Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a performance profile in Doom that is heavily dictated by resolution, with the GPU acting as the primary constraint at higher settings. The data indicates a system capable of exceptional frame rates at 1080p, but one that requires careful settings management to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes the combo’s standing among 1,681 tested configurations, and provides specific recommendations based on the recorded FPS values.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, with the RTX 3060 Ti’s rendering load becoming the limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 145.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 91.3 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 53.9 FPS. Scaling further to 3840x2160, the Ultra preset falls to 50.5 FPS, representing a steep 65.2% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This pattern strongly indicates that the GPU’s pixel throughput, not the CPU’s 14-core/20-thread processing power, is the bottleneck at 4K.

The scaling behavior is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 238.9 FPS at 1080p to 154.2 FPS at 1440p, then to 84.2 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K at Low settings is 70 FPS, which is larger than the 45.3 FPS gap observed between 1080p and 1440p. This widening delta at 4K suggests that the RTX 3060 Ti’s memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory are being saturated, as the resolution increase demands more data per frame.

Interestingly, the scaling efficiency improves slightly at Medium settings. The frame rate moves from 205.1 FPS at 1080p to 134 FPS at 1440p, then to 73.1 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is 45.4%, which is less severe than the 50.9% drop seen at Low settings. This suggests that the Medium preset provides a more balanced workload distribution, allowing the GPU to maintain better efficiency as resolution increases. In contrast, the High preset shows a drop from 174 FPS at 1080p to 114.6 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 59 FPS at 4K, with the 4K figure barely exceeding the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the larger database of tested CPU-GPU combinations, this specific pairing achieves a combo rank of 877 out of 1,681 total combos for Doom. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 52% of combos perform better in this specific game. The rank reflects the balance between the i5-14600KF’s strong computational capabilities and the RTX 3060 Ti’s mid-range rendering power.

The CPU’s benchmark data provides context for its contribution. The i5-14600KF scores 32,889 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,643 points in single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 49,367 is marginally higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K, which scores 49,166 with a deltaPct of 0.4%, and slightly lower than the AMD EPYC 4345P, which scores 49,595 with a deltaPct of -0.5%. This indicates the CPU is not a limiting factor in Doom, as the game’s engine is not heavily threaded.

The GPU’s standalone performance is more modest. The RTX 3060 Ti sits in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25,120. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6700M (25,180, deltaPct -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6600 (25,235, deltaPct -0.5%). The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,626 and PassMark G3D score of 20,349 are consistent with its mid-range positioning. The combo rank of 877 suggests that while the CPU is overqualified for this title, the GPU’s performance ceiling prevents the pair from reaching higher tiers, particularly at 4K where the GPU’s 16.20 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is stretched thin.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate floor. For 4K gameplay, the data shows that only the Low preset (84.2 FPS) and Medium preset (73.1 FPS) deliver averages above 60 FPS. The High preset at 59 FPS is borderline, while Ultra at 50.5 FPS falls short of a smooth 60 FPS experience. Therefore, for 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it provides a 15.7% performance improvement over High while maintaining visual quality that is closer to the Ultra preset’s fidelity.

At 1440p, all presets exceed 90 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset achieves 114.6 FPS, which is sufficient for most 100Hz+ monitors. For users with 144Hz panels, the Low preset at 154.2 FPS or Medium at 134 FPS are better options. The Ultra preset at 91.3 FPS is also viable, but it sacrifices 23.3 FPS compared to High, which may not be worth the visual gain for competitive play.

At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound at lower settings, as the i5-14600KF’s strong single-core performance (4,643 points in Cinebench R23) allows the GPU to stretch its legs. The Ultra preset at 145.2 FPS is the highest quality option that still maintains a triple-digit frame rate. The High preset at 174 FPS offers a good balance for esports-style play, while the Low preset at 238.9 FPS is only recommended for users with 240Hz monitors who prioritize maximum responsiveness over visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average FPS values is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 238.9 FPS, Medium delivers 205.1 FPS, High delivers 174 FPS, and Ultra delivers 145.2 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 93.7 FPS, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom even at the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 154.2 FPS, Medium achieves 134 FPS, High achieves 114.6 FPS, and Ultra achieves 91.3 FPS. The spread narrows to 62.9 FPS, reflecting the increased pixel workload. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra settings results in a 53.9 FPS drop, which is a 37.1% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset produces 84.2 FPS, Medium produces 73.1 FPS, High produces 59 FPS, and Ultra produces 50.5 FPS. The spread further narrows to 33.7 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings is 40.8 FPS, a 44.7% reduction. This data shows that the RTX 3060 Ti’s 8 GB memory buffer and 256-bit bus width become increasingly stressed as resolution increases, with the Ultra preset at 4K falling below the 60 FPS threshold that many users consider the minimum for smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest frame rate achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The maximum measured average FPS is 238.9, achieved with the Low preset at 1920x1080. The lowest measured average at 1080p is 145.2 FPS with the Ultra preset.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only with specific settings. The Low preset averages 84.2 FPS and the Medium preset averages 73.1 FPS at 3840x2160. The High preset falls just short at 59 FPS, while Ultra is not viable at 50.5 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-14600KF compare to its immediate rival, the i5-14600K?

A: The i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49,367, which is 0.4% higher than the i5-14600K’s score of 49,166. This performance delta is negligible in real-world gaming scenarios.

Q: Is the RTX 3060 Ti the limiting factor at 1440p?

A: The data indicates yes. At 1440p, the frame rate drops from 154.2 FPS at Low to 91.3 FPS at Ultra, showing a clear GPU-bound progression. The CPU’s high single-core score of 4,643 in Cinebench R23 suggests it is not the bottleneck.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 134 FPS is the highest quality option that stays above 144 Hz. The Low preset at 154.2 FPS also exceeds this threshold, but with reduced visual quality. The High preset at 114.6 FPS and Ultra at 91.3 FPS fall below 144 Hz.

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

A: This combo ranks 877th out of 1,681 total combos, placing it in the 52nd percentile. This ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range performance, as the CPU is in the 93rd percentile of all processors.