Doom

This analysis covers the Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 in Doom, an FPS released on 2016-05-12. The measured FPS data spans three resolutions and four quality settings, providing a full picture of the combo's performance. The CPU and GPU each have distinct characteristics that influence frame rates, and the resolution scaling reveals where the bottleneck shifts.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor from the Core 12th Gen series, built on the Alder Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz and boost clock reaches 5.00 GHz. The CPU has a 25 MB shared L3 cache, with 80 KB L1 and 1.25 MB L2 per core. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, and its launch MSRP is $409.

Benchmark results show strong single-thread performance: 3dmark single thread scores 1043, Cinebench R23 single core scores 4128, and Geekbench single core scores 2561. Multi-thread scores are also high, with Cinebench R23 multicore at 29241 and Geekbench multicore at 13892. The CPU's average benchmark score is 35684, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are all within 1%: the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 scores 35802 (delta -0.3%), the Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35468 (+0.6%), the Intel Core i5-14500HX scores 35940 (-0.7%), and the Intel Core i7-13800H scores 35416 (+0.8%). This indicates the i7-12700K is essentially tied with these processors in overall compute performance.

In Doom, the CPU's high single-thread capability is likely a key factor in achieving high frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 260.3 FPS, the highest measured in this dataset. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average is 157.1 FPS. The 12-core, 20-thread configuration provides ample headroom for the game's workload, though the data does not directly measure CPU utilization. The boost clock of 5.00 GHz helps maintain responsiveness in single-threaded tasks, which is typical for FPS titles.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is based on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip, manufactured on an 8 nm process. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1500 MHz, boost clock is 1725 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU includes 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, 96 ROPs, 46 RT cores, and 184 tensor cores, with FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS. Its launch MSRP is 499 USD.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 28238, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are similarly close: the AMD FirePro S7150 scores 28409 (delta -0.6%), the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT scores 27985 (+0.9%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 27956 (+1%), and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X scores 28541 (-1.1%). This shows the RTX 3070 is within 1% of these cards in aggregate performance.

In Doom, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p across all settings. At 4K, however, the memory capacity and bandwidth become more stressed. The highest 4K average is 93.1 FPS on Low settings, while 4K Ultra drops to 52.9 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s helps maintain throughput at higher resolutions, but the data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as frame rates fall below 60 FPS on Ultra.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows consistent scaling across resolutions. For High settings, the average FPS drops from 188.4 at 1080p to 121.2 at 1440p (a 35.7% reduction) and then to 64.6 at 4K (a 65.7% reduction from 1080p). Low settings follow a similar pattern: 260.3 at 1080p, 166.8 at 1440p (35.9% drop), and 93.1 at 4K (64.2% drop). Medium settings go from 223 at 1080p to 144.4 at 1440p (35.2% drop) and 78.4 at 4K (64.8% drop). Ultra settings show 157.1 at 1080p, 100.8 at 1440p (35.8% drop), and 52.9 at 4K (66.3% drop).

The near-uniform percentage drops across all settings indicate that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. The CPU's performance is sufficient to keep up even at 1080p Low, where the frame rate exceeds 260 FPS. The fact that 4K Low (93.1 FPS) is lower than 1080p Ultra (157.1 FPS) highlights that resolution has a larger impact than quality settings. This pattern is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, and the data supports that conclusion.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p High settings?

A: The average FPS is 121.2.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock?

A: The boost clock is 5.00 GHz.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Q: What is the combo's rank among tested combos?

A: The combo ranks 798 out of 1681 tested combinations.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The memory bandwidth is 448.0 GB/s.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in average benchmark score?

A: The CPU's average score is 35684, which is 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845's 35802 and 0.6% higher than the Intel Core i7-13700T's 35468.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 798 out of 1681 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the lower half of the field. The CPU individually sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, yet the combined rank is below the median. This discrepancy suggests that while each component is above average on its own, the pairing may not be optimal for this specific game, or that other combinations with similar or lower individual scores achieve better frame rates. The measured FPS data (dataIsMeasured is true) shows that the combo delivers playable performance at 1080p and 1440p across all settings, but at 4K Ultra it falls below 60 FPS. The rank reflects the overall standing among a large set of tested combos, and the numbers indicate that this configuration is competitive but not top-tier for Doom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table lists the average FPS for each resolution and settings combination:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 64.6 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 93.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 78.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 52.9 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 121.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 166.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 144.4 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 100.8 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 188.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 260.3 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 223 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 157.1 |

The range spans from 52.9 FPS at 4K Ultra to 260.3 FPS at 1080p Low. At 1080p, all settings exceed 150 FPS, making the combo well-suited for high-refresh-rate displays. At 1440p, the lowest average is 100.8 FPS on Ultra, still smooth. At 4K, only Low settings reach above 90 FPS, while Ultra dips below 60. These numbers provide a clear picture of the combo's capabilities across the tested conditions.