Doom

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER delivers a commanding performance in Doom, a title that scales aggressively with raw hardware muscle. The data shows a system that obliterates 1080p and 1440p, while still maintaining excellent playability at 4K. This is a classic case where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the processor's immense headroom remains largely untapped. The measured frames per second (FPS) reveal a consistent and predictable hierarchy across settings and resolutions, making this combo a formidable, if somewhat overqualified, choice for this 2016 classic.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K demonstrates a classic, steep curve in performance cost, underscoring the GPU's dominant role. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 371 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, that figure drops to 240 FPS, a 35% reduction. Scaling up to 4K at Low settings yields 130 FPS, which is a 65% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This pattern clearly indicates that as resolution increases, the rendering load on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER grows exponentially, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has ample power to feed the GPU at all times.

The scaling factor is more pronounced at higher graphical presets. For instance, at Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 223 at 1080p, to 144 at 1440p (a 35% drop), and then to 78 at 4K (a 65% drop from 1080p). This consistent percentage drop across different settings suggests that the scaling is primarily resolution-bound rather than setting-bound. The GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth are being saturated at 4K, regardless of the complexity of the scene. The data indicates that this system is brilliantly suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K experience, while smooth, is more about visual fidelity than chasing maximum refresh rates.

The frame time consistency, where available, also supports this analysis. At Medium settings, the minimum FPS scales from 275 at 1080p to 178 at 1440p, and further to 96 at 4K. This progression shows that even the worst-case frame dips are proportionally affected by the resolution increase. The gap between average and minimum FPS remains relatively stable, indicating that the system does not suffer from stuttering or sudden hitches, but rather a steady, predictable performance curve. The 4K Ultra result of 78 FPS average is the only data point that dips below the 100 FPS threshold, marking it as the most demanding configuration for this hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the definitive performance driver in this configuration, a conclusion strongly supported by the resolution scaling data. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a 672.3 GB/s bandwidth, which is ample for the textures and geometry in Doom, even at 4K Ultra settings. The GPU's raw compute power, rated at 44.10 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, is more than sufficient to handle the game's Vulkan API, which is known for its efficient draw call handling. The boost clock of 2610 MHz ensures that the card operates at its peak potential whenever the workload demands it.

The benchmark results for the GPU itself show a nuanced position in the broader market. It sits in the 76th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 31087. Its nearest rivals, according to the data, are the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 and the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q, which score 31206 and 31220 respectively, placing the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER slightly behind them by a margin of -0.4%. It also trails the NVIDIA TITAN RTX by a more significant -1.9%. This suggests that while it is a high-end consumer card, its synthetic benchmark scores are closely matched by some professional and older flagship cards, though its feature set and efficiency are more modern.

In the context of Doom, the GPU's performance is exceptional. The fact that it can maintain an average of 96 FPS at 4K High settings reflects its capabilities. The game is not particularly VRAM-hungry, so the 16 GB buffer is unlikely to be a limiting factor. Instead, the limiting factor is the pure shading and rasterization throughput of the AD103 chip. The data shows a clear performance gradient between settings at the same resolution, with Low (130 FPS) outperforming Medium (113 FPS), High (96 FPS), and Ultra (78 FPS) at 4K. This 40% difference between Low and Ultra at 4K highlights how much headroom is available in the graphics pipeline to trade for visual quality.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings for this combo are highly dependent on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K displays, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering an average of 96 FPS. This provides a smooth, console-beating experience that is well above the 60 FPS standard, while the Ultra preset drops to 78 FPS, a noticeable but not game-breaking reduction. The Medium preset at 4K offers 113 FPS, but the visual jump from Medium to High is typically more substantial in Doom than the 17 FPS cost, making High the better choice for visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the story is different. The Ultra preset achieves 144 FPS, which is perfect for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the High preset jumps to 177 FPS, and Medium to 209 FPS. For competitive play or maximum smoothness, the Medium preset at 209 FPS is an excellent choice, but for a balanced single-player experience, High at 177 FPS is arguably the best balance of image quality and speed. The Low preset at 240 FPS is only useful for esports-level competitive play where every millisecond counts, and the visual degradation is significant.

