Doom

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a commanding performance in Doom, consistently producing frame rates that classify this pairing as high-end for the title. The data indicates a system capable of obliterating 1080p and 1440p workloads, while still providing a very playable 4K experience. The benchmark results show a clear hierarchy where resolution scaling impacts performance significantly, but the combination of the 12-core CPU and the RTX 4070's architecture ensures that the game remains fluid across all tested settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable yet steep penalty as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the "High" settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 231 FPS at 1080p to 150 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 81 FPS, before settling at 81 FPS at 4K. This progression highlights that the transition from 1080p to 1440p demands a 35% performance hit, while moving from 1440p to 4K imposes a further 46% reduction in frame rate. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a system where the GPU becomes progressively more dominant as the pixel count rises.

The observed scaling suggests that at 1080p, the system is not fully GPU-bound in the same way it is at higher resolutions. The deltas between settings at 1080p are substantial, with the "Low" preset hitting 314 FPS versus 189 FPS on "Ultra," indicating that the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU. However, by 4K, the spread narrows significantly; the "Low" preset achieves 110 FPS while "Ultra" drops to 66 FPS. This compression of performance at 4K is a clear indicator that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the limiting component at this resolution, as the workload shifts entirely to the graphics card's rendering capabilities.

The data supports a conclusion that this combination is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p but becomes a standard 60+ FPS experience at 4K. The frame rate difference between "Medium" and "High" at 4K is only 15 FPS (96 vs. 81), suggesting that the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth are the primary bottlenecks. In contrast, at 1080p, the gap between "Low" and "Ultra" is 125 FPS, which points to the CPU's ability to push frames rapidly when the GPU is not overwhelmed. This behavior confirms that the Core i7-12700KF is more than sufficient for this title, and the scaling curve is dominated by the graphics card's capabilities.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings a substantial amount of processing power to Doom, a game that benefits from high single-thread performance. With 12 cores and 20 threads, this Alder Lake-S architecture processor has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, which provides the necessary speed to handle the game's engine logic. The benchmark data shows a single-thread score of 1043 in 3dmark, which is a strong indicator of its ability to handle the primary game thread efficiently. This is crucial for Doom, as the id Tech engine is known for its excellent multi-threading but still relies heavily on a fast primary core for frame pacing.

The processor's multi-core capabilities are also relevant, as the game can utilize multiple threads for physics and AI. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 demonstrates a high level of parallel processing power, which helps maintain consistent frame rates when the action on screen becomes chaotic. However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. The fact that the 1080p "Low" preset reaches 314 FPS indicates that the processor can deliver frames far beyond what most displays can handle, and it only becomes a potential bottleneck if the GPU were significantly faster. The 3dmark max threads score of 9983 further emphasizes that this CPU has reserves of performance that Doom does not fully exhaust.

The processor's position relative to its rivals reinforces its capability. The nearestRivals data shows the Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365, which is essentially identical to the Intel Core i7-13700T (35403, delta -0.1%) and slightly ahead of the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305, delta 0.2%). This places the 12700KF in a performance tier where any differences are negligible for gaming. In Doom, the CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of data, and the high boost clock and large L3 cache of 25 MB (shared) are more than adequate for this task. The data shows that the CPU is a capable partner for the RTX 4070, providing a solid foundation for the high frame rates observed.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant force in this pairing for Doom, and the benchmark results clearly show its influence on performance. The GPU's architecture, Ada Lovelace, features 5888 shading units and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, which translates into a texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s. These specifications are directly responsible for the game's visual fidelity and the frame rates achieved at various settings. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is sufficient for the textures and geometry in Doom at all tested resolutions.

The GPU's performance scaling across settings highlights its strengths. At 1080p, the RTX 4070 can push the "Ultra" preset to 189 FPS, but this is likely constrained by the CPU's ability to issue draw calls. As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU's raw compute power becomes the deciding factor. The 4K "Ultra" result of 66 FPS confirms the card's capability, as it maintains playability even at the highest settings. The difference between "Low" and "Ultra" at 4K is 44 FPS (110 vs. 66), which shows that the GPU has a significant workload to manage, and the memory bandwidth is utilized effectively.

