Doom

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a starkly lopsided configuration for _Doom_. The data shows a CPU that sits in the 95th percentile against all processors, while the GPU languishes in the 5th percentile. This pairing results in a system where the graphics adapter is the definitive bottleneck at every resolution and settings level tested. The measured frames per second (FPS) are consistently low, indicating that this combination is only suitable for playing _Doom_ at the lowest settings and resolution, or with significant compromises to visual fidelity elsewhere.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and clearly illustrates that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 71 at 1920x1080 to 46 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 25 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 High yields only 25 FPS, a staggering 46 FPS loss from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is a classic sign of a GPU that is overwhelmed by the pixel count; the render workload is scaling directly with resolution, and the Arc B370’s compute resources are insufficient to keep pace.

The pattern is consistent across all quality presets. With Low settings, the average FPS drops from 96 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p, and finally to 34 at 4K. Even at the lowest visual fidelity, the 4K resolution is not playable. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a roughly 35% performance penalty, while the jump from 1440p to 4K imposes another 45% penalty. This non-linear degradation suggests that the GPU is not just fill-rate limited, but also struggling with the increased memory pressure and shader complexity that comes with higher resolutions, even in a title as well-optimized as _Doom_.

The data suggests that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo can approach acceptable frame rates, and even then, it requires specific settings. The 1440p results are marginal at best, with only the Low preset exceeding 60 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with the best-case scenario being 34 FPS on Low, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience in a fast-paced FPS. For this hardware pairing, resolution scaling is not a matter of tweaking; it is the primary barrier to a playable experience.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear performance ceiling in this system. Its benchmark data is sparse, with only a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. In the nearest rivals list, it trades blows with legacy parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, with a deltaPct of -0.2% and -0.5% respectively. This context is crucial; the i9-14900K is being held back by a GPU whose performance class is over a decade old.

The GPU's specifications align with its poor benchmark showing. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, but its memory configuration is "System Shared." This means the GPU has no dedicated VRAM and relies on system memory, with a bandwidth that is "System Dependent." For a game like _Doom_, which demands rapid texture streaming and memory access, sharing system memory is a severe handicap and likely contributes to the low average FPS across all tests. The 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs are simply not enough to drive modern resolutions.

The GPU's role in this configuration is purely a limiting one. The data demonstrates that even at the lowest settings, the GPU cannot provide a high frame rate at 1080p, maxing out at 96 FPS. As the settings increase, the GPU load becomes heavier, and the FPS plummets, confirming that it is the primary constraint. The CPU is more than capable of feeding this GPU, but the GPU cannot process the frames fast enough to take advantage of the processor's power. The result is a system where the GPU's weakness dictates the entire performance profile, turning a high-end CPU into a passenger in a budget-tier graphics experience.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the only viable path to a smooth experience is to use the Low preset at 1920x1080. This is the only configuration that achieves an average FPS above 90, hitting 96 FPS. While this sacrifices visual quality, it is the only way to approach the high refresh rates that _Doom_'s fast-paced gameplay demands. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 84 FPS, which is still playable, but the 12 FPS drop from Low to Medium may not be worth the marginal visual improvement given the GPU's limitations.

The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for this hardware. At 1080p, High yields 71 FPS and Ultra drops to 58 FPS. While these are technically playable frame rates, they are on the edge of what is considered smooth for an FPS. More importantly, these settings will cause significant frame drops in intense combat scenarios, which the average FPS does not fully capture. Moving to 1440p, only the Low preset (62 FPS) is playable; Medium (54 FPS) is borderline, and High (46 FPS) and Ultra (37 FPS) are too slow for a competitive shooter.

At 4K, no preset is recommended. The highest average FPS is 34 on Low, which is far too low for a smooth experience. The data clearly indicates that users should avoid 4K entirely with this GPU. The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally 1080p Low, with 1080p Medium as a fallback if visual fidelity is prioritized over a higher frame rate buffer. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions, as it provides the lowest performance without a proportional visual benefit on this hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

The performance at this resolution is the only usable range. The Low preset delivers the highest average FPS at 96. The Medium preset follows with 84 average FPS, and its minimum and maximum are recorded at 71 and 96 FPS, respectively. The High preset achieves 71 average FPS. The Ultra preset is the slowest, with an average of 58 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p):

Performance drops significantly here. The Low preset is the only one to break the 60 FPS barrier, averaging 62 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 62 FPS. The High preset drops to 46 average FPS. The Ultra preset is heavily compromised, averaging only 37 FPS.

3840x2160 (4K):

This resolution is not playable with this hardware. The Low preset averages 34 FPS. The Medium preset averages 29 FPS, with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 34 FPS. The High preset averages 25 FPS. The Ultra preset brings up the rear with an average of 20 FPS. The data shows a consistent and severe performance penalty as resolution increases, confirming the GPU bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: Can this CPU and GPU combo play Doom at 4K?

A: No. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only achieves an average of 34 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to an unplayable 20 FPS. The Intel Arc B370 does not have the processing power to handle 4K resolution in this game.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this hardware?

A: The best experience per the measured rows is the Low preset at 1920x1080, which delivers an average of 96 FPS. This is the only configuration that provides a frame rate high enough for a smooth, responsive FPS experience.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, deltaPct -0.2%) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, deltaPct -0.5%). This places its performance in the same class as these much older graphics cards.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K the reason for the low frame rates?

A: No. The CPU is in the 95th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 79097. In contrast, the GPU is in the 5th percentile. The performance data indicates the GPU is the limiting component, as FPS scales heavily with resolution and settings, which are GPU-bound tasks.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 96 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 58 FPS. This represents a 38 FPS drop for the higher visual fidelity, a significant cost that makes the Ultra preset a poor choice on this hardware.

Q: What is the combo's rank among tested configurations for Doom?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2696 out of 2930 tested combos for the game. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, confirming its poor performance profile for this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is an extremely powerful processor, but its role in this specific configuration is almost entirely neutralized by the GPU. The data shows it has 24 cores and 32 threads, with a boost clock of 6.00 GHz and a base clock of 3.20 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores an impressive 39399.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2262.5 in single-core, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900KF, scores 79371 with a deltaPct of -0.3%, showing the two are virtually identical in performance.

However, these CPU strengths do not translate into high frame rates in _Doom_ because the measured FPS is so low. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 20, a scenario where the CPU is likely idle waiting for the GPU to render frames. The processor's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, but the Intel Arc B370 is so slow that it cannot process the data quickly enough to utilize the CPU's immense throughput. This is a classic case of a CPU bottleneck in reverse; the GPU is the limiting factor, and the CPU's performance is irrelevant to the final frame rate.

The CPU's high core count and clock speeds are wasted in this pairing. While the i9-14900K is capable of handling any modern game's physics and AI calculations with ease, it cannot compensate for a GPU that is in the 5th percentile. The benchmark results for the CPU show it is a top-tier part, but the measured FPS in _Doom_ demonstrates that a powerful CPU cannot overcome a weak GPU. For this system, the CPU is an overqualified component that is being held back, and its performance characteristics have no bearing on the playable experience, which is dictated entirely by the graphics card.