Doom

The Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX combination delivers exceptional performance in Doom, with measured frame rates that consistently exceed the demands of high-refresh-rate displays. This pairing of a 12th Gen Alder Lake processor with a flagship RDNA 3.0 graphics card produces a system that is heavily GPU-bound at most settings, though the CPU's capabilities become a relevant factor at the lowest presets and resolutions. The data indicates a powerful, balanced platform for this classic FPS title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-12700K is built on the Alder Lake architecture and features 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This specification set, combined with 25 MB of shared L3 cache, provides a robust foundation for gaming workloads. In the context of Doom, which is not known for being exceptionally demanding on CPU resources, the processor’s capability is substantial. Benchmark data shows the i7-12700K achieving a strong single-thread score of 1043 in 3dmark_single_thread and a multi-thread score of 9979 in 3dmark_max_threads, indicating it can handle both the primary game logic and any background tasks without becoming a bottleneck.

The processor's performance relative to other CPUs is strong, sitting in the 84th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 35287 places it nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with the Intel Core i5-13600T scoring 35305 (a -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i7-12700KF scoring 35365 (a -0.2% delta). This suggests the i7-12700K is right at the performance level expected of a high-end desktop processor of its generation. In Doom, the impact of the CPU is most evident when frame rates are extremely high, such as at 1080p with Low settings where the average FPS reaches 366. At this point, the GPU is still the primary driver, but the processor's ability to feed it with data is crucial to maintaining such high output.

The data implies that the i7-12700K is more than sufficient for Doom. The game's engine is well-optimized and does not appear to stress the processor to its limits, as evidenced by the relatively minor FPS differences when moving between resolution scales. The processor’s 12 cores and 20 threads are likely not fully utilized by this title, but the high boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensures that the game's primary thread has access to significant single-core performance. This results in a system where the CPU is rarely the limiting factor, allowing the GPU to operate at its full potential.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications are central to the game's performance. It is based on the Navi 31 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture and features 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding a massive 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. For a game like Doom, which was released in 2016, the 24 GB VRAM capacity is far beyond what is required, ensuring that memory capacity is never a limiting constraint. The GPU's high memory bandwidth is more relevant, aiding in texture streaming and high-resolution rendering.

The GPU's clock speeds are also impressive, with a base clock of 1929 MHz and a boost clock of 2498 MHz. This high boost clock, combined with 6144 shading units and 192 ROPs, allows the card to achieve a pixel rate of 479.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 959.2 GTexel/s. These figures translate directly to the ability to process the intense graphical effects in Doom at high resolutions. The GPU's FP32 performance of 61.39 TFLOPS is more than adequate for a title of this era, making the RX 7900 XTX a significant overkill for the game's requirements.

Despite its raw power, the RX 7900 XTX's percentile rank among all GPUs is 64, with an average benchmark score of 19410. Its nearest rivals are surprisingly lower-tier cards, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB (with a deltaPct of 0.4) and the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 (with a deltaPct of -1). This is a peculiar data point that likely reflects the benchmark suite's composition rather than the GPU's true gaming performance. In Doom, the RX 7900 XTX's role is clear: it provides an enormous performance headroom, allowing for high frame rates even at 4K resolution with Ultra settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a classic scaling pattern that highlights the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p, the system achieves incredibly high frame rates, with a peak of 366 FPS at Low settings. As the resolution increases, the average FPS drops significantly, which is a direct indicator of increased GPU load. The data shows a clear progression: the performance at 2560x1440 is lower than at 1920x1080, and the performance at 3840x2160 is lower still.

