Doom

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti produces a distinct performance profile in Doom that is heavily dictated by resolution and settings. The data indicates a system where the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s substantial resources become more relevant only when graphical load is reduced. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across the tested configurations, explaining what the numbers reveal about the hardware balance.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, a pattern that strongly implicates the GPU as the limiting factor. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 109 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset, the average falls to 70 FPS, a reduction of 39 FPS or roughly 36%. Scaling up to 3840x2160 High yields just 38 FPS, a further drop of 32 FPS from the 1440p result. This translates to a total reduction of 71 FPS from 1080p to 4K on High settings, a decline of approximately 65%.

This scaling behavior is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The GTX 1660 Ti, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus, is being progressively overwhelmed as pixel count increases. The CPU, on the other hand, is a high-end 20-core part with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, which is unlikely to be the bottleneck at these settings. The data supports this: the performance drop is not linear but steepens at 4K, where the GPU’s fill-rate and memory bandwidth are taxed most heavily. For instance, the difference between 1080p and 1440p High is 39 FPS, while the difference between 1440p and 4K High is 32 FPS. While both are significant, the absolute frame rates at 4K (38 FPS) suggest the GPU is at its limits.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution further confirms this. At 1080p, the spread from Low (148 FPS) to Ultra (89 FPS) is 59 FPS. At 1440p, the spread is 39 FPS (96 FPS to 57 FPS). At 4K, the spread compresses to just 21 FPS (52 FPS to 31 FPS). This compression at 4K is telling: as resolution increases, the GPU becomes so saturated that changing settings has a diminishing impact on the average FPS. The data indicates that at 4K, even dropping to Low settings cannot push the average above 52 FPS, highlighting that the GPU’s raw throughput is the wall.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a formidable processor on paper, with 20 cores and 28 threads, a base clock of 3.40 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 33,440.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,160 in single-core, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. However, in this specific game, the CPU’s role appears secondary to the GPU’s capabilities.

The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 148 FPS, which is the highest recorded average across all tests. This suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with frames at this level. However, the GPU’s performance ceiling is evident: even with the CPU’s high single-thread performance (2,160 in Cinebench R23), the system cannot exceed this 148 FPS average at 1080p Low. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS regardless of settings at a given resolution; instead, we see FPS drop as settings increase, which points back to the GPU.

The i7-14700K’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which scores 69,515 with a deltaPct of -0.2, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, which scores 69,996 with a deltaPct of -0.9. These scores are nearly identical, suggesting that in CPU-bound scenarios, the i7-14700K performs on par with these parts. However, in Doom, the data suggests the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. The only scenario where the CPU might become more relevant is at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is highest, but even then, the 148 FPS average is more likely capped by the GPU’s pixel processing limits than by CPU core count or clock speed.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings for this hardware combination depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. The data provides a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and performance.

At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 109 FPS, which is a smooth and responsive experience for a fast-paced FPS like Doom. The Medium preset offers 129 FPS, a 20 FPS improvement over High, while the Low preset pushes to 148 FPS. For players prioritizing a high refresh rate, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, as it provides a substantial FPS boost (129 FPS) over High (109 FPS) without sacrificing as much visual quality as Low. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 89 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 20 FPS drop from High, making it less attractive for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 70 FPS, which is generally considered the baseline for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset improves this to 83 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 1440p if a higher frame rate is desired. The Low preset at 96 FPS offers the best performance, but the visual compromise may be significant. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS is at the edge of playability and is not recommended for fast-paced action.

At 3840x2160, the data shows that no preset achieves a consistently smooth frame rate. The High preset averages 38 FPS, the Medium preset averages 45 FPS, and the Low preset averages 52 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 31 FPS. For 4K gameplay, the Low preset is the only viable option, but the 52 FPS average is marginal. The data suggests that this combo is not well-suited for 4K gaming in Doom, and users should either lower the resolution or accept lower frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti ranks 3,193 out of 3,712 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the lower percentile of all systems tested, which is expected given the GPU’s age and market position. The GTX 1660 Ti has a percentileVsAllGpus of 41, meaning it performs better than 41% of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 7,723, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 540 (score 7,673, deltaPct 0.7) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (score 7,580, deltaPct 1.9). These are all entry-level or older GPUs, confirming the 1660 Ti’s position as a mid-range part from a previous generation.

