Doom

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a formidable 1080p experience in Doom, but the data reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck as resolution climbs. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 335 FPS. Moving to High settings at the same resolution drops this to 247 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 202 FPS. This scaling pattern—a 133 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p—indicates that the CPU is still feeding the GPU effectively at lower resolutions, but the GPU's workload is already starting to dictate performance as graphical fidelity increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show how the RTX 5070 becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 292, with a minimum of 248 and maximum of 336. When resolution jumps to 2560x1440 at the same Medium settings, the average falls to 189 FPS—a drop of 103 FPS or roughly 35%. The scaling continues at 3840x2160, where Medium settings produce an average of 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 118.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p (335 FPS) to 1440p (217 FPS) represents a 118 FPS loss, and then to 4K (118 FPS) another 99 FPS loss. The High settings tier shows 247 FPS at 1080p, 160 FPS at 1440p, and 87 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings follow suit: 202 FPS at 1080p, 131 FPS at 1440p, and 71 FPS at 4K. The diminishing returns from 1440p to 4K—where the FPS drops by roughly half—strongly suggest the GPU is saturated at higher pixel counts, with the 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth becoming the constraining factor.

At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra settings is 133 FPS, while at 1440p it narrows to 86 FPS, and at 4K it compresses to 47 FPS. This convergence indicates that at 4K, the GPU is working near its limits regardless of settings, whereas at 1080p, the CPU has more headroom to leverage lower graphical loads for higher frame rates. For a game like Doom, which is known for its fast-paced action, the 4K Ultra result of 71 FPS remains playable, but the 1440p High result of 160 FPS offers a smoother experience without sacrificing much visual quality.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K brings substantial processing power to this pairing, with 16 cores and 24 threads based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz provide the raw speed needed to keep up with high-refresh-rate gaming. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 12,412 in 3DMark max threads and 30,745 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, demonstrating strong multi-threaded capability. Single-thread performance is equally robust, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,136 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,116.

The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache help reduce memory latency, which is critical for maintaining high frame rates in Doom's demanding scenarios. Its percentile rank of 89 against all CPUs places it well above average, and its average benchmark score of 46,881 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which scores 46,971 (a delta of -0.2%). This close parity suggests the i7-13700K is not leaving performance on the table in CPU-bound situations.

In this game's context, the CPU role becomes less prominent as resolution increases. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 335 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's practical limit for this workload. However, the fact that 4K Ultra still manages 71 FPS indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck even at lower resolutions—it is the GPU that dictates the final frame rate. The CPU's 125 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory (dual-channel) give builders flexibility, but the benchmark results suggest that for Doom, the i7-13700K has ample headroom to pair with a faster GPU without becoming the limiting component.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, is the primary driver of frame rates in this combo. Its 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is essential for high-resolution textures. The GPU's base clock of 2325 MHz and boost clock of 2512 MHz, combined with 6,144 shading units, deliver 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores suggest ray tracing and DLSS capabilities, though the measured FPS data does not include ray-traced scenarios.

The GPU's benchmark scores are solid, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,077 and a Passmark G3D score of 29,137. Its percentile rank of 82 against all GPUs is respectable, and its average benchmark score of 40,377 places it near the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40,318, delta 0.1%) and AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40,063, delta 0.8%). The RTX 5070's 250 W TDP and suggested 600 W PSU are typical for this performance class, and the PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensures adequate bandwidth.

In Doom, the GPU's role is clear from the resolution scaling. At 1080p, the GPU can process frames quickly enough to hit 335 FPS on Low settings, but as pixel count increases, the memory bandwidth and shading units become strained. The 4K Ultra result of 71 FPS shows the GPU is the limiting factor at that resolution, particularly when compared to the 1080p Low result. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for Doom's 2016-era assets, but the data indicates that higher settings at 4K push the GPU to its limits, as evidenced by the 47 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 754 out of 3,712 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations. This rank reflects the balanced nature of the pairing—neither component is severely bottlenecking the other in this game. The CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's high bandwidth work together to deliver competitive frame rates across all resolutions.

Comparatively, the CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks—the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (delta -0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (delta -0.3%), AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (delta 0.5%), and Intel Xeon w3-2535 (delta 0.5%)—show that the i7-13700K is essentially tied with these parts in overall CPU performance. This means the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo's ranking; the GPU is the more influential component. The GPU's nearest rivals—the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (delta 0.1%), AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (delta 0.8%), AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (delta -1.2%), and NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (delta 2%)—are all workstation-oriented parts, which suggests the RTX 5070 is a strong consumer gaming option in this context.

The rank of 754 out of 3,712 indicates that there are many faster combos, but this pairing sits in a comfortable position for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and playable 4K. The data shows that for Doom specifically, the combo excels at 1440p High (160 FPS) and remains fluid at 4K Medium (102 FPS). Builders targeting 1080p with competitive settings will find the 247 FPS High result more than adequate, while those pushing 4K will need to accept lower settings to maintain high frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo for a balance of visual quality and frame rate?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 with High settings delivers 160 FPS average, which is smooth for fast-paced action. 4K at Medium settings yields 102 FPS, still playable but with more potential for dips.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 71, while dropping to Low settings raises it to 118 FPS. Medium settings offer 102 FPS, which is a reasonable middle ground.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46,881, which is within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46,971), AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47,022), AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46,654), and Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46,653).

Q: How much FPS does the combo lose when going from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At High settings, the drop is from 247 FPS at 1920x1080 to 160 FPS at 2560x1440, a loss of 87 FPS. At Low settings, it drops from 335 FPS to 217 FPS, a loss of 118 FPS.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160, as frame rates compress across settings (71 FPS Ultra to 118 FPS Low), showing the GPU cannot fully leverage lower graphical loads at this resolution.

Q: What is the lowest 4K performance recorded?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 87 FPS, with a maximum of 118 FPS and an average of 102 FPS. Other 4K settings only have average FPS figures listed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 335 FPS, while Medium settings average 292 FPS with a minimum of 248 and maximum of 336. High settings average 247 FPS, and Ultra settings average 202 FPS. The tight range between Low and Ultra (133 FPS) shows the CPU can maintain high throughput at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows more GPU influence. Low settings average 217 FPS, Medium settings average 189 FPS (minimum 161, maximum 217), High settings average 160 FPS, and Ultra settings average 131 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra narrows to 86 FPS, reflecting the increased pixel load.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. Low settings average 118 FPS, Medium settings average 102 FPS (minimum 87, maximum 118), High settings average 87 FPS, and Ultra settings average 71 FPS. The 47 FPS difference between Low and Ultra is the smallest across all resolutions, confirming the GPU's saturation point. The minimum FPS of 87 at 4K Medium indicates occasional dips, but the overall averages remain above 60 FPS for all settings except Ultra, which still clears the playability threshold.