Doom

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a robust 1080p experience in Doom, but the data reveals a clear performance ceiling imposed by the graphics card as resolution increases. The 24-core, 32-thread processor with a 6.00 GHz boost clock provides ample headroom, ensuring that frame rates are dictated by GPU load rather than CPU bottlenecks across most tested scenarios.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a desktop processor built on the Raptor Lake architecture, featuring 24 cores and 32 threads. Its base clock of 3.20 GHz can reach a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, which is critical for a fast-paced FPS like Doom, where single-thread performance often drives the minimum frame pacing. The processor also includes 36 MB of shared L3 cache, which helps keep frequently accessed game data close to the cores.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates exceptional multi-threaded capability, scoring 39,399.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 21,697 in Geekbench multi-core. Single-core performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,262.5 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2,655. These figures place the i9-14900K in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market.

The data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor in Doom’s measured frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 211 FPS, which is over 35% higher than the 1080p Ultra result of 127 FPS. This scaling pattern—where lowering settings yields significant FPS gains—typically indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU can easily feed frames at these rates. The processor’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which scores 0.3% lower on average, and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, which is 1.7% behind. These negligible differences reinforce that the i9-14900K is operating at the top of its class, leaving no meaningful CPU constraint in this game.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is rated at 2990 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU has 1,792 shading units and 28 ray tracing cores, though Doom (2016) does not utilize ray tracing, so the traditional rasterization performance is what matters here.

In synthetic DirectX benchmarks, the RX 9060 scores 3,322 in 3DMark Steel Nomad and 17,631 in Passmark G3D. Its average benchmark score of 16,014 places it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, a mid-range position. The nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 0.7% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, which is 1% behind. This indicates that the RX 9060 sits in a competitive performance tier, but it is not a high-end card.

The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Doom’s settings at 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by playable frame rates, but the 4K results show strain. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 45 FPS, which is a 64% reduction from the 1080p Ultra score of 127 FPS. This steep decline points to the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth limits being reached at higher resolutions, where the 288.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB capacity become more constraining. The data shows that the GPU is the dominant factor in this combo’s performance, with the CPU providing consistent support across all tested settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, indicating that the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the limiting component in this pairing. Starting at 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 155 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 101 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 4K High, the average FPS falls to 54, which is another 47% drop from 1440p. This compounding decline is characteristic of a GPU that is being increasingly saturated by pixel count.

The same trend is visible across all settings. With Low settings, the frame rate goes from 211 FPS at 1080p, to 137 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 74 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K represents a 65% loss in performance. For Medium settings, the drop is from 184 FPS at 1080p to 119 FPS at 1440p and 65 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings show the most dramatic fall, with 127 FPS at 1080p, 82 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K.

These numbers suggest that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the frame rate scales almost linearly with the number of pixels being rendered. If the CPU were limiting, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, the consistent drop-offs indicate that the RX 9060’s shading units and memory bandwidth are being fully utilized by 4K workloads. The 4K Ultra score of 45 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold typically desired for smooth gameplay, while 1080p and 1440p results remain comfortably in playable territory.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For the Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination, the data suggests that the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance at 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 155 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most standard monitors. The Ultra preset at 1080p provides 127 FPS, a 18% reduction for what is likely a marginal visual improvement in a fast-paced game like Doom. Given the minor difference in frame rate, High is the more sensible choice for maintaining high refresh rates.

At 1440p, the High preset achieves 101 FPS, which is still smooth for competitive play. The Medium preset offers 119 FPS, an 18% improvement over High, but the visual downgrade may not be worth the extra frames. Ultra at 1440p drops to 82 FPS, which is still playable but begins to approach the lower end of acceptable performance for a 144Hz display. The Low preset provides 137 FPS at 1440p, but the visual quality loss is significant.

At 4K, the situation changes. The High preset yields only 54 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS target. The Medium preset improves this to 65 FPS, making it the only preset at 4K that crosses the 60 FPS threshold in the measured data. Low settings at 4K provide 74 FPS, but sacrificing visual quality at this resolution is counterproductive. For users prioritizing frame rate, Medium at 4K is the recommended preset, as it delivers 65 FPS while retaining more visual details than Low. The Ultra preset at 4K, with 45 FPS, should be avoided due to its sub-60 FPS performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1686 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all systems tested, which aligns with the GPU’s mid-range percentile standing (59th percentile) rather than the CPU’s high-end standing (95th percentile). The rank indicates that while the CPU is top-tier, the GPU holds the combo back from achieving higher positions in the overall ranking.

The combo’s rank suggests that there are 1,244 other system configurations that perform better in this game, likely featuring more powerful GPUs. Given that the RX 9060’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (0.7% higher average score) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (1% higher), pairing the i9-14900K with a slightly stronger GPU would likely move this combo significantly higher in the rankings. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor, so users looking to improve this system’s standing in Doom should focus on GPU upgrades rather than CPU replacements.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p provides the highest frame rates, with the High preset delivering 155 FPS and Low achieving 211 FPS. 1440p is also playable, with High at 101 FPS, while 4K only reaches 45-74 FPS depending on settings.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16,014. It is 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700, and 2.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500.

Q: Is the i9-14900K a bottleneck for the RX 9060 in Doom?

A: No. The CPU’s high single-core and multi-core scores, combined with the consistent FPS scaling across resolutions, indicate that the GPU is the limiting factor. The i9-14900K scores in the 95th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What settings should be used for 4K gaming?

A: The Medium preset is recommended for 4K, as it delivers 65 FPS. High settings drop to 54 FPS, and Ultra drops to 45 FPS, both below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How much FPS is lost moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: On High settings, the FPS drops from 155 at 1080p to 54 at 4K, a 65% reduction. On Ultra settings, the drop is from 127 to 45, a 65% reduction as well.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1686 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the lower-middle tier due to the GPU’s mid-range performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings combination. The data shows a consistent pattern of performance scaling.

1920x1080:

• Low: 211 FPS
• Medium: 184 FPS (min 156, max 212)
• High: 155 FPS
• Ultra: 127 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 137 FPS
• Medium: 119 FPS (min 101, max 137)
• High: 101 FPS
• Ultra: 82 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 74 FPS
• Medium: 65 FPS (min 55, max 74)
• High: 54 FPS
• Ultra: 45 FPS

These numbers highlight the GPU’s scaling behavior. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 84 FPS, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom. At 4K, the difference narrows to 29 FPS, showing that the GPU is nearing its limits. The Medium preset at each resolution provides a balanced option, with 184 FPS at 1080p, 119 FPS at 1440p, and 65 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows that even the lowest recorded frames stay close to the average, suggesting stable performance without severe hitches.