Doom

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers exceptional performance in Doom (2016), placing in the top 21% of all tested configurations with a combo rank of 352 out of 1681. The data reveals a system where the GPU is the clear performance ceiling at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-threaded and multi-threaded capabilities ensure the frame rate remains fluid even at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, explores the roles of each component, and answers common questions based strictly on the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo achieves 202.2 FPS. Moving to 1440p at Ultra, the average drops to 132.2 FPS, a reduction of 70 FPS. The most significant drop occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings, where the average FPS falls from 132.2 to 72.7, a decline of nearly 45%. This steep drop indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the primary limiting factor at 4K, as the workload on the GPU increases dramatically with pixel count.

The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For example, at High settings, the FPS drops from 249.6 at 1080p to 161.3 at 1440p, and then further to 85.8 at 4K. This represents a 65.5% reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K at High settings. The scaling suggests that while the Intel Core i7-12700KF has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, the RTX 5070's raw compute and memory bandwidth (672.0 GB/s) become the bottleneck as resolution climbs.

Interestingly, the delta between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (338.1 FPS) and Ultra (202.2 FPS) is 135.9 FPS. At 4K, the same comparison yields a difference of 48.7 FPS (121.4 vs. 72.7). This narrowing gap at 4K further confirms that the GPU is saturated; the extra load from Ultra settings cannot be fully compensated by the CPU, as the GPU is already working at its limit. The data implies that for maximum visual fidelity at 4K, users will accept a significant FPS cost, but for high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p gaming, the system has substantial performance in reserve.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for balancing visual quality and frame rate. At 4K, the Ultra preset yields 72.7 FPS, which is playable but may not satisfy users with high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at 4K offers a more comfortable 85.8 FPS, representing an 18% improvement over Ultra while likely providing a visually similar experience in most scenes. The Medium preset at 4K (105 FPS) appears to be the sweet spot for 60 Hz displays, offering a significant 44.4% performance boost over Ultra while still maintaining a higher graphical fidelity than Low.

For 1440p, the Ultra preset delivers 132.2 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for 120 Hz monitors. The High preset at 1440p (161.3 FPS) provides an additional 29.1 FPS over Ultra, making it an excellent choice for 144 Hz displays. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset achieves 202.2 FPS, meaning all settings are viable for competitive play. The Low preset at 1080p (338.1 FPS) offers an extreme performance margin, but the data suggests that Medium (294.2 FPS) or High (249.6 FPS) provides a better balance for most users, as the FPS remains far above the refresh rate of typical monitors.

The data indicates that the High preset is the most balanced choice across all resolutions, offering a consistent performance uplift over Ultra without the visual compromises of Medium or Low. For users prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 1440p (220.5 FPS) or 1080p (338.1 FPS) is the clear winner, but the quality loss is substantial.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo at 4K?

A: The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 121.4 FPS, achieved with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested configurations in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 352nd out of 1681 tested configurations, placing it in the top 21% of all systems.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Ultra and Low settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 202.2 FPS, while the Low preset averages 338.1 FPS. This represents a difference of 135.9 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1440p High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 161.3. Given the CPU's strong multi-threaded score of 28979 in Cinebench R23, the data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU has ample headroom to process game logic at this frame rate.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 72.7, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the performance delta between the High and Medium presets at 1440p?

A: The High preset averages 161.3 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 189.2 FPS. The Medium preset is 27.9 FPS faster.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 338.1 FPS, which is the fastest measured result in the entire dataset. The Medium preset follows at 294.2 FPS, then High at 249.6 FPS, and Ultra at 202.2 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 135.9 FPS drop, indicating that the GPU is still responsive to settings changes at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops across all presets. Low averages 220.5 FPS, Medium 189.2 FPS, High 161.3 FPS, and Ultra 132.2 FPS. The relative ordering remains consistent, with Low being 88.3 FPS faster than Ultra. This resolution represents a balanced middle ground where the system can still push high refresh rates on most presets.

At 3840x2160, the performance ceiling is more pronounced. The Low preset averages 121.4 FPS, which is still a solid result. Medium averages 105 FPS, High 85.8 FPS, and Ultra 72.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 48.7 FPS, the smallest absolute gap across all resolutions. This compressed range indicates that the GPU is heavily utilized even at Low settings in 4K, and the impact of further increasing graphical load is diminished compared to lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 352 out of 1681 tested configurations, this system sits comfortably in the upper quartile of all tested combos in Doom. This rank places it ahead of 79% of all tested systems, reflecting the strength of both the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 for this title. The CPU's percentile rank of 89 among all CPUs indicates it outperforms the vast majority of processors, while the GPU's percentile of 83 shows similar dominance on the graphics side.

The nearest rivals for the CPU in general benchmarks include the Intel Core i5-14400 (0.1% higher average score) and the Intel Core i9-12900HX (0.2% lower), meaning the 12700KF is effectively tied with these processors in raw compute. The GPU's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (0.2% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (0.6% higher), suggesting the RTX 5070 performs at a level comparable to previous-generation flagship GPUs. The combination of these two components yields a system that is exceptionally well-suited for Doom, where high frame rates are a hallmark of the game's engine.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark scores are impressive: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091. In Doom, which is known for its efficient id Tech engine, the CPU's single-thread performance is crucial for maintaining high frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck.

The data shows that at 1080p, where the CPU must feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, the system achieves 338.1 FPS at Low settings. This high frame rate is only possible because the 12700KF's single-thread score of 4091 in Cinebench R23 provides the necessary processing power. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 further corroborates this strength. Even at 4K, the CPU does not appear to be a limiting factor, as the FPS drops are primarily attributable to GPU load rather than CPU stalls. The 25 MB of shared L3 cache likely helps in keeping frequently accessed game data close to the cores, reducing latency.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2512 MHz, and it features 6144 shading units. In Doom, the GPU's role is to render the game's fast-paced environments at high frame rates. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (72.7 FPS) indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution, as the demand for pixel throughput and memory bandwidth is extreme.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 29137 places it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 41687 is comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (0.6% higher). This parity with a previous flagship explains why the combo can achieve over 200 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for Doom at all tested settings, as the game's textures and geometry do not exceed this capacity, even at 4K. The GPU's 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs allow it to handle the game's high texture fill rates, contributing to the smooth performance observed across all resolution and settings combinations. The data suggests that for Doom, the RTX 5070 is a powerful but not overkill component, offering a strong balance of performance and capability for this title.