Doom

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER presents a stark imbalance in Doom, a 2016 FPS. The data shows a processor capable of immense throughput paired with a graphics card that is firmly mid-range, and the benchmark results clearly reflect where the bottleneck lies. This combination ranks 1461 out of 1681 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower percentile of systems, a position dictated almost entirely by the GPU's limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable but steep performance cliff as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 111.9 FPS, which is smooth and highly playable. The transition to 1440p sees this figure drop to 71.3 FPS, a significant reduction that begins to strain the experience. Moving to 4K at High settings, the average plummets to 39.5 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay.

This scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound system. The Intel Core i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is not the limiting factor here. When the resolution increases, the workload on the graphics card expands exponentially, and the GTX 1660 SUPER's capabilities are quickly overwhelmed. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 148.5 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is feeding frames efficiently. However, the GPU cannot maintain that pace at higher resolutions.

The gap between settings at 4K is also telling. At Low settings, the system manages 52.2 FPS, but dropping to Ultra reduces the average to just 32 FPS. This 20.2 FPS swing at the same resolution underscores how sensitive the GTX 1660 SUPER is to graphical load. In contrast, the spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 61.8 FPS (148.5 vs. 86.7), which shows that even at lower resolutions, the GPU is the primary arbiter of performance. The CPU has ample headroom; it is the graphics card that defines the frame rate at every quality setting.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a flagship-class desktop processor, and its benchmark scores place it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. It boasts a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 30 MB shared L3 cache. In synthetic tests, it scores 39000 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 5505 in single-core, demonstrating immense processing power. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700KF, is virtually identical with a deltaPct of -0.1%, confirming that this chip is at the top of its class.

In the context of Doom, the CPU's role is to process game logic, physics, and the draw calls that instruct the GPU. With a PassMark multithread score of 45887 and a single-thread score of 4333, the i7-13700K is more than capable of handling the game's demands at any resolution. The evidence for this is the 1080p Low result of 148.5 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck; it is generating frames faster than the GTX 1660 SUPER can render them.

This processor could easily push frame rates well beyond 200 FPS in Doom at lower settings if paired with a more powerful GPU. The data suggests that the i7-13700K is operating well within its limits, providing a stable and powerful foundation. The performance ceiling in this specific combo is not set by the processor's 16 cores or its 5.40 GHz boost clock, but by the graphics card's ability to execute the rendering pipeline. The CPU is essentially waiting on the GPU, a situation that leaves significant performance on the table.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 111.9 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 111.9 FPS at 1080p to 39.5 FPS at 3840x2160, a decrease of 72.4 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K or the GTX 1660 SUPER the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's high benchmark scores and the sharp FPS drop with increased resolution point to the graphics card as the bottleneck.

Q: What is the best performance result recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS is 148.5, which was measured at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among other tested systems in Doom?

A: It ranks 1461 out of 1681 tested combos, placing it in the lower portion of the database.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS is 96.4 on Low settings and 58.2 on Ultra, a difference of 38.2 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination's rank of 1461 out of 1681 combos (comboRankInGame) is a clear statement of its overall capability in Doom. This position places it in the bottom 13% of all tested systems, which is a surprisingly low standing for a system with such a powerful CPU. The ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's modest performance, as the GTX 1660 SUPER's average benchmark score of 14286 puts it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs.

This disparity between CPU and GPU potential is the defining characteristic of this combo. The CPU's high percentile (93rd) does nothing to boost the system's rank because the game's performance is tied to the graphics solution. The data suggests that this system would be outclassed by many others that use a more balanced pairing, even if those systems have significantly weaker processors. The rank serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of GPU selection; a top-tier CPU cannot compensate for a mid-range graphics card in a graphically intensive title like Doom.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the decisive component in this analysis. Its specifications, while dated, are the primary driver of the measured frame rates. The card features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. It has a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz, with 1408 shading units. Its performance percentile of 55 places it in the middle of the pack, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, is a mere 0.2% behind in average score, highlighting its competitive but not exceptional standing.

The GPU's role in Doom is to handle the rendering of the game's fast-paced environments and effects. The benchmark results show that it is the sole determinant of frame rate. At 4K, the card is clearly overburdened, with the average FPS falling to 32 at Ultra settings. Even at 1080p, the card's limits are visible when comparing the Low (148.5 FPS) and Ultra (86.7 FPS) results. The 61.8 FPS gap is significant and is a direct result of the GPU's fill rate and shading power being taxed by higher-quality textures and effects.

The GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB VRAM is sufficient for Doom at most settings, as the game was released in 2016. However, its raw compute power, measured at 5.027 TFLOPS FP32, is not enough to maintain high frame rates at demanding resolutions. The texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s are the metrics that limit performance when resolution and settings are increased. The data clearly shows that this GPU is the bottleneck, capping the system's potential and relegating an otherwise elite processor to a supporting role. The system's overall rank of 1461 is a direct reflection of this GPU's capabilities in Doom.