Doom

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti produces a severely CPU-bottlenecked experience in Doom, but the data shows the pairing ranks near the bottom of the tested database. Specifically, this combo holds the 1651st position out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 2% of all configurations. This ranking is primarily due to the GPU's age and performance tier, as the 1050 Ti sits in the 30th percentile of all GPUs, while the 14700F is a top-tier processor in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The benchmark results indicate a massive imbalance: the processor is capable of far more than the graphics card can deliver, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1651 out of 1681 tested combos places it in a precarious position, outperforming only 30 other configurations in the database. This is a striking result given that the CPU component is a modern, high-end part; the Intel Core i7-14700F with its 20 cores and 28 threads achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003, placing it just 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X in average benchmark score. The bottleneck is unequivocally the GPU, which averages a benchmark score of 5316, sitting at the 30th percentile of all GPUs and matching the performance of the NVIDIA GeForce 940M within a 0.4% margin. Essentially, the data shows a pairing where the CPU’s potential is entirely untapped, resulting in a system that ranks among the slowest for this particular game.

When examining the CPU's nearest rivals, the performance deltas are minimal, highlighting that the processor is not the issue. The 14700F's average benchmark score of 54097 is only 1.2% higher than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 and 1.7% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P. This indicates that the CPU is performing as expected for its class. However, the GPU's nearest rivals tell a different story; the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce 930A, with a 0% deltaPct, and only 0.7% faster than the AMD Radeon R7 240. These comparisons confirm that the graphics card is a legacy, entry-level component that severely limits the entire system's gaming performance in Doom.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is a Pascal-architecture GPU built on a 14 nm process, featuring 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Its memory configuration consists of 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s. The card operates at a base clock of 1291 MHz with a boost clock of 1392 MHz, and its memory runs at an effective speed of 7 Gbps. These specifications, while modest by modern standards, are the primary drivers of the frame rates observed in Doom. The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 2.138 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 44.54 GPixel/s, figures that directly correlate with its ability to render the game's scenes.

The data shows that this GPU is the definitive limiting factor in this combo. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 42.6, while at 4K with the same settings, it falls to a nearly unplayable 17.1 FPS. The GPU's 4 GB VRAM capacity is also a concern; while not explicitly measured in the FPS data, the significant performance drop from Medium (65.9 FPS at 1080p) to Ultra (42.6 FPS at 1080p) suggests that texture and memory bandwidth demands are taxing the card. The 1050 Ti's DirectX 12 benchmark score of 26 is notably low, indicating its weakness in modern API workloads, which Doom utilizes. This is reflected in the gameplay metrics, where even at the lowest settings, the card cannot achieve a consistently smooth 60 FPS experience at 1440p, posting an average of 50.3 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent trend: performance degrades predictably as resolution increases, confirming that the GPU is the bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 76.5 FPS, which is the highest average recorded. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 50.3 FPS, a decrease of 26.2 FPS. At 4K with Low settings, the average plummets to 26.4 FPS, representing a 65% reduction from the 1080p Low result. This scaling pattern is indicative of a GPU that is overwhelmed by pixel count, as the CPU has ample headroom to process the game logic at all resolutions.

The gap between settings becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions, which further underscores the GPU's role. At 1080p, the difference between Low (76.5 FPS) and Ultra (42.6 FPS) is 33.9 FPS. At 1440p, this difference narrows to 21.8 FPS (50.3 vs 28.5 FPS), and at 4K, it shrinks to just 9.3 FPS (26.4 vs 17.1 FPS). This behavior suggests that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes so saturated that even reducing graphical fidelity yields diminishing returns, because the core rendering load from the higher pixel count dominates the performance equation. The data indicates that the CPU's capabilities, such as its 5.40 GHz boost clock and 33 MB of shared L3 cache, are irrelevant to the frame rate at 4K, as the GPU is working at its maximum capacity.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For a 1080p display, the Medium preset offers the best balance, delivering an average of 65.9 FPS. This is a significant improvement over the High preset's 56.9 FPS and much closer to the 76.5 FPS achieved on Low, without the visual compromises of the lowest settings. The Ultra preset at 1080p is not recommended, as it produces 42.6 FPS, which falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced FPS like Doom.

For 1440p, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset yields 50.3 FPS, which is playable but not ideal, while the Medium preset drops to 41.1 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are less viable, with averages of 35.3 and 28.5 FPS, respectively. Therefore, the data suggests that users at 1440p should stick to Low settings to maintain a playable frame rate. At 4K, none of the presets are acceptable for competitive play; the Low preset produces 26.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces 17.1 FPS, both of which are too low for a responsive experience. The benchmark results strongly indicate that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where the Medium preset provides the most consistent performance.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations in Doom?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F + GeForce GTX 1050 Ti combo ranks 1651st out of 1681 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 2% of all configurations for this game.

Q: What is the best frame rate this combo can achieve in Doom?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 76.5 at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. At Medium settings on 1080p, the average FPS is 65.9.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this pairing?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 30th percentile. The GPU's average benchmark score of 5316 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce 940M.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 42.6 FPS. At 4K with Ultra settings, the average drops to 17.1 FPS, a reduction of 25.5 FPS.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most playable experience at 1440p?

A: The Low preset at 2560x1440 provides the highest average FPS of 50.3. All other presets at this resolution, including Medium (41.1 FPS), High (35.3 FPS), and Ultra (28.5 FPS), are lower.

Q: How does the GTX 1050 Ti compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti has an average benchmark score of 5316, which is essentially identical to the NVIDIA GeForce 930A with a 0% deltaPct, and 0.4% higher than the GeForce 940M.