Doom

The Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER pairing presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics when running Doom. The data shows a configuration where a top-tier 24-core processor is paired with a mid-range Turing-era GPU, creating a system whose performance is heavily dictated by resolution and graphical settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to clarify the role each component plays in this specific title.

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

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The processor features a substantial cache hierarchy, including 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 36 MB L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

For a game like Doom, which is known for its highly optimized id Tech engine, the CPU's role is often to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The i9-14900K's raw processing power is immense, as reflected in its benchmark scores. In Cinebench R23, it achieves a multi-core score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5. Its Geekbench scores are similarly strong, with a multi-core score of 21697 and a single-core score of 2655. The PassMark multi-thread score of 58674 and single-thread score of 4697 further underscore its capability to handle both heavily threaded workloads and the single-threaded tasks often critical for game logic.

However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 212 FPS, a figure that drops significantly to 127 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario; if the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat regardless of resolution and settings changes. The i9-14900K's performance percentile of 95 vs all CPUs and its average benchmark score of 79097 put it in the top tier of processors. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900KF (deltaPct -0.3), Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (deltaPct -0.6), AMD EPYC 7413 (deltaPct -1.2), and AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (deltaPct 1.7). These are all high-end parts, and the i9-14900K sits comfortably among them, indicating that its processing power is more than sufficient to keep up with the RTX 2070 SUPER in Doom.

The data strongly indicates that the CPU provides a massive performance headroom. The FPS does not meaningfully change when moving from a high-core-count workload to a lighter one, which would be the case if the CPU were struggling. Instead, the FPS is entirely dependent on the GPU's rendering load, confirming that the i9-14900K is acting as a stable, high-speed platform that never becomes the performance ceiling in this game.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture and utilizes the TU104 chip. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with memory running at an effective speed of 14 Gbps. It has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, along with 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. The card's FP32 performance is rated at 9.062 TFLOPS.

In this configuration, the RTX 2070 SUPER is unequivocally the component that dictates the game's performance. The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent trend: as resolution and settings increase, frame rates drop. This is the classic behavior of a GPU-bound system. The GPU's performance percentile of 65 vs all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 20282 place it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (deltaPct -1), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (deltaPct -1.2), Intel Arc B570 (deltaPct -1.3), and Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct -1.5). These comparisons show that the RTX 2070 SUPER is performing as expected for its class, but it lacks the raw throughput of the CPU paired alongside it.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor at higher resolutions. While Doom is not particularly VRAM-hungry by modern standards, the data shows that the GPU's compute power is the primary constraint. The jump from 1080p Low (212 FPS) to 4K Ultra (45 FPS) is a 78.8% drop in performance, which is a far larger penalty than what a CPU bottleneck would cause. The GPU's compute capabilities, measured by its PassMark G3D score of 18169 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1651, are simply not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings. The GPU is the limiting component in this pairing.

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

The resolution scaling data provides the clearest evidence of the system's bottleneck. Moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings, the average FPS drops from 156 to 55, a decline of 64.7%. At Low settings, the drop is from 212 FPS at 1080p to 74 FPS at 4K, a 65.1% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 184 FPS to 65 FPS, a 64.7% decrease. Finally, at Ultra settings, the drop is from 127 FPS to 45 FPS, a 64.6% reduction.

This pattern is remarkably consistent across all settings, with the FPS roughly halving (or worse) when going from 1080p to 4K. This is a textbook sign of a GPU bottleneck. When the resolution increases, the GPU must render more pixels, and its workload scales almost linearly with pixel count. The CPU's workload, however, remains relatively constant. Since the FPS is dropping proportionally with the pixel count increase, it proves that the GPU is the component that is saturated and cannot keep up with the increased rendering demand.

If the CPU were the primary limiter, we would expect the FPS to be similar across resolutions, as the CPU would be delivering the same number of frames regardless of the pixel count. The data shows the opposite. For example, the delta between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is a drop from 212 to 137 FPS, which is a 35.4% decrease. The further drop to 74 FPS at 4K is another 46% decrease. These consistent, large decreases with each resolution step-up confirm that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the sole performance bottleneck. The i9-14900K has ample headroom to feed the GPU at any resolution, but the GPU's rendering throughput is exhausted.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this system can achieve in Doom?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 212, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The consistent FPS drops with increasing resolution and settings are characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, while the CPU's high benchmark scores suggest it has significant headroom.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, has a score of 20480, which is 1% higher. The Intel Arc B570 (20556) is 1.3% higher, and the Intel Arc A750 (20582) is 1.5% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) is 1.2% higher.

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

A: At 4K Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 45 FPS. At 4K High settings, it achieves 55 FPS. These are playable but below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered "smooth." At 4K Low settings, it reaches 74 FPS.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded for this configuration?

A: The data records minimum and maximum FPS only for the Medium settings at each resolution. At 4K Medium, the min is 55 and max is 74. At 1440p Medium, the min is 101 and max is 137. At 1080p Medium, the min is 157 and max is 212.

Q: What is the performance percentile of the CPU and GPU in this system?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K has a performance percentile of 95 vs all CPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER has a performance percentile of 65 vs all GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080 resolution, the system is clearly capable of high frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 212. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 184 FPS, with a minimum of 157 and a maximum of 212. High settings yield an average of 156 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, brings the average down to 127 FPS.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the GPU begins to feel the load. Low settings produce an average of 137 FPS. Medium settings reduce this to 119 FPS, with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 137. High settings average 101 FPS. Ultra settings drop the average to 82 FPS.

At 3840x2160 (4K) resolution, the RTX 2070 SUPER is clearly struggling to maintain high frame rates. Low settings yield an average of 74 FPS. Medium settings reduce the average to 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 and a maximum of 74. High settings bring the average down to 55 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of only 45 FPS.

The data shows a clear and predictable pattern: performance scales almost linearly with the rendering resolution, confirming the GPU-bound nature of this system. The CPU's performance is consistently sufficient, and the frame rate is entirely dependent on the GPU's ability to render each frame.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p display, the High preset offers an excellent balance, delivering an average of 156 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors. For users with a 240 Hz display, the Low preset's 212 FPS is the only way to fully utilize that refresh rate, though it comes at a significant visual cost. The Medium preset's 184 FPS is a strong middle ground for high-refresh displays.

At 1440p resolution, the High preset provides a very playable 101 FPS, which is ideal for 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitors. The Medium preset's 119 FPS is also a solid choice for those prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity. The Ultra preset's 82 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays but may feel less smooth on higher refresh rate panels. For the best experience at this resolution, High settings are recommended, as they offer a significant visual improvement over Medium while maintaining a frame rate that is only slightly lower.

At 4K resolution, the system is at its limits. The Ultra preset's 45 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The High preset's 55 FPS is playable but still below the 60 FPS ideal. The Medium preset's 65 FPS is the best option for a relatively smooth 4K experience, though users will need to accept reduced visual quality. The Low preset's 74 FPS is the only way to get close to a 60+ FPS experience at this resolution, but it significantly compromises the game's graphics. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset strikes the best balance between visual quality and playable frame rates, as it is the only setting that consistently provides 60 FPS or higher.