Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 lands at rank 1686 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. That places this setup in the middle of the pack, which is a surprising result given the CPU’s strong synthetic standing. The i5-14600K sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, but the GPU’s 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs is the limiting factor here. In a game like Doom, which scales heavily with graphics hardware at higher settings, this combo’s overall position reflects the GPU’s mid-range status rather than the CPU’s high-end compute potential. The data indicates a balanced pairing where the processor is never the bottleneck, but the graphics card holds the system back from top-tier frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1686 out of 2930 tested combinations puts it squarely in the upper-middle tier of the database. It is not a top performer, but it is far from the bottom. The CPU’s synthetic benchmark average of 48618 places it just 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4345P, showing that the i5-14600K is competitive with much more expensive server-class parts in raw compute. However, in Doom specifically, the GPU dominates the outcome. The RX 9060’s average benchmark score of 16014 is only 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 370X, which tells you the graphics card is performing at a level comparable to previous-generation mid-range offerings.

Because the GPU sits at the 59th percentile while the CPU is at the 90th, the overall combo rank is dragged down by the graphics card. The data shows that if this CPU were paired with a stronger GPU, the system would likely rank much higher. As it stands, the 1686th position out of 2930 means roughly 42% of tested combos outperform this one in Doom. That is not a bad result, but it is not a headline-grabbing one either. For a game like Doom, which was designed to run on a wide range of hardware, this combo delivers a solid, playable experience without pushing into enthusiast territory.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the Navi 44 chip with RDNA 4.0 architecture and a 4 nm process from TSMC. It packs 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Clock speeds are a mixed bag: the base clock runs at 1700 MHz, the game clock at 2400 MHz, and the boost clock reaches up to 2990 MHz. The memory operates at 2250 MHz, which translates to 18 Gbps effective. These specs put the card in a strange position — it has a high boost clock but a relatively narrow memory bus and modest VRAM capacity.

In Doom, the GPU’s role is critical at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that the card can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease, but it struggles at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a contributing factor at 3840x2160, where texture-heavy scenes can exceed what the memory buffer holds. The card’s 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms it is a mid-range part, not a high-end one. The nearest rivals — the RTX 3060 Ti, R9 370X, RX 7700, and Pro W5500 — all have similar average scores, meaning the RX 9060 is trading blows with cards from several generations. The 1% delta against the R9 370X is particularly telling; that card is much older, yet the RX 9060 only edges it out by a small margin in synthetic tests.

The pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s are respectable for the class, but they do not translate to top-tier 4K performance. The GPU’s FP32 throughput of 21.43 TFLOPS is decent, yet the measured FPS at 4K Ultra is only 45, which is the weakest result in the dataset. This suggests that the card’s compute power is not the limiting factor; rather, memory bandwidth and capacity are what hold it back at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings to use for the best experience. At 1080p, all settings are playable, but the difference between presets is significant. Low settings hit 211 FPS, Medium hits 184 FPS, High hits 155 FPS, and Ultra drops to 127 FPS. For a fast-paced FPS like Doom, the jump from Low to Medium costs 27 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs another 29 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra costs 28 FPS. If you have a 144 Hz monitor, High at 155 FPS is the sweet spot — it stays above the refresh rate while offering better visual fidelity than Medium. Ultra at 127 FPS is still smooth, but it dips below 144 Hz, which may cause visible tearing on high-refresh displays.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. High settings deliver 101 FPS, which is above 100 FPS and suitable for most gamers. Medium hits 119 FPS, and Low reaches 137 FPS. Ultra drops to 82 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably less smooth. For 1440p, Medium is the best balance — it delivers 119 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS and approaches the 120 Hz threshold. High at 101 FPS is also viable if you prefer better graphics over a small FPS gain. Ultra at 82 FPS is not recommended for competitive play, but it works for casual sessions.

At 4K, the picture changes dramatically. Low settings hit 74 FPS, Medium hits 65 FPS, High hits 54 FPS, and Ultra falls to 45 FPS. Only Low settings maintain a frame rate above 60 FPS. Medium at 65 FPS is borderline — it is playable but not ideal for a twitch shooter. High and Ultra are not recommended for any serious gaming at 4K. The best experience at this resolution is Low settings, which keeps the game responsive while sacrificing visual quality. If you have a 60 Hz 4K monitor, Medium at 65 FPS is the maximum you should consider.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset includes 12 measured FPS values across three resolutions and four settings presets. Starting at 1920x1080, the results show a clear progression: Low at 211 FPS, Medium at 184 FPS (with a min of 156 and max of 212), High at 155 FPS, and Ultra at 127 FPS. The min and max values for Medium indicate a tight range, suggesting consistent performance without major frame drops. The 1080p results show that this combo is more than capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors, with even Ultra settings staying above 120 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the FPS drops are noticeable but not severe. Low settings hit 137 FPS, Medium hits 119 FPS (with a min of 101 and max of 137), High hits 101 FPS, and Ultra drops to 82 FPS. The Medium preset’s min of 101 FPS is important — it means the card never dips below 100 FPS at 1440p Medium, which is excellent for smooth gameplay. High at 101 FPS is right at that threshold, so any complex scene could push it lower. Ultra at 82 FPS is playable but not ideal for competitive play.

At 3840x2160, the results are much weaker. Low settings hit 74 FPS, Medium hits 65 FPS (with a min of 55 and max of 74), High hits 54 FPS, and Ultra drops to 45 FPS. The Medium preset’s min of 55 FPS shows that the card can dip below 60 FPS in demanding scenes, which is noticeable on a 60 Hz display. High and Ultra are not viable for smooth gameplay, as they fall below 60 FPS on average. The 4K results clearly show that this GPU is not designed for ultra-high-resolution gaming, even with a capable CPU like the i5-14600K.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a lot about which component is the bottleneck. At Low settings, the card delivers 211 FPS at 1080p, 137 FPS at 1440p, and 74 FPS at 4K. That is a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 46% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the progression is 184 FPS at 1080p, 119 FPS at 1440p, and 65 FPS at 4K — drops of 35% and 45%, respectively. At High settings, the numbers are 155 FPS, 101 FPS, and 54 FPS, which represent drops of 35% and 47%. At Ultra, the trend continues: 127 FPS at 1080p, 82 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K, with drops of 35% and 45%.

The consistent ~35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~45% drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting factor. This pattern is typical of a graphics-bound scenario, where increasing resolution places more demand on the render output units and memory bandwidth. The CPU’s performance does not change with resolution, so if the i5-14600K were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain flat across resolutions. Instead, the FPS scales inversely with pixel count, confirming that the RX 9060’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are the constraints.

The data also shows that the scaling is not linear. Going from 1080p to 4K is a 4x increase in pixel count, but the FPS drops by roughly 65-70% depending on settings. This suggests that the card is not purely fill-rate limited; memory bandwidth and cache efficiency play a role. At 4K, the 288.0 GB/s bandwidth becomes a bottleneck, especially with 8 GB of VRAM that may struggle to hold all necessary textures. The result is that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where the GPU can stretch its legs, rather than 4K, where it is clearly out of its depth.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo good for 1080p gaming?

A: Yes. The measured FPS at 1920x1080 ranges from 127 FPS on Ultra to 211 FPS on Low. Even the most demanding preset stays above 120 FPS, making this combo excellent for high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Barely. At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve an average FPS above 60 (74 FPS). Medium hits 65 FPS, High drops to 54 FPS, and Ultra falls to 45 FPS. For a smooth 4K experience, you would need to stick to Low settings or lower the resolution.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 9060’s average benchmark score is 16014, which is 0.7% behind the RTX 3060 Ti’s 16129. In practical terms, the two cards are nearly identical in synthetic performance, but the RX 9060 has less VRAM (8 GB vs. the RTX 3060 Ti’s typical 8 GB) and a narrower memory bus.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: Medium is the best choice at 2560x1440, delivering 119 FPS on average with a minimum of 101 FPS. High also works at 101 FPS, but it is closer to the 100 FPS threshold, so Medium provides a safer margin for consistent smoothness.

Q: Is the CPU holding the GPU back in this game?

A: No. The i5-14600K ranks at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, and the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K follows a consistent pattern that indicates GPU limitation. The CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution tested.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra is 127 FPS. This is above 120 FPS, which is suitable for most gaming monitors, though it is the lowest result among 1080p presets.