Doom

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is a formidable combination for playing Doom, a 2016 FPS title that remains a popular benchmark target. The data shows this combo achieves a rank of 1238 out of 3712 tested configurations, placing it in the upper third of all tested systems. This pairing leverages a 20-core, 28-thread Raptor Lake processor with a 33 MB shared L3 cache alongside a 16 GB RDNA 3.0 graphics card, resulting in frame rates that range from a minimum of 60 FPS at 4K Ultra to a maximum of 284 FPS at 1080p Low. The measured results indicate that this system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and provides a smooth 4K experience at High settings, though the CPU’s strong single-thread performance becomes the primary driver at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT secures a rank of 1238 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom, which places it within the top 33.4% of all configurations tested. This is a solid standing for a mid-to-high-end setup, though the raw ranking reveals that many other pairings, likely with more powerful GPUs or CPUs, achieve higher frame rates in this specific title. The combo’s percentileVsAllCpus for the CPU is 94, indicating that the processor outperforms 94% of all CPUs in the database, while the GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus is 51, showing it sits just above the median for graphics cards. This discrepancy suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier component, the GPU is more of a mid-range performer, which influences the overall combo ranking.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the i7-14700KF posts an average benchmark score of 70163, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69996) and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875). It also leads the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515) by 0.9%, but trails the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (70879) by 1%. These small percentage differences indicate that the i7-14700KF is competitive with other high-end processors, though it is not the absolute fastest in its class. For Doom, this means the CPU is unlikely to be a bottleneck at most settings, as its multithreaded and single-threaded performance are both strong enough to feed even a high-end GPU.

On the GPU side, the RX 7800 XT has an average benchmark score of 11627, which is 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (11680) and 1.8% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (11842). It outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M (11528) by 0.9% and the NVIDIA Tesla K20c (11479) by 1.3%. These rival comparisons are based on synthetic benchmarks, but in Doom, the RX 7800 XT’s actual measured performance is what matters. The GPU’s 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth provide ample headroom for this game’s textures, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4157 suggests solid DirectX 12 capability, which Doom uses. However, the GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus of 51 indicates that many other graphics cards score higher in synthetic tests, which may explain why the combo does not rank higher in this game.

The rank of 1238 out of 3712 also reflects the fact that Doom is an older title that is not particularly demanding by modern standards. Many combos with lower-end CPUs but high-end GPUs could achieve similar or better frame rates, especially at 1080p where the CPU’s single-thread performance becomes more critical. The i7-14700KF’s boost clock of 5.60 GHz and single-core Cinebench R23 score of 6235 are excellent, but they are not unique among the tested combos. Overall, this combo is a strong performer, but it does not dominate the leaderboard due to the GPU’s mid-range standing relative to other tested graphics cards.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT plays a central role in determining Doom’s performance, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The card features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for Doom, which was released in 2016 and does not require massive texture pools, but it provides headroom for future titles. The GPU’s base clock is 1295 MHz, with a boost clock of 2430 MHz and a game clock of 2124 MHz, which are moderate figures for a modern graphics card. The pixel rate is 233.3 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 583.2 GTexel/s, both of which contribute to the card’s ability to render Doom’s fast-paced environments.

In Doom, the GPU’s measured performance scales predictably with settings and resolution. At 4K Ultra, the RX 7800 XT delivers an average of 60 FPS, which is exactly at the threshold for smooth gameplay but may dip below that in intense combat scenarios. Dropping to 4K High raises the average to 73 FPS, while 4K Medium hits 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. At 4K Low, the average jumps to 99 FPS, showing that the GPU has enough headroom to push beyond 60 FPS even at 4K when settings are reduced. These results indicate that the RX 7800 XT is a capable 4K card for Doom, but not one that can maintain high refresh rates at maximum settings.