For 1080p, the system is so powerful that the choice is almost purely about preference. The Ultra preset runs at 223 FPS, which is still far beyond the refresh rate of most standard monitors. The High preset at 273 FPS and Medium at 323 FPS are overkill for any 60Hz or 144Hz display. The data suggests that users should enable Ultra settings at 1080p to fully utilize the GPU's headroom, as the performance cost is negligible compared to the massive frame rates on offer. The Low preset's 371 FPS is a theoretical maximum that is unlikely to be perceptible outside of a 360Hz monitor.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand database of tested configurations, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER holds a rank of 293 out of 2930 combos for Doom. This places it in the top 10% of all systems tested, which is a strong indicator of its overall capability. However, it is not at the absolute top, suggesting that there are other combinations that yield higher frame rates, likely those pairing the same or more powerful CPUs with faster GPUs like the RTX 4090 or newer RTX 50-series cards.

The rank of 293 implies that while this system is elite, it is not the absolute pinnacle of performance. The CPU, while incredibly powerful, is not the limiting factor, and the GPU, while excellent, is not the fastest available. This creates a well-balanced system that excels in most scenarios but leaves a small performance gap to the true flagship combos. The data indicates that for a game like Doom, which is not heavily multi-threaded, the CPU's massive core count (24 cores) is less critical than its high single-thread performance, which is where the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus excels.

The position in the ranking also reflects a balance between performance and component selection. A combo ranked higher would likely feature a more powerful GPU, while a lower rank might indicate a bottleneck. This system avoids any significant bottleneck, as evidenced by the consistent scaling across resolutions. The fact that it is in the 90th percentile of all tested combos confirms its balanced nature, making it a reliable high-end choice for demanding games, even if it is not the absolute fastest.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus serves as an unobtrusive but powerful foundation for this system. With 24 cores and 24 threads, it offers immense multi-threaded throughput, but for Doom, its single-thread performance is far more relevant. The boost clock of 5.80 GHz is a key asset, as the game's engine benefits greatly from high clock speeds. The CPU's benchmark scores reflect its dominance, particularly in multi-core workloads, but its 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is near the top of the pile.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which is a mere 0.2% behind, and the AMD EPYC 4584PX, which is 1.1% behind. This shows that the 290K Plus is marginally faster than the previous flagship, but the difference is within a rounding error. Its performance is essentially tied with its direct predecessor, meaning that the CPU is not the source of any performance advantage in this Doom test. The data suggests that the game is heavily GPU-bound, and the CPU has more than enough headroom to feed the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER without breaking a sweat.

The L3 cache of 36 MB (shared) and the 3 MB L2 cache per core are substantial, reducing latency and improving data access for the game's logic. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s on a dual-channel DDR5 bus is sufficient for gaming, though it is not the highest available. In this specific game, the CPU's role is to maintain a high frame time floor, ensuring that the GPU is never starved for data. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is capable of far more than Doom demands, making it a future-proof component that will not need upgrading for years.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional results: Low settings average 371 FPS, Medium averages 323 FPS with a minimum of 275 and a maximum of 372, High averages 273 FPS, and Ultra averages 223 FPS. These figures show that at 1080p, the system is never challenged, with even the most demanding preset producing frame rates far exceeding standard monitor refresh rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains incredibly strong. Low settings hit an average of 240 FPS, Medium averages 209 FPS (min 178, max 240), High averages 177 FPS, and Ultra averages 144 FPS. The scaling is linear and predictable, with a 60 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. This resolution is likely the sweet spot for this combo, as it balances high visual fidelity with frame rates that can fully utilize high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz to 240Hz).

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to feel the pressure. Low settings produce an average of 130 FPS, Medium averages 113 FPS (min 96, max 130), High averages 96 FPS, and Ultra drops to 78 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that drops below the 100 FPS average mark, but it remains perfectly playable on a 60Hz or 120Hz display. The data shows a clear hierarchy: the system is a 1080p and 1440p powerhouse, and a very capable 4K performer, with the user needing to make a trade-off between resolution and the highest settings.