Doom

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER achieves a rank of 298 out of 1681 tested combinations in Doom. This places the combo in the top 17.7% of all systems evaluated, a strong showing for a mid-high tier pairing. The data indicates that this configuration is well above the median performer, though it is not among the absolute elite setups in the database.

What makes this ranking particularly interesting is the balance between the two primary components. The CPU sits in the 93rd percentile against all processors, while the GPU lands in the 84th percentile against all graphics cards. This slight imbalance suggests the processor may have a small edge over the graphics card in raw capability, but the measured frame rates in Doom will reveal whether this theoretical advantage translates into practical performance gains. The combo's rank relative to its component percentiles implies that the RTX 4070 SUPER is likely the limiting factor in most scenarios, though the gap is modest.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER brings 12 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is substantial for a game like Doom, which was released in 2016 and does not demand the massive memory pools seen in more recent titles. At 4K resolution, the GPU's memory capacity provides ample headroom, as evidenced by the measured frame rates remaining consistently above 70 FPS even at the highest settings.

The GPU's clock speeds are set at a base of 1980 MHz with a boost of 2475 MHz. These clocks, combined with 7168 shading units and 80 ROPs, produce a pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS indicates a capable compute backbone, though Doom's engine is more reliant on raw rasterization throughput than on compute-heavy features. The 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores are present but largely unused in this title, as Doom does not implement ray tracing or DLSS in a manner that would leverage these specialized units.

Looking at the benchmark scores, the RTX 4070 SUPER achieves a Passmark G3D score of 29995 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627. Its average benchmark score of 42576 places it in the 84th percentile, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (0.2% lower) and AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (0.3% lower). The data shows this GPU is competitive with workstation-class cards in synthetic tests, which bodes well for sustained performance in demanding scenes.

# FAQ

Q: Does the RTX 4070 SUPER bottleneck the Core i5-14600KF in Doom?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 352.1 FPS, while the CPU's single-thread Passmark score of 4273 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4643 indicate plenty of processing headroom. The frame rates scale predictably with resolution, a classic sign of GPU limitation.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 4070 SUPER's nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE by 0.3% and the NVIDIA RTX A6000 by 0.2% in average benchmark score. It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 580X by 1.4% and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 by 1.6%, though these differences are marginal and unlikely to alter in-game performance significantly.

Q: Is 12 GB of VRAM sufficient for Doom at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo maintains an average of 73.3 FPS. Doom's 2016 engine does not require excessive memory, so the 12 GB GDDR6X buffer provides ample capacity even at the highest resolution tested.

Q: What is the CPU's ranking relative to other processors?

A: The Core i5-14600KF sits in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Core i5-14600K, scores 0.4% lower, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X trails by 0.6%. The AMD EPYC 4345P leads it by 0.5%.

Q: Can this combo exceed 200 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 1440p Low it hits 225.6 FPS, and at Medium it achieves 198.3 FPS. At High settings it drops to 164.3 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 137.4 FPS. Only the Low preset breaks the 200 FPS barrier at this resolution.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K relative to 1080p?

A: The frame rate drops dramatically. At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 207.9 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 73.3 FPS, a reduction of approximately 65%. This steep decline confirms the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as pixel count rises.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance: Low settings produce 352.1 FPS, Medium reaches 304.1 FPS, High achieves 257.9 FPS, and Ultra maintains 207.9 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is rarely constrained, with even the most demanding preset comfortably exceeding 200 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear step down. Low settings yield 225.6 FPS, Medium drops to 198.3 FPS, High manages 164.3 FPS, and Ultra settles at 137.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 88.2 FPS, representing a 39% performance penalty for maxing out settings. This scaling suggests the GPU is working harder but still delivering smooth gameplay across all presets.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens considerably. Low settings produce 124.5 FPS, Medium achieves 104.9 FPS, High reaches 87.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 73.3 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 51.2 FPS, a 41% reduction. Notably, the 4K Ultra result remains above 60 FPS, ensuring playable frame rates even at the highest visual fidelity. The progression from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step roughly halves the available performance headroom.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF features 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This Raptor Lake Refresh processor, built on a 10 nm process, includes 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core. The 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a flexible choice for overclocking, though the data here reflects stock operation.

Doom is not a particularly CPU-intensive title, and the benchmark results confirm this. The processor's multi-threaded capabilities, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889 and a Passmark multithread score of 38697, are largely underutilized. The single-thread performance is more relevant, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2778 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4273 indicating strong per-core throughput.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 93 places it above the vast majority of processors, yet the measured FPS at 1080p Low (352.1) versus 4K Low (124.5) shows a 64.6% drop. This pattern indicates the CPU is not the bottleneck; if it were, frame rates would remain more constant across resolutions. The nearest CPU rival, the Core i5-14600K, scores 0.4% lower on average, while the AMD EPYC 4345P edges ahead by 0.5%. These marginal differences suggest that within this performance tier, the specific processor choice has minimal impact on Doom's frame rates.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, even Ultra settings deliver 207.9 FPS, far exceeding the refresh rate of most monitors. Players with 144 Hz displays can comfortably use Ultra at this resolution without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1440p, High settings provide 164.3 FPS, which remains above 144 Hz for high-refresh displays. Ultra at 137.4 FPS still offers excellent fluidity for 120 Hz monitors, though it falls short of 144 Hz. For those prioritizing maximum visual quality over absolute frame rates, Ultra is viable; for competitive play where every frame counts, High offers a 19.6% improvement over Ultra.

At 4K, the choices become more constrained. Medium settings at 104.9 FPS provide the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, comfortably exceeding 60 FPS. High at 87.7 FPS remains smooth, while Ultra at 73.3 FPS is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. Low at 124.5 FPS is an option for those seeking higher frame rates, though the visual compromise is substantial. The data suggests Medium is the sweet spot at 4K, offering a 31% improvement over Ultra while retaining acceptable image quality.

# Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the system's balance. At Ultra settings, the progression is 207.9 FPS at 1080p, 137.4 FPS at 1440p, and 73.3 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33.9% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46.7% drop from 1440p to 4K. The compounding decline indicates the GPU is increasingly overwhelmed as pixel count grows.

At Low settings, the scaling is more dramatic: 352.1 FPS at 1080p, 225.6 FPS at 1440p, and 124.5 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p reduction is 35.9%, while 1440p to 4K sees a 44.8% decrease. Interestingly, the Low preset shows a slightly steeper early drop but a gentler later decline compared to Ultra, suggesting that at lower settings, the CPU begins to play a more significant role in limiting performance at 1080p.

This scaling pattern strongly indicates a GPU-bound system. If the CPU were the primary constraint, frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the processor's workload does not scale with pixel count. Instead, the consistent decline with increasing resolution points to the RTX 4070 SUPER as the determining factor. The 12 GB VRAM and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for all tested configurations, but the compute throughput at 4K simply cannot match the lighter demands of 1080p. For users targeting 4K gameplay, the data suggests that Medium settings offer the most efficient use of the GPU's capabilities, while 1440p and 1080p users can afford more aggressive settings without sacrificing performance.