Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a highly specific performance profile in Doom, with the integrated graphics solution acting as the primary constraint. The recorded data shows a clear ceiling at 4K, where the system cannot maintain a playable frame rate at any preset, while 1440p and 1080p offer viable, though distinct, experiences.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope is narrow and consistently below the 60 FPS playable threshold. With Low settings, the average frame rate is 37 FPS. Moving to Medium settings drops the average to 33 FPS, with recorded minimum and maximum values of 28 FPS and 37 FPS respectively. High settings yield an average of 28 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings the average down to 22 FPS. The data indicates that even at the lowest settings, the system is operating at roughly 62% of the 60 FPS target at this resolution.

Stepping down to 2560x1440 reveals a more usable range. The Low preset achieves an average of 69 FPS, which clears the playable threshold. The Medium preset averages exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, making it the highest quality setting that remains playable on average. High settings fall to an average of 51 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 41 FPS, both below the 60 FPS target.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its strongest performance. The Low preset averages 107 FPS, while Medium averages 93 FPS with a recorded range of 79 FPS to 107 FPS. High settings produce an average of 78 FPS. The Ultra preset, the most demanding configuration, still manages an average of 64 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. This resolution is the only one where all four presets achieve a playable average frame rate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets makes the dominant role of the Intel Arc B390 clear. This is an integrated GPU with its performance level indicated by a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The frame rate deltas between presets at each resolution show a consistent pattern: as the graphical load increases, the frame rate drops proportionally, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

At 4K, the average frame rate moves from 37 FPS at Low to 22 FPS at Ultra, a drop of 15 FPS or roughly 40% from the Low preset baseline. At 1440p, the same preset sweep goes from 69 FPS to 41 FPS, a 28 FPS difference. At 1080p, the range is from 107 FPS at Low to 64 FPS at Ultra, a 43 FPS difference. The fact that these deltas scale so directly with resolution and preset level indicates that the integrated GPU's shading units, texture units, and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, rather than the CPU.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, with 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 3 architecture, is unlikely to be the bottleneck in Doom. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 13184 and single-core score of 1499, along with a PassMark multi-thread score of 26612, place it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. This level of processing power far exceeds what the GPU can feed at these settings. The CPU's role is to ensure the GPU is not starved of draw calls, and given the GPU's low performance ceiling, the processor has ample headroom. The data suggests that swapping the Arc B390 for a more powerful discrete GPU would yield significant frame rate gains, while a CPU change would produce negligible improvement in this specific pairing.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Arc B390, based on the 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark, are all older, low-end NVIDIA GPUs. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% slower than the Arc B390. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, a 1.5% deficit. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, which is 2.5% slower, and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, a 2.7% gap. These deltas are small, meaning that a system using any of these GPUs would deliver a nearly identical experience in Doom, with frame rates at each resolution and preset expected to be within a few frames of the Arc B390's results.

For the CPU, the Ryzen 7 5700X's nearest rivals are all very closely matched in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i5-12600K matches the 5700X exactly with a 0% delta. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is 0.2% faster, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 is 0.2% slower, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is 0.3% faster. These differences are within measurement noise, so from a CPU perspective, swapping the 5700X for any of these alternatives would not change the gameplay experience in Doom, as the GPU remains the limiting factor in all cases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 5700X and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3300 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU's 79th percentile standing is rendered irrelevant by a GPU that sits in the 9th percentile. The result is a system that is severely imbalanced for gaming, where a high-end processor is paired with a component that cannot utilize its capabilities. The rank reflects that the vast majority of other tested combinations, including many with far weaker CPUs, achieve better frame rates simply by having a more capable graphics solution.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K?

A: No. The highest average frame rate recorded at 3840x2160 is 37 FPS on the Low preset, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset averages only 22 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset is the best playable option at 1440p, with an average of 60 FPS. The Low preset also works at 69 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual quality at the exact threshold.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 1920x1080?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 1080p averages 64 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. It is the highest quality setting that the system can run at this resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to the GeForce GT 710?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710's score of 1443. The performance difference is minimal, so they would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Doom.

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

A: The data indicates no. The Ryzen 7 5700X is in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 9th percentile. The frame rate scaling with preset changes shows that the GPU is the performance bottleneck.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average is 22 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset is playable. The best average frame rate is 37 FPS at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is Medium, which achieves an average of 60 FPS. This is the recommended setting for this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding playable preset is Ultra, which achieves an average of 64 FPS. This allows for the highest visual fidelity while remaining above the playable threshold.

The Verdict

The data shows that this PC can run Doom, but with significant limitations depending on the target resolution. At 3840x2160, the system fails to reach 60 FPS on any preset, with the best result being 37 FPS on Low. This resolution is not viable for play.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable on the Low and Medium presets. The Medium preset averages exactly 60 FPS, providing a satisfactory experience. High and Ultra presets fall below the threshold and are not recommended.

At 1920x1080, the system is fully playable on all four presets, including Ultra, which averages 64 FPS. This is the optimal resolution for this combination. The verdict is clear: this is a 1080p gaming system for Doom, with the ability to handle 1440p at medium quality, but it is not suitable for 4K gaming. The combination of a strong CPU and a very weak integrated GPU creates a system that is best utilized at standard high-definition resolutions.