Doom

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

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread desktop processor built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture, fabricated on a 10 nm process. It runs at a 3.50 GHz base clock and boosts to 5.30 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU's benchmark profile shows strong multi-threaded capability: it scores 24,491 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,064 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 16,673 and single-core of 2,491. Its PassMark multithread score is 38,682, while single-thread performance sits at 4,270.

In the context of Doom, the measured FPS data indicates this CPU is far from being the bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 164 FPS average, which is the highest measured value across all settings. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily stressed, the CPU's single-thread performance ensures frame pacing remains stable. The 5.30 GHz boost clock is particularly relevant for a game like Doom, which relies on high IPC and fast core response rather than massive thread counts. The CPU's Cinebench R15 single-core score of 297 and PassMark single-thread score of 4,270 corroborate its ability to feed frames quickly.

The i5-14600K sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs in the benchmark database, with an average benchmark score of 48,618. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (average score 48,698, delta -0.2%), the AMD EPYC 4345P (average score 48,470, delta +0.3%), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (average score 48,287, delta +0.7%). These deltas are all within 1% of each other, indicating that the i5-14600K's computational throughput is essentially on par with those server and mobile-class parts, though those chips are not designed for gaming workloads in the same manner.

For Doom specifically, the 14-core configuration means the CPU can handle background tasks and the game's engine threads simultaneously without contention. The 20 threads provide headroom for the game's audio, physics, and AI subsystems, but the measured FPS deltas between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution are driven primarily by GPU load, not CPU limits. At 1080p, the spread from Low (164 FPS) to Ultra (99 FPS) is 65 FPS, which is a GPU-side effect; the CPU's single-core performance is sufficient to exceed 160 FPS even at the lowest settings, where GPU load is lightest.

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

The Intel Arc B570 is a Battlemage-generation GPU (Arc 5 series) built on TSMC's 5 nm process with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. It has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU runs at a fixed 2500 MHz base and boost clock, with memory clocked at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). It features 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, 80 ROPs, and 18 ray tracing cores. Its compute throughput is 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 and 23.04 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio). The pixel rate is 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate is 360.0 GTexel/s.

The GPU's benchmark profile shows a PassMark G3D score of 14,195 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 96,844. It sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20,556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (average score 20,534, delta +0.1%), the Intel Arc A750 (average score 20,582, delta -0.1%), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (average score 20,662, delta -0.5%). These deltas are negligible, placing the B570 in the same performance tier as those parts.

In Doom, the GPU's 10 GB VRAM is ample for the game's texture requirements at all tested settings. The measured FPS shows a clear pattern: at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the combo only manages 35 FPS average, while at 4K Low it reaches 57 FPS. This 22 FPS gap between Ultra and Low at 4K indicates that the GPU's shading and memory bandwidth are stretched at higher settings. The 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K Ultra, the 80 ROPs and 11.52 TFLOPS compute throughput struggle to maintain fluid frame rates.

The B570's 2500 MHz boost clock is moderate, but its architecture's efficiency at lower resolutions is evident. At 1080p Medium, it achieves 143 FPS average, and at 1440p Medium, 92 FPS. The GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution: the measured data shows a consistent drop when moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K. The 160-bit memory bus, while narrower than some rivals, is paired with GDDR6 to provide enough bandwidth for Doom's engine, which is not particularly memory-hungry compared to modern titles.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy across four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at three resolutions. For the best balance of visual quality and playability, the Medium preset stands out as the optimal choice.

At 1080p, Medium delivers 143 FPS average, with a minimum of 121 FPS and a maximum of 164 FPS. This is only 21 FPS below the Low preset (164 FPS) but offers significantly better visual fidelity. High at 1080p drops to 121 FPS average, which is still smooth, but the 22 FPS penalty from Medium to High is less justifiable when the visual difference between Medium and High in Doom is modest. Ultra at 1080p falls to 99 FPS, which is playable but sacrifices the headroom needed for demanding scenes.

At 1440p, Medium again provides the best compromise: 92 FPS average, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves room for frame drops. High at 1440p drops to 78 FPS, and Ultra falls to 64 FPS, which is borderline for fast-paced FPS gameplay. Low at 1440p hits 106 FPS but at a visual quality that undermines the purpose of a higher resolution.

At 4K, the situation changes. Medium gives 50 FPS average (minimum 43, maximum 58), which is below the ideal 60 FPS target but playable with adaptive sync. High at 4K drops to 42 FPS, and Ultra to 35 FPS, both of which are too low for competitive play. Low at 4K reaches 57 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that approaches acceptable smoothness, but it does so by sacrificing all but the most basic visual effects.

The data suggests that for 1080p and 1440p gaming, the Medium preset offers the best experience: it stays above 90 FPS at both resolutions, with minimums that never dip below 79 FPS. For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option for maintaining near-60 FPS, but the visual trade-off is severe. Given that Doom is a fast-paced FPS, frame rate consistency is paramount, and Medium provides the best combination of fluidity and visual detail.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2,332 out of 2,930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the lower-mid tier of all recorded configurations, with roughly 80% of tested combos outperforming it. The rank reflects the GPU's limitations more than the CPU's capabilities, as the i5-14600K is a top-10% processor while the B570 sits at the 65th percentile among GPUs.

