Doom

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination, tested in the 2016 FPS title Doom, produces measured average frame rates that range from 31 FPS at 4K Ultra to 148 FPS at 1080p Low. With the CPU scoring in the 85th percentile of all processors and the GPU landing in the 53rd percentile, the dataset places this pair at rank 3168 out of 3712 tested combinations, indicating that while the processor carries considerable computing weight, the graphics card becomes the primary variable at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake-S processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost ceiling of 5.00 GHz, all operating within a 125 W TDP. In synthetic benchmark exposure, the CPU posts a single-thread score of 4071 in Cinebench R23 and 14367 in Geekbench multicore, both figures placing it above the 85th percentile of all CPUs on record. Its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks—the Intel Core i7-13700T at -0.1% and the Intel Core 5 213PE at -0.2%–confirm that this chip sits within a narrow band of top-tier desktop silicon.

In Doom, this CPU headroom becomes evident in the measured FPS distribution. At 1920×1080 with Low settings, the combo sustains 148 FPS average, the highest value seen across the entire test matrix. Even at High settings on the same resolution, the pair stays above 100 FPS at 109 average. The game’s scaling behavior shows that when the pixel load is modest, the processor is not the constraint — only when resolutions climb to 3840×2160 does the GPU begin to dominate. For instance, at 4K Ultra the average collapses to 31 FPS, while the CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore 28838 score suggests that the processor still has ample capacity; the drop cannot be assigned to compute threads but rather to the graphical load forwarded by the 6 GB GPU. The CPU’s L3 cache of 25 MB shared also contributes to low-latency memory accesses in fight sequences, although the measured FPS table cannot isolate cache effects from GPU saturation at 4K.

The core/thread ratio, 12C/20T, allows the processor to keep the GPU fed across all presets tested at 1080p, as evidenced by the strong minimum frame rates recorded for Medium settings: 110 FPS at 1080p, 71 at 1440p, 38 at 4K. These lows stand out because they show that even under the sharpest GPU-bound frames, the CPU maintains smooth transitions; early frame drops are minimal.

FAQ

Q: What are the full core specifications of this CPU?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF delivers 12 physical cores with 20 threads at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz.

Q: How much L3 cache does the cigarette have?

A: 25 MB of shared L3 cache, with 1.25 MB of L2 per core and 80 KB of L1 per core.

Q: What is the GTX 1660 SUPER’s memory configuration?

A: 6 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 192-bit bus provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, operating at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

Q: At which settings does the measured FPS exceed 100 at 1920x1080?

A: The combo averages above the 100 FPS mark at Low (148), Medium (129), and High (109) settings at 1080p.

Q: What are the lowest and highest measured FPS values recorded across the entire test matrix?

A: The minimum measured average is 31 FPS at 4K Ultra, and maximum average is 148 FPS at 1080p Low.

Q: What rank does this combo hold at in Doom?

A: Rank 3168 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the list.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS steady from 1080p to 4K across all quality presets. At Low settings, the average falls from 148 FPS at 1920×1080 to 96 FPS at 2560×1440 (-35%), then to 52 FPS at 3840×2160 (-65% relative to 1440p). A similar but less steep decline occurs at High, starting at 109 FPS down to 70 FPS then 38 FPS, showing a drop of 29% from 1080p to 1440p and a further 46% from 1440p to 4K. When translating those percentages, the pixel count jump from 2.1 million to 3.7 million to 8.3 million explains the growing GPU dependency.

The pattern is consistent across Ultra: 89 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K. This type of scaling reveals a component-bound relationship. At 1080p, the i7-12700KF still holds enough compute headroom to drive frame delivery, but as resolution increases, the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER’s 6 GB frame buffer and 336 GB/s bandwidth face increasing load. The sharp in-memory workload at 4K Ultra (31 FPS) signals that the GPU has already exhausted its rendering capacity.

Moreover, the measured min/max values for Medium setting provide further evidence. At 1080p Medium the span is 110–148 FPS; at 1440p Medium it is 71–96 FPS; at 4K Medium it is 38–52 FPS. The narrowing within higher resolutions (52 minus 38 gives a 14 FPS variance at 4K) coincides with the GPU hovering near its physical limit, while the CPU remains unbothered.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the full database of tested processor-graphics pairings, the i7-12700KF + GTX 1660 SUPER combination sits at position 3168 of 3712 configurations. That rank places it in the lower half of all results, just above the last 500 entries. In context, the CPU itself ranks in the 85th percentile on its own benchmark average, but the combo’s standing is dragged down by the GPU’s mid-tier (53rd percentile, average score 12986). The reality is that this matchup is heavily imbalanced toward the CPU.

