Doom

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a remarkably smooth experience in Doom across all tested resolutions and settings. The data shows that this combination not only meets the 60 FPS playability threshold but exceeds it by a substantial margin, positioning this as a high-performance pairing for this classic FPS title.

Best Settings per Resolution

The measured performance data for this combination reveals that the most demanding preset, Ultra, remains comfortably playable at every resolution. Benchmark results indicate that the system achieves its highest playable visual quality at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, producing an average of 66 FPS. This is noteworthy because it demonstrates that the hardware can handle the game's maximum graphical demands even at 4K resolution without dropping below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 122 FPS, which is nearly double the playability threshold and provides ample headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors. The data suggests that users with 1440p displays can enable the highest settings while still enjoying fluid motion and responsive gameplay.

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 189 FPS. This level of performance indicates that the combination is far from being a bottleneck at 1080p, offering a significant margin above the 60 FPS target. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p shows a clear progression, with average frame rates increasing by approximately 55% when moving down in resolution.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Doom at 4K resolution with maximum settings?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 66 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination can produce?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 314, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the maximum frame rate output across all tested configurations.

Q: How does performance scale when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 189 at 1920x1080 to 122 at 2560x1440, representing a decrease of approximately 35%. This scaling indicates the GPU becomes more heavily utilized as resolution increases.

Q: Are there any settings at any resolution that fail to maintain 60 FPS?

A: No. Every settings preset at every resolution tested maintains an average FPS above 60. The lowest average FPS recorded is 66 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the measurements?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 81 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This is still well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How much performance difference exists between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 203 FPS while Ultra produces 122 FPS. This represents a difference of 81 FPS, or approximately 66% higher frame rate with Low settings compared to Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this hardware combination performs across different resolutions and settings. At 3840x2160, the system delivers an average of 110 FPS with Low settings, 96 FPS with Medium settings, and 81 FPS with High settings. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS, indicating a range that consistently stays above the playability threshold. Ultra settings at 4K produce an average of 66 FPS, which remains playable but shows the expected performance cost of maximum graphical fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance envelope expands significantly. Low settings achieve an average of 203 FPS, Medium settings reach 177 FPS, and High settings produce 150 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution records a minimum of 150 FPS and a maximum of 204 FPS, demonstrating a tight performance band that never approaches the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings at 1440p deliver an average of 122 FPS, offering a substantial margin for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 1920x1080, the system shows its highest performance levels. Low settings produce an average of 314 FPS, Medium settings achieve 273 FPS, and High settings reach 231 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p records a minimum of 232 FPS and a maximum of 314 FPS, showing consistent high performance across the measurement range. Ultra settings at 1080p deliver an average of 189 FPS, which is still more than triple the playability threshold.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: as resolution decreases, the average FPS increases across all settings. The performance gap between Low and Ultra settings remains relatively consistent at each resolution, with approximately a 65% difference at 4K, 66% at 1440p, and 66% at 1080p. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the primary performance driver across all tested configurations.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals for both the CPU and GPU, several alternative hardware combinations would likely produce similar performance in Doom. The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, has an average score of 13492 with a delta of 0%, indicating nearly identical CPU performance. The Intel Core i5-9500 follows closely with a score of 13452 and a delta of 0.3%, while the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594 with a delta of -0.7%. The Intel Core i7-1250U rounds out the closest competitors with a score of 13351 and a delta of 1.1%.

For the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 is the closest rival with a score of 37628 and a delta of 0.1%, indicating essentially identical graphics performance. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507 with a delta of 0.4%, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135 with a delta of -1.3%. The AMD Radeon PRO W6400 completes the nearest rivals with a score of 37157 and a delta of 1.3%.

These benchmark scores suggest that swapping the CPU to an Intel Core i5-9500 or the GPU to an AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 would yield very similar frame rates in Doom. The small deltas between these components indicate that performance differences would likely be within a few percentage points, resulting in a comparable gaming experience.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: this PC can run Doom at every resolution and every settings preset tested, with all configurations maintaining an average FPS above the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 3840x2160, all four settings presets are playable, with Ultra achieving an average of 66 FPS as the best setting. This means users can experience the game at maximum visual quality at 4K without compromising playability.

At 2560x1440, all settings presets are also playable, with Ultra delivering an average of 122 FPS. This represents the best balance of visual quality and performance for this resolution, providing a high frame rate that exceeds the requirements of most high-refresh-rate monitors. The 122 FPS average at Ultra settings indicates there is substantial headroom even at maximum graphical fidelity.

At 1920x1080, all settings presets are playable, with Ultra producing an average of 189 FPS. This is the highest performance tier in the measurements, delivering frame rates that would satisfy even the most demanding competitive players. The system demonstrates exceptional capability at 1080p, with even the most demanding settings providing a comfortable margin above the playability threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 860 out of 3712 tested combinations in Doom. This places the system in the top 23% of all tested hardware configurations, indicating strong overall performance relative to the broader benchmark database. The ranking reflects the system's ability to maintain high frame rates across all resolutions and settings, with particular strength demonstrated at lower resolutions where the GPU can fully express its capabilities.

The percentile rankings of the individual components support this position. The CPU sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. The combination of a solid mid-range CPU with a high-end GPU creates a balanced system that performs well in Doom's engine, which appears to benefit more from GPU throughput than CPU multi-threading capabilities.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance data reveals interesting insights into how the CPU and GPU contribute to Doom's frame rates at different resolutions. The scaling between resolutions provides evidence that the GPU is the primary driver of performance in this title. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 189 to 122, a decrease of approximately 35%. This is consistent with the increased pixel count requiring more GPU work, while the CPU workload remains relatively constant.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution also points to GPU-bound behavior. At 3840x2160, the difference between Low (110 FPS) and Ultra (66 FPS) is 44 FPS, representing a 67% performance cost for maximum visual quality. This scaling aligns with the GPU's shading, texture, and pixel processing demands increasing with higher settings, while CPU-side work such as draw calls and physics remain largely unchanged.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's role becomes more relevant. The 314 FPS average at Low settings approaches the point where CPU-limited performance can occur, though the sustained high frame rates indicate the i3-12100F handles the workload effectively. The CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads provide sufficient processing power for Doom's engine, with its single-thread score of 893 in 3DMark suggesting strong per-core performance that benefits this title.

The consistency of the performance delta between Low and Ultra across all resolutions suggests that the GPU remains the dominant performance factor throughout. Even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 300 FPS in some configurations, the system continues to scale with GPU settings, indicating that the GPU is still the primary bottleneck. The CPU's contribution becomes more significant only at very high frame rates, where its 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs ensures it does not unduly limit performance.