Doom

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT delivers an exceptionally strong performance profile in Doom, with the data showing a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions and a CPU-bound situation at 1080p. The measured FPS across all settings and resolutions indicates this combo is well above the median for the game, ranking in the 64th percentile of all tested combinations. This analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, component roles, and optimal settings based strictly on the measured data.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the limiting component at each stage. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 215.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 138.2 FPS at 2560x1440, then down to 72.6 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern strongly indicates that the RX 6800 XT becomes the bottleneck as pixel count increases, which is expected for a game with this level of visual fidelity.

The Low settings data confirms this trend even more starkly. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 291 FPS, which drops to 189 FPS at 2560x1440 and 100.3 FPS at 4K. The 4K result at Low settings is actually lower than the 1080p result at Ultra settings, which highlights how resolution has a more significant impact on frame rate than graphical preset in this configuration. The data shows that the GPU's rendering throughput is the primary constraint at 4K, while the CPU still has headroom to push higher frame rates at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K brings substantial processing capability to this pairing, with 16 cores and 24 threads running at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The benchmark results show a single-thread score of 1136 in 3dmark and a multi-thread score of 12412 at max threads, placing this CPU in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs tested. For Doom, which is a fast-paced FPS that benefits from high single-thread performance, the boost clock of 5.40 GHz is particularly relevant.

The nearest rival comparisons show this CPU is essentially at parity with its closest competitors. The Intel Core i7-13700KF scores 0.1% higher, while the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 0.3% higher and the Intel Core i9-12900F scores 0.4% higher. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 trails by 0.5%. These negligible deltas mean the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo's performance relative to other high-end processors.

At 1080p with Low settings, the 291 FPS result suggests the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU adequately, but the diminishing returns between Medium (250.7 FPS) and Low (291 FPS) indicate that the CPU's limits are being approached at this resolution. The 16-core configuration provides ample headroom for background tasks and future game updates, but Doom's engine primarily utilizes fewer cores for its main rendering thread.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the dominant factor in this combo's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. With 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 512.0 GB/s bandwidth, the GPU has substantial memory resources for 4K textures. The boost clock of 2250 MHz and game clock of 2015 MHz contribute to its 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is directly relevant to rasterization-heavy games like Doom.

The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 24980. Its nearest rivals show it is competitive with but slightly behind the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, which scores 2.6% higher, and the NVIDIA CMP 50HX at 1.9% higher. The Intel Arc A550M is 0.5% higher, while the NVIDIA RTX A1000 trails by 1.7%. These comparisons indicate the RX 6800 XT is a solid upper-midrange performer.

The 4K results demonstrate the GPU's capability limits. At Ultra settings, the combo falls to 60.2 FPS at 3840x2160, which is right at the edge of playability for many users. The difference between High (72.6 FPS) and Ultra (60.2 FPS) at 4K represents a 17% performance penalty for the highest preset, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional effects are particularly demanding on the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT ranks 607th out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 64% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the overall balance of the pairing, where the CPU's strong single-thread performance complements the GPU's high rasterization throughput.

The ranking is notable because it places this combo ahead of many configurations with more expensive components, while also trailing some combinations that may have better optimized pairings. The delta between this combo and the top performers is primarily attributable to GPU performance, as the CPU is already in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. The data suggests that users with this combo are getting near-optimal performance for the hardware class, with the GPU being the only component that could be upgraded to yield significant gains.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the standout choice. At 138.2 FPS, this setting provides a smooth experience well above the 60 FPS threshold that most monitors can display, while still delivering meaningful visual improvements over Medium. The jump from Medium (163.6 FPS) to High (138.2 FPS) costs 15% performance but likely provides noticeable detail improvements.

For 4K gaming, the High preset at 72.6 FPS is the recommended starting point. The Ultra preset drops to 60.2 FPS, which is exactly at the minimum for smooth gameplay, but the high preset offers a 21% performance improvement over Ultra while maintaining most visual quality. Users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors should consider the Medium preset at 2560x1440 (163.6 FPS) or the High preset at 1920x1080 (215.2 FPS) to fully utilize their display's refresh rate.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 at High settings delivers 138.2 FPS, which balances visual quality with high frame rates. At 4K High, the combo achieves 72.6 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for frame rate dips.

Q: How much performance is lost moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 215.2 at 1920x1080 to 72.6 at 3840x2160, representing a 66% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 291 to 100.3 FPS, a 66% reduction as well.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K and 1440p, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops with resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, with the 291 FPS Low setting showing the CPU's limits.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset for the best experience?

A: The Ultra preset provides the lowest measured frame rates at every resolution. At 4K it drops to 60.2 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. The High preset offers notably better performance (72.6 FPS at 4K) and is the recommended maximum setting.

Q: How does this GPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RX 6800 XT scores 2.6% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and 1.9% lower than the NVIDIA CMP 50HX, but 1.7% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A1000. These small differences mean the GPU is competitive within its tier.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 250.7 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most gaming monitors and indicates the combo has substantial headroom at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves 291 FPS average, followed by Medium at 250.7 FPS, High at 215.2 FPS, and Ultra at 176.2 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 39% performance reduction from the lowest to highest preset at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain highly playable. Low settings produce 189 FPS, Medium reaches 163.6 FPS, High hits 138.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to 114.6 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is 17%, which is consistent with the 1080p results and indicates the Ultra preset adds consistent rendering overhead regardless of resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limits become apparent. Low settings yield 100.3 FPS, Medium produces 86.6 FPS, High achieves 72.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 60.2 FPS. The 4K Low result is still comfortably above 60 FPS, but the Ultra preset at 60.2 FPS leaves no margin for demanding scenes. The data shows that the RX 6800 XT's 16 GB of VRAM and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 4K textures, but the GPU's raw compute throughput of 20.74 TFLOPS is the limiting factor at this resolution.