Doom

The data recorded for this combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 in Doom shows a highly playable experience at most settings, with the primary limitation appearing only at the highest 4K resolutions. The measurements focus on average frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets, all of which are well above the 60 FPS threshold except for the 4K High and Ultra presets. This analysis breaks down the recorded FPS, the role of each component, and the best settings for each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this system in Doom is consistent across the board, with no minimum or maximum frame rates recorded, only averages. At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high. The Low preset delivers an average of 176.9 FPS, which is the highest recorded frame rate in the entire dataset. The Medium preset follows at 153.3 FPS, and High drops slightly to 127.3 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset still maintains a strong 102.7 FPS average, leaving considerable headroom above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very comfortable. The Low preset averages 113.5 FPS, Medium drops to 96.3 FPS, and High comes in at 82.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution produces an average of 70.2 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS line, indicating that the system can handle the game at maximum quality settings without dipping below playable levels.

At 3840x2160, the performance picture changes significantly. The Low preset manages an average of 60.3 FPS, which just clears the playable threshold. The Medium preset averages 53 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS target. High settings produce an average of 45.8 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops further to 38.5 FPS. This shows a clear scaling pattern where the GPU becomes the limiting factor as the resolution increases, with only the Low preset remaining viable at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a distinct shift in component roles as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU likely has a more significant influence, but the GPU still manages to produce very high averages. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop of about 74 FPS, from 176.9 to 102.7, which indicates that the GPU is still handling most of the graphical load, but the CPU is not bottlenecking the system.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease across all presets, but the relative performance gap between Low and Ultra narrows slightly. The Low preset drops from 176.9 to 113.5 FPS, and Ultra drops from 102.7 to 70.2 FPS. This suggests the GPU is becoming more of a factor, as the resolution increase puts more strain on the rendering pipeline, while the CPU has less impact on the overall frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the GPU clearly dominates the performance equation. The frame rates drop dramatically across all presets, with Ultra falling to 38.5 FPS and High at 45.8 FPS. The CPU, with its high core count and boost clock, is unlikely to be the limiting factor at this resolution. The data shows that the RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of memory and 192-bit bus, simply cannot sustain high frame rates when pushing 8.3 million pixels per frame. The scaling between presets also becomes more pronounced at 4K, with a 21.8 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, compared to about 74 FPS at 1080p, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at the highest resolution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals recorded in the database, the CPU and GPU each have close performance neighbors. For the Intel Core i7-14700K, the nearest rival is the AMD EPYC 9115, which has an average benchmark score of 69288, essentially identical to the i7's 69355, a delta of only 0.1 percent. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, which is 0.2 percent higher, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, 0.7 percent higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is 0.9 percent higher with a score of 69996. These differences are minor, so any of these CPUs would likely produce very similar frame rates in Doom, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU has more influence.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 has an average score of 15290. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, with a score of 15283 and a delta of 0 percent, meaning performance is essentially equal. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, just 0.1 percent lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, 0.6 percent lower. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, 0.8 percent lower. These GPUs would behave similarly in Doom, meaning they would likely produce comparable frame rates at each resolution and preset, with the same inability to reach 60 FPS at 4K on High or Ultra settings.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Doom? The verdict data indicates yes, but with caveats at the highest resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 102.7 FPS, far above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, all presets also clear the threshold, with Ultra averaging 70.2 FPS. At 3840x2160, however, only the Low preset is playable, averaging 60.3 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 53 FPS, which falls short of the 60 FPS line, and High and Ultra are not viable at 45.8 and 38.5 FPS respectively.

The recorded data shows that this system is well-suited for Doom at 1080p and 1440p, offering smooth performance even at maximum quality settings. At 4K, the system can run the game only on the lowest settings to maintain playability, and even then it just barely clears the threshold. For users with a 1440p monitor, this combo provides a strong experience with headroom to spare. For 4K displays, the system requires significant compromises in visual quality to stay playable.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks at position 2933 out of 3712 tested combos in this game. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, which is primarily due to the GPU. The CPU is a high-end part, ranking in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, but the GPU sits in the 58th percentile among all GPUs. The rank of 2933 reflects the overall system balance, where the GPU holds back what would otherwise be a very strong configuration. In practical terms, this means there are many other tested combinations that achieve higher frame rates in Doom, but also many that perform worse. The rank suggests that users with this setup should focus on the GPU as the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 60 FPS on 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 102.7, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 3840x2160?

A: The only playable preset at 4K is Low, which averages 60.3 FPS. Medium averages 53 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to the RTX 3050 OEM in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290, while the RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, which is 0.6 percent lower. The performance is very close.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 2560x1440?

A: The Low preset averages 113.5 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 70.2 FPS, a difference of 43.3 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 4K?

A: At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The frame rates drop significantly across all presets, and the CPU, which ranks in the 94th percentile, is unlikely to be the bottleneck.

Q: What rank does this combination hold among all tested combos in Doom?

A: This combo ranks 2933 out of 3712 tested combinations in the database.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings for each resolution, defined as the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, are as follows. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, with an average of 102.7 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also works, averaging 70.2 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only option that clears the threshold, averaging 60.3 FPS. These settings provide the maximum visual quality while maintaining a playable frame rate, based on the recorded data.