Doom

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 paired with the Intel Core i7-13700K delivers exceptional performance in Doom, with average frame rates that remain comfortably above 90 FPS even at 4K Ultra settings. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while at 1080p the CPU's strength becomes the limiting factor. This combination ranks in the top percentile of tested configurations, making it a formidable setup for this classic FPS title.

Resolution Scaling

Doom's frame rates scale predictably across the three tested resolutions, but the rate of decline reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 455.9 FPS average, a figure that drops to 296.8 FPS at 1440p and then to 158.7 FPS at 4K. That represents a 34.9% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46.5% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p, the processor is doing heavy lifting; the GPU has enough headroom to render frames faster than the CPU can feed it.

Moving to Medium settings, the same trend holds but with slightly narrower gaps: 399.9 FPS at 1080p, 261.2 FPS at 1440p, and 141.7 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 34.7% and 45.7% respectively, showing that even as settings increase, the resolution scaling remains consistent. At High settings, the 1080p result is 337.6 FPS, falling to 218 FPS at 1440p and 120.1 FPS at 4K. This is a 35.4% drop to 1440p and a 44.9% drop to 4K.

Ultra settings produce the lowest overall frame rates, with 275.3 FPS at 1080p, 176.9 FPS at 1440p, and 94.5 FPS at 4K. The relative drops here are 35.7% and 46.6% respectively. The consistency of these percentage drops across all four settings presets suggests that Doom's rendering load scales uniformly with pixel count. The 4K Ultra result of 94.5 FPS is the only sub-100 FPS figure in the entire dataset, indicating that even at maximum fidelity, this hardware combination maintains playable performance. The fact that 4K High (120.1 FPS) sits far closer to 1440p Ultra (176.9 FPS) than to 1080p Ultra (275.3 FPS) reinforces that resolution, not settings complexity, is the primary driver of performance loss.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K provides substantial compute resources for Doom, with 16 cores and 24 threads operating at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The benchmark data shows strong multi-threaded capability: the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 and a 3DMark max-threads score of 12412 indicate that the processor can handle high instruction throughput. For a game like Doom, which is known for efficient multi-core scaling, these specifications translate into solid frame pacing at lower resolutions.

The CPU's single-thread performance is equally important for this title. A 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5505 suggest that the i7-13700K delivers strong per-core performance. In the 1080p Low test, where the GPU is least burdened, the system reaches 455.9 FPS average. This high ceiling demonstrates that the processor can push frames well beyond typical high-refresh-rate monitors, even with the RTX 5090 attached.

Interestingly, the CPU's 3DMark 2-threads score of 2262 and 4-threads score of 4469 show that even with limited thread usage, the processor maintains strong performance. Doom's engine benefits from multiple threads, and the jump from 2-thread to 8-thread scores (8193) indicates good scaling. The max-threads score of 12412 is only 51.5% higher than the 8-thread score, suggesting diminishing returns beyond 8 threads for typical game workloads. The i7-13700K sits in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 47282, placing it just 0.1% behind the Intel Core i7-13700KF and 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 10th out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 0.6% of all configurations. This is a remarkable result, putting it ahead of the overwhelming majority of systems tested in the database. The rank reflects the synergy between a high-end 13th-gen processor and NVIDIA's flagship Blackwell GPU.

The RTX 5090 itself scores in the 94th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84306. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, which scores 84241, a delta of just 0.1%. The AMD Radeon PRO W6600 trails by 1.3% with a score of 83209, while the NVIDIA CMP 40HX leads by 1.6% with 85637. These narrow margins indicate that the RTX 5090 sits at the very top of GPU performance tiers.