At 1440p, the GPU’s performance improves significantly. High settings produce an average of 135 FPS, Medium hits 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS, and Low reaches 184 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 110 FPS, which is still excellent for a fast-paced shooter. These numbers show that the RX 7800 XT is well-matched for 1440p gaming, delivering high refresh rates at most settings. At 1080p, the GPU becomes less of a bottleneck, and the CPU’s performance takes over. The RX 7800 XT still delivers 171 FPS at Ultra, 209 FPS at High, 247 FPS at Medium, and 284 FPS at Low, but the scaling from 1440p to 1080p is less pronounced than from 4K to 1440p, suggesting that the CPU is starting to limit performance at lower resolutions.

The GPU’s synthetic benchmark scores provide additional context. The PassMark G3D score is 24176, which is a strong showing, while the Geekbench Vulkan score is 54228, indicating good API support for Doom’s Vulkan renderer. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4157 is moderate, and the PassMark DirectX 12 score is only 93, which is low compared to the DirectX 11 score of 249. This suggests that the RX 7800 XT may not excel in all DirectX 12 workloads, but Doom is known to perform well with Vulkan, and the measured frame rates confirm that the GPU handles the game effectively.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the best settings for this combo in Doom. For players targeting a 60 FPS experience at 4K, the High preset is the optimal choice, as it delivers an average of 73 FPS with no reported minimum below 60. The Ultra preset at 4K averages exactly 60 FPS, which is playable but leaves no margin for frame drops during heavy action. The Medium preset at 4K offers a safer cushion with an average of 87 FPS and a minimum of 74 FPS, making it the recommended setting for those who prioritize stability over visual fidelity. The Low preset at 4K reaches 99 FPS, but the visual quality loss is substantial for a game like Doom, which relies on atmospheric lighting and detailed textures.

At 1440p, the High preset is the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering an average of 135 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset offers 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play where frame rate is paramount. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 110 FPS, which is still very playable, but the visual difference between High and Ultra may not justify the 25 FPS drop. The Low preset at 1440p reaches 184 FPS, but most players will find the graphical compromises unnecessary given the High preset’s strong performance.

For 1080p gamers, the High preset delivers 209 FPS, which is sufficient for even the fastest 240 Hz monitors. The Medium preset reaches 247 FPS, and the Low preset hits 284 FPS, but these settings are only recommended for players with extremely high refresh rate displays who prioritize frame rate over visuals. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 171 FPS, which is still excellent and provides the best visual experience without sacrificing playability. Based on the data, the High preset at 1080p or 1440p offers the best overall experience, as it maintains high frame rates while preserving the game’s intended visual quality. The measured rows show that the Medium preset at 1440p provides the highest minimum FPS (136) of any 1440p setting, making it a safer choice for those who experience frame dips in busy scenes.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1440p with High settings provides an average of 135 FPS, which is a strong balance of visual quality and performance. At 4K High, the average drops to 73 FPS, which is still playable but less smooth. For the highest frame rates, 1080p High delivers 209 FPS, but 1440p is the sweet spot for this pairing.

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Yes, the measured results show that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is exactly 60, while at 4K High it rises to 73 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K provides an average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, offering a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7800 XT compare to its nearest GPU rivals in Doom?

A: The FACT PACK does not include direct Doom benchmarks for rival GPUs, but the RX 7800 XT has an average synthetic benchmark score of 11627, which is 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (11680) and 1.8% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (11842). In Doom, the measured frame rates are strong, but direct rival comparisons in this game are not available.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU becomes more influential. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 284, which is the highest measured for this combo. The scaling from 1440p Low (184 FPS) to 1080p Low (284 FPS) shows a 54.3% increase, indicating that the GPU is still capable of pushing more frames, but the CPU’s single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6235) helps maintain high frame rates.

Q: What is the CPU’s percentile ranking among all tested CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has a percentileVsAllCpus of 94, meaning it outperforms 94% of all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 70163, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 1% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K.

Q: Does the GPU’s 16 GB VRAM matter for Doom?

