Doom

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

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake desktop processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It carries 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, along with 80 KB of L1 per core. This CPU sits in the 84th percentile of all processors tested, with an average benchmark score of 35,287. Its nearest rivals show how tightly grouped this chip is: the Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35,305 (0.1% higher), the Core i7-12700KF scores 35,365 (0.2% higher), the Core i7-13700T scores 35,403 (0.3% higher), and the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35,428 (0.4% higher). The 12700K trails all of them by margins under half a percent, meaning any of these CPUs would perform near-identically in this system.

In Doom, the game's engine is known to scale well across threads, and the 12700K's 20 threads provide ample headroom for the game logic, AI, and physics simulation while the GPU handles rendering. The CPU's single-thread performance is also robust for this title, as evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,850.5. Doom does not typically bottleneck on modern high-core-count CPUs, and the data here confirms that: the measured FPS values show a steady progression as resolution drops, which is the classic signature of a GPU-limited scenario. At 4K with Ultra settings, the combo averages 35 FPS; at 1080p with Low settings, it reaches 164 FPS. The CPU is clearly not the constraint in this pairing.

The processor's memory support includes DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel configuration, which is relevant because Doom's id Tech 6 engine benefits from memory bandwidth, though the game is not extremely sensitive to it. The 12700K's 3DMark multi-threaded scores range from 2,065 (2 threads) to 9,979 (max threads), showing strong scaling. In Cinebench R20, it scores 12,229 multi-core and 1,726 single-core, while Geekbench shows 15,790 multi-core and 2,308 single-core. PassMark multi-thread score is 34,404, and single-thread is 4,013. These numbers place the CPU well above what Doom needs to maintain high frame rates, even at lower resolutions where CPU overhead becomes more visible.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K strong enough for Doom at high frame rates?

A: Yes. The data shows the combo reaches 164 FPS at 1080p Low and 121 FPS at 1080p High, which indicates the CPU is not limiting the game's performance. The 12700K's 20 threads and 5.00 GHz boost clock provide far more processing power than Doom requires.

Q: Does the 12700K bottleneck the Intel Arc B570 in this game?

A: No. The measured FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings changes, which is the expected pattern when the GPU is the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, you would see the same FPS regardless of resolution, but the data shows a clear drop from 164 FPS at 1080p Low to 57 FPS at 4K Low.

Q: How does the 12700K compare to its nearest rivals in overall CPU performance?

A: The 12700K has an average benchmark score of 35,287, which is within 0.4% of all its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35,305 (0.1% higher), the Core i7-12700KF scores 35,365 (0.2% higher), the Core i7-13700T scores 35,403 (0.3% higher), and the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35,428 (0.4% higher). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: What is the 12700K's multi-threaded performance in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU scores 9,979 in 3DMark max threads, 19,784 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 12,229 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, and 34,404 in PassMark multi-thread. These scores confirm it is a capable high-end desktop processor, ranking in the 84th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Does the 12700K support overclocking?

A: Yes, the multiplier is unlocked, which means users can adjust the clock multiplier to increase performance beyond the stock 5.00 GHz boost. However, the data here reflects stock operation, and Doom's frame rates are already high enough that overclocking would yield minimal visible benefit in this title.

Q: What platform does the 12700K use?

A: It uses the Intel Socket 1700 with the Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes and includes integrated UHD Graphics 770, though the Arc B570 handles all rendering in this system.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-12700K and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2,332 out of 2,930 tested combos for Doom. That puts it in the bottom 20% of all CPU-GPU pairings tested in this game. The rank reflects that the Arc B570 is the performance-limiting component here, rather than the CPU. The GPU sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 20,556, while the CPU is in the 84th percentile with a score of 35,287. The discrepancy between the two components' relative standings shows an unbalanced pairing — the CPU is significantly stronger than the GPU for this workload.

The combo's rank of 2,332 out of 2,930 means there are 2,331 other combinations that achieve higher average FPS in Doom. This is not surprising given that the Arc B570 is a mid-range GPU (its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with a score of 20,534, only 0.1% higher, and the Intel Arc A750 at 20,582, which is 0.1% lower). The GPU's raw compute is 11.52 TFLOPS FP32, and it has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth. These specifications place it below many desktop GPUs that would rank higher in Doom's performance hierarchy.

