Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is a formidable combination for Doom, delivering playable frame rates at every tested resolution and preset. Benchmark data confirms that this system exceeds the 60 FPS threshold in all but one configuration, with the RTX 3070 proving to be the primary driver of performance. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 54, narrowly missing the playability mark, but every other setting at 4K and all settings at 1440p and 1080p clear it with significant headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum playable preset at 4K with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which achieves an average of 67 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short at 54 FPS, while Medium and Low deliver 79 FPS and 90 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its closest rival, the Ryzen 5 7500F?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F scores an average of 25005 in benchmarks, which is just 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F's average score of 24964. This places the two processors as near-identical performers in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the system averages 155 FPS. Moving up to 2560x1440 at Ultra, the average drops to 100 FPS, representing a 55 FPS decrease as resolution increases.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 outperform the Radeon RX 7600 XT?

A: Yes, the RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT's average score of 17083. The performance delta is minimal, indicating they are closely matched.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with Medium settings?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 79, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS. This comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the single-threaded performance of the Ryzen 5 8400F?

A: The CPU scores 951 in the 3dmark_single_thread test and 3685 in the passmark_single_thread benchmark. These scores reflect its strong single-core capability, which benefits games like Doom that rely on per-core performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU, several combinations would produce nearly identical gameplay experiences in Doom. The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is the closest processor alternative, with an average benchmark score of 24964, a mere 0.2% behind the Ryzen 5 8400F. This means swapping to the 7500F would yield virtually indistinguishable frame rates. Intel's Core i7-11850H (avg score 24935, 0.3% delta) and Core i7-13620H (avg score 24911, 0.4% delta) are also within a hair's breadth, making them viable substitutes if CPU performance is the benchmark.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the nearest competitor, scoring 17083 on average, which is 0.7% lower than the RTX 3070's 17208. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037, 1% delta) and AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019, 1.1% delta) are also close, though these are older architectures. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores higher at 17468, a -1.5% delta, but is a compute-oriented card. For gaming, the RX 7600 XT represents the most realistic alternative that would deliver nearly the same FPS at each resolution and preset in Doom.

If a user were to pair the Ryzen 5 7500F with the RX 7600 XT, the performance profile would be almost identical to the 8400F + RTX 3070 combo. The differences in average scores are under 1%, meaning the playable settings at each resolution would remain the same: High at 4K, Ultra at 1440p, and Ultra at 1080p.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data clearly shows that the GPU is the dominant component for Doom, with CPU performance taking a backseat at all tested resolutions. The RTX 3070's capabilities dictate the frame rate scaling more than the Ryzen 5 8400F's processing power. This is evident from the dramatic FPS drops as resolution increases, which strain the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth rather than the CPU's compute.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves 155 FPS at Ultra settings, indicating that the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The Ryzen 5 8400F's six cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, provide ample performance for the game's engine. Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 100 FPS, a 35% reduction, which is entirely attributable to the GPU's workload increasing. The CPU's role remains constant, as the game logic and draw calls do not scale with resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed, with Ultra settings yielding just 54 FPS. The RTX 3070's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are stretched at 4K, but the CPU still delivers consistent performance. The scaling from 1080p Ultra (155 FPS) to 4K Ultra (54 FPS) shows a 65% performance loss, which is purely a GPU limitation. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as the 20851 in cinebench r23 multicore, indicate it has headroom left even at 4K, proving the GPU is the limiting factor.

Preset scaling further reinforces this. At 1440p, dropping from Ultra (100 FPS) to Low (167 FPS) improves performance by 67%, a GPU-driven change. The CPU's workload remains unchanged across presets, so the FPS gains come entirely from reduced GPU rendering demands. This pattern holds at all resolutions, confirming that users should prioritize GPU settings when optimizing for Doom.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Doom, and it does so exceptionally well. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best at 67 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 4K is not playable, as it averages 54 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with Ultra delivering 100 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset also clears 60 FPS, with Ultra hitting 155 FPS.

For users with a 4K display, the recommendation is to run High settings to maintain smooth gameplay. The 67 FPS average provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, and the visual fidelity remains high. At 1440p, Ultra settings are fully viable, offering 100 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1080p, the system is overkill, with 155 FPS at Ultra leaving significant headroom for future titles or higher refresh rates.

The RTX 3070's 8 GB memory is sufficient for Doom at these settings, and the Ryzen 5 8400F never becomes a bottleneck. The combination ranks 1596 out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the top 43% of all systems tested for this game. This is a strong result, especially considering the game's 2016 release date and the hardware's modern architecture.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which achieves an average of 67 FPS. This is the optimal choice for 4K, as Medium offers 79 FPS but with lower visual quality, and Low at 90 FPS sacrifices too much detail. Ultra at 54 FPS is not recommended due to the sub-60 FPS average.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the best settings are Ultra, delivering an average of 100 FPS. This provides the highest visual fidelity while maintaining a 40 FPS buffer above the playable threshold. High settings at 123 FPS and Medium at 145 FPS are also excellent options, but Ultra offers the best balance of quality and performance.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), Ultra settings are the clear winner, with an average of 155 FPS. This is the most demanding preset and still provides over 150 FPS, making it ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays. The Low preset at 258 FPS is unnecessary, as Ultra already exceeds any standard refresh rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1596 out of 3712 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the 57th percentile of all systems. This ranking reflects the hardware's strong performance, though it is not at the top tier due to the RTX 3070's mid-range positioning and the CPU's mid-range classification.

The combo's ranking is driven primarily by the GPU, which sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17208. The CPU is stronger relative to its peers, ranking at the 77th percentile with an average score of 25005. This suggests that the CPU has more headroom than the GPU, and upgrading the graphics card would yield larger gains in Doom than upgrading the processor.

Given the game's age and optimization, this combo performs admirably. The 155 FPS at 1080p Ultra and 100 FPS at 1440p Ultra are excellent results, placing this system well above the median for all tested configurations. The ranking also indicates that many cheaper or older combos would struggle to match these frame rates, making this a solid choice for Doom enthusiasts.