This scaling behavior is consistent with a system that is not CPU-limited at these settings. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions where the CPU hits its maximum throughput. Instead, the FPS continues to rise as resolution drops, confirming that the GPU is the component that is being pushed to its limits. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 269 at 1080p to 174 at 1440p and then to 94 at 4K. This is a 65% drop from 1080p to 4K, which is a substantial decrease that points directly to the GPU's rendering workload.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system might be nearing a CPU or other system-level limit, given the extremely high frame rates. The difference between 1080p Low (366 FPS) and 1440p Low (237 FPS) is a 35% reduction, while the difference between 1440p Low and 4K Low (128 FPS) is a 46% reduction. While the GPU is still the main driver, the scaling is not perfectly linear, hinting that at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance may start to come into play. However, for practical purposes, the i7-12700K is powerful enough to keep up, and the overall experience is dictated by the GPU's capabilities at each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance in Doom across all presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. With Low settings, the average FPS is 366. Moving to Medium settings, the average FPS drops to 319, with a minimum of 271 and a maximum of 367. High settings yield an average of 269 FPS, while Ultra settings produce an average of 220 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at the highest preset, the game runs at a frame rate that far exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains extremely high but begins to show the increased load on the GPU. The Low preset averages 237 FPS, while Medium averages 206 FPS (with a min of 176 and a max of 237). High settings average 174 FPS, and Ultra settings average 143 FPS. These figures are still well above the 144Hz refresh rate target that many gamers use, making this resolution an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate gaming with this hardware combination.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is taxed more heavily, but the results are still impressive. The Low preset averages 128 FPS. The Medium preset averages 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 129. High settings average 94 FPS, while Ultra settings bring the average down to 77 FPS. For a game like Doom, these 4K numbers are more than playable, with even the Ultra preset maintaining an average above 60 FPS. The data shows a clear and consistent pattern: the system is capable of delivering a smooth experience at any resolution and settings combination tested.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX holds a rank of 500 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the top 13.5% of all systems tested, which is a strong showing for a high-end desktop configuration. The rank reflects the measured performance of this pairing, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of other CPU-GPU combinations in this game.

While the combo rank is high, it is interesting to note that the individual components do not always rank as highly in their respective categories. The CPU is in the 84th percentile, and the GPU is in the 64th percentile. However, their combined performance in Doom is greater than the sum of their parts might suggest, leading to a top-tier result. This suggests that the pairing is very well-matched for this specific title, with the powerful CPU ensuring the GPU is never starved for data.

The rank of 500 out of 3712 implies that there are 499 other combinations that perform better in this game. These are likely to be systems with even more powerful components, such as newer generation flagships or specialized overclocking setups. However, for a mainstream high-end combination, this rank is excellent. It confirms that the i7-12700K and RX 7900 XTX are a formidable duo for playing Doom at high resolutions and settings, offering a level of performance that will be more than sufficient for the vast majority of players.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, providing an average of 220 FPS. This is well above the refresh rate of even the most demanding 1080p gaming monitors, and it offers the highest visual fidelity. There is no practical reason to lower the settings at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset delivers exceptional performance.

For 1440p, the Ultra preset is also the best choice, with an average of 143 FPS. This is just slightly below the 144Hz refresh rate that is common for 1440p monitors, but it is still highly playable. For those with a 144Hz display, the High preset, which averages 174 FPS, would be a safer choice to ensure a consistently smooth experience above the refresh rate. However, the visual difference between High and Ultra is often minimal, so the High preset provides an excellent balance of performance and quality.

For 4K resolution, the choice is more nuanced. The High preset averages 94 FPS, which is excellent for 4K gaming and suitable for a 60Hz or 120Hz display. The Ultra preset averages 77 FPS, which is still very playable and offers the best image quality. For users with a 60Hz display, the Ultra preset is recommended to get the most out of the game's visuals. For those with a 120Hz display, the High preset is preferable to maintain a higher frame rate. The Medium preset at 112 FPS is an alternative for those who want a frame rate closer to 120 FPS, but the High preset is likely the sweet spot for 4K gaming, offering a strong balance between visual fidelity and performance.

FAQ

Q: How many cores and threads does the Intel Core i7-12700K have?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has 12 cores and 20 threads.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K resolution with Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 77 FPS.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX has a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the combo rank of this CPU-GPU pair in Doom?

A: This combination ranks 500 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom.

Q: Which 1080p settings preset provides the highest average FPS?

A: The Low settings preset at 1920x1080 provides the highest average FPS, at 366 FPS.

Q: What is the boost clock speed of the Intel Core i7-12700K?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has a boost clock speed of 5.00 GHz.