Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX delivers exceptional performance in Doom, placing in the top 14% of all tested combinations (rank 500 out of 3,712). This pairing sustains extremely high frame rates across all resolutions, with the data indicating that the RX 7900 XTX is the primary driver of performance, given that the 14-core i5-14600K provides ample headroom for this 2016 title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo achieves in Doom?*

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 366, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The combo also reaches 319 FPS at Medium settings and 269 FPS at High settings at the same resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: This specific configuration ranks 500 out of 3,712 total tested combos in Doom, which places it in the 86.5th percentile of all hardware pairings in the database.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 128 on Low settings to 77 on Ultra settings. This represents a 51 FPS reduction, or approximately 40% lower performance when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions?

A: The data suggests the i5-14600K is not a limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 366 FPS average, and the scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows only a 35% drop in the Low preset, indicating the GPU remains the primary performance driver even at lower resolutions.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures for the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum FPS data. At 4K, the minimum is 95 FPS; at 1440p, it is 176 FPS; and at 1080p, it is 271 FPS. These figures show consistent frame delivery without severe stuttering.

Q: How does this GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 7900 XTX has an average benchmark score of 19,410, which places it 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB and 1.2% ahead of the NVIDIA TITAN Xp, while trailing the AMD FirePro D300 by 1.2%.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the dominant component in this pairing for Doom. Its 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus provides 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the game's texture streaming demands at any resolution. The GPU's boost clock of 2498 MHz and game clock of 2365 MHz allow it to maintain high utilization, as evidenced by the measured FPS figures.

The data shows this is a GPU-bound scenario. At 4K, the GPU's raw compute power, rated at 61.39 TFLOPS FP32, drives the game to a 94 FPS average on High settings. The 192 ROPs and 384 TMUs handle pixel and texture throughput efficiently, which is critical for a fast-paced FPS like Doom. The card's 96 ray accelerators are not directly relevant here, as Doom does not utilize ray tracing, but the underlying RDNA 3.0 architecture still delivers substantial rasterization performance.

Crucially, the GPU's performance percentile of 64 amongst all GPUs is somewhat misleading in this context. The nearest rivals by average score include the GTX 1060 3 GB and TITAN Xp, but in Doom's specific workload, the RX 7900 XTX's modern architecture and massive memory bandwidth produce frame rates that are multiples of what those older cards could achieve. The 355 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate this is a high-power part, but the benchmark results justify the power draw with sustained triple-digit frame rates at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

This configuration's rank of 500 out of 3,712 tested combos places it in a strong position, outperforming the vast majority of systems tested in this database. This ranking is not surprising given that the RX 7900 XTX is a flagship-tier GPU from 2022, and the i5-14600K is a high-end desktop processor from 2023. The combination of a modern high-core-count CPU and a top-tier GPU ensures that neither component becomes a bottleneck in this title.

Relative to the CPU's synthetic benchmark standing, the in-game rank is even more impressive. The i5-14600K sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48,618. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and AMD EPYC 4345P, which are server-class parts. In Doom, the gaming-focused i5-14600K with its high single-thread performance (2,064 in Cinebench R23 single-core) proves to be an ideal match for the RX 7900 XTX, allowing the GPU to operate without any CPU-induced frame pacing issues.

The rank also benefits from the game's age and optimization. Doom was released in 2016 and runs on the id Tech 6 engine, which scales well with high-end hardware. The measured data shows the combo is not leaving performance on the table; at 1080p Low, the system pushes 366 FPS, which is near the practical limit for most high-refresh-rate monitors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset produces an average of 366 FPS, while Medium averages 319 FPS (with a minimum of 271 FPS and maximum of 367 FPS). High settings yield 269 FPS average, and Ultra still maintains a very high 220 FPS average. Even at the most demanding 1080p preset, the frame rate is more than double what most 144Hz monitors can display.

At 2560x1440, performance remains outstanding. The Low preset averages 237 FPS, matching the maximum FPS of the Medium preset at this resolution. Medium averages 206 FPS (minimum 176, maximum 237), High averages 174 FPS, and Ultra drops to 143 FPS average. The 143 FPS at Ultra is still smooth for competitive play and exceeds the refresh rate of many high-end 1440p gaming monitors.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits but remains highly playable. Low settings average 128 FPS, Medium averages 112 FPS (minimum 95, maximum 129), High averages 94 FPS, and Ultra averages 77 FPS. The 77 FPS at 4K Ultra is above the 60 FPS threshold for console-like smoothness, though players targeting 120 FPS+ at 4K would need to use the High or Medium presets. The 4K Medium preset, with its 95 FPS minimum, provides a smooth experience without dipping below 90 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound pattern. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 366 at 1080p to 237 at 1440p (a 35% reduction), and then to 128 at 4K (a 65% reduction from 1080p). This steep decline indicates that the RX 7900 XTX's rendering workload is increasing substantially with pixel count, as expected.

The scaling is more pronounced at higher settings. At Ultra, the drop is from 220 FPS at 1080p to 143 FPS at 1440p (a 35% reduction), and then to 77 FPS at 4K (a 65% reduction from 1080p). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, rather than the CPU or any other system component.

The i5-14600K's role in this scaling is minimal. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rate plateaus at lower resolutions. Instead, the data shows a smooth, proportional decrease in FPS as resolution increases, which is the signature of a GPU-limited scenario. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU's single-thread performance would be most stressed, the combo still delivers 366 FPS, indicating significant headroom remains in the processor.

Settings Recommendations

For players with a 1080p high-refresh-rate monitor (240Hz or above), the Ultra preset at 220 FPS average is the optimal choice. It provides the best visual quality while still exceeding the refresh rate of most gaming displays. For 144Hz monitors, even the High preset at 269 FPS provides a 2x safety margin over the display's maximum refresh.

At 1440p, the High preset offers the best balance, delivering 174 FPS average. This is well above the 144Hz standard and provides excellent visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 143 FPS is also viable for 144Hz displays, but the High preset provides a more comfortable buffer against frame time spikes. Players with 165Hz or 240Hz monitors should consider the Medium preset, which averages 206 FPS.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the recommended choice based on the measured data. It produces an average of 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS, ensuring consistent smoothness on 120Hz displays. The High preset at 94 FPS is acceptable for 60Hz displays but may show occasional dips below 90 FPS. The Ultra preset at 77 FPS is playable but does not provide the headroom needed for the fast-paced action of Doom, where frame rate consistency is critical for responsive aiming.

The Low presets are generally unnecessary for this hardware combination, as even the Ultra preset at 4K maintains playable frame rates. The only scenario where Low settings might be warranted is extreme competitive play at 1080p on 360Hz monitors, where the 366 FPS average could provide a marginal advantage.