Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a performance curve in Doom that is heavily dictated by resolution. At 1920x1080, the combination is clearly CPU-bound, producing an average of 227 FPS on Low settings and 198.6 FPS on Medium. Even at High settings, the frame rate remains elevated at 167.5 FPS, showing that the processor has ample headroom to feed the GPU. Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain highly playable, with High settings yielding 111 FPS and Low settings reaching 145.5 FPS. The transition to 3840x2160 reveals the GPU's limitations: High settings drop to 61.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 49.6 FPS. The scaling pattern—a reduction of roughly 63% from 1080p High to 4K High—indicates that the RTX 4060 becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU's performance headroom is no longer the limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data shows a clear and predictable degradation in performance as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system achieves 227 FPS on Low, which is 35.5% faster than the 167.5 FPS recorded at High. This gap narrows at 1440p, where Low produces 145.5 FPS versus 111 FPS at High—a 31% difference. At 4K, the spread tightens further: Low yields 78.3 FPS, while High drops to 61.5 FPS, a 27% gap. This compression of performance differences between settings at higher resolutions is a classic sign of GPU saturation. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become limiting. The Ultra preset at 4K is particularly demanding, producing just 49.6 FPS—below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider smooth. The data suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering 89.5 FPS on Ultra, which is 80.4% higher than the 4K Ultra result.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores indicate strong single-thread performance—a Geekbench single-core score of 2778 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4643—which is critical for Doom's engine, as it relies heavily on a few fast cores rather than massive multi-threading. The CPU's performance percentile of 93 versus all CPUs places it in the upper tier, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, scores within 0.4% of it, confirming that the 'KF' variant offers nearly identical performance. In practical terms, the CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) ensure that it can maintain high frame rates at 1080p, where the data shows 227 FPS on Low. However, at 4K, the CPU's role diminishes; the FPS drop from 78.3 (Low) to 49.6 (Ultra) is driven by GPU load, not CPU limits. This processor can comfortably handle Doom's demands, but its potential is capped by the GPU at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the i5-14600KF and RTX 4060 ranks 963rd out of 1681 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the 57th percentile. This mid-pack ranking reflects that while both components are capable individually—the CPU sits at the 93rd percentile and the GPU at the 66th percentile—their pairing does not produce top-tier results in this title. The ranking is influenced by the GPU's limitations at 4K, where the combo's Ultra preset performance of 49.6 FPS drags down the overall score. Compared to other combos in the database, this setup is more competitive at 1080p and 1440p, where its frame rates are well above average. The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck; the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus constrain performance in more demanding scenarios. For context, the GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.6% slower) and the Intel Arc B580 (0.7% faster), suggesting that this combo's rank is consistent with its hardware tier. A builder seeking higher rankings would need to pair the CPU with a more powerful GPU, but for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combination holds its own.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 provides the best balance, with High settings achieving 111 FPS and Ultra reaching 89.5 FPS, both comfortably above 60 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, the average FPS is 61.5, which is playable, but Ultra drops to 49.6 FPS, which may feel less smooth. Low settings at 4K yield 78.3 FPS, so lowering settings is necessary for a consistent 60+ FPS experience.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF scores 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K in average benchmark scores, indicating they are virtually identical in performance. It also outperforms the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X by 0.6%.

Q: Is the GPU the limiting factor at any resolution?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the RTX 4060 becomes the bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant FPS drop from 78.3 (Low) to 49.6 (Ultra). At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to limit performance, given the high frame rates.

Q: What are the GPU's key specifications for Doom?

A: The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. It features 3072 shading units and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, which are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

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

A: It ranks 963rd out of 1681 combos, placing it in the lower-middle range. This is due to the GPU's performance ceiling at higher resolutions, despite the CPU's strong showing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, based on the AD107 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, is the decisive factor in this combo's high-resolution performance. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, 128-bit bus, and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth dictate how much data can be pushed to the display. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized, as the CPU can generate frames faster than the GPU can render them—evidenced by the 227 FPS on Low settings. However, as resolution climbs to 4K, the GPU's limits become apparent. The pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at Ultra settings, resulting in 49.6 FPS. The GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 24 RT cores are more than enough for Doom, which is not a ray tracing-heavy title, but the memory subsystem is the weak link. The 66th percentile ranking versus all GPUs indicates it is a mid-range part, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, is only 0.6% slower, confirming its position. For 1440p gaming, the GPU hits a sweet spot: 111 FPS on High and 89.5 FPS on Ultra, showing that it can handle the load without being overwhelmed.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this combo, the data points to 2560x1440 as the optimal resolution, with High or Ultra settings. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 111, which is smooth and visually detailed; Ultra drops to 89.5 FPS, still well above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for players who prioritize image quality. At 1080p, High settings (167.5 FPS) are excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but Low (227 FPS) offers minimal visual benefit for the extra frames. The 4K Ultra preset (49.6 FPS) should be avoided, as it falls below the 60 FPS target; instead, 4K High (61.5 FPS) is the minimum viable option, though 4K Low (78.3 FPS) provides a more comfortable margin. The Medium preset at 1440p (125.9 FPS) offers a balanced middle ground, but the jump to High is worth the marginal FPS cost. In summary, the recommended configuration is 1440p with High or Ultra settings, which leverages the CPU's strengths while staying within the GPU's capabilities. For 1080p users, High settings are ideal, as Ultra (139.7 FPS) offers diminishing returns. This combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it delivers consistently high frame rates without requiring compromises.