Doom

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700K brings 20 cores and 28 threads to this Doom benchmark pairing, operating at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boosting up to 5.60 GHz. This Raptor Lake-R architecture chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process, sits in the 96th percentile among all CPUs tested on this database, indicating that its compute headroom is far above what most gaming workloads demand.

The processor's cache hierarchy deserves scrutiny: 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3. For a game like Doom, which leverages id Tech 6's highly threaded renderer, the 28 threads allow the engine to distribute draw calls, physics, and audio across multiple cores simultaneously. Benchmark results from the measured FPS table show that at 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 259.3 FPS average — a figure that suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions, as the frame rate scales dramatically when GPU load decreases.

The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44,534 and single-core score of 6,287 indicate strong per-thread performance, which matters for Doom's main thread that handles game logic and scene management. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU becomes the bottleneck, the CPU maintains enough throughput to feed the Radeon RX 7700 XT without causing frame pacing issues. The Geekbench multicore result of 18,896 further confirms that this processor ranks among the top tier for gaming workloads, with nearest rivals including the Core i7-14700KF (average score 70,104, deltaPct 0) and the Ryzen 9 9950X (average score 70,420, deltaPct -0.5).

What the data implies is that the i7-14700K's role in this combo is to provide a ceiling high enough that the GPU determines performance across all tested settings. The processor's 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a mainstream desktop part, but its 20-core configuration goes well beyond what Doom's 2016 engine can fully utilize. The PassMark multithread score of 52,392 reinforces this perspective: the CPU has massive parallel capacity, yet the game's frame rate scales primarily with resolution and preset rather than with CPU-bound tasks.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, built on the Navi 32 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture, supplies 12 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock of 1435 MHz, boost clock of 2544 MHz, and game clock of 2171 MHz define the operational envelope for this GPU in Doom. With 3,456 shading units, 216 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, the card's pixel rate of 244.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 549.5 GTexel/s directly influence how quickly the game's environments and effects can be rendered.

The GPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all GPUs in this database, with an average benchmark score of 30,097, places it in a competitive mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (average score 30,109, deltaPct 0) and the AMD Radeon RX 570 (average score 30,158, deltaPct -0.2) — though the RX 570 comparison is curious, as it likely reflects synthetic benchmark variance rather than real gaming equivalence. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,316 suggests the card handles modern API workloads well, which aligns with Doom's Vulkan and OpenGL paths.

In Doom specifically, the measured FPS data reveals a clear GPU-bound trend. At 1080p, the card produces 195 FPS on High, 229.8 on Medium, and 259.3 on Low — the close spacing between settings indicates the GPU has headroom but still responds to preset changes. At 4K, the gap widens dramatically: 54.6 FPS on Ultra versus 91.1 on Low, a 36.5 FPS difference that shows the card's 12 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth being stressed by higher resolutions. The RDNA 3.0 architecture's 5 nm process from TSMC, with 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die, provides the efficiency to sustain these clocks under load.

The 2,544 MHz boost clock is particularly relevant for Doom's fast-paced action, where sustained frame rates matter more than peak performance. The card's 245 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it runs warm but manageable, and the 2x 8-pin power connectors provide adequate energy delivery. The DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1a outputs support high refresh rates, which the measured FPS at 1080p and 1440p can actually utilize.

# How This Combo Ranks

This specific pairing of Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 749th out of 1,681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. This rank reflects the balance between a top-tier CPU and a mid-range GPU, where the GPU limits performance in most scenarios. The percentile positions of the individual components — CPU at 96th, GPU at 73rd — suggest that the combo's ranking is dragged down by the GPU's relative position.

Examining the 1080p Ultra result of 160.1 FPS against the 4K Ultra result of 54.6 FPS reveals a 3x performance drop, which is consistent with the GPU being the primary constraint. At 1440p Ultra, the combo delivers 104.9 FPS, still well above playable thresholds. The rank of 749 out of 1,681 indicates that roughly 55% of tested combos perform better, likely those pairing this GPU with faster processors or pairing this CPU with more powerful GPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals show minimal performance deltas — the i7-14700KF is essentially identical at 0% difference, and the Ryzen 9 9950X is only -0.5% behind in average benchmark scores. This means the combo's rank is not CPU-limited; swapping to a different high-end processor would yield negligible frame rate changes. Conversely, the GPU's rivals cluster tightly around the same average score, with the RTX 5060 at 0% delta and the RX 570 at -0.2%, indicating that the RX 7700 XT sits in a competitive but not dominant position.

The data suggests that for Doom, this combo occupies a sweet spot for 1440p gaming, where it achieves 122.8 FPS on High settings. At 4K, it becomes marginal for Ultra presets (54.6 FPS) but remains smooth on High (67.3 FPS). The rank of 749 reflects this duality — it is not a top-tier 4K machine, but it is far from a low-end setup.

# FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows 1440p High delivers 122.8 FPS, while 1080p High reaches 195 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and frame rate, 1440p High appears optimal, as it stays above 120 FPS while offering more detail than 1080p.

Q: How much performance drops from 1080p to 4K on Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the combo averages 160.1 FPS. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 54.6 FPS — a reduction of 105.5 FPS, or roughly 66% lower performance. This indicates the GPU is heavily stressed at 4K.

