The lowest average at 1080p is 116 FPS on Ultra, while the highest is 193 FPS on Low. At 1440p, Ultra dips to 75 FPS, which is still playable but less comfortable for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does the RX 7600 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 7600 has an average benchmark score of 15171, sitting 0.2% below the RTX 3050 OEM (15199), 0.6% above the Radeon Pro 560X (15082), 0.7% below the Radeon 680M (15270), and 0.7% above the GTX 660 Ti (15063). These are all within one percentage point of each other.

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K on Low settings, the average FPS is 68, which is playable. Medium delivers 59 FPS, High drops to 50 FPS, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, Low settings are required at 4K.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile and how does it affect gaming?

A: The i5-14600K ranks in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618. Its high single-thread performance, evidenced by a 2064 Cinebench R23 single-core score, ensures the CPU is not a bottleneck in Doom, as shown by the 193 FPS result at 1080p Low.

Q: What is the GPU's VRAM capacity and does it matter for Doom?

A: The RX 7600 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. For Doom, this is sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra result of 41 FPS suggests the memory capacity and bandwidth (288.0 GB/s) become limiting factors at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the combo rank overall for this game?

A: This combination ranks 2540th out of 3712 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the lower 31.6% of all tested systems. This rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning rather than the CPU's high percentile ranking.

Settings Recommendations

The data indicates that the best experience for this combo depends on the target resolution. At 1080p, Ultra settings deliver 116 FPS average, which is smooth for most displays and offers the best visual quality. The jump from High (142 FPS) to Ultra (116 FPS) costs 26 FPS, but the visual improvement is generally worth it for a single-player FPS. For competitive play, Medium at 168 FPS or Low at 193 FPS provide higher refresh rates, but the visual downgrade is noticeable.

At 1440p, Ultra yields 75 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay but may feel less responsive in fast action. High settings at 92 FPS strike a better balance, offering a 22.7% improvement over Ultra while maintaining most visual fidelity. Medium at 109 FPS is the safest choice for consistent 100+ FPS performance, while Low at 125 FPS is reserved for maximum responsiveness.

At 4K, the options are more constrained. Low settings at 68 FPS is the only preset that consistently exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for playable frame rates. Medium at 59 FPS is borderline, and High (50 FPS) and Ultra (41 FPS) fall below comfortable thresholds. Users who prioritize 4K should stick to Low or Medium, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p with High settings for a better overall experience.

The most balanced recommendation across all resolutions is High settings at 1440p, which delivers 92 FPS average. This provides a good mix of visual quality and performance, with the frame rate staying well above the 60 FPS threshold. For users with 1080p displays, Ultra is the clear winner at 116 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 193 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium settings yield 168 FPS average, with a minimum of 143 FPS and a maximum of 193 FPS. High settings deliver 142 FPS average, again without min/max data. Ultra settings drop to 116 FPS average. The spread between Low and Ultra is 77 FPS, representing a 39.9% reduction in performance when maximizing visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the results show a clear step down. Low settings average 125 FPS, Medium averages 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 125 FPS, High averages 92 FPS, and Ultra drops to 75 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 50 FPS, a 40.0% reduction. The Medium preset's min/max range of 92-125 FPS indicates some frame time variance, but the average remains solid.

At 3840x2160, the performance falls significantly. Low settings average 68 FPS, Medium averages 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS and maximum of 68 FPS, High averages 50 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 27 FPS, a 39.7% reduction, which is consistent with the scaling seen at other resolutions. The Medium preset's min/max of 50-68 FPS shows that frame rates can dip below 60 FPS even on this setting.

The data reveals that the RX 7600 handles 1080p and 1440p admirably, with all settings at 1440p and below exceeding 60 FPS. The 4K results are the only area where the GPU shows significant strain, with only the Low preset maintaining an average above 60 FPS. The consistent 40% performance drop from Low to Ultra across all resolutions suggests that the GPU's scaling behavior is predictable, making it easier to choose an appropriate setting for a target frame rate.