Doom

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread desktop processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. In the context of Doom (2016), this CPU is massively overqualified. The game’s engine is well-known for scaling efficiently with high-frequency cores, and this processor’s 5.60 GHz boost clock ensures that frame pacing never becomes a bottleneck, even at extreme frame rates. Its 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample headroom for the game’s streaming assets. The data confirms this: at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 314.6 FPS average, a figure that is far beyond what any display can refresh, indicating the CPU is not the limiting factor in any measured scenario.

Benchmark results place this CPU in the 96th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 70104. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K, scores 70074, a delta of 0%, meaning the KF variant is effectively identical in performance to the K model. Against the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which scores 70420, the i7-14700KF is 0.4% behind. These differences are negligible in gaming workloads, particularly in a title like Doom where the GPU dictates the outcome. The CPU’s multi-core scores, such as 44557 in Cinebench R23, are impressive for productivity, but for this game, the key takeaway is the single-core strength (6290 in Cinebench R23 single-core) that keeps the render thread fed without stutter.

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

The i7-14700KF’s architecture is not the constraint in Doom. With 20 cores and 28 threads, the processor has far more parallelism than the game can utilize. Doom’s id Tech 6 engine scales well up to about 8 threads, after which additional cores yield diminishing returns. The processor’s high boost clock of 5.60 GHz is the primary driver of CPU-bound performance, and the data shows that even at the lowest settings and resolution, the system never hits a CPU wall. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 314.6, while at 1440p Low it drops to 204.4, a 35% reduction that is purely GPU-related. This pattern indicates the CPU is capable of pushing far more frames than the GPU can render, even at the lowest graphical load.

The processor’s 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier suggest it is designed for enthusiast overclocking, but stock performance is already sufficient. The benchmark percentile of 96 versus all CPUs means this chip outperforms 96% of all processors tested. Its nearest rival, the i7-14700K, is within 0% delta, confirming that the KF version’s lack of integrated graphics is the only practical difference. For Doom specifically, the CPU’s role is to maintain a consistent frame delivery pipeline, and the measured results show no signs of CPU-induced frame drops, as even the highest FPS figures (314.6 at 1080p Low) are stable averages without reported minimums indicating dips.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample resources for Doom’s texture-heavy environments, even at 4K. The GPU’s base clock of 1365 MHz and boost clock of 1665 MHz are modest for a high-end card, but the Ampere architecture’s 10240 shading units and 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance provide substantial raw throughput. The card’s 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are irrelevant for this 2016 title, which does not use ray tracing or DLSS, but the raw rasterization power is what drives the frame rates.

The GPU’s benchmark percentile of 83 places it above 83% of all GPUs, with an average score of 41224. Its nearest rival, the RTX 3090, scores 41441, a delta of -0.5%, meaning the 3080 Ti is only half a percent slower than the 3090 in synthetic benchmarks. This is a critical insight: the 3080 Ti punches well above its weight class. In Doom, the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the system hits 231.3 FPS, but at 4K High, it drops to 79.5 FPS, a 66% reduction. This steep scaling curve is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU has ample headroom and the graphics card’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are stretched to their limits.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the High preset is the optimal choice at 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p High, the system averages 231.3 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor. Dropping to Medium at 1080p yields 273.7 FPS, a gain of 18%, but the visual fidelity loss is noticeable in texture detail and shadow quality. Ultra at 1080p drops to 188.4 FPS, which is still playable but sacrifices 19% of the frame rate compared to High for marginal visual gains.

At 1440p, High delivers 147.9 FPS, which is ideal for 144 Hz displays. Medium at 1440p provides 177.1 FPS, a 20% improvement, but High is recommended because the visual uplift from High over Medium is significant in Doom’s lighting and particle effects. At 4K, High drops to 79.5 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay on a 60 Hz display. For 4K, the Medium preset at 94.5 FPS is the better choice, as it maintains a fluid experience above 90 FPS while preserving most of the visual impact. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as it yields only 64.8 FPS, which falls below the 70 FPS threshold that most players consider smooth for a fast-paced FPS. Low settings, while offering the highest frame rates (314.6 FPS at 1080p), are only advisable for competitive play where maximum FPS is prioritized over visuals.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a bottleneck for the RTX 3080 Ti in Doom?

