Doom

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

The Intel Core i5-14600K brings a 14-core, 20-thread configuration to this 2016-era shooter, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This Raptor Lake Refresh part, built on Intel's 10 nm process, sits in the 93rd percentile against all CPUs in the database, indicating it is far above the median processor for general compute tasks.

What matters for Doom is not raw multi-threaded throughput but the ability to feed a high-end GPU at extreme frame rates. The i5-14600K's single-core performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 at 4642 points, is robust. At 1080p with Low settings, this combo produces 428.2 FPS average — a figure that suggests the CPU is doing its job without becoming the primary constraint at lower resolutions.

The CPU's multi-core headroom is substantial: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 32881, and Geekbench multi-core hits 15846. In Doom, which is not heavily threaded, this headroom means the processor is unlikely to bottleneck even when the GPU is pushed hard. The data supports this: at 4K Ultra, the combo still manages 92.3 FPS, and the frame rate scales predictably with resolution changes, implying the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

The i5-14600K's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, posts an average benchmark score of 49062, which is just 0.2% ahead of the Intel part's 49166 average. This near-parity in synthetic tests reinforces that the 14600K is a well-balanced performer. Its position at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs means it outperforms the vast majority of processors tested, leaving ample compute headroom for a game like Doom that was designed for much older hardware.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant half of this pairing, and the benchmark numbers show why. With 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, this Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU has memory resources that vastly exceed what Doom requires. The GPU's 10752 shading units and boost clock of 2617 MHz provide the raw shader throughput needed for the game's Vulkan-based rendering.

The RTX 5080 sits in the 89th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 59188. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Arc A580, which scores 57756 — a 2.5% delta — and the Intel Arc Pro A60 at 60326, which is 1.9% ahead. The fact that these rivals are mid-range or professional parts, and the RTX 5080 still holds its own, suggests the GPU is a high-tier performer.

In Doom specifically, the GPU's role becomes clear when examining the resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 428.2 FPS average, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 92.3 FPS. This 78% reduction in frame rate across the resolution and settings spectrum indicates the GPU is doing the heavy lifting. The GPU's 96.0 GB/s bandwidth figure (from the 960.0 GB/s listed) and 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 compute are more than adequate for a game from 2016, yet the 4K Ultra result shows the engine still pushes the hardware.

The RTX 5080's pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s are far beyond what Doom's id Tech 6 engine demands, but the measured results suggest the GPU is still the primary determinant of frame rate at higher resolutions. The RTX 5080's launch MSRP is $999.

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

Analyzing the measured FPS rows, the data suggests that High settings offer the most balanced experience across all three resolutions. At 1080p, High delivers 310.5 FPS average — a figure that far exceeds any display's refresh rate capabilities. Moving to 1440p, High still produces 204 FPS, which remains well above the 144 Hz threshold many gamers target. At 4K, High drops to 107.4 FPS, which is still smooth for most gameplay.

Ultra settings, while visually richer, show diminishing returns. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 257.1 FPS, which is 17% lower than High. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 166.8 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 92.3 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K is 15.1 FPS, which could be noticeable on high-refresh displays.

Low settings provide the highest frame rates — 428.2 FPS at 1080p, 274.6 FPS at 1440p, and 149.6 FPS at 4K — but these come at the cost of visual fidelity. For a game like Doom, where fast movement and reaction time matter, the data suggests that High at 1440p (204 FPS) or High at 1080p (310.5 FPS) offers the best compromise between smoothness and image quality.

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

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear progression: Low at 428.2 FPS, Medium at 368.4 FPS, High at 310.5 FPS, and Ultra at 257.1 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 171.1 FPS, representing a 40% reduction in frame rate when maxing out settings. This indicates that even at 1080p, the settings presets have a significant impact on performance.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues: Low at 274.6 FPS, Medium at 239 FPS, High at 204 FPS, and Ultra at 166.8 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each settings level is consistent — roughly 36% at Low, 35% at Medium, 34% at High, and 35% at Ultra. This uniformity suggests the scaling is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven.

At 3840x2160, the numbers are: Low at 149.6 FPS, Medium at 130.1 FPS, High at 107.4 FPS, and Ultra at 92.3 FPS. The 4K Low result is interesting — it is still above 144 FPS, meaning even at 4K, this combo can drive high-refresh displays if visual quality is sacrificed. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 57.3 FPS, a 38% reduction, which mirrors the 1080p scaling.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 56th out of 1681 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the top 3.3% of all configurations tested for this game. The ranking is notable because the CPU sits at the 93rd percentile and the GPU at the 89th percentile, yet the combo ranks higher than either component's individual percentile would suggest.

The rank of 56 out of 1681 means there are 55 combos that perform better in Doom. Given that the RTX 5080 is a high-end current-generation GPU and the i5-14600K is a strong mid-to-high-end processor, the data indicates that this pairing is well-optimized for this game. The combination's performance is likely constrained more by the GPU at higher resolutions, while at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance keeps the system from becoming CPU-bound.

The near-parity in CPU rival scores — the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X at 49062 (0.2% ahead) and the Intel Core i5-14600KF at 49367 (0.4% behind) — suggests that small CPU differences do not meaningfully affect this combo's in-game ranking. The GPU's dominance in the frame rate data is the more significant factor.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High produces 204 FPS, which is a strong balance. At 4K High, the combo still delivers 107.4 FPS, which is playable but not at high refresh rates.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5080 scores 59188 on average, which is 1.6% ahead of the Intel Arc A570M (58239) and 2.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A580 (57756). The Intel Arc Pro A60 is 1.9% ahead of the RTX 5080.

Q: Is the i5-14600K a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 428.2 FPS. Since the CPU's single-core Cinebench R23 score is 4642 and it ranks in the 93rd percentile, the data suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 4K, Low produces 149.6 FPS while Ultra produces 92.3 FPS — a difference of 57.3 FPS, representing a 38% reduction in performance.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 56th out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 3.3% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: Does the GPU's memory bandwidth matter for Doom?

A: The RTX 5080 has 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The measured FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows the GPU becoming more dominant at higher resolutions, indicating bandwidth and compute both play roles.

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

The resolution scaling data reveals a clear pattern. At High settings, the combo produces 310.5 FPS at 1080p, 204 FPS at 1440p, and 107.4 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 106.5 FPS (34% reduction), and from 1440p to 4K is 96.6 FPS (47% reduction). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at High is 203.1 FPS, a 65% reduction.

At Low settings, the scaling is similar: 428.2 FPS at 1080p, 274.6 FPS at 1440p, and 149.6 FPS at 4K. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is 153.6 FPS (36%), and from 1440p to 4K is 125 FPS (46%). At Ultra settings, the pattern holds: 257.1 FPS at 1080p, 166.8 FPS at 1440p, and 92.3 FPS at 4K.

The consistency of these percentage drops — roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p and 46% from 1440p to 4K regardless of settings — is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the percentage drop would be much smaller when moving from 1080p to 1440p, because the CPU load would not increase proportionally with pixel count. The fact that the frame rate drops nearly linearly with pixel count across all settings presets confirms that the RTX 5080's rendering throughput, not the i5-14600K's processing capability, determines the final frame rate in Doom.

The 4K Low result of 149.6 FPS is particularly telling — even with the lowest settings, the GPU still has to push four times the pixels of 1080p, and the 65% frame rate reduction at High settings mirrors the pixel count increase. This scaling behavior is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, reinforcing that this combo is well-balanced for high-refresh gaming at 1440p but becomes GPU-limited at 4K.