Doom

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination delivers a highly capable 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, but the data indicates a clear ceiling at 4K. Benchmark results show this pairing ranks 2281 out of 3712 tested combinations for this title. The measured frame rates place the system comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold at the two lower resolutions across all presets, while 4K requires a reduction in graphical fidelity to maintain smooth gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system posts its highest performance figures. The Low preset delivers an average of 202 FPS, which represents the peak throughput of the configuration. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 176 FPS, with a minimum of 150 FPS and a maximum of 203 FPS. The High preset maintains an average of 149 FPS, while the most demanding Ultra preset still achieves a robust 122 FPS average. All four settings at this resolution clear the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin, with the Ultra preset retaining nearly double the playable minimum.

The 2560x1440 results show a predictable step down from 1080p but remain emphatically playable. Low settings produce an average of 131 FPS, while Medium records a 114 FPS average with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. High settings sustain a 96 FPS average, and Ultra still manages a strong 79 FPS average. The scaling between presets at this resolution is consistent, with each step up in quality costing roughly 15-20% of the average frame rate. The Ultra preset here outperforms the High preset at 1080p, indicating the GPU has ample headroom for higher resolution work.

At 3840x2160, the configuration encounters its first meaningful challenge. The Low preset yields a 71 FPS average, clearing the playability threshold. Medium settings produce a 62 FPS average, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. High settings drop to a 52 FPS average, and Ultra falls further to 43 FPS. The data shows that only Low and Medium presets remain at or above the 60 FPS target at 4K. The gap between Medium and High at this resolution is 10 FPS, which is the largest single-step drop in the dataset, indicating a significant jump in GPU workload between these quality tiers.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only with reduced settings. The benchmark data shows the system achieves a 71 FPS average on Low and a 62 FPS average on Medium at 3840x2160. High and Ultra presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 52 FPS and 43 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gameplay?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers a 79 FPS average, which is the highest quality setting that maintains 60+ FPS. All four presets at this resolution—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—remain above the playability threshold, so users can choose Ultra for maximum visual fidelity.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: The scaling varies by preset. At Ultra settings, the average drops from 122 FPS at 1080p to 79 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 43 FPS. On Low settings, the drop is from 202 FPS to 131 FPS. The percentage loss is consistent across presets, roughly 35-40% of the 1080p average.

Q: Is the RTX 5050 the bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, where the average falls to 43 FPS. The CPU's strong multi-threaded scores—including a 30745 score in Cinebench R23 multicore—indicate it can feed the GPU adequately. The steep FPS drop from Medium to High at 4K points to a GPU-side rendering cost rather than a CPU limitation.

Q: What is the minimum FPS on the Medium preset at 1080p?

A: The minimum recorded frame rate is 150 FPS, with an average of 176 FPS and a maximum of 203 FPS. This represents the only preset in the dataset where min/max values are provided for 1080p, showing a tight frame time distribution.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rivals in raw performance?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 21035 places it near the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153 score, 0.6% faster) and AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237 score, 1% faster). It edges out the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT by 1.6% (20713 score) and trails the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile by 1.6% (21379 score). These are all very close results, indicating similar class performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-13700K's average benchmark score of 46881 places it in a tight cluster of competing processors. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971, a mere 0.2% higher, meaning users would see virtually identical CPU-bound behavior in Doom. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022 (0.3% higher), while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX posts 46654 (0.5% lower). The Intel Xeon w3-2535 rounds out the group at 46653 (0.5% lower). Any of these processors would produce equivalent frame pacing in this game, as the workload at the tested resolutions does not appear to stress the CPU beyond its capabilities.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050's nearest rivals are all within a 1.6% performance band. The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, 0.6% faster) and AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, 1% faster) would deliver nearly identical FPS numbers at every resolution and preset. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, 1.6% slower) would be slightly less capable, likely producing a few frames less than the RTX 5050 in the 4K Medium and Low presets. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, 1.6% faster) would provide marginally better headroom, potentially pushing the 4K High preset closer to the 60 FPS mark. Users seeking comparable performance should expect these alternatives to land within a few frames per second of the RTX 5050's results across the entire settings matrix.

The Verdict

The data confirms this system can run Doom with strong performance at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K requires compromise. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low (202 FPS), Medium (176 FPS), High (149 FPS), and Ultra (122 FPS)—clear the 60 FPS threshold with at least double the required frame rate. At 2560x1440, the story is equally positive: every preset remains above 60 FPS, from Low (131 FPS) to Ultra (79 FPS). The verdict at 3840x2160 is conditional: Low (71 FPS) and Medium (62 FPS) presets are playable, while High (52 FPS) and Ultra (43 FPS) fall short of the 60 FPS target. The system is fully capable for the majority of gaming scenarios, with only maxed-out 4K settings requiring a downgrade in visual quality.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance data reveals a GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions, but the CPU's role cannot be dismissed. At 1920x1080, the CPU's capability is more relevant: the i7-13700K's strong single-threaded performance (2116 in Cinebench R23 single-core) helps sustain the 202 FPS Low preset figure. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 80 FPS, a 40% reduction that reflects the GPU's increasing workload as settings rise.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to dominate the frame rate equation. The gap between Low (131 FPS) and Ultra (79 FPS) is 52 FPS, showing a slightly smaller absolute loss than at 1080p but a similar percentage scale. The CPU still has headroom here, as evidenced by the fact that Ultra at 1440p (79 FPS) beats High at 1080p (149 FPS) only when accounting for resolution—the GPU is doing most of the heavy lifting.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the unequivocal bottleneck. The jump from Medium (62 FPS) to High (52 FPS) represents a 16% drop, while the jump from High to Ultra (43 FPS) is another 17% reduction. This progressive collapse at 4K indicates the RTX 5050's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain the higher quality presets. The CPU's contribution at this resolution is minimal, as its strong multi-threaded scores (30745 Cinebench R23 multicore) are not the limiting factor. The resolution scaling—from 202 FPS at 1080p Low to 71 FPS at 4K Low—shows the GPU's raw fill rate constraints taking precedence over the CPU's capabilities.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the optimal choice, delivering a 122 FPS average. This is the most demanding setting that maintains the 60 FPS threshold, and the 122 FPS average provides ample margin for frame drops below average. The High preset (149 FPS) and Medium preset (176 FPS) offer higher frame rates, but Ultra's visual quality is the maximum playable.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again takes the top spot with a 79 FPS average. This preset stays comfortably above the 60 FPS minimum, and the 79 FPS figure leaves room for demanding scenes. The High preset (96 FPS) is a viable alternative for users prioritizing higher refresh rates, but Ultra provides the best visual fidelity while remaining playable.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS, with a 62 FPS average. This is a narrow margin—only 2 FPS above the threshold—so users may experience occasional dips below 60 FPS in intense combat. The Low preset (71 FPS) offers more headroom but sacrifices visual quality. The data indicates that 4K Medium is the maximum playable setting, with the 52 FPS minimum on Medium highlighting that even this preset can dip below the target.