Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a highly unusual performance profile in Doom, one that is defined by the GPU becoming the primary constraint at nearly every resolution. The benchmark data shows a system where the CPU’s substantial multi-core and single-core capabilities are largely left underutilized, while the Arc B390’s integrated-class performance dictates the frame rates. Across all measured settings, the combo achieves a rank of 2580 out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom twelfth percentile of all tested systems. This ranking, combined with the measured FPS data, paints a clear picture of a configuration where the processor is far more capable than the graphics solution, leading to a gaming experience that is consistently limited by the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo reveals a steep and predictable performance drop as pixel count increases, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 78 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average drops to 51 FPS, a reduction of 27 FPS or roughly 35%. The jump from 1440p to 3840x2160 is even more severe, with the average falling to 28 FPS, a further reduction of 23 FPS (about 45%) from the 1440p result. This pattern of performance halving at each major resolution step indicates that the rendering pipeline is saturated by the GPU’s throughput limits, not by any CPU bottleneck.

The data for Low settings reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 107 FPS, which drops to 69 FPS at 1440p and then to 37 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is from 107 FPS to 37 FPS, a decrease of 70 FPS or approximately 65%. This is a massive performance penalty that cannot be attributed to CPU limitations, as the i5-14600K with its 14 cores and 20 threads is far more than sufficient for a 2016 title like Doom. The fact that even at the lowest settings the frame rate collapses at 4K confirms that the Arc B390’s rendering capabilities are the sole limiting factor.

The scaling between settings at a fixed resolution further proves the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 43 FPS (107 vs 64), which shows that the GPU is sensitive to settings changes. However, the same settings change at 4K only yields a 15 FPS difference (37 vs 22), indicating that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so overwhelmed that even reducing graphical fidelity provides diminishing returns. This behavior is characteristic of a graphics processor that has reached its absolute fill-rate and shading limits, where the raw pixel count of 4K exceeds its capabilities regardless of the quality presets. The measured data shows a combo that is only comfortably playable at 1080p, becomes marginal at 1440p, and is effectively unplayable at 4K for any competitive or smooth experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a high-end desktop processor with specifications that are vastly overqualified for the task presented by Doom at these settings. It features 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The processor is built on Intel’s 10 nm process and has a 125 W TDP. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 3640 points in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 13709 in R20 multi-core, and 24491 in R23 multi-core. Its single-core scores are equally strong, with 297 in R15, 1935 in R20, and 2064 in R23. These figures place the CPU in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market.

Given these capabilities, the CPU role in this combo is minimal in determining frame rates. The game Doom is not particularly demanding on modern high-core-count processors, and the i5-14600K’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache, along with its high boost clock, provides ample headroom for game logic, physics, and draw calls. The benchmark results show that even at 1080p Low, where CPU load is typically highest relative to GPU load, the system only reaches 107 FPS. This is not a limitation of the CPU, but rather a reflection of the GPU’s maximum output. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates that are much higher at Low settings and lower resolutions, with the CPU utilization spiking.

The nearest rivals to the i5-14600K in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (which scores 48698, a delta of -0.2%), the AMD EPYC 4345P (48470, delta 0.3%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (48287, delta 0.7%), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (48995, delta -0.8%). These comparisons show that the i5-14600K is in the same performance class as these other processors, with differences of less than 1%. In the context of Doom, this means that swapping the CPU for any of these rivals would have no measurable impact on the FPS, as the bottleneck is entirely on the GPU side. The data suggests that the CPU is effectively idling or at low utilization in this game, waiting for the Arc B390 to deliver frames.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive component in this configuration, and its specifications explain the observed performance ceiling. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, with a chip codenamed Panther Lake. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, and it relies on system shared memory for its VRAM, which means its memory bandwidth is system-dependent. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its theoretical peak performance is 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 calculations and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1). The TDP is 80 W.

These specifications place the Arc B390 in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, which is exceptionally low. Its average benchmark score, based on the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, is 1482 points. Its nearest rivals in that benchmark are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463 points, delta 1.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, delta 1.5%), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, delta 2.5%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443, delta 2.7%). This ranking confirms that the Arc B390 performs at the level of decade-old entry-level discrete GPUs or modern integrated graphics, which is precisely what the Doom frame rates reflect.

