Doom

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a surprisingly playable experience in Doom, though the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor at higher resolutions. Across the measured resolutions and settings, the combination delivers a range of average frame rates from a low of 20 FPS at 4K Ultra to a high of 96 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that while the game is from 2016, the integrated-class Arc B370’s performance profile dominates the outcome. The measured FPS data, which is confirmed as tested, shows a clear pattern where lower resolutions and lower settings unlock substantially higher frame rates, while the 6-core, 6-thread Intel CPU appears to provide sufficient headroom to avoid becoming the primary bottleneck at most tested points.

Resolution Scaling

Resolution scaling is the single most decisive factor in this configuration’s performance. The data shows a sharp, consistent drop in average frame rates as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, and the magnitude of that drop reveals where the system’s limits lie. At 1080p High, the combo averages 71 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 High drops that to 46 FPS, a reduction of 25 FPS, or roughly 35% lower performance. Stepping up to 3840x2160 High yields just 25 FPS, which is 46 FPS below the 1080p result, or about 65% lower. This steep decline strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component; a CPU-bound system would not exhibit such a dramatic scaling penalty as pixel count increases.

The trend holds across all settings presets. At Low, the frame rate falls from 96 FPS at 1080p to 62 FPS at 1440p, then to 34 FPS at 4K. That represents a 62 FPS swing from the lowest to highest resolution tested. At Medium, the numbers are 84, 54, and 29 FPS respectively, with the 4K result dipping below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for acceptable motion. The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling: 58 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p, and just 20 FPS at 4K. The 38 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is the largest absolute gap in the entire dataset, confirming that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth (listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent") are overwhelmed by the sheer pixel output demand of 3840x2160.

What this scaling data says about the limiting component is unambiguous. The Intel Core i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, maintains a boost clock of 4.10 GHz and a base clock of 2.90 GHz, which is more than adequate for a 2016 title like Doom. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 2254 and its 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggest it is a mid-pack processor, but nothing in the resolution scaling pattern points to CPU saturation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, as the GPU would be waiting on the processor. Instead, the data shows a nearly linear relationship between pixel count and performance loss, which is the classic signature of a GPU-limited scenario. The Arc B370’s 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 20 ROPs are simply insufficient to feed high pixel counts at demanding settings, making resolution the primary lever for playability.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B370 combo?*

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently high frame rates. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset averages 58 FPS, while Low reaches 96 FPS. At 2560x1440, the best result is 62 FPS on Low, but High drops to 46 FPS, and 4K never exceeds 34 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370’s only listed benchmark is 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 with a score of 1184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher). The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower. This places the Arc B370 in the 5th percentile of all GPUs.

*Q: Does the Intel Core i5-9400 hold back the Arc B370 in Doom?*

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent drop in frame rates that aligns with GPU limitations. The CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads with a 4.10 GHz boost clock appear sufficient for this game, as evidenced by the fact that frame rates scale inversely with resolution rather than plateauing at a CPU-imposed limit.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 96 FPS, while Ultra averages 58 FPS. This is a 38 FPS difference, representing a 66% performance uplift from Ultra to Low. Medium sits in between at 84 FPS, and High at 71 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable with this combination?

A: At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS recorded is 34 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 29 FPS, High averages 25 FPS, and Ultra averages 20 FPS. These numbers are generally below the smooth playability threshold, making 4K a challenging prospect for this GPU.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-core performance compare to its multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 scores 935 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 6629 in multi-core. In Geekbench, it scores 1389 single-core and 5141 multi-core. The single-core results are relatively strong, which benefits games like Doom that rely heavily on main thread performance, but the multi-core scores reflect the 6-thread limitation.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for which preset offers the best experience for this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the sweet spot is the Medium preset, which averages 84 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. This delivers a frame rate well above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay while maintaining a middle-ground visual quality. The Low preset at 96 FPS is faster, but the Medium preset’s 84 FPS average is only 12 FPS lower, and the visual uplift from Low to Medium is typically substantial in Doom’s fast-paced environments. High at 71 FPS is still playable, but it drops below the 84 FPS of Medium, and Ultra at 58 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it a less desirable choice for consistent motion.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts. The Low preset averages 62 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that clears the 60 FPS bar. Medium drops to 54 FPS, High to 46 FPS, and Ultra to 37 FPS. For 1440p users, Low is the only viable option for maintaining high frame rates, but the 62 FPS result is still a significant step down from the 96 FPS available at 1080p Low. If visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate, Medium at 54 FPS may be acceptable for slower sections, but the data suggests that Low is the best balance for action-heavy gameplay.

