Doom

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is a remarkably effective combination for Doom, delivering a smooth and highly playable experience across nearly all tested configurations. The data shows that this combo ranks in the 927th position out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems. With a 6-core, 6-thread CPU boosting to 4.10 GHz and a GPU featuring 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, the pair demonstrates a strong balance that favors high refresh rate 1080p gaming while remaining capable at 4K, provided settings are managed appropriately.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU and GPU combination for Doom?

A: The combo ranks 927th out of 1681 tested combinations (comboRankInGame). This places it in the 55th percentile of all tested systems, indicating a solid, above-average performance level for this specific title.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, scores 2300, making the i5-9400 only 0.2% faster. Similarly, it is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i3-1125G4 and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Xeon E-2134. It trails the Intel Core i7-8809G, which scores 2319, by 0.6%.

Q: What are the key specifications of the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT?

A: The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. It has a base clock of 2321 MHz and a boost clock of 2581 MHz, with a game clock of 2424 MHz. Its performance places it at the 77th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What is the best 4K performance achievable with this combo?

A: At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is achieved with Low settings at 81.4 FPS. The High preset yields 59.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 52.1 FPS. This shows that 4K is playable, but sacrifices in visual fidelity are necessary to maintain high frame rates.

Q: How does the GPU benchmark against its closest competitors?

A: The RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 33721. It is 0.7% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (score 33493) and 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA RTX A5000 (score 33294). It is 1% slower than both the AMD Radeon HD 7950 (score 34050) and AMD Radeon RX 480 (score 34059).

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p with this setup?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo delivers an average of 146.8 FPS on Low settings, 127.7 FPS on Medium, 111.7 FPS on High, and 90.6 FPS on Ultra. This demonstrates excellent performance at this resolution across all quality presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific combination at rank 927 out of 1681 tested combos, which is a strong showing for a mid-range pairing. This rank indicates that while it is not at the very top of the performance charts, it sits comfortably within the top 55% of all systems tested, outperforming a majority of other configurations. The ranking reflects a synergistic balance where neither component is a clear bottleneck in Doom, allowing the system to punch above its weight. The 50th percentile ranking of the i5-9400 CPU against all CPUs, combined with the 77th percentile ranking of the RX 6700 XT against all GPUs, suggests that the GPU is the stronger component, but the CPU provides adequate support to prevent severe frame pacing issues.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the dominant force in this pairing, and its specifications directly correlate with the high frame rates observed. The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth are more than sufficient for Doom's texture-heavy environments at any resolution tested. The GPU's high boost clock of 2581 MHz and game clock of 2424 MHz drive its raw compute power, which is evidenced by its 13.21 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This hardware muscle is what allows the combo to achieve frame rates well above 60 FPS at 1440p and even approach 60 FPS at 4K on High settings. The GPU's 77th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its position as a high-end performer, and its benchmark score of 33721 is only slightly ahead of the RX 6800, indicating it is at the top of its performance class.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates reveal a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo excels, with the Low preset delivering a blistering 228.5 FPS average. The Medium preset follows at 200.7 FPS, and High is close behind at 171.7 FPS. Even the demanding Ultra preset maintains a very high 141.7 FPS, ensuring a fluid experience on high refresh rate monitors. Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive: Low settings yield 146.8 FPS, Medium 127.7 FPS, High 111.7 FPS, and Ultra 90.6 FPS. At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K become apparent. The Low preset achieves 81.4 FPS, which is still very playable. The Medium preset hits 72 FPS, and the High preset drops to 59.7 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls to a less desirable 52.1 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, plays a supporting role that is sufficient for Doom's engine. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz provide solid single-threaded performance, which is critical for game logic and physics. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as 1125 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 7969 in multi-core, indicate a capable processor. Its 50th percentile ranking against all CPUs suggests it is an average performer, yet it does not bottleneck the RX 6700 XT in this game, as evidenced by the high frame rates. The 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s are adequate for feeding the GPU with data. The data implies that while the CPU is not the star of the show, its performance is well-matched to the GPU's capabilities for this title.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the standout choice. It provides an average of 111.7 FPS, which is an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, and it demonstrates that the system has significant headroom above the 60 FPS target. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation, as it still yields a very high 141.7 FPS, allowing for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset at 72 FPS is the optimal choice, as it offers a significant visual improvement over Low while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the playable threshold. The High preset at 4K is a viable option if a 59.7 FPS average is acceptable, but Medium provides a more comfortable margin.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the GPU-bound nature of the system at higher resolutions. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 171.7 at 1080p to 111.7 at 1440p, a decrease of 60 FPS, and then further to 59.7 at 4K, another drop of 52 FPS. This trend is consistent across all settings, with the Ultra preset dropping from 141.7 FPS at 1080p to 52.1 FPS at 4K. This steep decline indicates that as resolution increases, the workload shifts heavily onto the RX 6700 XT. The CPU's role diminishes at 4K, where the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the primary limiting factor. The data suggests that the i5-9400 is more than capable of keeping up at lower resolutions where the frame rates are higher, but it is the GPU that determines the final performance ceiling at 4K.