Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a highly specific performance profile in Doom (2016). The data shows a combination where a high-end desktop processor is paired with an integrated GPU solution, resulting in a system that is heavily constrained by graphics processing. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, component roles, and scaling behavior to provide a clear picture of what this combo delivers.

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

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a desktop-class processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on the Raptor Lake architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This processor is designed for high-end workloads, as reflected in its benchmark scores: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and a single-core score of 4594, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Doom, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data indicates this is not a bottleneck. The processor's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (with a deltaPct of 0.3) and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 (with a deltaPct of -0.8), showing that the i5-14600KF is competitively positioned among high-end chips. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings are far too low to be attributed to CPU limitations; even the lowest FPS figures are far below what this processor can handle in a game like Doom.

The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 20 threads are more than sufficient for the game's engine. The data suggests the processor is effectively idle, waiting on the GPU. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 107 FPS, which is the highest recorded average. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in frame rates regardless of resolution or settings. Instead, the frame rates scale dramatically with resolution, dropping from 107 FPS at 1080p Low to 37 FPS at 4K Low. This proportional drop directly correlates with the GPU's workload, confirming that the 14-core processor is not the performance ceiling.

The processor's high multi-threaded capabilities, evidenced by a Passmark multithread score of 38697, are simply not taxed by Doom's requirements at these settings. The data shows the i5-14600KF has headroom to spare. Its benchmark percentile of 90 indicates it outperforms the vast majority of CPUs, yet it is paired with a graphics solution that ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This massive disparity in component capability is the primary driver of the system's overall performance profile.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and the Panther Lake chip. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Critically, its memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which highlights its reliance on the rest of the system.

The GPU's benchmark record includes a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are older, low-end discrete GPUs: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (deltaPct 1.3), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (deltaPct 1.5), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (deltaPct 2.5), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (deltaPct 2.7). The deltaPct values show that the Arc B390 is only 1-3% faster than these legacy parts in synthetic benchmarks, indicating a very low absolute performance level.

In Doom, the GPU is the clear limiting factor. The measured FPS data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, average frame rates fall. At 1080p High, the system averages 78 FPS; at 1440p High, it drops to 51 FPS; and at 4K High, it falls to 28 FPS. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The Arc B390's 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs are simply insufficient to process the game's geometry and effects at higher resolutions.

The GPU's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate are low figures compared to modern discrete cards, but they are the only figures available for this component. The "System Shared" memory is a significant factor; the game must share bandwidth with the CPU, which can cause stutters and lower minimum FPS. The data shows a minimum FPS of 28 at 4K Medium and 79 at 1080p Medium, which are notably close to the average FPS, suggesting that the GPU is consistently saturated rather than spiking.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Doom?

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 107 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck for this system in Doom?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile. The frame rates drop significantly with increased resolution, which indicates GPU limitation.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate observed in the data?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 22 FPS, recorded at a resolution of 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the combo perform better at Medium or High settings at 1440p?

A: The combo performs better at Medium settings. At 1440p, Medium averages 60 FPS, while High averages 51 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 2580 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom.

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

The data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this combo. The primary goal is to maintain a playable frame rate, which the data suggests is around 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 64 FPS on Ultra, 78 FPS on High, 93 FPS on Medium, and 107 FPS on Low. The jump from High to Ultra costs 14 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 15 FPS. The most efficient preset for a smooth 1080p experience is High, as it delivers 78 FPS while retaining more visual fidelity than Medium (93 FPS) or Low (107 FPS).

At 2560x1440, the situation changes. The system averages 60 FPS on Medium, 51 FPS on High, and 41 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one that hits the 60 FPS target at this resolution. High is playable but noticeably less smooth, and Ultra dips below 45 FPS. For 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset to maintain a consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, the data shows a severe performance drop. The highest average is 37 FPS on Low, followed by 33 FPS on Medium, 28 FPS on High, and 22 FPS on Ultra. None of these presets achieve a playable 60 FPS. The Low preset at 4K is the most playable, but the frame rate is still below 40 FPS. Given the wide gap between 1440p Medium (60 FPS) and 4K Low (37 FPS), the data suggests that 4K is not a viable target for this combo. Users should stick to 1080p or 1440p with appropriate settings to get the best balance of quality and performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2580 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the bottom 12% of all systems tested, which is consistent with the individual component performance. The CPU alone is a top-tier part, but the GPU drags the overall ranking down significantly.

To contextualize this rank, consider the GPU's position. The Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it is slower than 91% of graphics cards in the database. Its nearest rivals are the GT 520MX and GT 710, which are entry-level parts from over a decade ago. The CPU, by contrast, is in the 90th percentile. The combination of a 90th-percentile CPU with a 9th-percentile GPU creates a severe imbalance.

In the ranking, the combo's position of 2580 out of 2930 means there are 2580 other combos that perform better in this game. This is not a surprising result given the measured FPS. The data shows that even at the lowest settings and resolution (1080p Low), the system only achieves 107 FPS. Many modern discrete GPUs would exceed this by a wide margin. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limited capabilities, and the CPU's high performance does little to compensate in a GPU-bound game like Doom.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system performs as follows:

• Low: average 107 FPS
• Medium: average 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS
• High: average 78 FPS
• Ultra: average 64 FPS

At 2560x1440, the performance drops:

• Low: average 69 FPS
• Medium: average 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS
• High: average 51 FPS
• Ultra: average 41 FPS

At 3840x2160, the performance is significantly lower:

• Low: average 37 FPS
• Medium: average 33 FPS, with a minimum of 28 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS
• High: average 28 FPS
• Ultra: average 22 FPS

The data shows a clear pattern. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset maintains an average above 60 FPS. At 1440p, only the Low and Medium presets stay above 60 FPS. At 4K, no preset reaches 40 FPS. The minimum FPS data points, available for Medium presets, show that the frame times are relatively stable, with the minimum being about 85% of the average in each case (79/93 at 1080p, 51/60 at 1440p, 28/33 at 4K). This indicates a steady performance without major stutters, but the overall level is low.

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

The resolution scaling behavior is the most telling indicator of the system's bottleneck. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the average FPS at High settings drops from 78 to 51 to 28, respectively. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 64%.

This scaling is typical of a GPU-bound system. The number of pixels at 4K is roughly four times that of 1080p, but the FPS does not drop by four times (78 to 28 is a 2.8x drop). This suggests that the GPU is not purely pixel-limited; other factors like memory bandwidth and fill rate come into play. The Arc B390's system-shared memory and low ROP count (24) contribute to this non-linear scaling.

The data conclusively shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The i5-14600KF has ample headroom, as evidenced by its high benchmark percentiles. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, or the drop would be much smaller. Instead, the FPS scales inversely with resolution, which is the signature of a GPU that is being overwhelmed. The 107 FPS at 1080p Low versus the 37 FPS at 4K Low highlights this perfectly; the GPU simply cannot handle the increased pixel count, regardless of the CPU's capability.