Doom

The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination delivers a highly playable Doom experience at 1080p, but the data shows a steep and consistent performance cliff as resolution increases. The measured FPS drops from 149.8 at 1080p Low to 49.7 at 4K Low, representing a 66.8% reduction in frame rate. This scaling pattern is the defining characteristic of this pairing: the system is entirely GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU's substantial headroom becomes evident only at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p, the GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary constraint, with frame rates ranging from 92.2 at Ultra to 149.8 at Low. Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 68.8 at High and 56.7 at Ultra, a reduction of 37.6% and 38.5% respectively compared to 1080p. The scaling becomes more punishing at 3840x2160, where the Ultra preset manages only 31.9 FPS, and even the Low preset falls to 49.7 FPS.

The frame rate drop from 1080p High (110.2 FPS) to 4K High (40.2 FPS) is 63.5%, which is a near-linear relationship with the pixel count increase. This indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, not the CPU. The i7-14700F, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, has more than enough processing power to feed the GPU at any resolution, but the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K.

The data suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combination if the user demands smooth gameplay, with the Medium preset yielding 80.8 FPS. At 1080p, the system excels, with all presets exceeding 92 FPS, and Low reaching nearly 150 FPS, which would fully utilize a high-refresh-rate monitor.

GPU Role

The GTX 1660 SUPER is the decisive component in this pairing. Its Turing architecture, built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, features 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1530 MHz and boosts to 1785 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across a 192-bit bus. This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but insufficient for 4K.

The benchmark results show that the GPU's average benchmark score is 14286, placing it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, which is 0.2% behind, and the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, which is 0.7% ahead. This puts the GTX 1660 SUPER in the mid-range tier, consistent with its measured performance in Doom.

The VRAM capacity of 6 GB is a critical factor. At 4K Ultra, the game likely exceeds this limit, causing the average FPS to plummet to 31.9. Even at 4K High, the 40.2 FPS average suggests the memory subsystem is struggling. The GPU's FP32 performance of 5.027 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s are sufficient for 1080p gaming but become bottlenecks at higher resolutions. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1278 confirms the GPU's mid-range standing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a high-end desktop processor that is significantly underutilized in this gaming scenario. With 20 cores (8 performance and 12 efficiency) and 28 threads, it offers substantial parallel processing capability. The base clock of 2.10 GHz can boost up to 5.40 GHz, and the 33 MB of shared L3 cache provides ample fast storage for game data. The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, which is 0.6% ahead in average benchmark score, and the Intel Xeon Phi 7290, which is 1.2% behind. This positions the i7-14700F as a top-tier processor for productivity tasks, but in Doom, its role is primarily to feed the GPU. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 149.8 FPS, which is likely approaching the CPU's frame generation limit for this game. However, the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher settings and resolutions.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a versatile choice, but its performance headroom in this game is vast. The PassMark multithread score of 41765 and integer math score of 157242 indicate that the CPU can handle far more demanding workloads than Doom presents. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield much larger frame rate gains than upgrading the CPU in this configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1080p for this combination?

A: The data shows that Ultra settings at 1920x1080 achieve an average of 92.2 FPS, which is playable. However, Medium and High settings provide higher frame rates of 131.6 and 110.2 FPS respectively, offering a smoother experience.

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

A: The measured FPS at 3840x2160 ranges from 31.9 at Ultra to 49.7 at Low. The Low preset is technically playable, but the Ultra and High presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold, making 4K gaming a marginal experience.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 14286 is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 and 0.7% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT. It is essentially tied with the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, which is 0.2% ahead.

Q: Is the i7-14700F a bottleneck in this system?

A: The data indicates the CPU is not the limiting factor. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35443 shows high capability, and the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU limitations. At 1080p Low, the 149.8 FPS average suggests the CPU can still deliver more frames if the GPU allowed it.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average FPS is 110.2, while at 2560x1440 High, it drops to 68.8. This represents a 37.6% decrease in performance, indicating a significant GPU load increase.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 1463 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the lower portion of the database. This rank reflects the GPU's mid-range performance rather than the CPU's high-end capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame data places this configuration at 1463 out of 1681 tested combinations, which is in the 13th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GTX 1660 SUPER's position as the 55th percentile GPU, while the i7-14700F sits at the 94th percentile for CPUs. The discrepancy between the two components is stark: the CPU is a top-tier part, while the GPU is firmly mid-range.

This ranking means that 218 tested combinations perform worse than this setup in Doom, but the vast majority of systems outperform it. The data suggests that this is a mismatched pairing for modern gaming, as the CPU's potential is wasted on a GPU that cannot fully utilize it. Users seeking higher rankings would need to upgrade the GPU, as the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor in any game at standard resolutions.

The rank also indicates that this system is better suited for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates. At 1440p, it becomes a mid-range performer, and at 4K, it falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The CPU's high benchmark scores do not translate to gaming performance gains when paired with a weaker GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this system's performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are excellent: Low achieves 149.8 FPS, Medium 131.6 FPS, High 110.2 FPS, and Ultra 92.2 FPS. This is a highly playable range, with even the most demanding preset exceeding 90 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings yield 98.4 FPS, Medium 80.8 FPS, High 68.8 FPS, and Ultra 56.7 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable to some players, but the Medium and High presets remain smooth.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings produce 49.7 FPS, Medium 46.4 FPS, High 40.2 FPS, and Ultra 31.9 FPS. None of these settings reach 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset is barely playable. The drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 100.1 FPS, indicating a 66.8% performance loss that cannot be mitigated by settings alone.

The incremental differences between settings are consistent across resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 57.6 FPS, while at 4K, the difference is 17.8 FPS. This shows that the GPU's limitations become more pronounced at higher resolutions, where the pixel throughput becomes the primary constraint.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, all presets are viable, but the High preset at 110.2 FPS offers the best balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 92.2 FPS is also acceptable, but the marginal visual improvement may not justify the 16.3% frame rate drop.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 80.8 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a smooth experience while maintaining decent visual fidelity. The High preset at 68.8 FPS is also playable, but the Low preset at 98.4 FPS offers the highest frame rate for competitive play. The Ultra preset at 56.7 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided.

For 3840x2160, the data shows that the Low preset at 49.7 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, but it still falls short of 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 46.4 FPS and High at 40.2 FPS are marginal, while Ultra at 31.9 FPS is not recommended. Users who prioritize 4K gaming should consider lowering the resolution or upgrading the GPU.

Overall, the best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1080p with the High preset, yielding 110.2 FPS. This provides a high frame rate with good visual quality, making full use of the CPU's capabilities while staying within the GPU's comfort zone. For 1440p, the Medium preset is the sweet spot, offering 80.8 FPS without sacrificing too much detail.