Doom

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a mixed bag of results in Doom, showing clear generational strength at lower resolutions but running out of steam at 4K. The benchmark data, which is measured rather than estimated, reveals a system that is exceptionally capable at 1080p and 1440p, yet falls short of the 60 FPS threshold at 3840x2160 across all tested presets. This combination occupies a specific performance tier, ranking 2987 out of 3712 tested combos in this game, placing it in the 80th percentile of all configurations tested. The data underscores a critical imbalance: the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K, while the CPU’s high core count remains largely underutilized in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates show a predictable scaling pattern across resolutions, with the most dramatic drop occurring when moving from 1440p to 4K. At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably across all settings. The Low preset yields an average of 164 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 143 FPS with a minimum of 121 FPS and a maximum of 164 FPS. High settings produce an average of 121 FPS, and the demanding Ultra preset still manages a strong 99 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combo has significant headroom, never dipping below the 60 FPS playable threshold even under maximum graphical load.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains solid but the gap between presets widens. The Low preset averages 106 FPS, while Medium delivers 92 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. High settings achieve 78 FPS on average, and Ultra settings pull the average down to 64 FPS. The 1440p results show a consistent degradation pattern: each step up in preset costs roughly 14-15 FPS on average. The minimum FPS at Medium (79 FPS) suggests that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains comfortable margins above the 60 FPS target.

The 3840x2160 results tell a different story entirely. At 4K, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The Low preset averages 57 FPS, just shy of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings drop to 50 FPS average with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS. High settings average 42 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 35 FPS. The data shows a steep cliff at 4K: even the lowest preset fails to clear the playable bar, and the maximum FPS at Medium (58 FPS) still falls short of 60. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is severe, with the Ultra preset dropping from 64 FPS to 35 FPS—a 45% reduction in average frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2987 out of 3712 tested configurations places it in the upper portion of the field, though not among the elite. In percentile terms, this translates to roughly the 80th percentile of all tested combos for Doom. This ranking is consistent with the hardware’s specifications: the Intel Core i7-14700KF sits in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Arc B570 ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs. The disparity between CPU and GPU percentiles explains the system’s behavior—the processor is more than capable, but the graphics card holds the combo back at higher resolutions.

The benchmark data shows that this combo performs best at 1080p, where the GPU’s relative weakness is masked by the lower pixel count. At 1440p, the system still performs well, but the Ultra preset’s 64 FPS average shows the GPU beginning to strain. At 4K, the combo falls out of playable territory entirely, which is a significant outlier given its strong showing at lower resolutions. This rank suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU places this combo in the mid-to-upper tier of tested systems rather than the top tier.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware might deliver similar results. For the Intel Core i7-14700KF, the closest alternatives are the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, which scores 0.2% higher in average benchmark score, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 0.9% higher, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores 1% lower. These CPUs are all within a narrow performance band, meaning a system built with any of them would likely produce near-identical frame rates in Doom, assuming the same GPU.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B570’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 0.1% higher, and the Intel Arc A750, which scores 0.1% lower. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 0.4% higher, while the AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 0.5% lower. These GPUs are remarkably close in average benchmark score, suggesting that swapping the Arc B570 for any of these alternatives would yield similar performance characteristics. Notably, the Arc A750 is a direct comparison point—it is the previous generation Intel discrete GPU, and its near-identical score indicates that the B570 offers comparable rasterization performance in this title.

The Verdict

Based on the measured FPS data, this system can run Doom at playable frame rates at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, but not at 3840x2160. At 1080p, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS threshold with substantial margins. The Ultra preset averages 99 FPS, which is 65% above the playable threshold. At 1440p, all four presets also remain playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 64 FPS, just 4 FPS above the 60 FPS line. The verdict by resolution confirms this: 1440p and 1080p list all four settings as playable, with Ultra being the best playable setting at both resolutions.

At 4K, the verdict is clear: no settings are playable. The best average FPS at 4K is 57 FPS on Low settings, which falls short of the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 43 FPS further confirms that the system cannot maintain consistent frame rates at this resolution. Users targeting 4K would need to either lower the resolution or accept sub-60 FPS performance. For 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combo is fully capable of delivering smooth, high-refresh-rate experiences across all quality presets.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Doom. The Intel Core i7-14700KF, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, provides ample processing power that is not fully taxed by this title. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is among the top processors available, yet the game’s frame rates are consistently limited by the GPU’s performance, especially at higher resolutions.

The scaling between resolutions exposes the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 99 FPS, but this drops to 64 FPS at 1440p and 35 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 45% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The GPU’s 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs is the limiting factor—it simply cannot push enough pixels at 4K to maintain playable frame rates. Conversely, the CPU’s performance is consistent across resolutions, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate drops are proportional to the pixel count increase, not to any CPU limitation.

At 1080p, the GPU is still the primary constraint, but the CPU’s headroom becomes more apparent. The 164 FPS average at Low settings suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor even at this resolution, as the CPU could likely push higher frame rates if the GPU allowed it. The GPU’s role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases, with the CPU playing a minimal role in determining performance at 4K. The data indicates that this game is heavily GPU-bound at all tested resolutions, with the CPU providing sufficient overhead to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Ultra, which achieves an average of 99 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, and it does so with a 39 FPS margin. Given the high frame rates at this resolution, users could also consider the Medium preset (143 FPS average) for competitive play, but Ultra provides the best visual quality while maintaining excellent performance.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is also Ultra, with an average of 64 FPS. This preset clears the 60 FPS threshold by a narrow margin of 4 FPS. Users seeking higher frame rates could drop to High settings for 78 FPS, but Ultra remains viable for those prioritizing visual fidelity. The 64 FPS average at Ultra is sufficient for smooth gameplay, though it leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, no settings are playable, as the highest average FPS is 57 FPS at Low settings. The system cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K under any preset, so users targeting 4K would need to consider a different GPU or accept lower resolutions. The data suggests that 1440p Ultra is the practical ceiling for this combo, providing the best balance of visual quality and playable frame rates.