Doom

The data for Doom with the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB reveals a system that is overwhelmingly constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions. While the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU's 4 GB memory and modest compute capabilities dictate the experience. The benchmark results show a clear narrative: this is a 1080p-focused pairing, with playability dropping off sharply as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution scales up, which strongly indicates the system is GPU-bound. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 136.7 FPS, but this drops to 86.1 FPS at 1440p and further to 49.3 FPS at 4K. This represents a 37% performance loss from 1080p to 1440p, and a 64% loss from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is similar across all settings presets, with the scaling factor being remarkably uniform.

The observed scaling behavior is a classic sign of a graphics card that is saturated. The RTX 3050 4 GB has a 128-bit memory bus and 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which becomes a limiting factor when pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K. The fact that the FPS drop is so linear across resolutions suggests that the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth are both being pushed to their limits. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is not the bottleneck here; it has ample headroom to feed frames to the GPU.

Looking at the Ultra preset, the resolution scaling is even more punishing. The system manages 78.8 FPS at 1080p, but this falls to 55.3 FPS at 1440p and plummets to 31.6 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is just barely above the threshold of what might be considered playable, and it highlights that the 4 GB memory buffer is likely being exceeded, causing significant performance degradation. The data implies that the RTX 3050 4 GB is not designed for high-resolution gaming, and this benchmark confirms it with harsh clarity.

GPU Role

The RTX 3050 4 GB plays the decisive role in this system's performance. Its specifications—2048 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs—are modest for modern gaming. The card's base clock of 1545 MHz and boost clock of 1740 MHz are reasonable, but they cannot compensate for the limited memory configuration. The 4 GB of GDDR6 memory, running at 12 Gbps effective, provides only 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a severe constraint for high-resolution textures.

The data shows that the GPU's memory capacity is a primary limiter. At 1080p, the card can maintain respectable frame rates, but as resolution increases, the demand for memory bandwidth and capacity grows. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is only 17.7 FPS (49.3 vs 31.6), which is far smaller than the gap at 1080p where the difference is 57.9 FPS (136.7 vs 78.8). This compression of performance at higher resolutions is a hallmark of memory bandwidth saturation.

The GPU's 7.127 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is adequate for 1080p gaming, but it is not sufficient for 4K. The card's pixel rate of 55.68 GPixel/s and texture rate of 111.4 GTexel/s are similarly modest. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is working at its absolute limit when tasked with 4K rendering, and the frame rates reflect that struggle. The card's end-of-life production status and its 50th percentile rank among all GPUs reinforce that this is a lower-tier offering.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is an exceptionally powerful processor that is not the limiting factor in this pairing. With 16 cores, 24 threads, and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, this CPU has far more compute capability than the RTX 3050 4 GB can utilize in Doom. The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39000 and a single-core score of 5505. Its 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and 16-thread score of 10717 demonstrate strong performance across the board.

The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 47282, places it near the top of the performance hierarchy. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13700KF with a deltaPct of -0.1%, are essentially identical in performance. This means the CPU is providing a stable, high-throughput platform that allows the GPU to operate without any frame pacing issues or stuttering from CPU bottlenecks.

In this game, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample storage for game data. The data shows that the CPU is never the constraint; the frame rates are entirely dictated by the GPU's ability to render frames. The CPU's performance headroom is so large that it could easily support a much more powerful graphics card without becoming a bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this combination. At 1080p, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering 98.2 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a better visual experience than Low (136.7 FPS) or Medium (120.1 FPS) without the performance penalty of Ultra (78.8 FPS). The High preset at 1080p offers the best balance of visual quality and smoothness.

For 1440p gaming, the situation becomes more delicate. The Low preset delivers 86.1 FPS, which is playable, while Medium drops to 75.6 FPS and High falls to 65.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 55.3 FPS might be acceptable for some players, but the data suggests that High is the recommended choice for a consistent experience above 60 FPS. The incremental visual gains from Ultra are not worth the 10 FPS loss compared to High.