A: Doom, released in 2016, does not require 16 GB of VRAM, but the RX 7800 XT’s 16 GB GDDR6 memory with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth provides more than enough capacity for the game’s textures. The measured frame rates indicate that VRAM is not a limiting factor at any resolution or setting tested.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how this combo scales across resolutions, highlighting the shift in bottleneck from GPU to CPU. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 284, which drops to 184 at 1440p Low, a decrease of 35.2%. Moving to 4K Low, the average falls to 99 FPS, a further drop of 46.2% from 1440p. This pattern indicates that the GPU is heavily stressed at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s role becomes less significant as resolution increases. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings shows a 100 FPS difference, while the scaling from 1440p to 4K at Low settings shows an 85 FPS difference, suggesting that the GPU’s fill rate and bandwidth are the primary constraints at 4K.

At High settings, the scaling is similar but with lower absolute values. The average FPS goes from 209 at 1080p to 135 at 1440p (a 35.4% drop) and then to 73 at 4K (a 45.9% drop from 1440p). This consistent percentage drop across settings indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at resolutions above 1080p. The RX 7800 XT’s pixel rate of 233.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 583.2 GTexel/s are the key specs driving this scaling, as Doom’s rendering workload increases with resolution.

The data also shows that the CPU is not a significant bottleneck until 1080p, where the frame rates exceed 200 FPS at most settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 171 FPS, which is lower than the 247 FPS at 1080p Medium, indicating that the GPU is still the primary constraint even at 1080p. However, the scaling from 1440p to 1080p at all settings is less than the scaling from 4K to 1440p, showing that the CPU begins to limit performance as the GPU has more headroom. For example, at Medium settings, going from 1440p (160 FPS) to 1080p (247 FPS) yields a 54.4% increase, while going from 4K (87 FPS) to 1440p (160 FPS) yields an 83.9% increase. This suggests that the CPU’s 20 cores and 5.60 GHz boost clock are sufficient to handle Doom’s game logic, but the GPU is the main driver of frame rate variance across resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on a 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and it supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus. In Doom, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with frames, and its strong single-thread performance is critical for high frame rates at lower resolutions. The Cinebench R23 single-core score is 6235, and the multi-core score is 44167, both of which are excellent figures. The PassMark single-thread score is 4480, and the multithread score is 52425, further confirming the CPU’s capability.

The CPU’s percentileVsAllCpus of 94 places it in the top 6% of all processors, and its average benchmark score of 70163 is competitive with its nearest rivals. The i7-14700KF outperforms the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F by 0.2% and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X by 0.9%, but trails the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1%. In Doom, these small differences are unlikely to be noticeable, as the game is not heavily multithreaded. The CPU’s 33 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide fast access to game data, and the 80 KB per-core L1 cache helps reduce latency. The CPU’s TDP is 125 W, and it supports PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes, though Doom does not require the latest PCIe standard.

The measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 60, and at 4K Low it is 99, indicating that the GPU is working near its limits. However, at 1080p, the CPU’s performance becomes more relevant, as the frame rates exceed 170 FPS at all settings. The fact that 1080p Low reaches 284 FPS shows that the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output, but the scaling from 1440p to 1080p suggests that the CPU is starting to reach its limits. The i7-14700KF’s boost clock of 5.60 GHz and single-core Cinebench R15 score of 628 are strong indicators of its ability to handle Doom’s single-threaded game logic efficiently.

The CPU’s geekbench single-core score is 2578, and the multi-core score is 21462, which are consistent with its other benchmarks. The PassMark data compression score is 694963, and the floating point math score is 134393, showing that the CPU excels in a variety of workloads. For Doom, the CPU’s role is primarily to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, and the data confirms that it succeeds in this regard. The combo rank of 1238 out of 3712 is largely determined by the GPU, but the CPU’s strong performance ensures that it does not hold the system back in this game. Overall, the i7-14700KF is a well-matched companion for the RX 7800 XT in Doom, providing the necessary single-thread performance for high-refresh-rate gaming.