Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a commanding performance in Doom, with the measured data showing that this combination is not merely capable of running the game, but does so with a significant margin of headroom across most settings. The benchmark results place this combo at rank 1565 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it comfortably in the upper half of all systems tested. The data indicates that the system clears the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution tested, with the only exception being the Ultra preset at 3840x2160, which falls just short. This analysis will break down the measured FPS across resolutions and presets, compare the hardware to its closest rivals, and determine which component is the primary driver of performance at each setting.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is overwhelmingly powerful, with the Low preset producing an average of 258.2 FPS. Moving up to Medium, the average drops to 225 FPS, which is a reduction of 33.2 FPS, or approximately 13%. The High preset delivers 192.3 FPS, and the most demanding Ultra preset still maintains a very high average of 156.3 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p represents a total drop of 101.9 FPS, indicating that even at the highest quality settings, the system retains a massive performance buffer above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally strong, though the expected resolution penalty is visible. The Low preset averages 168.7 FPS, which is 89.5 FPS lower than the same preset at 1080p. Medium delivers 148.9 FPS, High reaches 125.6 FPS, and Ultra still comfortably exceeds 60 FPS with an average of 101.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 67.5 FPS, a slightly smaller absolute difference than at 1080p, which suggests the GPU is beginning to become a more significant factor. Every preset at 1440p clears the 60 FPS threshold with substantial room to spare, making this a highly playable resolution for all settings.

The most demanding scenario is 3840x2160, where the system's limits become apparent. The Low preset averages 89 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 168.7 FPS seen at 1440p, representing a 47% reduction. Medium averages 81.9 FPS, and High averages 64.8 FPS. These three presets all remain above the 60 FPS playability threshold. However, the Ultra preset averages 54.3 FPS, which falls 5.7 FPS short of the playable threshold, making it the only configuration tested that cannot sustain acceptable performance. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at each preset shows a substantial performance cost, with the High preset dropping from 125.6 FPS to 64.8 FPS, a reduction of 60.8 FPS. This clearly indicates that 4K Ultra is beyond the capabilities of this hardware combination, while all other 4K presets remain viable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-14600K, based on average benchmark scores, provide context for its processing power. The CPU's average benchmark score is 48618, placing it in the 90th percentile of all tested CPUs. The closest competitor is the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698, a marginal 0.2% higher. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, which is 0.3% lower, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX is 0.7% behind with a score of 48287. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 rounds out the group with a score of 48995, which is 0.8% higher than the i5-14600K. In practical gaming terms, these deltas are negligible, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Doom when paired with the same GPU, as the game is unlikely to be CPU-bound at the tested settings.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which scores 17083, a 0.7% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, which is 1% lower, and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, a 1.1% deficit. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores higher at 17468, giving it a 1.5% lead over the RTX 3070. For Doom, these rival GPUs would produce frame rates within a percent or two of the RTX 3070, meaning a system built with any of these alternatives would feel nearly identical in gameplay, with the same general pattern of performance across resolutions and presets. The data suggests that the RTX 3070's performance profile is well-established, and these rivals would all struggle with 4K Ultra just as the RTX 3070 does.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in which component dominates performance as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the CPU's role is more prominent, though even here the system is not severely CPU-limited. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop from 258.2 FPS to 156.3 FPS, a 101.9 FPS reduction that is primarily driven by the GPU's workload increasing with higher quality settings. However, the fact that the Low preset reaches 258.2 FPS suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames at a very high rate, and the RTX 3070 is the limiting factor for achieving even higher frame rates at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the GPU becomes the primary determinant of performance. The absolute FPS values drop significantly compared to 1080p, with the Low preset falling from 258.2 to 168.7 FPS. This 89.5 FPS drop is almost entirely attributable to the increased pixel count, which places a heavier load on the GPU's rendering pipeline. The CPU has less impact here, as the frame rate is increasingly constrained by the GPU's ability to process pixels. The scaling between presets at 1440p is similar in magnitude to 1080p, indicating the GPU is the bottleneck across all settings.

The 3840x2160 results confirm that the GPU is overwhelmingly the limiting factor. The Low preset at 4K delivers 89 FPS, which is less than the Ultra preset at 1440p (101.2 FPS), demonstrating the severe cost of rendering four times the pixels. The CPU's performance headroom is largely irrelevant at this resolution, as the RTX 3070 is fully saturated. The drop from 1440p Low (168.7 FPS) to 4K Low (89 FPS) is a 47% reduction, which is consistent with the GPU being the bottleneck. The data shows that for this game, the i5-14600K is more than sufficient at all resolutions, and the RTX 3070's capabilities define the boundaries of playable settings, particularly at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination achieves a rank of 1565 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the 42nd percentile of all systems. This rank is notably lower than the individual component percentiles, with the CPU ranking in the 90th percentile and the GPU in the 61st percentile. This discrepancy suggests that while the CPU is a high-end part, the GPU holds the combo back from reaching the upper echelons of the ranking. The data indicates that this is a solidly mid-to-upper tier configuration for Doom, capable of handling the game at high settings and high resolutions, but not competing with systems that feature significantly more powerful GPUs.

The rank of 1565 is driven by the fact that Doom is a well-optimized game that can run on a wide range of hardware. Many lower-ranked combos likely feature weaker CPUs but similar or slightly better GPUs, which would allow them to achieve comparable or better frame rates at higher resolutions. Conversely, combos ranked above this one typically feature GPUs with more memory or higher compute throughput, enabling them to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, which this system cannot. The measured FPS data shows that the combo's performance is consistent with its rank, as it excels at 1080p and 1440p but begins to show its limitations at 4K with the most demanding preset.

The Verdict

The verdict on whether this PC can run Doom is a resounding yes across nearly all tested configurations, with one notable exception. The data shows that at 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold, with average frame rates ranging from 156.3 FPS at Ultra to 258.2 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, the system again clears 60 FPS on every preset, with the Ultra preset averaging 101.2 FPS, providing a smooth and highly responsive experience. At 3840x2160, the system maintains playability on the Low (89 FPS), Medium (81.9 FPS), and High (64.8 FPS) presets, all of which stay above the 60 FPS threshold. The only configuration that fails to meet the playable threshold is 4K Ultra, which averages 54.3 FPS, falling 5.7 FPS short.

This means the system is fully capable of running Doom at the highest quality settings for the vast majority of gamers, provided they are using a 1440p or 1080p display. For 4K users, the High preset is the maximum playable option, offering a solid 64.8 FPS average, while the Ultra preset should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept sub-60 FPS performance. The data clearly shows that this is a high-performance combination for Doom, with no other limitations at the tested resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings for each resolution are determined by the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 156.3 FPS, which is far above the threshold and provides the highest visual quality. There is no reason to use a lower preset at this resolution, as the system has ample performance headroom. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is also the recommended option, with an average of 101.2 FPS. This provides excellent visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the playable threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the best playable option, averaging 64.8 FPS. While this is only 4.8 FPS above the threshold, it is still a stable and playable experience. The Medium preset is also an option for those who prefer higher frame rates, averaging 81.9 FPS, but the High preset offers significantly better visual quality for a modest FPS cost. The Ultra preset at 4K, with its 54.3 FPS average, is not recommended as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. For users with 4K displays, the High preset represents the optimal balance of visual quality and performance, while those with 1080p or 1440p displays can confidently use the Ultra preset for the best experience.