Doom

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Doom on this Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER configuration shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system delivers exceptional frame rates that exceed what most displays can show, while 4K remains comfortably playable but with a significant performance cost.

Starting at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces 371 FPS average. Moving to Medium drops to 323 FPS, High to 273 FPS, and Ultra to 223 FPS. This resolution is clearly CPU-limited in the lower settings presets, as the difference between Low and Ultra is only 148 FPS — a 40% reduction. The fact that Low hits 371 FPS suggests the CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads are feeding frames fast enough to keep even the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER busy at this resolution, but the ceiling is likely the game engine's draw call processing rather than the CPU's raw compute.

At 2560x1440, the picture shifts. Low settings produce 240 FPS, Medium 209 FPS, High 177 FPS, and Ultra 144 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 96 FPS (40% reduction), which is proportionally similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower across the board. This indicates that at 1440p, the GPU is beginning to take on more of the workload, though the CPU still has headroom — the 240 FPS Low result suggests the engine or driver is capping performance at that level, possibly due to the CPU's per-core performance.

The most telling data comes from 4K. At 3840x2160, Low settings produce 130 FPS, Medium 113 FPS, High 96 FPS, and Ultra 78 FPS. The drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low is 110 FPS (46% reduction), while the drop from 1440p High to 4K High is 81 FPS (46% reduction). This consistent 46% scaling factor across all settings presets is a textbook sign of GPU-bound performance at 4K. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 672.3 GB/s bandwidth are being fully utilized here, and the GPU's 44.10 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is the limiting factor.

The Medium preset at 4K shows a min FPS of 96 and max FPS of 130, which brackets the average at 113 FPS. This is important because it shows frame pacing is stable even when the GPU is heavily loaded. The 1080p Medium preset shows a min of 275 and max of 372, which brackets the 323 FPS average — a wider spread that indicates CPU-side frame delivery is becoming less consistent at very high frame rates.

What this scaling tells us: the limiting component changes with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU's 5.50 GHz boost clock and 36 MB of shared L3 cache are more than enough to drive the GPU, and the bottleneck is likely the game engine's frame generation rate. At 1440p, the GPU starts to become the primary constraint, though the CPU still has some headroom. At 4K, the GPU is definitively the limiting factor, with the CPU able to deliver frames faster than the GPU can render them.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K Ultra settings in Doom?

A: The system delivers an average of 78 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is below the 96 FPS High preset and 113 FPS Medium preset, but still above the 60 FPS threshold typically considered minimum for smooth gameplay. The 4K Ultra result represents a 65% reduction from the 223 FPS Ultra score at 1080p.

Q: Is this CPU holding back the GPU in Doom?

A: At 1080p, yes — the 371 FPS Low preset result and 223 FPS Ultra result suggest the CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU, but the game engine appears to cap performance around 371 FPS. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the consistent 46% scaling drop between 1440p and 4K across all settings presets.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 144Hz monitor with this setup?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the system produces 177 FPS average, which is well above 144Hz. Even at 1440p Ultra, the 144 FPS average exactly matches a 144Hz refresh rate. For a 144Hz display, 1440p High or Ultra settings provide the best balance of visual quality and frame rate headroom.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has an average benchmark score of 93,785, which places it at the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6520P, scores 93,786 (0% difference), while the AMD EPYC 4564P scores 95,183 (1.5% higher) and the AMD EPYC 9175F scores 95,615 (1.9% higher).

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The system produces an average of 323 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 275 FPS and maximum of 372 FPS. This is well above any consumer display's refresh rate, making 1080p Medium a viable choice for competitive play where maximum frame rate is prioritized.

Q: Is the 4K High preset playable with this hardware?

A: Yes. The 96 FPS average at 3840x2160 with High settings is smooth and responsive. The data shows that 4K High is only 18 FPS slower than 4K Medium (113 FPS) but 18 FPS faster than 4K Ultra (78 FPS). This makes 4K High a strong sweet spot for visual quality versus performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 293rd out of 2,930 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the top 10% of all systems. This is a strong result for a mid-high-end desktop configuration. The 293rd position out of 2,930 means that roughly 90% of tested combos perform worse in this game, which aligns with the measured FPS data showing excellent performance across all resolutions.

The CPU's 96th percentile ranking against all CPUs suggests the processor is not the bottleneck in most scenarios. The GPU's 76th percentile ranking against all GPUs indicates the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a solid performer but not at the absolute top of the stack. In Doom specifically, the combo's rank reflects that the game is well-optimized for high core counts and modern GPU architectures.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Xeon 6520P scores nearly identically (93,786 vs 93,785, a 0% difference), which suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, this combo would perform similarly to systems using that Xeon. The AMD EPYC 4564P scores 1.5% higher and the EPYC 9175F scores 1.9% higher, but these are server-class chips with different memory and platform characteristics.

The GPU's nearest rivals are interesting: the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 scores 31,206 (0.4% lower), the GRID M60-1Q scores 31,220 (0.4% lower), and the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell scores 31,532 (1.4% higher). The TITAN RTX scores 31,676 (1.9% higher). This tells us the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is closely matched with workstation-class GPUs in synthetic benchmarks, but in Doom, its gaming-focused architecture (Ada Lovelace with 8,448 shading units and 264 tensor cores) delivers strong real-world performance.

