Doom

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

The Intel Core i7-13700K brings substantial processing muscle to this Doom configuration. With 16 cores and 24 threads, this Raptor Lake-S part spans a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The architecture uses a 10 nm process from Intel, featuring an 80 KB L1 cache per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and a shared 30 MB L3 cache. Such a configuration is designed to handle heavily threaded workloads, as reflected in its synthetic benchmark scores: the Cinebench R23 multicore result of 30745 points and Geekbench multicore score of 19429 both indicate strong parallel throughput.

For a 2016 FPS title like Doom, the CPU's role is interesting to dissect. The game is not particularly demanding on modern processors, yet the data shows that the i7-13700K's high single-thread performance—evidenced by a Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2299 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4333—helps ensure that frame pacing remains consistent even when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The processor's 3DMark scores scale predictably with thread count: 1136 for single-thread, 2262 for 2-thread, 4469 for 4-thread, 8193 for 8-thread, 10717 for 16-thread, and 12412 for max-thread. This scaling pattern suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately across all tested settings.

The percentile ranking of 89 versus all CPUs places this chip in the upper echelon of processors. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, scores nearly identically on average (46971 vs. 46881, a delta of -0.2%), indicating that the i7-13700K is not leaving performance on the table relative to comparable parts. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 trails by 0.3%, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 are each 0.5% behind. These margins are negligible in real-world gaming, which means the CPU's contribution to Doom's frame rates is largely about maintaining headroom rather than dictating limits.

At 1080p with Low settings, the measured average of 296 FPS suggests the CPU is comfortably keeping up with the GPU's output. The fact that the CPU has 24 threads matters less for this older title, but the high clock speeds and efficient architecture prevent any stutter-inducing bottlenecks. The Passmark physics score of 2716 and floating-point math score of 114867 further underline the processor's capability to handle game logic and physics calculations without breaking a sweat.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is the star of this configuration, built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip at a 4 nm process from TSMC. It packs 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU clocks are listed at a base of 1330 MHz, a game clock of 2070 MHz, and a boost of 2520 MHz, with memory running at 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective). This specification sheet translates into 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 128 ROPs, along with 56 ray tracing cores.

For Doom, the GPU's raw throughput is the primary driver of frame rates. The pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s are more than sufficient for this title's demands. The FP32 performance of 36.13 TFLOPS indicates that the GPU can handle the game's compute shaders and lighting effects with ease. The 16 GB VRAM is ample for even the highest texture packs at 4K, though Doom's 2016 engine does not push memory capacity to its limits.

The GPU's benchmark scores paint a nuanced picture. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 131539 show strong DirectX 12 and compute performance, respectively. However, the Passmark scores reveal some quirks: DirectX 9 scores 343, DirectX 10 scores 141, DirectX 11 scores 281, and DirectX 12 scores 74. These lower DirectX scores suggest that the RX 9070's architecture is optimized for modern APIs, which matters for Doom's Vulkan-based rendering path.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 69 versus all GPUs places it in the mid-to-upper range. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (0.6% ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (0.8% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile (1.1% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (1.2% behind). These deltas are small, indicating that the RX 9070 is competitive with a broad swath of GPUs, though not necessarily at the very top of the hierarchy. For Doom specifically, the GPU's capabilities are sufficient to push high frame rates, as evidenced by the measured results.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling. At 1080p with Low settings, the configuration achieves 296 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 192 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls further to 104 FPS. This represents a 65% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which strongly indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases. The CPU, with its high single-thread performance, is not the constraint at lower resolutions.

The scaling is more pronounced at higher settings. For Ultra settings, the average FPS goes from 178 at 1080p, to 115 at 1440p, and down to 62 at 4K. This 65% drop from 1080p to 4K mirrors the Low setting pattern, suggesting that the GPU's workload scales consistently with resolution regardless of quality preset. The fact that the 1080p Ultra score (178 FPS) is lower than the 1080p Low score (296 FPS) by 40% highlights the additional GPU workload from higher visual fidelity settings.

At Medium settings, the data includes min and max FPS values, which provide insight into frame consistency. At 1080p Medium, the average is 258 FPS with a min of 219 and max of 296. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 167 FPS with a min of 142 and max of 192. At 4K Medium, the average is 90 FPS with a min of 77 and max of 104. The spread between min and max FPS remains relatively tight across resolutions, indicating that the configuration does not suffer from severe frame time spikes, even when the GPU is heavily loaded.

The resolution scaling data suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would have the most headroom to become a limiting factor, the frame rates remain high. The GPU, with its 16 GB VRAM and high bandwidth, handles the increasing pixel workloads gracefully, though the absolute FPS numbers show that 4K Ultra (62 FPS) is the only setting that approaches the lower bound of smooth gameplay. The data implies that this combo is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring settings adjustments for higher frame rates.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 9070 ranks 1118 out of 3712 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the 70th percentile of all combos tested for this game, meaning that roughly 30% of configurations outperform it. For a pairing of a high-end CPU and a mid-to-upper range GPU, this ranking is respectable but not exceptional.

