Doom

# Doom with Intel Core i5-14600KF + Intel Arc B370

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a constrained gaming experience in Doom, with measured frame rates that place this combination near the bottom of the database. Across all resolutions and settings tested, the combo delivers an average FPS range from a low of 20 frames per second at 4K Ultra to a high of 96 frames per second at 1080p Low. The data indicates a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU's strong multi-core and single-core benchmark scores are not reflected in the game's performance output.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, revealing a workload that scales heavily with pixel count. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 71 FPS at 1080p to 46 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 25 frames, and then further down to 25 FPS at 4K, representing a cumulative loss of 46 frames from the starting point. This pattern indicates that the rendering pipeline is heavily pixel-bound, with each step up in resolution placing significantly more demand on the graphics processor.

The scaling behavior across the settings presets follows a similar trajectory. At Low settings, the average FPS moves from 96 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p and then to 34 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34 frames, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 28 frames. At Medium settings, the averages are 84, 54, and 29 FPS respectively, with a 30-frame drop to 1440p and a 25-frame drop to 4K. Ultra settings show the most severe scaling, starting at 58 FPS at 1080p, falling to 37 at 1440p, and reaching only 20 FPS at 4K.

The resolution scaling data suggests that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component in this configuration. The GPU's low performance percentile of 5 among all tested graphics cards, combined with its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, aligns with the observed frame rate collapses at higher resolutions. The CPU, by contrast, sits at the 90th percentile among all processors, indicating that processing power is not the constraint here. The fact that even Low settings at 4K only achieves 34 FPS, barely above playable thresholds, reinforces the conclusion that the graphics solution is overwhelmed by the pixel throughput required at 3840x2160.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with system-shared memory meaning that bandwidth and capacity are dependent on the host system's configuration. The GPU contains 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operation units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its compute capabilities are listed at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16, with a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s.

The measured results in Doom reflect this hardware profile. At 1080p, the GPU can maintain 96 FPS on Low settings, which suggests that the integrated solution has enough raw throughput for lighter workloads at lower resolutions. However, the performance degrades rapidly when settings are raised or resolution increases. The transition from Low to Ultra at 1080p costs 38 frames on average, moving from 96 to 58 FPS. At 1440p, the same settings shift drops from 62 to 37 FPS, and at 4K, from 34 to 20 FPS. This pattern points to the GPU's limited fill rate and memory bandwidth being the decisive factors, as higher settings increase both shading complexity and memory pressure.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and AMD FirePro M2000. The Intel Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 is within 1.4 percent of these older discrete parts, with the AMD FirePro M2000 sitting at 1168 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 at 1190. This positioning confirms that the Arc B370 performs at a level comparable to graphics hardware from over a decade ago, which explains why modern game titles at high resolutions and settings produce sub-60 FPS results. The 25 W TDP and integrated form factor make this an efficiency-focused solution rather than a performance-oriented one.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU and GPU combinations for Doom, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2696 out of 2930 total combinations. This places the combo in the bottom 8 percent of all tested configurations, a position that aligns with the GPU's low performance percentile of 5. The rank indicates that the vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairings deliver better frame rates in this title, regardless of whether the bottleneck lies on the processor or graphics side.

The disparity between the components' individual standings is stark. The CPU ranks at the 90th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 49394, while the GPU sits at the 5th percentile with an average score of 1184. This 85-percentile gap means that the combo's overall ranking is dragged down almost entirely by the graphics adapter. In practical terms, the i5-14600KF has ample headroom to drive a more capable GPU, but the Arc B370 cannot translate that processing power into frame rate.

When compared to the CPU's nearest rivals, the processor's strength becomes clear. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228 on average, just 0.3 percent lower than the i5-14600KF's 49394. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G is 0.4 percent behind, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is 0.8 percent behind, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is 0.8 percent ahead. None of these rival processors would change the combo's ranking if swapped in, because the GPU remains the limiting factor. The combo rank of 2696 out of 2930 is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance tier, not the CPU's capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 96 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset also provides a playable experience at 84 FPS, and even High settings maintain 71 FPS average. The Ultra preset drops to 58 FPS, which is below 60 but still within a reasonable range for a slower-paced title. For the best balance between visual quality and performance at 1080p, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, offering 84 FPS while presumably retaining more visual features than Low.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more constrained. Low settings produce 62 FPS on average, which is just above the 60 FPS mark. Medium settings fall to 54 FPS, and High drops to 46 FPS, while Ultra reaches only 37 FPS. The data suggests that only the Low preset provides a consistently smooth experience at this resolution, with Medium being borderline acceptable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate. The jump from Low to Medium costs 8 FPS, a modest reduction that might be worth it for improved graphics.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets achieve 60 FPS. Low settings yield 34 FPS, Medium produces 29 FPS, High drops to 25 FPS, and Ultra reaches only 20 FPS. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, the average frame rate of 34 FPS indicates a less-than-ideal experience. The measured minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 25, with a maximum of 34, showing that frame times can be inconsistent. For most users targeting 4K, this combo will not deliver a satisfactory experience in Doom, and a lower resolution or more capable GPU would be necessary.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest measured average is 96 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 34 on Low settings, with Medium at 29, High at 25, and Ultra at 20. None of these reach the 60 FPS threshold commonly associated with smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 at 1186 (0.2 percent ahead), ATI Radeon HD 5770 at 1190 (0.5 percent ahead), AMD Radeon HD 7650M at 1192 (0.7 percent ahead), and AMD FirePro M2000 at 1168 (1.4 percent behind).

