Doom

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a highly capable 1080p and 1440p gaming experience in Doom, but falls short of a locked 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings. The measured data shows that this combination ranks 2281st out of 3712 tested combos for this title, placing it in the lower-middle segment of the benchmark database. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves an average of 122 FPS at Ultra settings, while 2560x1440 Ultra yields 79 FPS average, and 3840x2160 tops out at 62 FPS average on Medium settings. The system clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at every resolution except for 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 43 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each have near-neighbors in the benchmark database that help contextualize their performance. The Intel Core i7-12700KF posts an average benchmark score of 35365, sitting at the 85th percentile among all tested CPUs. Its closest rival is the Intel Core i7-13700T, which scores 35403, a negligible 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, 0.2% lower, while the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287, again 0.2% lower. In practical terms, any of these four processors would produce near-identical frame rates in Doom, as the differences are within measurement noise.

For the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 achieves an average benchmark score of 21035, placing it at the 66th percentile of all tested GPUs. The nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL with an average score of 21153, which is 0.6% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M scores 21237, 1% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 20713, 1.6% lower. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile scores 21379, 1.6% higher. These deltas are all small enough that gameplay differences in Doom would be minimal, though the RTX 5050 sits slightly below the pack average.

When considering the whole system, the CPU's high percentile ranking (85th) versus the GPU's more modest one (66th) suggests that the processor is not the bottleneck in this pairing. The i7-12700KF's multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28838 and a 3DMark max-threads score of 9983, provides ample headroom for Doom's engine. The GPU, meanwhile, is the constraining factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rate scaling demonstrates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern of GPU dominance in Doom. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings: Low averages 202 FPS, Medium 176 FPS, High 149 FPS, and Ultra 122 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 80 FPS, indicating that the game scales significantly with GPU load. At 2560x1440, the same settings produce 131, 114, 96, and 79 FPS respectively, a spread of 52 FPS. At 3840x2160, the values are 71, 62, 52, and 43 FPS, a spread of 28 FPS.

The resolution scaling tells the GPU-bound story. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra settings drops the average frame rate from 122 to 79 FPS, a 35% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Ultra drops from 79 to 43 FPS, a 46% reduction. These are large drops that track closely with pixel count increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU's role is more visible at 1080p Low, where the 202 FPS average suggests the processor can feed the GPU faster than the GPU can render at higher settings.

The min/max data available for Medium settings reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from 150 to 203 FPS, a 53 FPS window. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 97 to 131 FPS, a 34 FPS window. At 4K Medium, the range is 52 to 71 FPS, a 19 FPS window. As resolution increases, the frame time variance shrinks, which is typical when the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck and the CPU has spare capacity.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Doom at 60 FPS on a 4K display?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. The measured data shows 71 FPS average at 4K Low and 62 FPS average at 4K Medium. The 4K Ultra preset drops to 43 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset is fully playable at 2560x1440, delivering 79 FPS average. This is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS at this resolution, so there is no need to compromise on visual quality.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5050's average benchmark score is 21035, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, 1% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M, 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, and 1.6% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile. These differences are minor and would translate to single-digit frame rate variations in Doom.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops steeply as resolution increases, from 202 FPS at 1080p Low to 71 FPS at 4K Low. The CPU's high percentile ranking (85th versus the GPU's 66th) indicates it has sufficient headroom, and the narrowing min/max ranges at higher resolutions confirm GPU-bound behavior.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 176 FPS, with a minimum of 150 FPS and a maximum of 203 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold and provides a smooth experience even in demanding scenes.

Q: Does the system rank high among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2281st out of 3712 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, reflecting the GPU's mid-range positioning rather than the CPU's high-end capability.

The Verdict

This PC can run Doom at all three tested resolutions, but with caveats at 4K. According to the verdict data, the playable settings at 3840x2160 are Low and Medium, with Medium providing the best experience at 62 FPS average. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra delivering 79 FPS average. At 1920x1080, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra delivering 122 FPS average. The 60 FPS playable threshold is cleared in every configuration except 4K Ultra, which falls to 43 FPS average. For users with a 4K display, the Medium preset at 62 FPS is the recommended choice, as it stays above the threshold while offering better visual fidelity than Low. At 1440p and below, the system has substantial performance headroom, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, where even Ultra settings produce 122 FPS average.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which achieves an average of 62 FPS. The Low preset yields 71 FPS average, but the Medium preset provides a better balance of visual quality and performance. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering 79 FPS average, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 96 FPS and Medium at 114 FPS are also viable, but Ultra offers the highest fidelity without sacrificing playability. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is again the top pick, with an average of 122 FPS. The High preset at 149 FPS, Medium at 176 FPS, and Low at 202 FPS are all far above the threshold, so users can prioritize visual quality without concern. The measured data shows that the system scales well with settings, so there is no configuration at 1080p or 1440p that falls below 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination ranks 2281st out of 3712 tested combos for Doom. This places the system in the 61st percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 39% of tested combos perform better. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-range standing (66th percentile among all GPUs) rather than the CPU's high-end capability (85th percentile among all CPUs). The CPU's strong multi-threaded performance, with a Passmark multithread score of 34092 and a Geekbench multicore score of 14367, does not compensate for the GPU's limitations at 4K Ultra. The ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates: the system is clearly capable at 1080p and 1440p, but sits below the top tier at 4K. Users comparing this combo against others in the database should expect it to outperform lower-end GPU pairings but fall short of configurations with higher-tier graphics cards.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are 202 FPS on Low, 176 FPS on Medium, 149 FPS on High, and 122 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has recorded minimum and maximum values of 150 FPS and 203 FPS, respectively. The spread between the lowest and highest settings is 80 FPS, indicating that the game responds strongly to graphics quality adjustments at this resolution. All settings remain far above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates drop to 131 FPS on Low, 114 FPS on Medium, 96 FPS on High, and 79 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. The 52 FPS difference between Low and Ultra is smaller than at 1080p, reflecting the increasing GPU load. Every preset still clears the 60 FPS threshold with substantial margin.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 71 FPS on Low, 62 FPS on Medium, 52 FPS on High, and 43 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. The High and Ultra presets both fall below the 60 FPS playable threshold, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The Low and Medium presets are playable, though the Medium preset's 62 FPS average sits close to the threshold, meaning frame rate dips to 52 FPS could cause noticeable stutter in demanding scenes.