This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 143 FPS, which is respectable but not exceptional for a game released in 2016. Many other combos in the database likely exceed 200 FPS at this resolution, given the game's age and engine efficiency. The combo's rank is dragged down by its 4K performance: at 4K Ultra, it only manages 35 FPS, which is below the playable threshold and significantly worse than what higher-tier GPUs would deliver.

The ranking also reflects the GPU's market position. The B570's average benchmark score of 20,556 places it near the RTX 3070 Mobile and Arc A750, both of which are mid-range parts. In Doom, the 10 GB VRAM and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate, but the 11.52 TFLOPS compute throughput is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The combo's rank would likely improve if the game were played exclusively at 1080p, where the CPU's strength could shine, but the aggregate ranking weights all resolutions equally.

Notably, the combo rank is measured data, not an estimate. The database contains 2,930 combos, and this specific pairing is in the bottom 20%. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking and the GPU's 65th percentile ranking create a mismatch that results in a lower overall rank than the CPU alone might suggest. For users prioritizing CPU-heavy workloads, this is a strong pairing, but for Doom specifically, the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher settings.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 1080p Medium delivers 143 FPS average, while 1440p Medium drops to 92 FPS. For the highest frame rates, 1080p Low reaches 164 FPS, but the best balance of visuals and performance is 1080p Medium.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K in Doom?

A: At 4K, the best preset is Low with 57 FPS average. Medium drops to 50 FPS, High to 42 FPS, and Ultra to 35 FPS. Only Low approaches the 60 FPS target, and even then, it barely does so.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48,618, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48,698) and 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 4345P (48,470). The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX is 0.7% lower.

Q: Is the GPU's VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The B570 has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory. Given that Doom's highest preset at 4K still only uses enough VRAM to remain within this limit, the measured FPS drops are due to compute throughput, not memory capacity.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low averages 106 FPS and Ultra averages 64 FPS, a difference of 42 FPS. Medium (92 FPS) and High (78 FPS) fill the gap proportionally.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any settings?

A: No. The CPU's single-core performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,064) is sufficient to push the GPU to its limits. The measured FPS drops from Low to Ultra at the same resolution are consistent with GPU-side scaling, not CPU limitations.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 164 FPS average
• Medium: 143 FPS average, minimum 121 FPS, maximum 164 FPS
• High: 121 FPS average
• Ultra: 99 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 106 FPS average
• Medium: 92 FPS average, minimum 79 FPS, maximum 106 FPS
• High: 78 FPS average
• Ultra: 64 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 57 FPS average
• Medium: 50 FPS average, minimum 43 FPS, maximum 58 FPS
• High: 42 FPS average
• Ultra: 35 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows in absolute terms but widens in percentage terms. At 1080p, the spread from Low to Ultra is 65 FPS (164 to 99). At 1440p, the spread is 42 FPS (106 to 64). At 4K, the spread is only 22 FPS (57 to 35). This narrowing indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so saturated that even the lowest settings cannot fully relieve the bottleneck.

The Medium preset values include minimum FPS data, which is useful for understanding frame consistency. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 121 FPS, which is only 22 FPS below the average. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 79 FPS, 13 FPS below the average. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 43 FPS, 7 FPS below the average. The minimum FPS drops proportionally less at higher resolutions, suggesting that the GPU's frame pacing is more consistent when it is heavily loaded, albeit at lower overall rates.

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

The resolution scaling behavior reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings, the FPS drops from 143 to 92, a 35.7% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Medium, the FPS drops from 92 to 50, a 45.7% reduction. From 1080p to 4K at Medium, the total drop is from 143 to 50, a 65.0% reduction. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component.

The pixel count increases by 77.8% from 1080p to 1440p (2.07 million to 3.69 million pixels), but the FPS drops by only 35.7%. From 1440p to 4K, the pixel count increases by 125% (3.69 million to 8.29 million), yet the FPS drops by 45.7%. The non-linear relationship between pixel count and FPS suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading throughput are not scaling linearly with resolution, but the overall trend is unmistakable: the GPU is the bottleneck.

At Low settings, the scaling is slightly less severe. From 1080p Low (164 FPS) to 1440p Low (106 FPS), the drop is 35.4%. From 1440p Low to 4K Low (57 FPS), the drop is 46.2%. This is nearly identical to the Medium preset's scaling, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and bandwidth limits are the dominant factors regardless of settings.

The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change with resolution. Instead, the FPS drops by roughly 65% from 1080p to 4K, which is consistent with a GPU that is being overwhelmed by pixel throughput. The i5-14600K's 5.30 GHz boost clock and 24 MB L3 cache provide ample headroom to maintain frame pacing even when the GPU is at 100% utilization.

The 4K Low result of 57 FPS is particularly telling. Even at the lowest settings, the GPU cannot reach 60 FPS at 4K, which means the B570's 11.52 TFLOPS compute throughput is simply insufficient for 4K gaming in this title. The 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is also a limiting factor, as 4K textures and shading require more memory traffic than the 160-bit bus can deliver efficiently. For users with 4K displays, this combo is not recommended for Doom at high refresh rates; the data suggests 1440p Medium (92 FPS) is the practical ceiling for this configuration.