Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a study in contrast: a 24-core flagship CPU from 2025 paired with a 2016-era mid-range GPU. In Doom, this pairing produces a predictable bottleneck, but the data shows the game remains playable at several settings. The benchmark results indicate that this combo is positioned near the bottom of the database, ranking 2413 out of 2930 tested combos, yet the GTX 1070 still delivers playable frame rates at standard resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data makes the optimal settings path clear. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 95 FPS, which is entirely playable but not exceptional. Dropping to High raises the average to 116 FPS, a substantial 21 FPS gain. The Medium preset pushes further to 137 FPS, while Low hits 158 FPS. Given that Doom is a fast-paced FPS where higher frame rates directly improve input responsiveness, the High preset at 1080p is the strongest overall choice—it maintains a comfortable margin above 100 FPS while retaining most visual fidelity. The data shows that the jump from High to Medium yields a 21 FPS improvement, but the visual sacrifice is typically more noticeable than the performance gain.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 75 FPS, which is a solid playable experience. The Medium preset reaches 89 FPS, and Low hits 102 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 61 FPS, which is still technically playable but sits close to the threshold where frame pacing issues become apparent in action sequences. For 1440p, the Medium preset is the sweet spot—it provides 89 FPS, which is 14 FPS above High and only 13 FPS below Low, while offering a balanced visual experience. The data shows that the GTX 1070's 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for these settings, as no out-of-memory issues appear in the measured results.

At 4K, the situation becomes more constrained. The High preset yields 41 FPS, Medium produces 48 FPS, and Low reaches 55 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 33 FPS, which is generally below the threshold for comfortable play. For 4K, the Low preset is the only recommendation that maintains a consistent playable experience at 55 FPS. The Medium preset at 48 FPS is borderline—it works for slower-paced exploration but may feel sluggish during intense combat. The data strongly suggests that 4K is not this combo's home turf, and users should either accept Low settings or drop to 1440p for a significantly better experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. This CPU is a top-tier performer in synthetic benchmarks, scoring 51731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7303 in single-core. The data shows this CPU sits in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (0.2% higher score) and the AMD EPYC 4584PX (1.1% higher), placing it firmly in flagship territory.

Despite this raw compute power, the CPU's role in Doom is largely secondary. The game was released in 2016, predating this CPU by nearly a decade. The benchmark results show that the CPU is never the limiting factor in this pairing—at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 158 FPS, and the CPU's single-core performance (4823 in Passmark single-thread) is more than adequate for the game's engine. The 24 cores are effectively underutilized in this title, as Doom's engine is not designed to scale across that many threads. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU's high boost clock of 5.80 GHz provides the primary benefit, as Doom is sensitive to single-thread performance.

The data shows that the CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for the game's assets. The memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s from dual-channel DDR5 support is sufficient for Doom's requirements. In practical terms, the CPU contributes a stable foundation, but the measured FPS figures are almost entirely GPU-bound. The CPU's percentile ranking of 96 versus the GPU's percentile of 47 in their respective databases illustrates the massive performance gap between these two components. This is a case where the CPU's capabilities are far ahead of what the game can utilize, and the GPU is the clear bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-architecture GPU with 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It operates at a base clock of 1506 MHz with a boost clock of 1683 MHz, and its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory runs at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus, providing 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's FP32 performance is 6.463 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. This GPU was released on 2016-06-09 with a launch MSRP of 379 USD, and its production status is end-of-life.

In Doom, the GTX 1070's role is entirely dominant in determining the FPS results. The measured data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1080p, the GPU delivers between 95 FPS (Ultra) and 158 FPS (Low). The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Doom's texture requirements, even at 4K, as the data shows no VRAM-related stuttering or crashes. The GPU's boost clock of 1683 MHz is modest by modern standards, but Doom's Vulkan API support allows the GPU to be utilized efficiently. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU's 47th percentile ranking among all GPUs (average score 9780) places it in the mid-range of the database, with nearest rivals including the AMD FirePro W5000 (-0.2% delta) and NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (-0.5% delta).