For the CPU side, the i7-13700K's nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-13700KF at 47334 (a -0.1% delta), followed by the AMD EPYC 4364P at 47131 (0.3% delta) and the Intel Core i9-12900F at 47081 (0.4% delta). The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 leads by 0.5% with a score of 47527. These small deltas show that the i7-13700K is competitively positioned among high-end desktop processors, though it is not the absolute fastest in the database. The combination's 10th place ranking out of 1681 combos suggests that the GPU's dominance compensates for any slight CPU deficit relative to top-tier rivals.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces exceptional frame rates across all settings. Low settings yield 455.9 FPS average, Medium delivers 399.9 FPS, High achieves 337.6 FPS, and Ultra reaches 275.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 180.6 FPS, which represents a 39.6% reduction in performance from the lowest to highest quality preset. This shows that even at 1080p, the visual fidelity settings have a measurable impact on frame output.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop noticeably but remain extremely high. Low settings produce 296.8 FPS, Medium hits 261.2 FPS, High reaches 218 FPS, and Ultra settles at 176.9 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 119.9 FPS, a 40.4% reduction. The consistency of this percentage drop across resolutions suggests that Doom's settings presets impose a similar relative cost regardless of pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the system still delivers smooth performance. Low settings average 158.7 FPS, Medium reaches 141.7 FPS, High hits 120.1 FPS, and Ultra produces 94.5 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one that dips below 100 FPS, but it remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for standard displays. The scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra represents a 361.4 FPS drop, a 79.3% reduction in frame rate, which is a substantial but expected cost for quadrupling the pixel count.

The data shows a consistent pattern where each settings tier costs roughly 15-20% performance compared to the tier below it at any given resolution. For example, at 1080p, Medium is 12.3% slower than Low, High is 15.6% slower than Medium, and Ultra is 18.4% slower than High. Similar ratios hold at 1440p and 4K, indicating that the settings presets scale uniformly in their GPU load.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K Ultra with playable frame rates?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 94.5 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay and well-suited for high-refresh-rate 4K monitors.

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 455.9 FPS average. This provides the lowest input latency and is ideal for competitive scenarios where frame rate matters most.

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

A: The average FPS drops from 337.6 at 1920x1080 to 120.1 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 217.5 FPS or 64.4%. This indicates the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K a limiting factor in this configuration?

A: At 1080p Low, the system reaches 455.9 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's practical limit. The 3DMark max-threads score of 12412 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 show strong processing capability, but the GPU's headroom at lower resolutions exposes the CPU as the constraint.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 10th out of 1681 combinations, placing it in the top 0.6% of all tested configurations for Doom. The GPU scores in the 94th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU sits in the 93rd percentile.

Q: What settings preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 deliver 218 FPS average. This is significantly higher than the 176.9 FPS at Ultra, while still providing high visual fidelity. The performance headroom allows for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K displays, the High preset at 3840x2160 is the optimal choice. It delivers 120.1 FPS average, which is 27.1% faster than the Ultra preset's 94.5 FPS, while the visual difference between High and Ultra is typically minimal in fast-paced action. The Medium preset at 141.7 FPS offers additional headroom but sacrifices some visual quality. For users with 144Hz 4K monitors, the High preset is the only one that comes close to maxing out the refresh rate, falling just 23.9 FPS short.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset at 176.9 FPS is the best choice for users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, as it maxes out most display refresh rates. For those with 240Hz displays, the High preset at 218 FPS is preferable, providing a 41.1 FPS buffer over Ultra. The Medium preset at 261.2 FPS and Low at 296.8 FPS offer diminishing returns unless competing at the highest levels where every frame matters.

For 1080p, the Ultra preset at 275.3 FPS is sufficient for even the fastest 240Hz displays, though it falls short of 360Hz panels. The High preset at 337.6 FPS provides 62.3 FPS more than Ultra, making it the recommended choice for 360Hz monitors. The Low preset at 455.9 FPS and Medium at 399.9 FPS are only necessary for extreme competitive scenarios where maximum frame throughput is the sole priority.

The data indicates that this hardware combination is overkill for 1080p gaming, as even the highest quality settings produce frame rates far beyond typical display capabilities. At 1440p, the system hits a sweet spot where Ultra settings remain playable on high-refresh-rate displays. At 4K, the High preset offers the best experience, balancing the 120.1 FPS average against the visual fidelity loss from dropping below Ultra. Given that the RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, the GPU is well-equipped to handle the texture loads at any resolution, and the bottleneck at 1080p lies with the CPU rather than memory capacity.