Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB presents a fascinating study in system bottlenecking within the 2016 classic, Doom. The benchmark data reveals a configuration where the CPU's substantial processing power is frequently held back by the GPU's modest memory capacity and bandwidth, particularly as resolution increases. This analysis explores the measured FPS data to understand where the limits lie and what the numbers imply for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which strongly indicates that the system is heavily GPU-limited in this title. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system produces an average of 100 FPS, but this drops to 65 FPS at 2560x1440, a 35% decrease. The trend continues to 3840x2160, where the average falls to 35 FPS, representing a further 46% reduction from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of pixel-pushing capability and memory bandwidth.

The data suggests that the limiting component at higher resolutions is not the processor. The i5-14600K, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, is more than capable of feeding frames at these rates. Instead, the RTX 3050 4 GB, with its 128-bit memory bus and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth, becomes the primary constraint. The jump from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution also shows a consistent performance penalty, but the magnitude of the penalty grows with resolution, further confirming the GPU's role as the bottleneck.

At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the GPU can still keep up with the CPU's demand, but the 4 GB VRAM capacity may start to cause issues with texture streaming at Ultra settings. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 54 FPS (136 vs 82), which is a significant gap but still leaves the system playable. However, at 4K, the gap narrows to just 19 FPS (48 vs 29), indicating that the GPU is so saturated that even lowering the settings cannot fully compensate for the raw pixel count.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's overall rank in this game is 3255 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems. This ranking is surprisingly low given the CPU's strength, but it makes sense when considering the GPU's limitations. The percentile for the GPU alone is 50, meaning it sits exactly in the middle of all tested GPUs, but the combination with this powerful CPU does not boost its standing in Doom's performance hierarchy.

This rank suggests that while the RTX 3050 4 GB is a mid-range card, its performance in this specific game is not competitive with many other pairings. The data implies that the CPU is not the limiting factor in the rank, as the i5-14600K sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, and this specific pairing does not unlock any hidden potential. The rank is a reflection of the GPU's raw capability in this title, and the CPU's contribution is largely irrelevant to the final score.

The implication is that users with this combo will experience performance that is more aligned with the GPU's tier than the CPU's. The rank also suggests that many other, potentially less expensive, CPU and GPU combinations could achieve similar or better results in this game, making this pairing less optimal for Doom specifically.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is built on the Ampere architecture with 2048 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. Its base clock is 1545 MHz with a boost clock of 1740 MHz. The memory configuration is a critical point: 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus provides 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The FP32 performance is rated at 7.127 TFLOPS. These specifications place the card at the 50th percentile of all GPUs, indicating a true mid-range performer.

In Doom, the GPU's 4 GB memory capacity is likely a constraining factor at higher resolutions and settings. The game's texture sizes can exceed this capacity, forcing the system to use slower memory swap operations. The measured data supports this, as the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings is not proportional to the visual quality increase. The 192.0 GB/s bandwidth is also relatively narrow, which limits the fill rate at high resolutions. The pixel rate of 55.68 GPixel/s and texture rate of 111.4 GTexel/s are adequate for 1080p but are stretched thin at 4K.

The GPU's 90 W TDP and dual-slot design are modest, but the data shows that its performance ceiling is hit well before the CPU's potential is reached. The boost clock of 1740 MHz is not particularly high, and the card does not have the raw compute power to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The benchmarks indicate that this GPU is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can provide playable frame rates at High settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings average 136 FPS, Medium averages 118 FPS with a minimum of 100 and maximum of 136, High averages 100 FPS, and Ultra averages 82 FPS. These numbers show a smooth scaling curve, with each settings tier costing roughly 15-20% performance. The minimum FPS at Medium (100) is equal to the average FPS at High, indicating that the frame pacing is consistent.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop significantly: Low produces 88 FPS, Medium 77 FPS (min 65, max 88), High 65 FPS, and Ultra 53 FPS. The scaling pattern here is similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are much lower. The gap between Low and Ultra is 35 FPS, which is a larger absolute difference than at 1080p. This suggests that the GPU is working harder, and the settings have a more pronounced effect on the frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal for smooth gameplay. Low settings yield an average of 48 FPS, Medium 41 FPS (min 35, max 48), High 35 FPS, and Ultra 29 FPS. The data shows that even at Low settings, the system cannot maintain a solid 60 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium (35) is below the average FPS at High (35), indicating that the frame rate is becoming unstable. The Ultra preset at 4K produces an average of 29 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 100 FPS average provides an excellent balance of visual quality and smoothness. The Ultra preset at 82 FPS is also playable and offers higher visual fidelity, but the 18 FPS drop may not be worth the marginal visual improvement. For competitive play, the Low preset at 136 FPS offers the highest frame rate, but the visual quality is significantly reduced.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 65 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 77 FPS is even better for those who prioritize frame rate over visual detail. The Ultra preset at 53 FPS is borderline, and the Low preset at 88 FPS is the best option for high-refresh-rate monitors. The data suggests that Medium settings at 1440p provide the best balance of performance and image quality.

For 3840x2160, the data is less encouraging. The Low preset at 48 FPS is the only setting that approaches playability, but it still falls short of 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 41 FPS is a viable option if the user can tolerate a lower frame rate. The High and Ultra presets, at 35 and 29 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience. The data indicates that 4K gaming is not a realistic option for this combo, and users should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

CPU Role

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 has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064. The CPU sits in the 90th percentile of all processors.

In Doom, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (136 FPS) is well within the CPU's capability to produce, as the processor's multithreaded performance is far beyond what this game requires. The Passmark multithread score of 38682 and physics score of 2473 indicate that the CPU is not a bottleneck at these frame rates. Even at the highest frame rate measured (136 FPS), the CPU is likely operating at a fraction of its capacity.

The data implies that the i5-14600K is significantly overqualified for this pairing in Doom. The CPU's 24 MB of L3 cache and high boost clock of 5.30 GHz are more than sufficient for the game's logic and draw calls. The bottleneck is entirely on the GPU side, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling with resolution. The CPU's performance in this game is effectively masked by the GPU's limitations, and any upgrade to the GPU would yield substantial performance gains without needing to change the processor.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 100 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 3255 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom tier of performance.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3050 4 GB has a memory bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s, provided by a 128-bit bus and GDDR6 memory.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 3840x2160, as the average FPS drops to 35 at High settings, while the CPU is far from its performance limits.

Q: What is the maximum FPS recorded in the data?

A: The maximum average FPS recorded is 136 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: What is the CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K scores 24491 in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test.