Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti delivers a playable experience in Doom, but the data clearly shows a GPU-bound configuration at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the combo is capable of high refresh rates, but 4K Ultra settings push the GTX 1660 Ti to its limits, resulting in an average below 60 FPS. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with settings adjustments required to maintain smooth performance.

FAQ

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

A: This specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 1445 out of 1681 tested combos, placing it in the lower 14% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49367, placing it 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. It trails the AMD EPYC 4345P by 0.5% but leads the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 1.4%.

Q: What is the best FPS result across all tested configurations?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 152.8 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the data that exceeds the 150 FPS mark.

*Q: Is the GTX 1660 Ti capable of 4K gaming in Doom?*

A: The data indicates that 4K gaming is only viable at Low settings, where the average FPS is 54.1. At Ultra settings, the average drops to 31.5 FPS, which is below the generally accepted threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 Ti's benchmark score compare to its closest competitors?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti's average benchmark score is 13925. It sits 0.4% above the AMD Radeon RX 570X and 0.8% above both the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680. It trails the NVIDIA Tesla K10 by 0.7%.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 98.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset produces 55.6 FPS. This represents a 43.3 FPS drop when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is the primary performance limiter in this configuration for Doom. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and its memory runs at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective speed. These specifications, combined with its 1536 shading units, define its processing capability.

The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the average FPS drops significantly across all settings, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are being saturated. At 1920x1080, the GPU can maintain high frame rates, but at 3840x2160, the load becomes too heavy. The GTX 1660 Ti's 6 GB VRAM appears sufficient for the tested settings, but the overall throughput is not enough for demanding 4K scenarios. The benchmark results show a 37.1% reduction in average FPS from Low to Ultra at 4K, highlighting the GPU's struggle with higher graphical loads. This is consistent with its 55th percentile ranking among all GPUs, suggesting it is a mid-range part that excels at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1445 out of 1681 tested configurations indicates that it performs below the median for Doom. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU, as the CPU is a high-end part with a 93rd percentile score among all CPUs. The Core i5-14600KF's strong multi-core and single-core performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 scores of 32889 and 4643 respectively, is not the bottleneck here.

Instead, the GTX 1660 Ti's 55th percentile ranking among GPUs drags the overall combo down. The disparity in percentile ranks between the CPU (93) and GPU (55) suggests that many other tested combos feature more powerful graphics cards, even if they pair them with weaker processors. The data shows that this configuration is not competitive with top-tier setups in Doom, but it remains functional. The combo's rank places it in the lower portion of the field, meaning that a significant majority of tested configurations achieve higher average FPS in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration performs admirably. The Low preset delivers an average of 152.8 FPS, while Medium produces 129.7 FPS and High yields 112.2 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 89.5 FPS. All of these results are above 60 FPS, indicating smooth gameplay across the board at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains solid but begins to show strain. Low settings average 98.9 FPS, Medium averages 87.1 FPS, and High averages 68.5 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 55.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. This marks the point where the GTX 1660 Ti starts to struggle with the highest quality settings.

At 3840x2160, the configuration is largely unsuitable for high-quality gaming. The Low preset averages 54.1 FPS, which is borderline playable. Medium drops to 48.5 FPS, High falls to 38 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 31.5 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is only feasible with significant compromises in visual fidelity. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent drop of roughly 60-65% in average FPS across all settings, reflecting the GPU's limited memory bandwidth and processing power.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset. The average of 89.5 FPS provides a smooth, high-quality experience without requiring any sacrifices. For players with 1440p monitors, the High preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 68.5 FPS, which remains above the 60 FPS target, while the Ultra preset dips below it. At 4K, only the Low preset is recommended, with an average of 54.1 FPS, but this should only be considered if the user prioritizes resolution over visual quality.

For those seeking the highest possible frame rates, the 1080p Low preset's 152.8 FPS average is the best result in the data, ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium presets at 1080p and 1440p also offer a good balance between quality and performance, with 129.7 FPS and 87.1 FPS respectively. Given the GPU's limitations, users should avoid Ultra settings at resolutions above 1080p. The data suggests that the GPU is best utilized at 1080p, where it can handle all presets comfortably, or at 1440p with settings capped at High. This configuration is not suitable for 4K gaming beyond the lowest quality settings, and the performance gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is substantial.