Doom

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a high-refresh-rate experience in Doom, with the data showing a clear progression of performance from 1080p up to 4K. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves 256.7 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh monitor. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a significant but expected drop, with High settings falling from 256.7 FPS to 164.9 FPS, a reduction of roughly 36%. Moving further up to 3840x2160, the same High preset yields 90.3 FPS, which remains comfortably playable on a 4K display. This trajectory suggests that while the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, the GPU becomes the dominant factor as resolution increases, though it never becomes a bottleneck that prevents smooth gameplay at any tested setting.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across the three resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high—348.5 FPS on Low, 301.4 FPS on Medium, 256.7 FPS on High, and 209 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that the processor is not limiting performance at this resolution; the i7-14700K’s 20 cores and 28 threads provide more than enough throughput for Doom’s engine to feed the GPU. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 139.5 FPS, showing that graphical settings have a substantial impact even when the CPU is not the constraint.

When resolution jumps to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but the scaling is steeper. Low settings drop from 348.5 FPS to 226.6 FPS, a 35% reduction, while Ultra falls from 209 FPS to 135.8 FPS, a 35% reduction as well. This consistent percentage drop across all settings indicates that the GPU’s pixel throughput is now the primary limiter, as the workload per frame increases with resolution. At 4K, the trend continues: Low settings produce 120.7 FPS, Medium 110 FPS, High 90.3 FPS, and Ultra 75.2 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K on High settings is 74.6 FPS, or about 45%, which is a larger relative decrease than the 1080p-to-1440p step, reinforcing that the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and 192-bit bus are being pushed harder at higher pixel counts.

The data suggests that for competitive play at the highest refresh rates, 1080p is the sweet spot, but 1440p still delivers over 135 FPS on Ultra, which is excellent for most users. At 4K, the combo is best suited for High or Medium settings if a 90+ FPS target is desired; Ultra at 75.2 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the driving force behind the frame rates at higher resolutions. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for Doom’s texture-heavy environments, even at 4K Ultra where the data shows 75.2 FPS. The GPU’s boost clock of 2475 MHz and base clock of 1980 MHz contribute to its pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s, which are directly relevant to how quickly the card can fill frames in a fast-paced FPS.

Benchmark results for the GPU show a PassMark G3D score of 29995, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A6000, which scores 42653 on average and is 0.2% slower, and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE, which scores 42723 and is 0.3% slower. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 42576 is slightly below these two, but in Doom specifically, the measured FPS indicates strong real-world performance. The GPU’s FP32 throughput of 35.48 TFLOPS is ample for this 2016 title, which does not leverage ray tracing or DLSS to the same degree as modern games, so raw rasterization power is what matters here.

The memory clock of 1313 MHz, running at 21 Gbps effective, is a key factor in the 4K results. At 3840x2160, the difference between High and Ultra is 15.1 FPS (90.3 vs 75.2), which suggests that the extra texture detail and shadow quality at Ultra place additional strain on the memory subsystem. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is not exceeded at these settings, as Doom is not a VRAM-heavy title, but the bandwidth is taxed, as evidenced by the scaling patterns.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. In Doom, the CPU’s role is to maintain high frame rates without bottlenecking the GPU, and the data shows it does this successfully at 1080p where frame rates exceed 300 FPS on lower presets. The processor’s large L3 cache of 33 MB shared helps keep frequently accessed game data on-die, reducing latency that could otherwise impact frame pacing in a fast shooter.

Benchmark results place the i7-14700K in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70074. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which scores 70104 and is effectively identical (0% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which scores 70420 and is 0.5% faster. In Doom, the CPU’s single-thread performance, as indicated by a Geekbench single-core score of 2932, is more important than multi-core throughput, since the game’s engine is not heavily threaded. The PassMark single-thread score of 4472 supports this, showing strong per-core performance that allows the GPU to be fully utilized.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s influence diminishes, as the frame rates are dictated by the GPU’s rendering capabilities. The data shows that at 4K Low, the combo achieves 120.7 FPS, which is likely close to the ceiling of what the GPU can produce, but the CPU is still capable of feeding it. The i7-14700K’s 125 W TDP and 10 nm process node mean it runs efficiently, and its support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory offers flexibility, though the memory bandwidth is not explicitly tested in this dataset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings are viable with 209 FPS, which is far above the 144 Hz threshold for most monitors, so there is no reason to drop below Ultra for visual fidelity. At 2560x1440, Ultra still delivers 135.8 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors, making it the recommended preset for this resolution. The jump from High to Ultra at 1440p costs 29.1 FPS (164.9 to 135.8), but the visual improvement in Doom’s lighting and textures is worth it for most users.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that High is the optimal choice, delivering 90.3 FPS, which is smooth on a 60 Hz display and acceptable on a 120 Hz display if you enable VRR. Medium at 110 FPS is also a strong option if you prefer a higher frame rate, but the drop from High to Medium is 19.7 FPS, and the visual downgrade is noticeable. Ultra at 75.2 FPS is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced FPS where reaction time matters, so it is best avoided unless you prioritize image quality over smoothness. Low settings are not recommended at any resolution, as the frame rate gains (e.g., 120.7 FPS at 4K Low vs 90.3 FPS at 4K High) do not justify the significant loss in visual quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 298th out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 18% of all systems. This is a strong showing, given that the ranking includes many higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 and newer CPUs. The rank reflects the combo’s ability to maintain high frame rates across all resolutions, with the 4K High result of 90.3 FPS being particularly impressive for a card in the 84th GPU percentile. The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking ensures that it is not a limiting factor, which is crucial for a game like Doom where high FPS is the primary goal.

Relative to its nearest GPU rivals, the RTX 4070 SUPER outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE by 0.3% in average benchmark scores, but in Doom, the measured FPS shows the 4070 SUPER is well-positioned. The combo’s rank of 298 suggests that there are 297 systems with higher performance, but many of those likely use more expensive GPUs or CPUs. For a mid-to-high-end build, this rank indicates that the combo offers a balanced experience, with neither component dragging the other down.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum FPS achievable at 1080p with this combo?

A: The highest measured FPS at 1920x1080 is 348.5 FPS on Low settings, while Ultra settings still deliver 209 FPS.

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

A: Yes, at 3840x2160, the combo achieves 90.3 FPS on High and 110 FPS on Medium, both of which are smooth for 4K displays.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its closest GPU rival?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 42576, which is 0.2% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and 0.3% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1440p?

A: No, at 2560x1440, the frame rates range from 226.6 FPS on Low to 135.8 FPS on Ultra, indicating the GPU is the primary limiter, not the i7-14700K.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144 Hz 1440p monitor?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 deliver 135.8 FPS, which is close to a 144 Hz refresh rate and is the recommended preset for this scenario.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 298th out of 1681 tested combos, placing it in the top 18% of all systems tested.