A: No. The data shows the CPU is never the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 314.6 FPS, and the frame rate drops progressively as resolution increases (204.4 FPS at 1440p Low, 108.4 FPS at 4K Low), which is a GPU-bound pattern. The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking and 5.60 GHz boost clock keep it ahead of the GPU’s demands.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to the RTX 3090 in this game?

A: The 3080 Ti’s average benchmark score is 41224, while the RTX 3090 scores 41441, a delta of -0.5%. This means the 3080 Ti is effectively identical to the 3090 in performance, making it an excellent choice for Doom, where the difference would be within the margin of error for FPS measurements.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: The High preset is recommended, delivering 147.9 FPS average. This exceeds the 144 Hz refresh rate of most 1440p monitors. If you need more headroom, Medium provides 177.1 FPS, but the visual drop is noticeable. Ultra at 1440p yields 120 FPS, which is still smooth but sacrifices 19% of the frame rate compared to High.

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K smoothly?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. At 4K High, the average FPS is 79.5, which is playable on a 60 Hz display but not ideal for competitive play. Dropping to Medium gives 94.5 FPS, which is smoother. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as it dips to 64.8 FPS.

Q: How much performance do you gain from Low to High settings at 1080p?

A: Low settings produce 314.6 FPS, while High produces 231.3 FPS. This represents a 26% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to High. The visual improvement is substantial, making High the better trade-off for most players.

Q: Is the i7-14700KF significantly faster than the i7-14700K?

A: No. The i7-14700KF scores 70104 in average benchmarks, while the i7-14700K scores 70074, a delta of 0%. They are identical in performance, with the KF variant simply lacking integrated graphics.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling across resolutions is a textbook example of GPU-bound performance. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 314.6 FPS at 1080p to 204.4 FPS at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and then to 108.4 FPS at 4K (a 47% reduction from 1440p). This steep drop-off is consistent with the GPU’s pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth becoming the primary constraint. The RTX 3080 Ti’s 912.4 GB/s bandwidth is substantial, but 4K resolution quadruples the pixel count relative to 1080p, and the card’s 186.5 GPixel/s pixel rate is the limiting factor.

At High settings, the scaling is slightly less severe: 231.3 FPS at 1080p, 147.9 FPS at 1440p, and 79.5 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 36% and 46%, respectively, which mirrors the Low setting pattern. This indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck regardless of graphical quality, and the CPU’s performance headroom is consistent across all resolutions. The fact that the 1080p to 1440p drop is roughly 35% across all settings, while the 1440p to 4K drop is roughly 46-47%, suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth (912.4 GB/s) is sufficient for 1440p but starts to saturate at 4K. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to plateau at higher resolutions, but the data shows no such plateau.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 314.6 FPS average
• Medium: 273.7 FPS average
• High: 231.3 FPS average
• Ultra: 188.4 FPS average

At 1080p, the system is heavily GPU-bound, with the CPU providing ample headroom. The difference between Low and Ultra is 126.2 FPS, a 40% reduction, which is entirely attributable to the graphics card’s workload. The i7-14700KF’s 5.60 GHz boost clock ensures that even the highest frame rates (314.6 FPS) are delivered without CPU-induced stutters.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 204.4 FPS average
• Medium: 177.1 FPS average
• High: 147.9 FPS average
• Ultra: 120 FPS average

At 1440p, the frame rates remain excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming. The drop from 1080p Low (314.6 FPS) to 1440p Low (204.4 FPS) is 110.2 FPS, confirming the GPU is the limiting component. Ultra at 1440p achieves exactly 120 FPS, which is ideal for 120 Hz displays. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 84.4 FPS, a 41% reduction, slightly more pronounced than at 1080p, indicating the GPU’s memory bandwidth is becoming a factor.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 108.4 FPS average
• Medium: 94.5 FPS average
• High: 79.5 FPS average
• Ultra: 64.8 FPS average

At 4K, the RTX 3080 Ti is pushed to its limits. The drop from 1440p Low (204.4 FPS) to 4K Low (108.4 FPS) is 96 FPS, a 47% reduction. High at 4K yields 79.5 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay on standard displays. Ultra at 4K falls to 64.8 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced FPS. The data shows that 4K Medium (94.5 FPS) is the sweet spot for this resolution, offering a 19% frame rate improvement over High while maintaining most visual fidelity. The overall pattern across all resolutions confirms that the GPU is the sole limiting factor, with the CPU consistently delivering frames faster than the GPU can render them.