Doom

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, but the data shows a clear ceiling at 4K Ultra settings. The combo ranks in the 35th percentile of tested configurations, indicating that while this pairing is far from the top of the charts, it provides a well-balanced experience for high-refresh-rate gaming at mainstream resolutions. Benchmark results indicate the system excels at 1080p, where it achieves over 120 FPS on the highest preset, and remains highly playable at 1440p, but struggles to maintain a smooth 60 FPS at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Doom?

A: The data shows the most consistent performance at 1920x1080, where all presets deliver an average of at least 120 FPS. At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 78 to 129, which remains smooth. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves an average above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 42 on Ultra to 70 on Low. The High preset yields 51 FPS, and Medium yields 61 FPS. The data suggests that 4K gaming is possible but requires a significant reduction in graphics settings to maintain playable frame rates.

Q: Which graphics preset provides the best balance of speed and quality?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 provides an average of 95 FPS, making it a strong candidate. At 1920x1080, the High preset achieves 147 FPS. The Medium preset offers a slight performance boost over High at every resolution, with a 7-9% increase in average FPS.

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

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the average FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K. The CPU's high core count and boost clock provide ample headroom, as evidenced by the strong scores in the benchmark data.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2418 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the 35th percentile. This indicates that it outperforms a majority of configurations but is not a top-tier performer, aligning with its mid-range GPU and high-end CPU pairing.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 200 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 120 FPS. This represents a 40% performance drop when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core processor with 28 threads, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This high core count and clock speed are reflected in its strong synthetic benchmarks, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 and a single-core score of 2160.

In Doom, a game that can utilize multiple threads, the CPU provides a robust foundation. The benchmark results show that the system maintains high frame rates even at lower resolutions, indicating that the CPU is not the bottleneck. For instance, at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, the average FPS reaches 200, which is likely near the engine's limit. The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is notable; it scores within 0.9% of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, and is effectively tied with the AMD EPYC 9115 and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X.

The processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache help with data-heavy workloads, which is beneficial for the fast-paced action in Doom. The data suggests that the i7-14700K offers more than enough computational power for this game, allowing the GPU to become the deciding factor in performance scaling across different resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. It has a base clock of 2055 MHz and a boost clock of 2635 MHz. The GPU's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s.

The GPU is the key component in determining the performance ceiling of this combo. The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern with resolution. At 1920x1080, the GPU can push out 120 FPS on Ultra settings, but at 3840x2160, the average drops to 42 FPS on the same preset. This indicates a 65% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 4K, which is a typical pattern for a mid-range GPU like the RX 6650 XT.

The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Doom at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the higher memory pressure and pixel throughput requirements become demanding. The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 17166, place it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, which it trails by 0.6%, and the AMD FirePro W7000, which it leads by 0.7%. This shows that the RX 6650 XT is a capable mid-range performer, but it is not designed for maximum settings at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination holds a rank of 2418 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the 35th percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms 65% of the tested systems. This ranking reflects the balance between a high-end CPU and a mid-range GPU.

The CPU's performance is a strong asset, as it sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU, in contrast, is in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. This mismatch suggests that the combo is not fully utilizing the CPU's potential in this specific game, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The ranking is likely influenced by the fact that many other tested combos include more powerful GPUs, which push their overall scores higher.

The data shows that this combo is a solid mid-tier option. It will provide a great experience for gamers using 1080p or 1440p monitors, but it will not compete with systems that pair the i7-14700K with a higher-end graphics card. The 35th percentile rank is a clear indicator that while this is not a flagship setup, it delivers reliable and enjoyable performance for the target resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 147 FPS, which is well above the 120 FPS threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 95 FPS, which is still smooth and provides a noticeable improvement in image quality over Medium.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p achieves 200 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. However, at 4K, the Low preset is the only option that maintains an average above 60 FPS, hitting 70 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, dropping to 120 FPS at 1080p and 42 FPS at 4K. Given the performance drop, the Ultra preset is not recommended for 4K gaming with this hardware.

The Medium preset offers a compromise, providing a 7-9% frame rate increase over High at all resolutions. For example, at 1440p, Medium averages 113 FPS compared to High's 95 FPS. The data indicates that for a 1440p display, the High preset is the optimal choice, as it provides a significant quality boost over Medium while still maintaining a high frame rate. At 4K, users should stick to Low or Medium settings to ensure a playable experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. The Low preset averages 200 FPS, the Medium preset averages 174 FPS with a minimum of 148 FPS and a maximum of 200 FPS, the High preset averages 147 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 120 FPS. All presets provide a smooth experience, with even the most demanding Ultra setting staying above 120 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 129 FPS, the Medium preset averages 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS, the High preset averages 95 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 78 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum frame rate of 96 FPS indicates that the experience is consistently smooth, with no major dips.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. The Low preset averages 70 FPS, the Medium preset averages 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS, the High preset averages 51 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 42 FPS. The data shows a clear step-down in performance at this resolution, with only the Low preset maintaining an average above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset's 42 FPS average is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience, indicating that 4K gaming should be limited to lower presets.