Doom

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a robust experience in Doom, with the data indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom for high frame rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, the role of each component, and the optimal settings for this specific combination.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the driving force behind the frame rates in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the performance scaling observed across the measured resolutions. The GPU is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features a 128-bit memory bus paired with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. For a fast-paced FPS like Doom, this bandwidth is sufficient to feed the GPU's 2560 shading units, but it becomes a limiting factor as resolution increases.

The RTX 5050's clock speeds are notable, with a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz. These high clocks contribute to its raw compute throughput of 13.17 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. However, the data shows that the GPU's performance is heavily influenced by the memory subsystem and pixel throughput. The 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate is a key metric here, as it dictates how quickly the GPU can fill the screen with rendered pixels. At 3840x2160, the sheer number of pixels required overwhelms this rate, resulting in the lowest frame rates in the dataset.

The measured FPS reveals a clear hierarchy. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the RTX 5050 achieves an average of 202 FPS, indicating that the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution and settings level. However, as the resolution increases to 2560x1440, the average FPS at Low settings drops to 131, and at 3840x2160, it falls further to 71. This scaling pattern is a classic demonstration of GPU-bound performance, where the workload on the pixel renderers and memory bandwidth increases exponentially with resolution.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Doom's textures at the settings tested, as evidenced by the playable frame rates even at Ultra settings (43 FPS at 4K). The GPU's position in the market is reflected in its percentileVsAllGpus score of 66, indicating it outperforms a majority of GPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 5050's average benchmark score of 21035 is remarkably close to the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, -0.6% delta) and the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, -1% delta). It is slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, 1.6% delta) and behind the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, -1.6% delta). These comparisons show that while the RTX 5050 is a solid performer, it sits in a competitive mid-range segment, and its real-world performance in Doom aligns with its synthetic benchmark standing.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this combo if I want a consistent 144 FPS experience?*

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 with Low settings is the only configuration that exceeds 144 FPS, averaging 202 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 176 FPS, which still provides a high refresh rate experience, but the Low preset is the only one that guarantees a frame rate above 200.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its closest competitor, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT?

A: The RTX 5050 has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 21035 compared to the RX 5600 XT's 20713, representing a 1.6% performance lead. This indicates that in synthetic tests, the RTX 5050 is marginally faster than this specific rival.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K a bottleneck for the RTX 5050 in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 202 FPS, and the CPU's high multi-threaded performance (30,745 in Cinebench R23) and single-thread score (2,116) are more than adequate to feed the GPU. The performance scaling with resolution indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases.

Q: What is the highest quality setting I can use at 2560x1440 while maintaining an average frame rate above 100?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS. This is the only setting tier at this resolution that provides an average above 100 FPS. The High preset drops to 96 FPS, just below the 100 FPS mark.

Q: The CPU's TDP is 125 W. What does this mean for cooling requirements in a build with this GPU?

A: The 125 W TDP indicates the CPU's thermal design power, which is the amount of heat the cooling solution must dissipate under typical load. This is a moderate power draw for a 16-core processor, suggesting that a capable air cooler or a standard liquid cooler is necessary to maintain sustained boost clocks during gaming.

*Q: Does the RTX 5050 support modern graphics APIs that Doom might leverage?*

A: Yes, the RTX 5050 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. These API support levels are fully adequate for a game like Doom from 2016, which can utilize these technologies for rendering and performance optimizations.

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

The Intel Core i7-13700K provides the computational foundation for this combo. With 16 cores and 24 threads, it offers substantial multi-threading capability, which is reflected in its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 30745. While Doom is primarily a GPU-bound title at higher resolutions, the CPU's performance is crucial for maintaining high frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU has spare capacity. The CPU's single-core performance is equally important for game logic and physics, and its Geekbench single-core score of 2529 demonstrates strong per-thread capability.

The processor's architecture, Raptor Lake, operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This high boost clock is essential for minimizing latency in frame rendering, particularly in scenarios where the GPU is waiting for the CPU to submit draw calls. In this context, the CPU's performance is more than sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5050. The measured FPS at 1920x1080 (202 FPS on Low) indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the frame rate is dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities.