At 3840x2160, no preset delivers a truly smooth experience. Low averages 34 FPS, Medium 29 FPS, High 25 FPS, and Ultra 20 FPS. The 34 FPS at Low is the only 4K result above 30 FPS, but it is still below the 60 FPS standard, and the minimum FPS data for Medium (25 FPS) indicates that stutter is likely. For this resolution, the recommendation is to avoid Ultra and High entirely, as the 20-25 FPS averages will feel sluggish. Low at 34 FPS is the best-case scenario, but even that requires accepting significant compromises in visual quality. Given the data, the optimal experience is achieved at 1080p Medium, where the combo produces 84 FPS average with a tight minimum of 71 FPS, offering the best balance of smoothness and image quality across all measured configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data offers a comprehensive view of how the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B370 perform across all tested resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo performs admirably. The Low preset produces an average of 96 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. Medium follows at 84 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS, indicating a stable frame time distribution. High drops to 71 FPS, and Ultra falls to 58 FPS. The 38 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p demonstrates the GPU’s sensitivity to settings, but even the worst 1080p result is above 55 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. Low averages 62 FPS, which is 34 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, showing a wider variance than at 1080p. High averages 46 FPS, and Ultra drops to 37 FPS. The 1440p results are roughly 35-40% lower than their 1080p counterparts across all settings, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of the system. The minimum FPS of 46 FPS at Medium 1440p is still above 30 FPS, but the 62 FPS maximum at Low is the only 1440p result that approaches the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, the data shows a steep cliff. Low averages 34 FPS, which is the best 4K result. Medium averages 29 FPS, with a minimum of 25 FPS and a maximum of 34 FPS, indicating that frame rates can dip into unplayable territory during intense scenes. High averages 25 FPS, and Ultra averages 20 FPS. The difference between 1080p Low (96 FPS) and 4K Low (34 FPS) is a 62 FPS drop, or a 65% reduction. The 4K Ultra result of 20 FPS is the lowest score in the entire dataset, and it highlights the extreme pressure that 8.3 million pixels place on the Arc B370’s limited 20 ROPs and 6.144 TFLOPS of compute. The data also shows that the gap between Medium and High at 4K is only 4 FPS (29 to 25), while the gap between Low and Medium is 5 FPS (34 to 29), suggesting that the GPU is so saturated at this resolution that settings changes yield diminishing returns.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2696 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily driven by the Arc B370’s GPU performance, which sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs based on its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. The CPU, by contrast, ranks in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. The disparity between the CPU’s mid-pack position and the GPU’s bottom-decile position explains why the combo as a whole performs so poorly in the game’s overall ranking.

The nearest rivals for the Arc B370 in synthetic benchmarks are all older, low-power graphics solutions. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186 score) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190 score) are within 0.5% of the Arc B370’s 1184, while the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192 score) is 0.7% ahead. The AMD FirePro M2000 (1168 score) is 1.4% behind. These rivals are all from a previous hardware generation, which contextualizes the Arc B370’s performance as being comparable to a decade-old discrete GPU. In Doom, this translates to the measured FPS results, which are playable only at 1080p and fall apart at 4K.

The combo’s rank of 2696 out of 2930 means that 234 combos tested worse, but the vast majority of systems outperform it. The 47th percentile CPU ranking and 5th percentile GPU ranking combine to create a system that is severely unbalanced for gaming. The data suggests that the i5-9400 is not the limiting factor; if paired with a stronger GPU, this CPU could likely push much higher frame rates, given its 6 cores and 4.10 GHz boost clock. However, as configured, the Arc B370’s low computational throughput (6.144 TFLOPS FP32) and shared memory architecture hold the combo back, resulting in a rank that places it near the bottom of the database.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 plays a supporting role in this combo, and the data indicates that it is not the primary bottleneck. The CPU features 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It is built on Intel’s 14 nm process and uses the Coffee Lake architecture, with a 9 MB shared L3 cache and 256 KB L2 cache per core. Its memory support is DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. These specifications are modest by modern standards, but they are sufficient for a 2016 game like Doom, which was designed to run on hardware from that era.

The CPU’s benchmark scores provide context for its role. In Cinebench R23, it scores 935 single-core and 6629 multi-core. In Geekbench, it scores 1389 single-core and 5141 multi-core. The single-core scores are particularly relevant for Doom, which is known for relying on a limited number of threads for its main game logic. The 935 single-core score in Cinebench R23 indicates that the i5-9400 can handle the game’s primary thread without becoming a bottleneck, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed.

The measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 96 FPS, which is a strong result for a GPU that ranks in the 5th percentile. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the frame rate to plateau even at low resolutions, but the fact that 1080p Low produces nearly triple the frame rate of 4K Low (96 vs 34 FPS) shows that the GPU is the constraint. The CPU’s 6 threads are also a consideration; Doom can utilize more than 6 threads, but the game’s engine scales well with fewer cores, and the i5-9400’s 4.10 GHz boost clock provides adequate single-thread performance.

The CPU’s 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs means it is a slightly below-average processor overall, but its performance in this specific game is sufficient. The nearest rivals in CPU benchmark scores are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259 score, 0.2% higher), the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264 score, 0.4% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246 score, 0.4% lower). These rivals all fall within 0.4% of the i5-9400’s 2254 average score, indicating that the CPU is in a tightly grouped mid-range cluster. In Doom, this CPU provides enough processing power to feed the Arc B370 at 1080p, but it does not have the headroom to overcome the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions. The data ultimately shows a system where the CPU is a capable but unremarkable partner, while the GPU dictates the overall experience.