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

A: The evidence points to the GPU. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 259.3 FPS, but at 4K Low it falls to 91.1 FPS. Since the CPU's 96th percentile ranking far exceeds the GPU's 73rd, the RX 7700 XT determines frame rates across most settings.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to its nearest GPU rival?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 30,109 versus the RX 7700 XT's 30,097, a deltaPct of 0. The AMD Radeon RX 570 scores 30,158, which is -0.2% relative difference — these synthetic scores suggest near-parity in overall compute.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. On Low settings, 4K averages 91.1 FPS, which is playable. On High, it drops to 67.3 FPS, still smooth for most players. Ultra at 4K produces 54.6 FPS, which may be acceptable but is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What CPU benchmark score indicates this processor's gaming capability?

A: The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,287 and multicore score of 44,534, along with the 96th percentile ranking, demonstrate that this CPU provides ample performance for Doom's engine, which benefits from both high single-thread and multi-thread throughput.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across three resolutions reveals a clear scaling pattern. From 1080p to 1440p, the combo loses approximately 37% of its frame rate on High settings (195 down to 122.8 FPS). From 1440p to 4K, the drop is more severe: 122.8 down to 67.3 FPS on High, a further 45% reduction. This compounding loss indicates that the GPU's rendering capabilities — its 12 GB VRAM, 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 96 ROPs — become progressively more taxed as pixel count increases.

On Low settings, the scaling is steeper: 259.3 FPS at 1080p, 170.7 at 1440p, and 91.1 at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is 64.8%, which is larger than the High preset's 65.5% drop (195 to 67.3). This counterintuitive result suggests that at Low settings, the GPU is still the bottleneck, but the CPU's frame generation capability also plays a role at 1080p where the frame rate exceeds 250 FPS.

The medium preset shows a similar pattern: 229.8 at 1080p, 147.2 at 1440p, and 80.7 at 4K. The scaling factor from 1080p to 4K is approximately 3x reduction, which aligns with the 4x increase in pixel count but falls short of a full 4x drop — meaning the combo does not scale perfectly with resolution, likely due to CPU overhead at lower resolutions and GPU limitations at higher ones.

The data implies that the limiting component shifts across the resolution spectrum. At 1080p, the CPU's 20 cores and high boost clock can push frame rates beyond 250 FPS, but the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth cap performance. At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames but the RX 7700 XT cannot render them fast enough.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 195 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of most gaming monitors. The Ultra preset at 160.1 FPS still exceeds 144 Hz, so Ultra is recommended for 1080p users seeking maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1440p, High produces 122.8 FPS, which is suitable for 120 Hz displays. Medium reaches 147.2 FPS, which could enable 144 Hz gaming if the user prioritizes frame rate over graphics. Ultra at 104.9 FPS remains playable but may not saturate high-refresh panels. The recommendation leans toward High for balanced quality and performance, as the jump from Medium to High is modest in FPS cost (147.2 to 122.8, a 16.5% drop) but significant in visual terms.

At 4K, the situation changes. Ultra at 54.6 FPS is below the 60 FPS standard, so High at 67.3 FPS is the safer choice for consistent smoothness. Medium at 80.7 FPS offers headroom for variable refresh rate displays, while Low at 91.1 FPS provides the best frame pacing but sacrifices visual quality. For 4K, High is recommended as the best compromise, delivering 67.3 FPS with acceptable detail levels.

The data shows no preset produces jarring frame rate cliffs within a resolution, which indicates the game's settings scale gracefully on this hardware. The largest single-step drop is from Medium to Ultra at 4K (80.7 to 54.6 FPS, a 32.3% reduction), suggesting that Ultra's additional effects tax the GPU heavily. Across all resolutions, High offers the most consistent experience relative to visual quality.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings average 259.3 FPS, Medium 229.8 FPS, High 195 FPS, and Ultra 160.1 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 99.2 FPS, representing a 38.2% reduction in performance when maximum settings are enabled. This wide range indicates that Doom's Ultra preset includes effects that significantly burden the GPU, even at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop but remain robust. Low averages 170.7 FPS, Medium 147.2 FPS, High 122.8 FPS, and Ultra 104.9 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 65.8 FPS, a 38.5% reduction — nearly identical to the 1080p scaling. This consistency suggests the GPU's relative performance across presets is resolution-independent, meaning the bottleneck remains the GPU at both resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the numbers reveal the GPU's limits. Low averages 91.1 FPS, Medium 80.7 FPS, High 67.3 FPS, and Ultra 54.6 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra drop is 36.5 FPS, a 40.1% reduction — slightly steeper than lower resolutions, indicating that 4K pushes the GPU into a territory where memory bandwidth and ROP throughput become critical. The 12 GB VRAM and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for Doom's textures at 4K, but the 96 ROPs and 3,456 shading units cannot maintain the same preset scaling.

Comparing across resolutions, the 1080p Low result of 259.3 FPS versus the 4K Low result of 91.1 FPS shows a 2.85x difference, while 1080p Ultra (160.1 FPS) versus 4K Ultra (54.6 FPS) shows a 2.93x difference. This nearly uniform scaling factor indicates that the combo's performance is consistently GPU-bound, with the CPU providing stable frame generation across all tested configurations. The measured data confirms that this pairing excels at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires settings compromises to maintain playable frame rates.