The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory access latency, which is beneficial for game data that is frequently accessed. The i7-13700K's percentileVsAllCpus score of 89 indicates it outperforms a large majority of CPUs on the market. Its average benchmark score of 46881 places it in close competition with its nearest rivals: the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, -0.3% delta), while slightly outperforming the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654, 0.5% delta) and Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46653, 0.5% delta). The negligible performance deltas (all under 1%) mean that in CPU-bound scenarios, users would not notice a difference between these processors. However, in this specific game, the CPU is not a bottleneck, making its performance headroom a non-issue.

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

The optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target frame rate and resolution. The data provides a clear picture of the trade-offs between visual quality and performance across all four presets at three resolutions.

For a competitive, high-refresh-rate experience at 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only option that pushes the average FPS beyond 200, hitting 202 FPS. However, the Medium preset, which offers better visual fidelity, still provides an excellent average of 176 FPS with a minimum of 150 FPS. This makes Medium the best choice for 1080p gaming, as it balances visual improvements with a frame rate that far exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors. The High preset at 1080p delivers 149 FPS, which is still excellent for a 144 Hz display, while Ultra drops to 122 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the story changes. The Medium preset is the sweet spot, delivering an average of 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS. This ensures a smooth experience on a 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitor. The High preset at 96 FPS is also acceptable, but it dips below the 100 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 131 FPS is the only way to achieve a triple-digit average above 120 FPS at this resolution, but it sacrifices significant visual quality. For most users, Medium at 1440p offers the best combination of framerate and fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5050 is clearly overburdened. The Medium preset yields an average of 62 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced shooter. The Low preset at 71 FPS is the only way to achieve a more comfortable 60+ FPS average, but the visual compromises are substantial. The High preset at 52 FPS and Ultra at 43 FPS are below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Therefore, 4K gaming with this combo is only recommended with the Low preset for a playable experience, or Medium if you can tolerate occasional dips below 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the comprehensive database of tested configurations for Doom, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 holds a rank of 1766 out of 2930 tested combos. This puts it in the 60th percentile of all systems tested, indicating that it is a solid, mid-pack performer. This ranking suggests that while the combo is capable of running the game well, there are many other CPU/GPU pairings that achieve higher frame rates.

The ranking reflects the balance between the high-performing CPU and the mid-range GPU. The i7-13700K is a high-end processor that does not bottleneck the system, but the RTX 5050's performance ceiling limits the overall ranking. The measured FPS data confirms this: the combo excels at 1080p, where it ranks highly, but its performance at 4K pulls the overall ranking down. This is a typical scenario where a strong CPU is paired with a mid-tier GPU, resulting in a system that is excellent for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming but struggles with 4K resolutions. The combo's rank of 1766 out of 2930 places it in the upper-middle tier, meaning it outperforms a majority of systems but is not among the top performers, which would typically feature higher-end GPUs.

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

The following is a complete breakdown of the measured average FPS for the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combo in Doom, as recorded in the benchmark database.

1920x1080:

• Low: The average frame rate is 202 FPS. This is the highest performance setting, providing a very smooth experience.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 176 FPS, with a minimum of 150 FPS and a maximum of 203 FPS. This indicates a consistent frame rate with minimal fluctuation.
• High: The average frame rate is 149 FPS, offering a solid high-refresh-rate experience.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 122 FPS, which is still playable on high refresh rate monitors.

2560x1440:

• Low: The average frame rate is 131 FPS, providing a fast and responsive experience.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. This is a good balance of quality and speed.
• High: The average frame rate is 96 FPS, which is just below the 100 FPS threshold for many high-refresh monitors.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 79 FPS, which is still smooth on a standard 60 Hz display but not ideal for competitive play.

3840x2160:

• Low: The average frame rate is 71 FPS, making it the only 4K setting that breaks the 60 FPS barrier.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 62 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. This shows noticeable frame dips in demanding scenes.
• High: The average frame rate is 52 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 43 FPS, which is only suitable for slower-paced, visually-focused playthroughs.

The data confirms that this combo is best utilized at 1920x1080 or 2560x1440, where it can deliver high frame rates, while 4K gaming requires significant compromises in settings to remain playable.