Doom

Doom, a 2016 FPS that remains a popular benchmark title, shows itself to be highly scalable with the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination. The measured data reveals a system that delivers high refresh rate performance at 1080p and 1440p, while still maintaining playable frame rates at 4K. The analysis of the measured FPS rows indicates that the limiting component shifts depending on the resolution, with the GPU taking on a more dominant role as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 are significant and reveal a clear narrative about system balance. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls from 163.3 FPS at 1080p to 106.5 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of roughly 35%. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the Ultra preset drops further to 57.1 FPS, another approximate 46% decline. This pattern shows that the GPU is the primary scaling factor; as resolution increases, the rendering load on the RTX 3070 Ti grows substantially, outpacing what the CPU needs to feed it.

The scaling is less severe when comparing Low settings, where the frame rate goes from 270.7 FPS at 1080p to 175.6 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 92.6 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is about 66%, which is less than the 65% drop seen at Ultra settings. This suggests that while the CPU can still push high frame rates at lower resolutions, the GPU's workload becomes the bottleneck sooner at higher settings. The data implies that at 1080p, the Core i7-12700K is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to reach very high frame rates, but the RTX 3070 Ti's limits are exposed as the resolution climbs.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K features 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This Alder Lake architecture chip has a 25 MB shared L3 cache. In Doom, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p, where the average FPS reaches 270.7 on Low settings. This high frame rate is a direct result of the CPU's strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3dmark single-thread score of 1043 and passmark single-thread score of 4013. The benchmark data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset at 1080p (Ultra) achieves 163.3 FPS.

The CPU's multi-threading capabilities, while not heavily tested by Doom's engine, are still relevant. The processor's cinebench R23 multicore score of 29241 and passmark multithread score of 34404 indicate that it can handle background tasks and any additional load without impacting game performance. The percentileVsAllCpus of 89 places this CPU in the top tier of processors, and its average benchmark score of 35684 is only 0.6% higher than the Intel Core i7-13700T, a rival that scores 35468. This suggests that the i7-12700K is a capable partner for the RTX 3070 Ti in this title, ensuring that the GPU is the primary constraint on performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s. Its boost clock is 1770 MHz, and it has a pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s. In Doom, the GPU's role becomes increasingly critical as resolution and settings increase. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 57.1, which is a clear indication that the GPU is working at its limits. The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 74 shows it is a mid-to-high range part, and its passmark g3d score of 23356 is significantly higher than its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME, which scores 30755, a deltaPct of 0.3%.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is sufficient for Doom at these settings, as the game was released in 2016 and does not have the high memory demands of modern titles. The GPU's FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS is more than adequate for this title's rendering requirements. The measured data suggests that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates at 1440p and 4K, as the FPS scales inversely with resolution and settings, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. The 3dmark steel nomad dx12 score of 3478, while not a direct game benchmark, gives an indication of the GPU's raw compute capability in a modern API.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination ranks 679 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the 40th percentile of all tested systems, meaning that over 60% of the tested combos deliver higher average frame rates. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual components' high percentile scores, but it reflects the specific demands of Doom, which is an older title that may not fully utilize the latest multi-core CPUs. The ranking suggests that while this combo is capable, there are many other system configurations that can achieve higher performance in this particular game.

The data implies that the rank is more heavily influenced by the GPU than the CPU, as the RTX 3070 Ti is a mid-range card in the current landscape. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking does not translate to a top-tier game ranking for this combo, which indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor for the overall system score in Doom. The rank of 679 is a data point that shows the combo is above average, but not exceptional, for this specific title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 270.7 on Low to 163.3 on Ultra. The Medium preset delivers 237.6 FPS, and High achieves 201.8 FPS. These numbers indicate that the system is capable of driving high refresh rate monitors at 1080p, with even the most demanding settings providing a smooth experience well above 144 Hz.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 175.6 on Low, 154.4 on Medium, 127.7 on High, and 106.5 on Ultra. These figures show that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, as all settings provide playable frame rates above 100 FPS. The performance at 1440p High, with 127.7 FPS, is particularly notable, as it balances visual quality with high refresh rate performance.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 92.6 on Low, 82.1 on Medium, 67.4 on High, and 57.1 on Ultra. The 4K results show that the RTX 3070 Ti is pushed to its limits, with only the Low preset delivering frame rates above 90 FPS. The Ultra setting at 4K, at 57.1 FPS, is still playable but does not offer the high refresh rate experience seen at lower resolutions. The data shows a clear linear scaling with settings at each resolution, with the difference between Low and Ultra being 107.4 FPS at 1080p, 69.1 FPS at 1440p, and 35.5 FPS at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and refresh rate priorities. For 1920x1080, the High preset is recommended as it delivers 201.8 FPS, which is above the 144 Hz threshold for most high-refresh monitors, while providing better visual fidelity than Medium. For users with 240 Hz monitors, the Low preset at 270.7 FPS is the only option that approaches that refresh rate, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the best choice for a balance of image quality and performance, offering 127.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 106.5 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visual detail and have a 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitor. The Medium preset at 154.4 FPS is a good option for competitive play, as it provides a high frame rate with moderate visual enhancements.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 82.1 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a playable frame rate above 60 FPS while maintaining better visual quality than Low. The High preset at 67.4 FPS is also acceptable for a 60 Hz display, but the Ultra preset at 57.1 FPS dips below 60 FPS and is not ideal for a smooth experience. The data suggests that 4K gaming is possible but requires a compromise on settings to maintain consistent frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest average FPS is 270.7, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but with limitations. The average FPS at 3840x2160 ranges from 92.6 on Low to 57.1 on Ultra, so it can play at 4K but only at lower settings for high refresh rates.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35684, which is 0.6% higher than the Intel Core i7-13700T's score of 35468, but 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845's score of 35802.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti has a memory bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s, utilizing 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo achieve over 100 FPS?

A: The combo achieves over 100 FPS at 1920x1080 on all settings, and at 2560x1440 on Low, Medium, and High settings, but not on Ultra (106.5 FPS is still over 100, so at 1440p all settings are above 100 FPS).

Q: What is the combo's rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 679 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the upper-mid range of all tested systems.