For context, the combo's FPS at 1080p High (121 FPS) is solidly playable, but not exceptional compared to what high-end GPUs achieve in this title. The ranking data shows that while the 12700K is a premium CPU, the Arc B570 holds this pairing back from competing with top-tier gaming systems. If the goal is high refresh rate 1080p or 1440p gaming, this combo delivers acceptable results, but it will not top any leaderboards. The 4K Ultra result of 35 FPS confirms that this combo is not designed for maximum fidelity at high resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings levels (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). Here are the exact figures:

1920x1080:

• Low: 164 FPS average
• Medium: 143 FPS average, with a minimum of 121 FPS and maximum of 164 FPS
• High: 121 FPS average
• Ultra: 99 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 106 FPS average
• Medium: 92 FPS average, with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 106 FPS
• High: 78 FPS average
• Ultra: 64 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 57 FPS average
• Medium: 50 FPS average, with a minimum of 43 FPS and maximum of 58 FPS
• High: 42 FPS average
• Ultra: 35 FPS average

The 1080p Low result of 164 FPS is the highest measured, and it exactly matches the maximum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium, suggesting the game is hitting an engine-level frame cap or the GPU is fully saturated at that point. At 1440p, the Low setting drops to 106 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 57 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p delivers 99 FPS, which is still comfortably above 60 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 64 FPS, which is just barely playable for a fast-paced FPS. At 4K Ultra, the 35 FPS average is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

The Medium preset values include minimum and maximum FPS readings: at 1080p, the range is 121-164 FPS; at 1440p, it is 79-106 FPS; at 4K, it is 43-58 FPS. These ranges show that the frame time consistency scales with resolution — 4K Medium has a 15 FPS spread, while 1080p Medium has a 43 FPS spread, indicating that lower resolutions allow the GPU to burst to higher peaks but also dip more relative to the average.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 164 at 1080p to 106 at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and then to 57 at 4K (a 65% reduction from 1080p). At High settings, the progression is 121 to 78 to 42, which represents a 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 65% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra, the numbers are 99 to 64 to 35, showing a 35% drop to 1440p and a 65% drop to 4K.

The consistent scaling pattern — roughly one-third fewer FPS at 1440p and two-thirds fewer at 4K regardless of settings — indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would not drop as much with resolution because the CPU workload stays roughly constant while the GPU workload increases. The fact that all settings levels show nearly identical percentage drops confirms that the Arc B570 is saturated at every resolution and settings combination tested.

This scaling behavior also explains why the combo ranks low in the overall leaderboard: the GPU's 10 GB of memory and 160-bit bus provide 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for 1080p but becomes strained at 4K. The pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are the physical limits that determine these FPS values. At 4K, the GPU simply cannot fill the screen fast enough to maintain high frame rates, regardless of how powerful the CPU is.

The 1440p results are the sweet spot for this combo, with High settings delivering 78 FPS and Ultra delivering 64 FPS. Both are above the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. At 1080p, even Ultra settings hit 99 FPS, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors. The data clearly shows that this system is built for 1080p or 1440p gaming, not 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS values, the best experience for this combo depends on the resolution you plan to use. The data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate at each resolution.

At 1920x1080: The Ultra preset delivers 99 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Since the game is a fast-paced FPS, the higher frame rate of the High preset (121 FPS) might be more appealing to competitive players. However, the jump from High to Ultra costs 22 FPS (from 121 to 99), which is an 18% reduction. If your monitor supports 144 Hz or higher, the High preset's 121 FPS is a better choice than Ultra's 99 FPS. The Medium preset at 143 FPS is another option if you prioritize frame rate over visual quality. The Low preset at 164 FPS is only for players who want maximum responsiveness regardless of visuals.

At 2560x1440: The Ultra preset averages 64 FPS, which is just barely above 60. This is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes that might cause dips. The High preset at 78 FPS provides a more comfortable margin, with a 14 FPS advantage over Ultra. The Medium preset at 92 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and smoothness — it is 44% faster than Ultra while still looking significantly better than Low. For most players at 1440p, the High preset is the recommended choice: it maintains a smooth experience without sacrificing too much visual detail. The Medium preset is the fallback if you want extra headroom for frame rate variability.

At 3840x2160: All presets fail to reach 60 FPS. The Low preset at 57 FPS is the only option that comes close, but it is still below the ideal threshold. The Medium preset at 50 FPS, High at 42 FPS, and Ultra at 35 FPS all fall into the "not recommended for fast-paced FPS" category. If you insist on 4K, the Low preset is the only playable option, but you will need to accept significant visual compromises. The data indicates that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in Doom, and players should either lower the resolution to 1440p or adjust their expectations.

Overall, the best experience per the measured rows is the 1080p High preset (121 FPS) for competitive play, or the 1440p High preset (78 FPS) for a balance of quality and performance. The 1440p Medium preset (92 FPS) is the strongest recommendation if you want to ensure no frame rate dips below 79 FPS, based on the minimum recorded value. The 4K Low preset (57 FPS) is the only viable 4K option, but it should be considered a last resort given the available alternatives at lower resolutions.