Doom

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 411th out of 1,681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 24.4% of all configurations. This is a strong result for a mainstream desktop pairing, though it is not at the absolute top tier. The data shows that the combo’s position is driven primarily by the GPU’s ability to sustain high frame rates across all settings, while the CPU provides enough headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The rank reflects a balance: the system is fast enough to deliver triple-digit averages in most scenarios, but it falls short of the very highest echelon where more powerful GPUs would push 4K Ultra past the 100 FPS mark. In terms of overall benchmark percentiles, the CPU sits at the 93rd percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 81st percentile against all GPUs, indicating that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s 411th place out of 1,681 tested configurations means it outperforms roughly three-quarters of all recorded setups in Doom. This is a noteworthy achievement given that the game is from 2016, but the measured results show that modern hardware still has to work at 4K Ultra. The rank is consistent with the individual component standings: the i5-14600KF’s average benchmark score of 49,367 places it just 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K, and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, while being 0.5% behind the AMD EPYC 4345P. On the GPU side, the RTX 4070’s average score of 37,283 is 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, but 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M. These margins are small, but they show that the combo’s ranking is not due to one component dominating; rather, it is the combination of a top-quartile CPU with a solidly above-average GPU that produces the 411th spot. The measured FPS data confirms this interpretation: at 1080p Low, the system hits 315.1 FPS, which is far beyond what the game’s engine can meaningfully use, but at 4K Ultra it drops to 67.1 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher loads.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 1920 MHz, with a boost clock of 2475 MHz, and its memory runs at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). These specifications are directly relevant to Doom’s results: the game’s texture-heavy environments and fast-paced action benefit from the high bandwidth, and the 12 GB capacity is sufficient for all tested settings, as the frame rates do not show signs of memory capacity throttling. The GPU’s 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs contribute to its pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s, which help maintain high fill rates at 1440p and 4K. The data shows that the GPU’s performance scales predictably with settings: at 1440p, dropping from Ultra to High yields a 27.3% improvement (from 119.4 to 152 FPS), while at 4K the same settings change yields a 20.3% improvement (from 67.1 to 80.7 FPS). This suggests that the GPU is not fully saturated at lower settings, but as resolution increases, the shading and memory bandwidth become more critical. The GPU’s 81st percentile ranking against all GPUs places it in the upper tier, but the nearest rivals show that it is closely matched with older architectures like the RX Vega 56, which is 0.6% ahead, and the RTX 4080 Mobile, which is 2.2% ahead.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of resolution scaling that reveals the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p High, the combo produces 232.4 FPS, which drops by 34.6% to 152 FPS at 1440p High, and then by another 46.9% to 80.7 FPS at 4K High. This steep decline from 1440p to 4K indicates that the RTX 4070’s memory bandwidth and shading throughput are the limiting factors, as the CPU’s 14 cores and 20 threads are more than capable of handling the game’s draw calls at these frame rates. The scaling is even more pronounced at Ultra settings: 191.4 FPS at 1080p, 119.4 FPS at 1440p (a 37.6% drop), and 67.1 FPS at 4K (a 43.8% drop from 1440p). Interestingly, the percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is relatively consistent across settings, ranging from 33.6% at Low (315.1 to 202.8 FPS) to 37.6% at Ultra. However, the drop from 1440p to 4K is steeper at lower settings: Low goes from 202.8 to 108.9 FPS (a 46.3% drop), while Ultra goes from 119.4 to 67.1 FPS (a 43.8% drop). This suggests that at 4K, even Low settings are heavily GPU-bound, as the resolution itself demands more pixel processing regardless of graphical detail.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience balances high frame rates with visual fidelity. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 191.4 FPS, which is far above the 144 Hz refresh rate of most monitors, and the drop to High (232.4 FPS) provides diminishing returns since both are well past the point of diminishing returns for smooth gameplay. At 1440p, the Ultra preset produces 119.4 FPS, which is still very playable, but the High preset at 152 FPS offers a more comfortable margin for high-refresh-rate displays without a significant visual penalty. The data shows that the Medium preset at 1440p (178.2 FPS) is excessively fast for most displays, suggesting that High is the sweet spot. At 4K, the situation changes: Ultra drops to 67.1 FPS, which is below the 70 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for fluid action, while High at 80.7 FPS is acceptable, and Medium at 97.8 FPS is ideal for a smoother experience. The Low preset at 4K (108.9 FPS) is playable but sacrifices too much visual quality for the modest gain over Medium. Therefore, the recommended presets are: High at 1080p (232.4 FPS), High at 1440p (152 FPS), and Medium at 4K (97.8 FPS), as these provide the best combination of performance and image quality per the measured data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 315.1 FPS, which is the fastest measured in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 275.7 FPS, a 12.5% reduction from Low, while High averages 232.4 FPS, a further 15.7% reduction. The Ultra preset averages 191.4 FPS, which is 39.2% lower than Low but still well above the threshold for competitive play. The scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent, with each step costing roughly 13-16% of performance.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly but remain high. The Low preset averages 202.8 FPS, which is still above 200 FPS. The Medium preset averages 178.2 FPS, a 12.1% drop from Low. The High preset averages 152 FPS, a 14.7% drop from Medium, and the Ultra preset averages 119.4 FPS, a 21.4% drop from High. The gap between High and Ultra widens at this resolution, indicating that the Ultra preset’s additional effects (likely shadows and reflections) are more taxing on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall below 100 FPS for all but the Low preset. The Low preset averages 108.9 FPS, which is just above the 100 FPS mark. The Medium preset averages 97.8 FPS, a 10.2% drop from Low. The High preset averages 80.7 FPS, a 17.5% drop from Medium, and the Ultra preset averages 67.1 FPS, a 16.9% drop from High. The 4K data shows that the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as the frame rate differences between settings are smaller in absolute terms but still represent significant percentage changes. The jump from 1440p High (152 FPS) to 4K High (80.7 FPS) represents a 46.9% reduction, which is the largest single-resolution penalty in the dataset, highlighting the immense pixel throughput required at 4K.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations in Doom?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 411th out of 1,681 tested combos, placing it in the top 24.4% of all configurations tested.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 315.1, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only setting and resolution combination that exceeds 300 FPS in the measured data.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K Ultra?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the combo averages 67.1 FPS. The CPU’s 14 cores and 20 threads are likely underutilized at this resolution, as the frame rate is determined by the RTX 4070’s rendering capability.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the combo averages 232.4 FPS, while at 4K High it averages 80.7 FPS. This represents a 65.3% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4070’s average benchmark score is 37,283, which is 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37,507) and 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M (36,371).

Q: Which settings preset provides the smoothest experience at 4K?

A: The Medium preset at 4K averages 97.8 FPS, which is the highest frame rate above 90 FPS at that resolution. High at 4K averages 80.7 FPS, which is also acceptable, but Medium offers a better margin for maintaining smooth gameplay.