The rank suggests that Doom, being an older title, does not fully leverage the strengths of either component. The CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads are largely underutilized, as the game's engine is not designed to scale across that many threads. Similarly, the GPU's modern RDNA 4.0 architecture with advanced features does not necessarily translate to superior performance in a game built for older hardware. The result is a combo that performs well but is not at the top of the charts.

The ranking context is important. With 3712 total combos, a rank of 1118 means that many other CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher frame rates in Doom. This could be due to other GPUs having higher raw rasterization throughput for this specific title, or other CPUs providing marginally better frame pacing. However, the data also shows that this combo is far from being a poor performer—it sits comfortably in the upper third of all tested configurations.

The measured FPS numbers support this ranking. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 218 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 62 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for competitive gaming. The rank of 1118 indicates that while this combo is not the best, it delivers a solid experience across most resolutions and settings, making it a versatile choice for Doom players.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of this combo's performance in Doom. At 3840x2160 (4K), the results are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 104 FPS, Medium yields 90 FPS with a min of 77 and max of 104, High yields 76 FPS, and Ultra yields 62 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 40% performance decrease, which is expected given the increased GPU workload from higher quality settings.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance is significantly higher. Low settings produce an average of 192 FPS, Medium yields 167 FPS with a min of 142 and max of 192, High yields 141 FPS, and Ultra yields 115 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 40%, consistent with the 4K scaling. The min FPS of 142 at Medium settings indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above 100 FPS.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo reaches its peak performance. Low settings average 296 FPS, Medium averages 258 FPS with a min of 219 and max of 296, High averages 218 FPS, and Ultra averages 178 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 40%, matching the other resolutions. The min FPS of 219 at Medium settings is particularly noteworthy, as it shows that even the lowest frames stay above 200 FPS, ensuring a very smooth experience.

Comparing across resolutions, the data shows a consistent pattern: at each settings tier, 1080p offers roughly 1.5 times the FPS of 1440p, and 1440p offers roughly 1.8 times the FPS of 4K. This scaling is typical for GPU-bound scenarios. The Medium settings rows include min and max FPS values, which provide the most complete picture of performance variability. At 4K Medium, the min of 77 FPS and max of 104 FPS show a 35% variance, while at 1080p Medium, the min of 219 and max of 296 show a 35% variance as well, indicating consistent frame delivery across resolutions.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, even Ultra settings deliver an average of 178 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of most gaming monitors. For players seeking the highest possible frame rates for competitive play, Low settings at 296 FPS average would be the choice, though the visual trade-offs may not be worth it for a single-player experience. Medium settings at 258 FPS average with a min of 219 FPS offer an excellent balance of visual quality and performance.

At 1440p, the data suggests that High settings at 141 FPS average provide a great experience for most players. This is above the 120 Hz threshold and offers better visual fidelity than Medium settings at 167 FPS. Ultra settings at 115 FPS average are also viable, especially for players with 120 Hz monitors who want the best graphics. Low settings at 192 FPS are overkill for most displays and sacrifice too much visual quality.

At 4K, the recommendations become more nuanced. High settings at 76 FPS average are playable and maintain good visual quality, but players targeting 60 FPS or higher may prefer Medium settings at 90 FPS average with a min of 77 FPS. Ultra settings at 62 FPS average are just above the 60 FPS threshold, but the min FPS is not recorded, so there is some risk of drops below 60 FPS. Low settings at 104 FPS average are the safest choice for smooth 4K gameplay, but they sacrifice significant visual fidelity.

The best overall experience per the measured rows appears to be Medium settings at 1440p, which delivers 167 FPS average with a min of 142 FPS. This combination provides high frame rates with good visual quality, and the tight min-max spread indicates consistent performance. For 4K players, Medium settings at 90 FPS average offer the best compromise between visual quality and smoothness, as the min of 77 FPS ensures the experience remains fluid even in demanding scenes.

# FAQ

Q: What is the peak average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 296 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents the maximum performance ceiling for this configuration.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings in Doom?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 62, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. The min FPS is not recorded for this setting, so frame drops below 60 FPS are possible in demanding scenes.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K scores 46881 on average, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971). It is also 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022), and 0.5% ahead of both the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654) and Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46653).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking and how does it compare to nearby rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is in the 69th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z, scores 0.6% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800S is 0.8% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile is 1.1% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is 1.2% lower.

Q: How much does performance drop from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 296 at 1080p to 104 at 4K, a 65% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 178 at 1080p to 62 at 4K, also a 65% reduction. This consistent scaling indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested configurations in Doom?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combo ranks 1118 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all configurations tested for this game.