At 4K, none of the presets provide a truly smooth experience. The Low preset at 49.3 FPS is the only option that comes close to playable, while Medium (41.9 FPS) and High (36.4 FPS) dip below comfortable levels. The Ultra preset at 31.6 FPS is not recommended for any serious gaming session. The data indicates that this system should be used at 1080p or 1440p, with 4K reserved for less demanding titles or significantly reduced settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested combinations, this pairing ranks 1511 out of 1681 in Doom. This places it in the bottom 10% of all combos, which is a sobering statistic for a system with such a powerful CPU. The 89.9th percentile position reflects the GPU's limitations; the RTX 3050 4 GB is simply not a high-performance part, and it drags down the entire system's ranking.

The ranking is particularly telling because the CPU is a top-tier component. The i7-13700K's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's 50th percentile ranking. This mismatch creates a system where the CPU's potential is largely wasted in this game. The data implies that a more balanced pairing, with a weaker CPU and a stronger GPU, would likely achieve a higher ranking in this specific title.

The fact that this combo ranks so low despite the CPU's power underscores the importance of GPU selection for gaming. The benchmark results show that the RTX 3050 4 GB is the primary determinant of the system's gaming performance, and its modest capabilities limit the entire platform to lower-tier status in Doom. The 170-position gap from the top of the rankings is a clear indicator of where the bottleneck lies.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS values provides a detailed picture of the system's capabilities across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce 136.7 FPS, Medium produces 120.1 FPS, High produces 98.2 FPS, and Ultra produces 78.8 FPS. This represents a performance range of 57.9 FPS between the lowest and highest quality presets, showing that settings have a significant impact at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably: Low produces 86.1 FPS, Medium produces 75.6 FPS, High produces 65.3 FPS, and Ultra produces 55.3 FPS. The range between presets narrows to 30.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor. At 3840x2160, the results are: Low produces 49.3 FPS, Medium produces 41.9 FPS, High produces 36.4 FPS, and Ultra produces 31.6 FPS. The range here is only 17.7 FPS, showing that the GPU is saturated regardless of settings.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the percentage difference between Low and Ultra grows smaller as resolution increases. At 1080p, Ultra is 42% slower than Low. At 1440p, Ultra is 36% slower than Low. At 4K, Ultra is 36% slower than Low. This trend confirms that the GPU's memory bandwidth is the primary constraint, as higher resolutions require more memory throughput but the card's 192.0 GB/s bandwidth is fixed.

FAQ

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Doom?

A: The data shows 4K performance ranges from 31.6 FPS on Ultra to 49.3 FPS on Low settings. While Low settings achieve near-playable frame rates, the overall experience is suboptimal. The 4 GB memory buffer and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for smooth 4K gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The benchmark results clearly favor 1920x1080, where even Ultra settings maintain 78.8 FPS. At 1440p, High settings drop to 65.3 FPS, which is still playable but less comfortable. The data suggests 1080p is the intended resolution for this pairing.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, with a deltaPct of -0.1% compared to the Intel Core i7-13700KF and +0.4% compared to the Intel Core i9-12900F. This indicates the CPU performs within a narrow 0.9% margin of its closest competitors.

Q: Why is 4K performance so much worse than 1080p?

A: The RTX 3050 4 GB has a 128-bit memory bus and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. When rendering at 4K, the pixel count quadruples compared to 1080p, placing immense strain on the memory subsystem. The data shows this bottleneck compresses the performance difference between settings presets.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB ranks in the 50th percentile among all GPUs, placing it exactly in the middle of the performance distribution. This is consistent with its modest specifications, including 2048 shading units and a boost clock of 1740 MHz.

Q: Does the CPU ever become a bottleneck?

A: No, the data indicates the CPU has substantial headroom. With a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39000 and a 93rd percentile ranking, the i7-13700K is far more powerful than the GPU can utilize. The frame rates are consistently limited by the graphics card across all tested resolutions.