Doom

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is an exceptionally high-performing combination for Doom, delivering frame rates that far exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold at every tested resolution and preset. The data confirms that this pairing ranks in the top 1% of all tested combos, with the GPU providing massive headroom even at 4K Ultra settings. Benchmark results indicate this system is effectively overkill for Doom, a 2016 title whose engine is easily saturated by modern high-end hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination shows a clear pattern of performance scaling across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers staggering frame rates that approach the limits of typical high-refresh-rate displays. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 419, while Medium settings produce an average of 400 FPS with a minimum of 340 FPS and a maximum of 460 FPS. High settings at 1080p yield 357 FPS average, and even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains a 292 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the bottleneck is almost entirely removed, and the system is capable of driving refresh rates far beyond what most monitors can display.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally strong but shows the expected scaling curve. Low settings produce an average of 314 FPS, Medium settings deliver 273 FPS with a minimum of 232 FPS and a maximum of 314 FPS, High settings achieve 231 FPS average, and Ultra settings still hold a commanding 189 FPS average. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable—approximately 25% lower at Low settings and roughly 35% lower at Ultra—but the absolute numbers remain so high that gameplay smoothness is never in question.

At 3840x2160, the system demonstrates that it can handle 4K with ease. Low settings deliver a 170 FPS average, Medium settings produce 148 FPS with a minimum of 126 FPS and a maximum of 170 FPS, High settings achieve 125 FPS average, and Ultra settings maintain a 102 FPS average. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced: Ultra drops from 189 FPS to 102 FPS, a 46% reduction, while Low drops from 314 FPS to 170 FPS, a 46% reduction as well. This consistent scaling percentage suggests that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at these resolutions, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a limiting factor.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for both components provides context for how this specific pairing behaves relative to other hardware. The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, placing it at the 84th percentile among all CPUs. Its closest competitor is the Intel Core i5-13600T, which scores 35305, a mere 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35365, just 0.2% higher, while the Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403, 0.3% higher, and the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, 0.4% higher. These delta values are negligible in real-world gaming terms, meaning that swapping the i7-12700K for any of these alternatives would produce virtually identical frame rates in Doom, as the game is not heavily reliant on CPU multi-threading at these extreme GPU-driven frame rates.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712, placing it at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are surprisingly lower-tier products: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76904, which is 1.1% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, which is 1.6% higher. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396, 2.1% higher, and the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605, 2.4% higher. These rivals are a mix of mobile GPUs and data-center accelerators, which highlights the unusual position of the RTX 5090 D in the benchmark database. For Doom specifically, any of these GPUs would likely deliver playable frame rates, but the RTX 5090 D's massive memory bandwidth and raw compute power give it a decisive edge at 4K Ultra settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in this system. At 1920x1080, the GPU is so powerful that it can render frames faster than the CPU can feed it, leading to a CPU-bound scenario. Evidence for this comes from the relatively small FPS differences between Low and High settings at 1080p: Low produces 419 FPS, while High produces 357 FPS, a difference of only 15%. At 4K, the gap widens significantly: Low produces 170 FPS, while High produces 125 FPS, a difference of 26%. This widening gap indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's role diminishes.

The scaling between resolutions further clarifies the roles. When moving from 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the FPS drops from 419 to 314, a 25% reduction. From 1440p Low to 4K Low, it drops from 314 to 170, a 46% reduction. This accelerating decline with resolution is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. Conversely, the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, provide enough single-thread performance to keep up with the GPU at lower resolutions. The fact that the 1080p Ultra preset still achieves 292 FPS—higher than the 4K Low preset's 170 FPS—shows that the CPU can handle even the most demanding settings when resolution is low, but the GPU's workload grows faster than the CPU's as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 28th out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the top 0.75% of all systems tested, an extraordinary result given the vast number of possible CPU-GPU pairings. The high rank is primarily driven by the RTX 5090 D's dominant GPU performance, as its 92nd percentile standing among all GPUs far exceeds the CPU's 84th percentile standing. In a game like Doom, where the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates at higher resolutions, this combination leverages the GPU's strengths while the CPU provides sufficient support without bottlenecking.

The rank of 28 also suggests that the combinations ranked above this one are likely using even more powerful CPUs, such as newer flagship models with higher single-thread performance. However, the performance gap between the 12700K and its nearest CPU rivals is less than 0.5%, meaning that the FPS difference in Doom would be minimal. The GPU's performance is the dominant factor, and the RTX 5090 D's position in the 92nd percentile means that only a handful of GPUs in the database can outperform it.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Doom?

A: The highest average FPS is 419, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K Ultra gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system delivers an average of 102 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287 in average benchmarks, which is just 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i5-13600T's score of 35305.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this system?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 126 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings.

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

A: It ranks 28th out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the top 1% of all systems tested for Doom.

Q: At which resolution does the GPU become the limiting factor?

A: The GPU becomes increasingly limiting at higher resolutions; the FPS drop from 1440p to 4K is 46% across all settings, indicating a GPU-bound scenario.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 292 FPS. This is more than adequate for any high-refresh-rate gaming display.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings also remain the best choice, producing an average of 189 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold while maximizing visual quality.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings are again the optimal choice, with an average of 102 FPS. While this is lower than the lower resolutions, it still exceeds the playability threshold by a wide margin, ensuring a smooth experience at maximum visual fidelity.