The GPU's benchmark scores indicate it is a strong performer in synthetic tests, with a passmark G3D score of 26927 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 154858. These numbers place the RTX 4070 in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. The nearestRivals data shows it is closely matched with the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (avgScore 37507, delta 0.4%) and NVIDIA Tesla P4 (avgScore 37628, delta 0.1%), but these rivals are not relevant for modern gaming. In Doom, the GPU's role is to render the fast-paced action without sacrificing frame rate, and the measured data confirms that it excels at this task, particularly at 1440p where it delivers over 120 FPS on all settings except "Ultra" (122 FPS), which is still a high refresh rate experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how this combination performs across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is immensely powerful. The "Low" preset achieves an average of 314 FPS, while "Medium" reaches 273 FPS with a minimum of 232 FPS and a maximum of 314 FPS. "High" settings deliver 231 FPS, and "Ultra" still maintains a robust 189 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system can easily drive a 240Hz monitor, and even the most demanding "Ultra" preset is far above the 144Hz threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains excellent but scales down as expected. The "Low" preset yields 203 FPS, "Medium" produces 177 FPS (min 150, max 204), "High" reaches 150 FPS, and "Ultra" drops to 122 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combo, as every setting provides a frame rate that is well-suited for competitive play and high-refresh-rate displays. The minimum FPS on "Medium" (150 FPS) is higher than the average FPS on "Ultra," indicating that the GPU has headroom to handle scene complexity without major dips.

At 3840x2160, the system transitions from high-refresh-rate territory to standard 60 FPS gaming. The "Low" preset averages 110 FPS, which is still very smooth. "Medium" averages 96 FPS with a range of 81 to 110 FPS, and "High" drops to 81 FPS. The "Ultra" preset is the only one that falls below 60 FPS, with an average of 66 FPS. This data suggests that for 4K gaming, players should consider "High" or "Medium" settings to ensure a consistent experience, as the 15 FPS difference between "High" (81) and "Ultra" (66) is noticeable, but the jump from "Medium" (96) to "High" (81) is also significant. The frame rate ranges at 4K "Medium" (81-110 FPS) show that the system can maintain a playable experience even during intense scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a combo rank of 860 out of 3712 tested combinations. This places it in the top 23% of all systems tested for Doom, which is a strong showing given the game's age and the number of high-end configurations that have been evaluated. The rank affirms the balance between the CPU and GPU, as neither component holds the other back significantly.

The percentile data for the individual components supports this ranking. The CPU is in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. The combination of two components in the 80th percentile or higher results in a system that is well-above average for gaming. The rank of 860 suggests that there are many systems with more powerful GPUs (like the RTX 4080 or 4090) that would rank higher, but this does not diminish the fact that this combo delivers excellent performance. The data indicates that this system is more than capable of handling Doom at high settings, and its ranking reflects that it is a top-tier configuration for this title, even if it is not at the very pinnacle. The fact that it is in the top quarter of all tested combos is a clear indication of its prowess.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the "Ultra" preset is the clear recommendation, as it delivers 189 FPS, which is far above the refresh rate of most monitors. There is no reason to sacrifice visual quality at this resolution, as the system has ample performance headroom.

At 2560x1440, the "High" preset is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. It achieves 150 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz displays, and it is only 27 FPS lower than "Medium" (177 FPS). The jump to "Ultra" reduces the frame rate to 122 FPS, which is still playable but may not be worth the visual difference for competitive players. For those with a 165Hz or 240Hz monitor, the "Medium" preset at 177 FPS would be the better choice to fully utilize the display's refresh rate.

For 3840x2160, the "Medium" preset is the recommended starting point, as it offers an average of 96 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS. This provides a smooth experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The "High" preset at 81 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visual quality, but it is closer to the 60 FPS line and may dip lower in demanding scenes. The "Ultra" preset at 66 FPS should be avoided if frame rate consistency is a priority, as it leaves little margin for error. The data shows that "Medium" at 4K is the sweet spot, providing a 30 FPS advantage over "Ultra" while still looking significantly better than "Low" (110 FPS). This configuration allows players to enjoy the game's fast-paced action without compromising on smoothness.