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested CPU-GPU pairs for Doom?

A: The combo ranks 2696 out of 2930 total combinations, placing it in the bottom 8 percent of all tested configurations.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this setup?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks at the 90th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks at the 5th percentile, and the frame rate scaling with resolution indicates pixel-bound rendering.

Q: What settings are recommended for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings achieve 62 FPS average, which is the only preset above 60 FPS. Medium produces 54 FPS, so Low is recommended for smooth gameplay, while Medium may be acceptable for those prioritizing visuals.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It runs at 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 processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it is built on Intel's 10 nm process node with a die size of 257 mm².

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-14600KF demonstrates strong performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 32544, and the single-core score is 4594. The Geekbench scores are 17085 for multi-core and 2445 for single-core. PassMark results show a multi-thread score of 38697 and a single-thread score of 4273. The average benchmark score across all tests is 49394, placing the CPU at the 90th percentile among all processors. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 at 49228 (0.3 percent lower), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G at 49196 (0.4 percent lower), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 at 48995 (0.8 percent lower).

Despite this processing power, the measured FPS in Doom does not reflect CPU capability. The game's frame rates are consistently low across all settings and resolutions, and the pattern of performance degradation with increasing resolution points to GPU-bound rendering. The CPU's high single-thread score of 4594 in Cinebench R23 suggests it can handle game logic and physics without issue, but the integrated Arc B370 cannot keep up with the rendering demands. In this context, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data, and the bottleneck lies in the GPU's ability to process that data into frames. The 14-core, 20-thread configuration is overkill for this pairing, as even a much less powerful processor would likely achieve similar frame rates with the same GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values across the four settings presets are as follows: Low achieves 96 FPS, Medium achieves 84 FPS, High achieves 71 FPS, and Ultra achieves 58 FPS. The Medium preset has a recorded minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS, showing that frame rates fluctuate within a 25-FPS band. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with the largest single drop occurring between Medium and High at 13 FPS, followed by 13 FPS between High and Ultra. The overall spread from best to worst at 1080p is 38 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 62 for Low, 54 for Medium, 46 for High, and 37 for Ultra. The Medium preset records a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, which mirrors the range seen at 1080p Medium (71 to 96) but at a lower absolute level. The drop from Low to Medium is 8 FPS, from Medium to High is 8 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 9 FPS, showing a consistent degradation of roughly 8-9 FPS per settings tier. The total spread at 1440p is 25 FPS, narrower than at 1080p due to the overall lower performance ceiling.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 34 for Low, 29 for Medium, 25 for High, and 20 for Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 25 FPS and a maximum of 34 FPS. The differences between presets are 5 FPS from Low to Medium, 4 FPS from Medium to High, and 5 FPS from High to Ultra. The total spread at 4K is 14 FPS, the smallest of any resolution, indicating that the GPU is so heavily constrained at this pixel count that settings changes have limited impact. The maximum average FPS at 4K is just 34, which is below the minimum average FPS of 37 seen at 1440p Ultra.

Comparing across resolutions, the data shows that dropping from 1080p to 1440p costs approximately 35 percent of the frame rate at Low settings (96 to 62 FPS), while dropping from 1440p to 4K costs another 45 percent (62 to 34 FPS). The cumulative effect from 1080p Low to 4K Low is a 65 percent reduction in average FPS. For Ultra settings, the reduction from 1080p to 4K is even steeper, going from 58 to 20 FPS, a 66 percent loss. These numbers quantify the GPU's inability to handle higher resolutions, with each step up requiring significantly more rendering throughput than the Arc B370 can provide.