The observable gap becomes clear when looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic tests: the Intel Core i7-13700T (-0.1%), Intel Core 5 213PE (-0.2%), and Intel Core i5-13600T (+0.2%) are almost identical in aggregate score. Had any of those chips been paired with a stronger GPU, the FPS tables would likely shift upward, but no such configuration was measured. Within the test suite, the GPU’s position against equivalents like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (-0.4 %) or AMD Radeon RX580 (+0.4%) shows that the GTX 1660 is in the same neighborhood, but the choice of six gigabytes of VRAM restricts the GPU in texture-heavy scenes.

Doom’s rank at 3168 basically confirms that gamers would find better raw frames per dollar with a newer graphics card, rather than any further CPU investment. The data shows that a typical mid-range GPU pair produces only a moderate sit among the pack.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the TU116 chip at 12 nm, with 1,408 shading units, 88 texture units, 48 ROPs, and a pixel filling speed of 85.68 GPixel/s. It runs at a base of 1530 MHz and a boost of 1785 MHz, delivering 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. Memory is 6 GB GDDR6 over a 192-bit interface, yielding 336.6 GB/s bandwidth at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps). All those figures align with the mid-range of the 2019-2020 generation.

In Doom, the 6 GB VRAM proves adequate for 1080p and 1440p (the game's default texture pools), which explains why these resolutions run smoothly — 148 FPS Low, 83 FPS Medium, 70 FPS High, and 58 FPS Ultra at 1440p. At 2160p, however, the GTX 1660’s power becomes the dominant wall. The dropoff to 38 FPS at High, 45 FPS at Medium, and only 31 FPS at Ultra illustrates how the VRAM and shader throughput cannot feed the 4K pixel pipeline without significant frame halving.

The GPU’s benchmark scores also corroborate this: PassMark G3D of 12699 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 1278 reflect a card that is about middle-of-the-pack for modern titles. With a percentile rank of 53, the GTX 1660 is neither a budget entry-level nor a high-end part — it sits exactly in the center of the GPU pool. That mid-tier status is why a 12-core, 20-thread modern processor goes unexerted at high resolutions; the GPU simply bolts at to the pixel throughput rather than allowing the CPU to push further.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured frame data for this CPU-GPU pairing across all resolutions and quality presets:

1920x1080:

• Low: 148 FPS average
• Medium: 129 FPS average, minimum 110, maximum 148
• High: 109 FPS average
• Ultra: 89 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 96 FPS average
• Medium: 83 FPS average, minimum 71, maximum 96
• High: 70 FPS average
• Ultra: 58 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 52 FPS average
• Medium: 45 FPS average, minimum 38, maximum 52
• High: 38 FPS average
• Ultra: 31 FPS average

A quick read shows that Ultra 1440p (58 FPS) is roughly equal to the low frame rates of 4K low (52 FPS), highlighting how the extra resolution pushes the GTX1660 past its comfort area. Conversely, 1080p Medium (129 FPS) carries the same balanced average that High at 1440p misses (70). The most stable frames appear at 1080p Medium (min 110, max 148) giving a ragged range of only 38, which is the narrowest spread across the entire data set. 4K Medium yields a min of 38 and max of 52, a 14 differential, showing less spike but at lower cost.

Settings Recommendations

Based on measured results, the sweet point for this combination is 1920x1080 with Medium settings. The pair returns an average of 129 FPS with a floor of 110 FPS and a ceiling of 148 FPS, keeping motion fast and smooth. Choosing High settings at the same resolution lowers the frame average to 109 FPS, still above the 100 FPS mark, but the Medium preset provides a 15% higher average without the need for Reduced visual quality. Low and Ultra presets are time-on (148 vs 89), but the gap between medium and ultra outweighs the visual gain in high-speed combat sequences.

At 1440p, the recommended setting is Medium (83 FPS average, min 71, max 96) – this is the only 1440p preset that pushes beyond the crucial 70 FPS line. High and Ultra respectively stay at 70 FPS and 58 FPS, which is playable but without a full 60+ experience; Low is too stripped of detail for a visually oriented single-player FPS like Doom.

For 4K, the data advises against the Ultra and High presets (31 and 38 FPS) because they turn the game into a stuttering, release anchor. Instead, Medium at 4K yields 45 FPS average with a minimum of 38, which gives a consistent cinematic feel, though it is not a locking for 60 FPS. Low (52 FPS) offers a more comfortable frame rate but comes with the visual impact of all low settings. Given that Doom is an action-oriented title, a 4K Medium balance is the least compromising alternative, while an user demanding smoothness should favor 1440p Medium. This measured distribution clarifies that the i7-12700K’s strength is best exploited at 1080p and 1440p, where the GeForce can keep up, whereas 4K pushes the pair past its intended regime.