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data shows a dramatic FPS drop from 1440p to 4K: at High settings, the average drops from 75 FPS to 41 FPS, a 45% reduction. This indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for 4K gaming at high quality. The GPU's pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but they bottleneck at 4K. The GPU's DirectX 12 support (12_1) enables efficient draw call handling, which is critical for Doom's dense environments.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2413 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the bottom 18% of all tested systems. This ranking is not surprising given the GPU's age and the CPU's overkill status. The data shows that this combo is positioned far below the median, which is expected for a GTX 1070 in a 2025 benchmark database. The combo's rank reflects the GPU's limitations rather than any CPU deficiency—the CPU's 96th percentile performance cannot compensate for the GPU's 47th percentile capability in a GPU-bound title like Doom.

The ranking indicates that this combo is primarily suited for 1080p gaming, where the measured FPS figures are consistently above 95 FPS across all settings. At 1440p, the combo still delivers acceptable performance (61-102 FPS), but 4K is only playable at Low settings (55 FPS). The data suggests that users with this combo should target 1080p or 1440p for the best experience, as the 4K results are marginal. The combo's rank of 2413 out of 2930 means that 517 other tested combinations perform worse, which places it in the lower quartile but not the absolute bottom.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmarks—the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (0.2% higher) and AMD EPYC 4584PX (1.1% higher)—do not translate to meaningful differences in Doom, as the GPU is the bottleneck. The data shows that the CPU's performance headroom is not utilized in this game, and any CPU with a comparable single-thread score would produce identical FPS results with this GPU. The combo's ranking is therefore a direct reflection of the GTX 1070's capabilities in Doom, and the CPU's presence is essentially neutral.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Doom at 4K?

A: The data shows 4K is playable only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 55. The Medium preset drops to 48 FPS, High to 41 FPS, and Ultra to 33 FPS. For a consistent experience, 4K should be limited to Low settings.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1080p provides the most consistent results, with all settings above 95 FPS. The High preset at 1080p delivers 116 FPS, which is a strong balance of visual quality and performance. 1440p is also viable, with Medium achieving 89 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.1% lower than the AMD EPYC 4584PX. It outperforms the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%. These differences are negligible for gaming.

Q: Does the GTX 1070's 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Doom?

A: No. The measured data shows no VRAM-related problems at any resolution or settings level. The 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for Doom's texture requirements, even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is 33.

Q: Why does the combo rank so low (2413 out of 2930) if the CPU is high-end?

A: The ranking is determined by actual game performance, and Doom is GPU-bound. The GTX 1070's 47th percentile ranking among GPUs limits the combo's overall capability. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking cannot overcome the GPU's middle-tier performance in this game.

Q: What settings should be avoided?

A: The Ultra preset at 4K should be avoided, as it produces 33 FPS, which is below playable thresholds. The Ultra preset at 1440p (61 FPS) is borderline but acceptable. At 1080p, all settings are playable, with Ultra at 95 FPS being the minimum.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Doom with this combo shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance scaling with resolution and settings.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the data shows the lowest performance tier. The Low preset achieves an average of 55 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. The Medium preset delivers 48 FPS with a minimum of 41 FPS and maximum of 55 FPS. The High preset drops to 41 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 33 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 22 FPS, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The Medium preset's min-max range of 41-55 FPS shows significant frame variance, which could be noticeable during combat.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance improves substantially. The Low preset reaches 102 FPS, which is more than adequate for competitive play. The Medium preset delivers 89 FPS with a minimum of 75 FPS and maximum of 102 FPS. The High preset achieves 75 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 61 FPS. The data shows that the Medium preset is the best balance, as it maintains an average near 90 FPS while providing better visual quality than Low. The High preset at 75 FPS is also playable, but the 14 FPS difference between High and Medium is significant for a fast-paced shooter.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo performs at its best. The Low preset delivers 158 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset achieves 137 FPS with a minimum of 117 FPS and maximum of 158 FPS. The High preset reaches 116 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers 95 FPS. The data shows that even the most demanding Ultra preset at 1080p is playable, though it sits at the lower end of the desired FPS range for competitive play. The Medium preset's minimum of 117 FPS ensures consistent performance, while the Low preset's 158 FPS average is ideal for maximum responsiveness.

The progression across resolutions shows a consistent pattern: dropping from 1080p to 1440p reduces FPS by roughly 30-35%, and dropping from 1440p to 4K reduces FPS by another 45-50%. This scaling is characteristic of a GPU with 256.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 6.463 TFLOPS of compute power. The data demonstrates that this combo is best utilized at 1080p, with 1440p as a viable alternative for users who prefer higher resolution over maximum frame rates. The 4K results are only suitable for single-player exploration at Low settings, not for competitive multiplayer.