Doom

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, but the data shows that 4K Ultra is beyond this combination's comfort zone. The benchmark results indicate a predictable scaling pattern where the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the 12-core CPU ensures frame rates remain consistently high at lower settings where the load shifts.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 on High settings provides an excellent balance, yielding 98.1 FPS average. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the jump to 1920x1080 only adds 48 FPS (146.1 vs 98.1) while reducing visual fidelity.

Q: Can this setup handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset (69.7 FPS) and Medium preset (61.5 FPS) stay above 60 FPS. High (49.4 FPS) and Ultra (40.6 FPS) will feel noticeably less fluid, especially in fast-paced combat scenarios.

Q: How much performance does the Ultra preset cost compared to High?

A: The penalty is significant across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, dropping from High to Ultra reduces the average FPS from 146.1 to 122.4 (a 23.7 FPS loss). At 2560x1440, the drop is from 98.1 to 79.8 (18.3 FPS loss), and at 4K it falls from 49.4 to 40.6 (8.8 FPS loss).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game's performance?

A: The data suggests the GPU dominates at higher resolutions. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 29.1 FPS (69.7 vs 40.6), while at 1080p that spread widens to 75 FPS (197.4 vs 122.4). This indicates the RX 7600 XT is the primary constraint once resolution increases, with the i7-12700KF providing ample headroom.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 1095 out of 1681 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This reflects its capability as a competent 1080p/1440p performer rather than a high-end 4K solution.

Q: How does the RX 7600 XT compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 7600 XT posts an average benchmark score of 20146, which is 0.6% behind the RX 7600 (20258), 1.9% ahead of the RTX 2060 SUPER (19774), and 1.9% behind the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534). It sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT brings 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is generous for a game like Doom, which does not demand excessive VRAM even at 4K Ultra. The GPU's boost clock of 2755 MHz and game clock of 2470 MHz are the key performance drivers, with the base clock at 1980 MHz. The measured FPS data confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor when resolution climbs: at 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 69.7 on Low to 40.6 on Ultra, showing a clear scaling curve that tracks with the GPU's compute load.

The RX 7600 XT's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 176.3 GPixel/s, which translates into strong fill-rate performance for Doom's fast-moving environments. The GPU's 22.57 TFLOPS FP32 throughput handles the game's lighting and particle effects well at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K numbers reveal its limits. The benchmark data shows that at 2560x1440, the GPU still maintains playable frame rates even on Ultra (79.8 FPS), but pushing to 4K Ultra drops below 45 FPS, making that configuration impractical for competitive play. The GPU's 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs and its proximity to the RX 7600 (0.6% lower average score) suggest it is a mid-range part that excels at mainstream resolutions rather than flagship 4K workloads.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF provides 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This Alder Lake-S processor, built on Intel's 10 nm process, offers a substantial 25 MB of shared L3 cache, which helps feed the GPU with data in Doom's level streaming. The CPU's benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091. In the 89th percentile of all CPUs, the i7-12700KF is clearly not the bottleneck in this pairing.

The data supports this conclusion: at 1920x1080 Low, the combo hits 197.4 FPS average, indicating the CPU can push frames far beyond what the GPU can render at higher settings. The CPU's nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i5-14400 (0.1% higher average score) and Intel Core i9-12900HX (0.2% lower), show that this processor sits in a competitive tier where small differences in synthetic benchmarks do not translate into meaningful FPS gaps in Doom. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 9282 and 3dmark_single_thread score of 1043 confirm balanced performance across both lightly-threaded and fully-threaded workloads, which matters for a game that scales well with multiple cores while still benefiting from strong single-thread IPC. The CPU's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier (indicated by the "KF" suffix) allow for overclocking headroom, though the measured results already show sufficient capability to avoid constraining the RX 7600 XT.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT ranks 1095 out of 1681 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the 35th percentile of all systems in the database. This rank reflects a mismatch between a high-end CPU (89th percentile) and a mid-range GPU (63rd percentile), where the GPU limits overall gaming performance. The ranking indicates that many other combinations deliver higher frame rates, particularly those pairing the RX 7600 XT with faster CPUs or pairing the i7-12700KF with stronger GPUs.

The data shows that this combo's performance is heavily skewed by the GPU's capabilities. While the CPU can handle up to 197.4 FPS at 1080p Low, the GPU's ceiling becomes apparent at 4K Ultra with just 40.6 FPS. The combo rank of 1095 suggests that for Doom specifically, users would benefit more from a stronger GPU with this CPU rather than vice versa. In the database context, this combination sits in the middle of the pack, offering reliable 1080p and 1440p performance but failing to compete with higher-tier GPU pairings at 4K. The measured FPS data confirms that the combo's strengths lie in high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming and solid 1440p performance, rather than pushing extreme resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers strong results across all settings. Low preset averages 197.4 FPS, Medium drops to 173.3 FPS, High reaches 146.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 122.4 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at Ultra, the frame rate remains above 120 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 75 FPS penalty, which is significant but leaves ample performance headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains respectable. Low averages 128.9 FPS, Medium hits 113.4 FPS, High manages 98.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 79.8 FPS. The 49.1 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is slightly less severe than at 1080p, but still noticeable. All settings remain playable, with even Ultra staying above 60 FPS. This resolution represents the sweet spot for this combo, offering a good balance of visual quality and frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low averages 69.7 FPS, Medium achieves 61.5 FPS, High falls to 49.4 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 40.6 FPS. Only the Low and Medium presets maintain frame rates above 60 FPS, and the gap between Low and Ultra is 29.1 FPS. This resolution requires significant compromises, with High and Ultra presets delivering less-than-ideal experiences for fast-paced Doom gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 122.4 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides the best visual fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold. Players with 144 Hz monitors will find this setting delivers a smooth experience, though those seeking maximum responsiveness can drop to High at 146.1 FPS for a 23.7 FPS boost with minimal visual impact.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 98.1 FPS offers the best overall experience, balancing visual quality with performance. The Ultra preset at 79.8 FPS is also viable, but the 18.3 FPS penalty may be noticeable in fast-paced combat. For competitive play, the Medium preset at 113.4 FPS provides a fluid experience, while Low at 128.9 FPS is available for those prioritizing frame rate above all else.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 61.5 FPS is the recommended maximum, as it stays above 60 FPS while offering better visuals than Low. The High preset at 49.4 FPS is playable but may feel less responsive, and Ultra at 40.6 FPS should be avoided for serious gameplay. The data indicates that this combo is not ideal for 4K gaming, and users with 4K displays should consider either lowering resolution or accepting reduced settings to maintain playable frame rates.