The GPU’s role is to be the sole determinant of performance. At 1080p, the card can produce playable frame rates at Medium (93 FPS) and High (78 FPS), but it struggles at Ultra (64 FPS). At 1440p, the frame rates drop to 60 FPS at Medium, which is borderline, and 41 FPS at Ultra, which is not smooth. At 4K, the card is overwhelmed, with only 33 FPS at Medium and 22 FPS at Ultra. The lack of dedicated VRAM, instead using system shared memory, likely contributes to the performance collapse at higher resolutions, as the memory bandwidth becomes a severe bottleneck when trying to feed the rendering pipeline with larger textures and framebuffers. The 2500 MHz boost clock is relatively high for an IGP, but the low number of shading units (1536) and the narrow memory interface (system shared) are the fundamental limits. The data shows a GPU that can handle 1080p gaming at medium quality, but nothing more demanding.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and the user’s frame rate expectations. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 and maximum of 107. This is the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it provides a smooth experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold for most players. The High preset at 1080p averages 78 FPS, which is also playable, but the jump to Medium adds 15 FPS on average without a significant visual sacrifice in a fast-paced game like Doom. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 64 FPS, which is still technically playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 1080p yields 107 FPS, but the visual downgrade is not worth the extra 14 FPS over Medium.

At 2560x1440, the situation changes. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69. This is the only preset at 1440p that achieves a 60 FPS average, making it the recommended choice for this resolution. The High preset averages 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering. The Low preset averages 69 FPS, but again, the visual fidelity loss is considerable. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages only 41 FPS, which is not recommended for any gameplay that requires responsiveness. For 1440p, users should stick to Medium settings to maintain a consistent frame rate.

At 3840x2160, no preset provides a playable experience. The highest average FPS is 37 at Low settings, which is still below the 30 FPS minimum for a smooth presentation, and the frame pacing would likely be poor. The Medium preset at 4K averages 33 FPS, with a minimum of 28 and maximum of 37, which is inconsistent and likely to cause motion sickness or frustration. The High preset drops to 28 FPS, and Ultra falls to 22 FPS. For 4K, the data suggests that this combo is not viable, and users should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept a sub-30 FPS experience. The best overall experience is at 1080p with Medium settings, which offers the highest average FPS above 90 while maintaining a reasonable level of graphical detail.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU and GPU in Doom?*

A: The best combination is 1920x1080 resolution with Medium settings, which achieves an average of 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 and maximum of 107. This provides the highest frame rate above 90 FPS while retaining a decent level of graphical quality.

*Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K resolution?*

A: No, the data indicates that 4K is not playable. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 37 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for acceptable smoothness, and most presets fall well below that, with Ultra averaging only 22 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463, which is 1.3% lower. Other rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% lower).

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600K the bottleneck in this system?

A: No, the CPU is not the bottleneck. The i5-14600K is in the 90th percentile of all CPUs and has strong multi-core and single-core scores. The performance limits are entirely due to the Intel Arc B390, which is in the 9th percentile of GPUs and cannot keep up with the CPU’s capabilities.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 107 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 64 FPS. This is a difference of 43 FPS, or approximately a 40% decrease in performance when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among all tested combinations?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B390 combo ranks 2580 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the bottom 12% of all systems tested.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates show a clear hierarchy based on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average FPS at 107. The Medium preset follows at 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 and maximum of 107. The High preset averages 78 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 64 FPS. This represents a steady decline from Low to Ultra, with a 43 FPS spread between the lowest and highest quality settings.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 69 FPS. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69. The High preset averages 51 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 41 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 28 FPS, which is narrower than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming more stressed as the resolution increases.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 37 FPS. The Medium preset averages 33 FPS, with a minimum of 28 and maximum of 37. The High preset averages 28 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 22 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is only 15 FPS, showing that at 4K, the GPU is so limited that changing settings has little impact on the final frame rate. The data across all resolutions shows that the Arc B390’s performance degrades rapidly with resolution, and the only resolution where it can maintain a comfortable average above 60 FPS is 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2580 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom, which is a percentile rank of approximately 88% (meaning it is worse than 88% of tested combos). This low ranking is entirely attributable to the GPU. The i5-14600K is a top-tier processor, ranking in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, but the Arc B390 is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This massive disparity between CPU and GPU performance is the defining characteristic of this configuration.

In the context of Doom, this ranking means that nearly any other tested GPU, even those from several generations ago, would likely provide a better experience. The GPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 or GT 520MX, are from an era when 1080p gaming was the standard, and their performance in Doom would be similar to what the Arc B390 achieves. The combo rank of 2580 out of 2930 puts it in the bottom 350 configurations, which is a clear signal that this is not a gaming-oriented pairing. The CPU’s power is essentially wasted in this scenario, as the GPU cannot translate its capabilities into higher frame rates. The data suggests that users with this CPU should pair it with a significantly more powerful discrete GPU to unlock its potential, as the Arc B390 leaves the i5-14600K severely underutilized in every measured scenario.