The CPU, however, is a top-tier part, ranking in the 94th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 69,355. This creates a significant imbalance in the system. The data shows that the CPU is far more capable than the GPU, meaning the combo’s overall ranking is dragged down by the graphics card. In Doom, this imbalance is evident: the high core count and clock speeds of the i7-14700K cannot compensate for the GPU’s inability to process pixels at higher resolutions. The combo’s rank of 3,193 out of 3,712 suggests that many other combinations—likely those with a more balanced GPU-to-CPU ratio—perform better in this specific title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this CPU and GPU combo?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently achieves high frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 129, and at 1080p High, it is 109. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 83 FPS on Medium and 70 FPS on High. At 3840x2160, the average FPS is below 52 even on Low settings.

Q: Does the CPU or the GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The measured FPS data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The GTX 1660 Ti’s performance scales down significantly as resolution increases, while the i7-14700K’s high core count (20) and boost clock (5.60 GHz) suggest it is not the bottleneck. The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K on High settings (109 to 38 FPS) is a clear sign of GPU saturation.

Q: Is the Ultra preset usable at any resolution?

A: The Ultra preset yields an average of 89 FPS at 1080p, 57 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K. While the 1080p result is playable, the 1440p and 4K results are below the 60 FPS threshold typically desired for a smooth experience. The data suggests Ultra is only recommended at 1080p.

Q: How does this combo compare to systems with similar GPUs?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti has an average benchmark score of 7,723, which is close to the AMD Radeon 540 (7,673) and AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (7,580). However, the i7-14700K is a much stronger CPU, with a score of 69,355, ranking in the 94th percentile. This means the combo’s performance is likely higher than systems with weaker CPUs but the same GPU.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in the data?

A: The highest average FPS is 148, recorded at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 129 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This indicates that the GPU’s performance ceiling is around 148 FPS in this game.

*Q: Is this combo suitable for 4K gaming in Doom?*

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 52 on Low settings, with High at 38 FPS and Ultra at 31 FPS. These frame rates are below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. Therefore, the combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in Doom based on the measured results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 148 on Low to 89 on Ultra. The Medium preset averages 129 FPS, with a minimum of 109 and a maximum of 148. The High preset averages 109 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 96 on Low to 57 on Ultra. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96. The High preset averages 70 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 52 on Low to 31 on Ultra. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52. The High preset averages 38 FPS. The minimum FPS values are only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution, showing a minimum of 109 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p, and 38 FPS at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is a Turing-architecture GPU with a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU has 1,536 shading units and 96 texture mapping units. Its compute capabilities are rated at 5.437 TFLOPS for FP32 and 10.87 TFLOPS for FP16. The GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus is 41, and its average benchmark score is 7,723.

In Doom, the GPU’s role is dominant. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales directly with GPU workload. At 1080p Low, the GPU can produce 148 FPS, but as settings increase to Ultra, the average drops to 89 FPS. This is a 40% reduction in performance due to increased shading and texture work. At 4K, the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shader throughput are insufficient to maintain high frame rates, with the Ultra preset averaging only 31 FPS. The 6 GB VRAM is adequate for this game at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the higher resolution textures and geometry may be pushing against the memory limit, contributing to the low frame rates. The GPU’s boost clock of 1770 MHz is a key factor in its performance, but it cannot overcome the fundamental limitations of its 192-bit memory bus and 5.437 TFLOPS of compute power when faced with 4K resolution. The data confirms that the GTX 1660 Ti is a 1080p-class GPU, with acceptable performance at 1440p on medium settings, but it is out of its depth at 4K.