Doom

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a benchmark profile that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset selection in Doom. This is a 2016 FPS title, and the data reveals a system capable of extremely high frame rates, but one where the CPU’s 12 cores and 20 threads provide a formidable foundation that is often left underutilized as the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher visual fidelity. The processor, based on Alder Lake architecture, operates on a 10 nm process with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, presenting a potent mix of high-frequency performance and multi-threaded capacity that is reflected in its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The i7-12700KF’s specifications suggest it is far more capable than what Doom demands at most settings. With 12 cores and 20 threads, the CPU’s multi-threaded ceiling is high, evidenced by a Geekbench multi-core score of 13596. However, Doom is a title that often favors single-thread performance, and the processor’s 5.00 GHz boost clock and 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 indicate a strong ability to handle the game’s primary game logic. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 256.8 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck, as this frame rate is exceptionally high. The processor’s L3 cache of 25 MB shared and a 3DMark 16-thread score of 9282 further reinforce its capability to feed the GPU without interruption at lower resolutions.

The relationship between CPU and GPU is most apparent when observing the scaling from High to Ultra settings. At 1440p, the average FPS drops from 123.7 on High to 103.2 on Ultra, a change that is likely influenced by the GPU’s workload rather than CPU limitations. The processor’s benchmark data, including a Passmark multi-thread score of 34092 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3984, places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is a high-end component. In the context of this game, the i7-12700KF appears to provide a stable platform that does not constrain the RTX 3070, allowing the GPU to be the deciding factor in performance scaling. The system’s overall rank of 789 out of 1681 combos for this game implies that while the CPU is strong, the combination’s performance is typical for its class, not exceptional, which hints that the GPU is the limiting factor in many scenarios.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-12700KF perform relative to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35355. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14400, which scores 35336, and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-12900HX, which scores 35289. It trails the Intel Core i7-13800H by 0.2%, as that chip scores 35416.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 3070 and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 28238. It is 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, which scores 27985. The RTX 3070 also leads the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti by 1%, as that card scores 27956.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Doom, and at what settings?

A: The highest average FPS is 256.8, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is significantly higher than the next tier, which is 224 FPS at Medium settings at the same resolution.

Q: How does the average FPS at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 54.8, while at 1080p Ultra, it is 155.6. This represents a substantial drop of 100.8 FPS, or roughly a 65% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at the highest preset.

Q: Is the combo’s performance in this game better than the median of all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 789 out of 1681 tested combinations for this game. This places it in the upper half of all tested combos, meaning it performs better than the median, but it is not among the top performers.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 169.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 103.2 FPS. The difference is 66.1 FPS, indicating a significant performance cost for the higher visual fidelity.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear trend of the GPU becoming the bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the system achieves 188.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 123.7 FPS, a reduction of 64.4 FPS. This is a substantial decline that indicates the GPU is being tasked more heavily. When scaling to 4K High, the average FPS falls to 69.3, a further reduction of 54.4 FPS from 1440p. This pattern is consistent across all presets, showing that the RTX 3070’s performance is the primary constraint at higher pixel counts.

The data points to a system that is heavily GPU-bound at 4K. For instance, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 54.8, which is a demanding load for the GPU. Conversely, at 1080p Low, the frame rate of 256.8 FPS is so high that it suggests the CPU is providing enough throughput to keep the GPU fed, but the GPU is still the component that limits the final output. The CPU’s strong performance, with a Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 12171, is not the limiting factor here. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent drop of roughly 45% to 50% in FPS for each resolution step, which is a typical characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 3070’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely the key resources being taxed at higher resolutions, as the game’s texture and shading demands increase.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 256.8 FPS, while Medium sees a drop to 224 FPS. High settings produce 188.1 FPS, and the Ultra preset yields 155.6 FPS. This shows a performance spread of 101.2 FPS between the lowest and highest presets at 1080p. The data indicates that even at Ultra, the frame rate is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on high refresh rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS decreases across all presets. Low settings produce 169.3 FPS, Medium delivers 144 FPS, High yields 123.7 FPS, and Ultra comes in at 103.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 66.1 FPS, which is a smaller absolute difference than at 1080p but still represents a 39% performance penalty for using the highest preset. At 1440p, the system remains highly capable, with even Ultra settings clearing the 100 FPS mark.

At 4K (3840x2160), the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset achieves 88.4 FPS, which is the only preset to break 60 FPS at this resolution. Medium settings drop to 81.5 FPS, High falls to 69.3 FPS, and Ultra is the lowest at 54.8 FPS. The data shows that at 4K, the system struggles to maintain high refresh rates, with Ultra settings falling below the 60 FPS threshold. This suggests that for a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, users would need to consider lower settings, as the scaling from High to Ultra alone costs 14.5 FPS.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, based on the GA104 chip with 8 nm process, is a critical component in this combo’s performance. It has a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1725 MHz, with a memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is a key factor in handling the high-resolution textures in Doom. The benchmark results show that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, where the average FPS drops to 54.8 on Ultra, indicating that the GPU’s compute resources and memory bandwidth are being saturated.

The GPU’s raw compute power, with a FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s, is substantial. However, the data suggests that at 4K Ultra, the game’s demands exceed what the RTX 3070 can deliver for a 60 FPS experience. The GPU’s performance relative to its rivals is notable, as it is 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti. This positioning indicates that the RTX 3070 is a solid performer, but not a top-tier card. The 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are present, but in a game like Doom from 2016, these features may not be fully utilized, leaving the traditional shading units, of which there are 5888, to do the heavy lifting. The GPU’s 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs reinforces that it is a mid-to-high-end part, and its performance in this title is consistent with that standing.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user’s resolution and frame rate target. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 155.6 FPS, which is more than sufficient for high refresh rate displays. The High preset at 188.1 FPS offers a slight performance boost, but the visual difference between High and Ultra may be worth the 32.5 FPS cost. For users with 1440p monitors, the High preset at 123.7 FPS provides an excellent balance, as it is well above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves headroom for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 103.2 FPS is also viable, but the drop to below 120 FPS may be noticeable for some.

At 4K, the situation is different. The High preset at 69.3 FPS is the highest preset that consistently stays above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for a smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 54.8 FPS dips below 60 FPS, which could lead to stutter on some displays. The Medium preset at 81.5 FPS offers a good balance for those who want higher frame rates, but the visual quality is reduced. The data suggests that for 4K, users should prioritize High settings to maintain a playable frame rate, as the drop from High to Ultra is 14.5 FPS, which is a significant penalty. Overall, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot at 1440p and 4K, while 1080p users can comfortably use Ultra without sacrificing performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 789 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom. This places the system in the upper half of all tested configurations, but it is not a standout performer. The rank suggests that while the components are capable, there are many other combos that achieve higher frame rates in this specific game. Given that the CPU is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs and the GPU is in the 72nd percentile, the combo’s rank of 789 indicates that the GPU is likely holding the system back from a higher position.

The data implies that the i7-12700KF is more than adequate for this game, but the RTX 3070’s performance is the limiting factor. The combo’s rank is not surprising, as the RTX 3070 is a mid-to-high-end card, and many other GPUs in the database offer higher performance. The rank of 789 out of 1681 means the combo is better than 892 other tested configurations, which is a solid result. However, the gap to the top performers is significant, as the GPU’s nearest rivals are older or lower-tier cards like the AMD FirePro S7150 and the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, which are not known for extreme performance. This ranking suggests that for users seeking maximum FPS in Doom, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, but for a balanced system, this combo performs admirably, especially at 1080p and 1440p where it delivers high frame rates.