Doom

The pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 produces a performance profile in Doom that is heavily dictated by resolution and the graphics preset applied. The measured data reveals a system that can deliver very high refresh rates at 1080p but transitions into a more demanding scenario at 4K, where the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. This analysis explores the benchmark results, focusing on how the CPU and GPU roles shift across the tested configurations and what the frame rate data implies about the system's overall balance.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a predictable and steep decline as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that drop is directly tied to the graphics settings. At the Low preset, the average FPS falls from 194.1 at 1080p to 125.4 at 1440p, a reduction of 68.7 frames. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings yields a further drop to 68.1 FPS, illustrating a total loss of 126 frames from 1080p to 4K. This indicates that at lower settings, the system is likely hitting a CPU bottleneck at 1080p, as the GPU is not being fully taxed, allowing the processor's high single-thread performance to drive the frame rate.

The scaling behavior changes significantly at the High preset. The average FPS at 1080p is 142.4, which drops to 93.3 at 1440p, and finally to 52.1 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, suggesting that the graphics card's workload is becoming more dominant. Notably, the transition from High to Ultra at 4K results in a dramatic performance hit, with the average FPS falling from 52.1 to 38.9. This steep decline at the highest settings and resolution indicates that the Radeon RX 7600's compute resources and memory bandwidth are being saturated, leading to a significant compromise in playability.

The data further suggests a shift in the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the bottleneck, as the frame rate is exceptionally high. However, as resolution scales to 4K, the GPU's workload increases exponentially, and the frame rate becomes constrained by the graphics card's capabilities. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K is 29.2 FPS, which is a clear indication that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at this resolution, as the settings have a massive impact on the final output.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. In Doom, a title that is known for its scalability, the CPU's role appears to be most critical at lower resolutions where the GPU can render frames quickly. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 194.1 FPS, which reflects the processor's strong single-thread performance. The CPU's benchmark scores support this, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1043 and a cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 4091, indicating robust per-core capability.

The processor's multi-threaded capabilities are also substantial, as evidenced by a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 28979 and a passmark_multithread score of 34092. However, the game's performance scaling from Low to Ultra settings suggests that the CPU is not the primary constraint at higher resolutions. For instance, at 1440p, the average FPS ranges from 125.4 at Low to 72.6 at Ultra, showing that the GPU is increasingly responsible for the frame rate variance. The CPU's percentile rank of 89 among all tested CPUs places it in a high tier, and its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13800H with a negligible deltaPct of -0.2, confirm its position in the upper echelon of processors.

The data implies that while the CPU has enough headroom to drive high frame rates, its influence wanes as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The core count and clock speeds are more than sufficient for this game, and the measured FPS at 1080p indicates that the processor is not holding back the system in less demanding scenarios. The 20 threads ensure that any background tasks or game engine threads are handled without issue, but the gaming performance is ultimately dictated by the graphics card at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600, based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, plays a decisive role in the system's performance at 1440p and 4K. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card is positioned as a mainstream solution. The benchmark data shows that the GPU's performance is the defining factor at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 38.9, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that the card's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are overwhelmed by the pixel count and graphical fidelity.

The GPU's boost clock of 2655 MHz and a game clock of 2250 MHz provide the raw speed for the card, but the 8 GB VRAM capacity may also be a limiting factor at 4K with Ultra textures. The FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS is respectable, yet the data shows a clear performance cliff when moving from High to Ultra at 4K. The average FPS drops by 13.2 frames, from 52.1 to 38.9, which is a significant regression that highlights the card's struggle with the most demanding settings.

The GPU's percentile rank of 63 among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT with a deltaPct of 0.6, indicating a close performance parity. The measured results show that at 1080p, the GPU can deliver excellent frame rates, such as the 142.4 FPS at High settings, but the performance degrades quickly with resolution. The data suggests that the RX 7600 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates, but the 4K results indicate a need to lower settings to achieve playable performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate this combo can achieve in Doom?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 194.1, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 38.9, which is the lowest result in the dataset and likely below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the frame rate is 194.1, which strongly suggests a CPU bottleneck, as the graphics card is not fully utilized at such high frame rates.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset yields an average of 93.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 72.6 FPS, a difference of 20.7 frames.

Q: How does the Radeon RX 7600's average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 20258, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, has a deltaPct of 0.6, indicating the RX 7600 is slightly slower.

Q: What is the system's overall rank among tested combos in Doom?

A: The combo is ranked 1128 out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the High preset offers an excellent balance, delivering an average of 142.4 FPS, which is well above the 144Hz refresh rate threshold for most monitors. The Ultra preset at 1080p still provides a very playable 119.5 FPS, but the modest 22.9 FPS gain from lowering to High is not worth the visual fidelity loss for most users. The Low preset at 1080p yields 194.1 FPS, but this is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is prioritized over visuals.

At 1440p, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it provides an average of 93.3 FPS, which is smooth for most gaming scenarios. The Medium preset at 111.8 FPS is also viable, but the jump to High is likely worth the slight performance cost. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 72.6 FPS, which is still playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action. For 4K gaming, the data suggests that even the Low preset is borderline, with an average of 68.1 FPS. The High preset at 52.1 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience, and the Ultra preset at 38.9 FPS is clearly unsuitable for 4K play.

For the best overall experience, the High preset at 1440p or 1080p provides the most consistent and high-quality performance. The data indicates that the Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K and is only marginally beneficial at lower resolutions. The Medium preset is a viable fallback for users who prioritize frame rate over graphical details.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's capabilities across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves the highest average FPS at 194.1, followed by Medium at 171.9, High at 142.4, and Ultra at 119.5. This shows a clear progression where each settings tier reduces performance, but even the Ultra preset maintains a high frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the results follow a similar pattern but with lower overall numbers. The Low preset yields 125.4 FPS, Medium yields 111.8 FPS, High yields 93.3 FPS, and Ultra yields 72.6 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is 20.7 FPS, which is more pronounced than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is beginning to struggle with the higher resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset achieves 68.1 FPS, Medium achieves 58.8 FPS, High achieves 52.1 FPS, and Ultra achieves 38.9 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 29.2 FPS, which is the largest spread in the dataset. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, and the settings have a massive impact on playability. The data shows that only the Low preset at 4K approaches a playable frame rate, while the higher presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 7600 combination is ranked 1128 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the 67th percentile of all tested configurations. This rank indicates that while the system is capable of delivering high frame rates at lower resolutions, it is not among the top performers in the database. The CPU's strong benchmark scores, such as its 89th percentile rank among all CPUs, are offset by the GPU's more modest 63rd percentile rank, which drags down the overall combo ranking.

The data shows that the CPU is a high-tier component, with its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14400, showing a deltaPct of just 0.1, meaning they are essentially tied in performance. The GPU, however, is a mid-range component, with its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, being only 0.6% faster. This imbalance suggests that the system is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the CPU can shine, but the GPU becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The combo rank of 1128 reflects this reality, as many other combinations with more powerful GPUs will outperform it in resolutions above 1080p. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing is a balanced mainstream solution, but it is not designed for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming.