Doom

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER produces a revealing set of benchmark results in Doom, a 2016 FPS title. The data shows a system where the GPU is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance allows for very high frame rates at 1080p. This analysis examines the measured FPS across four settings presets and three resolutions, placing the combo’s performance in context against its nearest rivals and its overall rank among 1681 tested combinations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Doom at 1080p?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 147.4, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This drops to 88.0 at the same resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 1471 out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the database for this specific game.

Q: What is the measured frame rate at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 33.3. This is the lowest recorded score in the entire dataset.

Q: Does lowering settings from High to Low improve FPS more at 1080p or 4K?

A: At 1080p, the improvement from High to Low is 35.8 FPS (from 111.6 to 147.4). At 4K, the same settings change yields a 16.4 FPS improvement (from 37.6 to 54.0). The absolute gain is larger at 1080p.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its closest rival by average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 14286, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14314) and 0.2% lower than the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (14315).

Q: What is the CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K scores 1043 in the 3DMark single-thread test, which is a key indicator of its capability to drive high frame rates in games like Doom.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary determinant of frame rates in this dataset, particularly as resolution increases. Its memory configuration includes 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is rated at 1785 MHz, with a base clock of 1530 MHz. These specifications are paired with a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s.

The benchmark results show a clear pattern: the GPU’s capabilities are stretched at 3840x2160, where even Low settings only yield 54.0 FPS. The average benchmark score for this GPU is 14286, placing it in the 55th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, have nearly identical average scores (14314 and 14315, respectively), with deltaPct values of -0.2% relative to the GTX 1660 SUPER. This suggests the GPU sits in a tightly contested performance tier, which is reflected in the game’s measured results where it struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K Ultra.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a significant performance drop as resolution scales from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 111.6 at 1920x1080 to 70.6 at 2560x1440, and further to 37.6 at 3840x2160. This represents a 66.3% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. The same pattern holds across all settings, with Low settings dropping from 147.4 at 1080p to 54.0 at 4K, a 63.4% decrease.

This scaling behavior strongly indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting component at higher resolutions. The 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are likely insufficient to maintain fill rates demanded by 4K rendering. The data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions: at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 59.4 FPS, while at 4K it narrows to 20.7 FPS. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is saturated regardless of settings, and the CPU’s headroom cannot compensate for the GPU’s throughput limitations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1471 out of 1681 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the bottom 12.5% of all systems in the database. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the GPU’s mid-tier performance, as evidenced by its 55th percentile standing among all GPUs. The CPU, in contrast, ranks in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35684.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, which scores 35802 (0.3% higher), and the Intel Core i5-14500HX, which scores 35940 (0.7% higher). These small deltas indicate that the i7-12700K is competitive with other high-end processors, yet the overall combo ranking is dragged down by the GPU. The data implies that this pairing is unbalanced for a game like Doom, where the CPU’s potential is underutilized due to the GPU’s inability to keep pace at higher settings and resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS ranges from 88.0 at Ultra settings to 147.4 at Low settings. The Medium preset yields 127.0 FPS, while High produces 111.6 FPS. These numbers show that the GTX 1660 SUPER can deliver smooth, high-refresh-rate gameplay at 1080p, provided settings are not maxed out.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop substantially. Ultra settings produce 59.3 FPS, High yields 70.6 FPS, Medium hits 82.2 FPS, and Low reaches 97.9 FPS. This resolution represents a balanced sweet spot, where High settings still exceed 70 FPS, but Ultra dips below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overtaxed. Ultra settings average 33.3 FPS, High produces 37.6 FPS, Medium achieves 46.0 FPS, and Low reaches 54.0 FPS. None of these results meet the 60 FPS target, indicating that 4K gaming is not viable with this combination, even at the lowest settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers a strong balance, delivering 127.0 FPS, which is 15.4 FPS higher than High and 39.0 FPS higher than Ultra. This allows for smooth gameplay with improved visual fidelity over Low settings.

For 2560x1440, the High preset at 70.6 FPS is the recommended choice, as it stays above the 60 FPS playability threshold while providing better visual quality than Medium (82.2 FPS) or Low (97.9 FPS). Ultra at 59.3 FPS is borderline, but the data suggests High is the safer option for consistent performance.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. Low settings at 54.0 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, but even it falls short. The data indicates that this resolution should be avoided with this combo, as the performance penalty is severe across all settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K provides substantial computational headroom that is not fully utilized in Doom’s higher resolutions. With 12 cores and 20 threads, the CPU has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its 3DMark scores show strong multi-threaded performance: 9276 at 16 threads, 9979 at max threads, and 1043 at single thread. The Cinebench R23 results reinforce this, with a multicore score of 29241 and a singlecore score of 4128.

The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700T, has an average score of 35468, which is 0.6% higher than the i7-12700K’s 35684. This indicates the CPU is well-positioned among its peers. However, in Doom, the CPU’s influence is most evident at 1080p, where the frame rates exceed 140 FPS at Low settings, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU effectively at lower resolutions. At 4K, the CPU’s performance is largely irrelevant, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The data implies that this CPU could support a more powerful GPU in this game, as its single-thread capabilities are not the limiting factor in the measured results.