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 processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and it carries 24 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 2 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU also integrates UHD Graphics 770, though the benchmark results here are driven by the discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060.

In Doom, a fast-paced FPS that relies heavily on single-thread responsiveness, the i5-14600K's high boost clock is the primary contributor to keeping frame pacing stable. The processor's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064 and multi-core score of 24491 place it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618. Compared to its nearest rivals, it sits within a tight band: the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698 (-0.2% delta), the AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470 (+0.3% delta), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287 (+0.7% delta). This indicates the i5-14600K is essentially at parity with these competitors in synthetic workloads, meaning the 14-core design is not a bottleneck in Doom at any tested setting.

The game's measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 228 FPS average, which is far beyond the 144 Hz refresh typical of gaming monitors. This suggests that the CPU's single-core strength, reflected in its Geekbench single-core score of 2491, is more than sufficient to feed the RTX 4060. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily stressed, the CPU maintains a playable 48 FPS average, indicating that the 14600K does not throttle the GPU's output. The processor's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier further confirm it is designed for sustained performance, though the data does not show thermal throttling effects in these results.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600K strong enough for Doom at high frame rates?

A: Yes. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064 and multi-core score of 24491 place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 228 FPS average, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the processor does not appear to be the limiting factor at any resolution.

Q: How does the i5-14600K compare to its nearest CPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698 (-0.2% delta), the AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470 (+0.3% delta), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287 (+0.7% delta). The differences are negligible, meaning any of these CPUs would perform similarly in Doom.

Q: What is the GPU's role in these Doom results?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, with 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth, is the primary driver of FPS changes across settings and resolutions. Its PassMark G3D score of 19545 places it in the 61st percentile of GPUs, and its nearest rivals (AMD Radeon HD 7790 at -0.2%, AMD Radeon 780M at +0.3%) show it is a mid-range card that handles Doom well at most settings.

Q: Which resolution is best for this combo in Doom?

A: At 1440p High, the combo delivers 108 FPS average, which is excellent for a balance of visual quality and speed. At 1080p Ultra, it hits 137 FPS average, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 48 FPS average. The data suggests 1440p High is the sweet spot.

Q: Does the RTX 4060 outperform its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score is 17639. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666 (-0.2% delta), the AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588 (+0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17551 (+0.5% delta). The deltas are within 0.7%, so the RTX 4060 is effectively on par with these rivals in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 2001 out of 3712 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the middle of the pack, but the measured FPS data shows it still achieves playable frame rates at most settings, with only 4K Ultra falling below 60 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Doom shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, average FPS drops significantly at every setting. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 228 at 1080p to 147 at 1440p to 80 at 4K. This represents a 35.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 45.6% drop from 1440p to 4K. At High settings, the FPS drops from 167 at 1080p to 108 at 1440p to 59 at 4K, which is a 35.3% drop followed by a 45.4% drop.

The pattern is consistent across all settings, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component as resolution climbs. The RTX 4060's 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth become increasingly strained at higher pixel counts. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 48, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The data shows that the CPU's performance is not the bottleneck, as the i5-14600K's high single-core scores can easily handle the game's logic at all resolutions.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is nearly identical across settings, with FPS dropping by roughly 35% regardless of whether the preset is Low or Ultra. This suggests the GPU's rendering workload scales linearly with pixel count, and the RTX 4060's 8 GB of VRAM does not cause a sudden cliff at 4K, as the game still runs at 59 FPS average on High. However, the step from 1440p to 4K shows a larger relative drop of about 45%, which is consistent with the GPU hitting its memory bandwidth limits.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 228 FPS, Medium improves the experience with 198 FPS average (min 168, max 228), High brings it down to 167 FPS average, and Ultra settles at 137 FPS average. These numbers show that even at Ultra, the frame rate is well above 120 FPS, making 1080p a resolution where the RTX 4060 is not stressed.

Moving to 2560x1440, the FPS drops are noticeable but still excellent. Low settings average 147 FPS, Medium averages 128 FPS (min 109, max 148), High averages 108 FPS, and Ultra averages 89 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium is 109, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. High and Ultra remain playable, with no settings falling below 89 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4060 begins to struggle. Low settings average 80 FPS, Medium averages 70 FPS (min 59, max 80), High averages 59 FPS, and Ultra averages 48 FPS. The Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 59, which is just below the 60 FPS mark, while High's average of 59 FPS is borderline. Ultra at 48 FPS average is the only setting that is not consistently playable, as it falls below the standard 60 FPS target.

The data shows a clear tiering: 1080p is overkill in terms of performance, 1440p offers the best balance of FPS and visual fidelity, and 4K is only viable at Low or Medium settings. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K the GPU's pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s become limiting factors.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2001 out of 3712 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the 54th percentile of all combos. This is a mid-pack ranking, but the measured FPS data reveals that the ranking does not tell the full story. At 1080p and 1440p, the combo delivers frame rates that are competitive with much higher-ranked systems, with 1080p Ultra hitting 137 FPS and 1440p High hitting 108 FPS.

The ranking is influenced by the fact that Doom is a well-optimized game that runs on a wide range of hardware. The RTX 4060's PassMark G3D score of 19545 places it in the 61st percentile of GPUs, while the i5-14600K's average benchmark score of 48618 places it in the 90th percentile of CPUs. This combination of a high-end CPU and a mid-range GPU results in a system that is balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but falls behind at 4K.

Compared to the nearest GPU rivals, the RTX 4060's performance is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (delta of -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon 780M (delta of +0.3%). This suggests that the GPU is not the reason for the combo's mid-pack ranking; rather, it is the combination of the CPU and GPU that determines the overall position. The i5-14600K, while powerful, does not push the combo into the top tier because the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus limit its ability to handle 4K Ultra settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo in Doom is achieved at 1440p with High settings. This preset delivers an average of 108 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a good balance of visual quality and smoothness. The Medium preset at 1440p offers 128 FPS average, which is also excellent, but the jump from Medium to High is worth the slight FPS drop for better visuals.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, 1080p Low delivers 228 FPS average, but this is unnecessary for most displays, as even 1080p Ultra hits 137 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset at 89 FPS average is still playable, but High is the better choice due to the 19 FPS improvement. At 4K, the data shows that only Low settings (80 FPS average) and Medium settings (70 FPS average) are viable, with High at 59 FPS and Ultra at 48 FPS falling below the ideal threshold.

The Medium preset at 1440p has a minimum FPS of 109, which is the highest minimum among all Medium presets across resolutions, indicating stable frame pacing. The data suggests that players with 144 Hz monitors should choose 1440p High, while those with 240 Hz monitors can opt for 1080p Ultra. For 4K displays, the Medium preset is the maximum recommended setting, as it maintains a minimum FPS of 59 and an average of 70.