The 293rd rank out of 2,930 combos means this system sits in the upper echelon of gaming PCs. It's not a top-100 system, but it's firmly in the high-performance tier. For a game like Doom, which was released in 2016 and is known for its excellent optimization, this combo provides more than enough power for smooth gameplay at any resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 371 FPS average
• Medium: 323 FPS average (min 275, max 372)
• High: 273 FPS average
• Ultra: 223 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 240 FPS average
• Medium: 209 FPS average (min 178, max 240)
• High: 177 FPS average
• Ultra: 144 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 130 FPS average
• Medium: 113 FPS average (min 96, max 130)
• High: 96 FPS average
• Ultra: 78 FPS average

The 1080p Low result of 371 FPS is notable because it's the highest measured score in the entire dataset. This is likely approaching the game engine's frame rate ceiling, as the CPU's 5.50 GHz boost clock and 24 threads should be able to push beyond this if the engine allowed it. The 1080p Medium preset shows a min of 275 FPS and max of 372 FPS, which brackets the 323 FPS average — a 97 FPS spread that indicates some frame time variability at high frame rates.

At 1440p, the Low preset hits exactly 240 FPS, which matches the 1080p Medium max of 240 FPS. This suggests a frame rate cap around 240 FPS in the engine or driver when the GPU is not fully loaded. The 1440p Ultra result of 144 FPS is exactly what you'd want for a 144Hz display — it maximizes the refresh rate without exceeding it and causing screen tearing (if V-Sync is enabled).

The 4K results show a clear linear progression: Low at 130 FPS, Medium at 113 FPS, High at 96 FPS, and Ultra at 78 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is 17 FPS (13% reduction), Medium to High is 17 FPS (15% reduction), and High to Ultra is 18 FPS (19% reduction). This consistent scaling suggests the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, as each settings tier increases the rendering workload proportionally.

The 4K Medium preset shows a min of 96 FPS and max of 130 FPS, which brackets the 113 FPS average. This 17 FPS spread is much tighter than the 97 FPS spread at 1080p Medium, confirming that at 4K, the GPU's consistent frame rendering leads to more stable frame times.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p, the data shows that even Ultra settings provide 223 FPS, which is far beyond any display's refresh rate. There is no practical reason to lower settings below Ultra at this resolution unless you're chasing maximum frame rates for competitive play. The 371 FPS Low preset is technically the highest, but the visual quality loss isn't worth the 148 FPS gain when you're already at 223 FPS with Ultra.

At 1440p, the choice depends on your display's refresh rate. If you have a 144Hz monitor, the Ultra preset at 144 FPS is exactly at the refresh rate — this is the ideal match. If you have a 165Hz or 240Hz monitor, the High preset at 177 FPS or Medium at 209 FPS would be better choices. The Low preset at 240 FPS is only useful for the fastest competitive displays, and the visual trade-off is substantial.

At 4K, the High preset at 96 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance. It's only 18 FPS slower than Medium (113 FPS) but provides noticeably better graphics. The Ultra preset at 78 FPS is still playable but dips below the 80 FPS threshold that many players consider smooth for a fast-paced FPS. The Low preset at 130 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality for the 34 FPS gain over High.

For a typical gaming setup with a 144Hz 1440p monitor, the recommended configuration is 2560x1440 with High settings. This provides 177 FPS average, which is 33 FPS above the 144Hz refresh rate, giving you headroom to avoid frame rate dips below the refresh rate. The 4K High preset is recommended for players with 4K displays, as 96 FPS is smooth and the visual upgrade from 1440p is significant.

If you're playing on a 240Hz 1080p display, the Medium preset at 323 FPS is the sweet spot. It provides 83 FPS of headroom above the 240Hz refresh rate, ensuring the display is fully utilized even during intense combat scenes. The Ultra preset at 223 FPS would leave the display underutilized, and the Low preset's visual quality is too poor for a game like Doom.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus features 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This is a substantial amount of processing power for a gaming CPU, though Doom — released in 2016 — was designed before multi-core CPUs became the norm in gaming. The game's engine likely uses only a fraction of these 24 threads, meaning the CPU's high single-core performance (boost clock of 5.50 GHz) is more important than its multi-core throughput.

The CPU's benchmark scores confirm its strength: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44,253 and single-core score of 2,439, with a PassMark multi-thread score of 68,574 and single-thread score of 5,068. The 96th percentile ranking against all CPUs indicates this processor outperforms 96% of all CPUs in the database. In Doom, however, the game's 2016 engine likely benefits more from the high boost clock than the 24-core count.

The 36 MB of shared L3 cache is another factor in this CPU's gaming performance. Doom's levels are large and texture-heavy, so a large cache can help keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing memory latency. The CPU's 115.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR5 support also help feed the GPU with frame data, though at 4K resolution, the GPU's 672.3 GB/s bandwidth is far more critical.

Looking at the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p. The 371 FPS Low preset result suggests the CPU can deliver frames faster than the GPU can render them at low settings, but the engine or driver appears to cap performance around this level. The 1080p Medium min FPS of 275 and max of 372 show that frame delivery is consistent, with the CPU maintaining high frame rates even during complex scenes.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 1440p Low result of 240 FPS is likely a frame rate cap, as the CPU should be able to push higher than this. At 4K, all settings presets show the GPU is the limiting factor, with the CPU having ample headroom to spare.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are all server-class processors: the Intel Xeon 6520P (0% difference), AMD EPYC 4564P (1.5% higher), and AMD EPYC 9175F (1.9% higher). These chips have far more cores and threads but similar average benchmark scores, which suggests the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus's high clock speeds compensate for its lower core count in synthetic benchmarks. In Doom specifically, the higher single-thread performance of the Core Ultra 7 is likely more beneficial than the server chips' many-core designs.

The CPU's 24 threads are more than sufficient for Doom, and the game's performance is ultimately limited by the GPU at all resolutions above 1080p. Players looking to upgrade this system for better Doom performance should focus on the GPU rather than the CPU, as the current processor has significant headroom in this game.