Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers an exceptional experience in Doom, with the data showing that the combination is capable of running the game at maximum settings with a substantial performance buffer at every tested resolution. This pairing is so powerful that it exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold by a wide margin even at the most demanding preset, making it a top-tier choice for this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset produces an average of 95.7 FPS, which is the most demanding setting that still maintains a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows a clear progression from Low at 156.3 FPS, through Medium at 138.5 FPS, to High at 114.7 FPS, with Ultra being the highest playable option. The 95.7 FPS average at Ultra represents a 58% performance uplift over the 60 FPS playability baseline, indicating that this resolution is not a limiting factor for the combo.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 171.9 FPS, which is 186% above the 60 FPS threshold. The scaling from 3840x2160 to 2560x1440 at Ultra shows a 79.6% improvement in frame rate, demonstrating that the GPU has significant headroom even at the highest quality settings. The High preset reaches 213.7 FPS, Medium produces 249.1 FPS, and Low hits 288.8 FPS, but Ultra remains the recommended choice due to its combination of visual fidelity and performance.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 270.9 FPS, which is 351% above the playable threshold. This represents the best case scenario for the combo, with Low reaching 369.4 FPS, Medium at 354.6 FPS, and High at 326.6 FPS. The data indicates that at this resolution, the CPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as the frame rate differences between presets narrow considerably compared to higher resolutions. The 270.9 FPS at Ultra is sufficient for even the most demanding high-refresh-rate displays.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a distinct shift in component responsibility across resolutions. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant factor, as evidenced by the substantial frame rate drops when moving from Low (156.3 FPS) to Ultra (95.7 FPS) — a 38.8% reduction. This indicates that the RTX 4090's rendering capabilities are being fully exercised at 4K, while the Ryzen 7 5800XT's 8 cores and 16 threads provide sufficient processing power to keep up with the GPU's output.

At 2560x1440, the balance begins to shift. The frame rate difference between Low (288.8 FPS) and Ultra (171.9 FPS) is 40.5%, which is similar to 4K, but the absolute numbers suggest that the CPU is starting to influence performance. The 171.9 FPS at Ultra is still GPU-limited, but the scaling pattern indicates that the CPU's single-thread performance, reflected in its 3dmark_single_thread score of 959, becomes more relevant as resolution decreases.

The 1920x1080 results show the clearest evidence of CPU involvement. The gap between Low (369.4 FPS) and Ultra (270.9 FPS) narrows to 26.7%, which is significantly less than at higher resolutions. This compression in frame rates across presets is a classic sign of CPU limitation, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls. The Ryzen 7 5800XT's strong multi-threaded performance, with a cinebench_cinebench_r23_multicore score of 23794, helps maintain high minimum frame rates, but the data suggests that even this capable processor becomes the limiting factor at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 137 out of 3712 tested configurations in Doom, placing it in the top 3.7% of all possible pairings. This ranking is driven by the RTX 4090's dominant performance, which holds an 88th percentile position among all GPUs, combined with the Ryzen 7 5800XT's 81st percentile standing among all CPUs. The synergy between these components is particularly evident at higher resolutions, where the GPU's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth allow it to maintain exceptional frame rates even at Ultra settings.

The rank of 137 indicates that while there are 136 configurations that perform better, the vast majority of systems will deliver lower frame rates in this game. The data shows that this combo is positioned well above the median configuration, and its performance at 4K Ultra (95.7 FPS) suggests that it can handle even the most demanding scenarios without compromise. The gap between this combo and the top-ranked configurations is likely attributable to newer generation CPUs with higher single-thread performance, but for practical purposes, this pairing delivers an excellent experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 4K resolution?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 95.7 FPS, which is the most demanding setting that maintains frame rates above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance improvement is seen when dropping from 4K to 1440p?

A: At Ultra settings, the frame rate increases from 95.7 FPS at 3840x2160 to 171.9 FPS at 2560x1440, representing a 79.6% improvement.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: At 3840x2160 and 2560x1440, the GPU is the primary factor, with frame rates dropping by 38.8% and 40.5% respectively from Low to Ultra. At 1920x1080, the CPU becomes the bottleneck, with only a 26.7% difference between Low and Ultra.

Q: Can this combo handle 1080p at maximum settings?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 delivers an average of 270.9 FPS, which is more than four times the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How does this combination rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 137 out of 3712 tested configurations, placing it in the top 3.7% of all systems tested for Doom.

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

A: High settings at 2560x1440 produce 213.7 FPS, while Ultra produces 171.9 FPS, representing a 24.3% reduction in performance for the higher quality preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured average frame rates show a clear tier structure: Low produces 156.3 FPS, Medium reaches 138.5 FPS, High delivers 114.7 FPS, and Ultra achieves 95.7 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 38.8% reduction in performance, with each preset step costing approximately 10-15% of the frame rate. These numbers demonstrate that the RTX 4090 has substantial headroom even at 4K, as all presets remain comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

The 2560x1440 results show a similar pattern but with higher absolute values: Low reaches 288.8 FPS, Medium produces 249.1 FPS, High delivers 213.7 FPS, and Ultra achieves 171.9 FPS. The performance delta between Low and Ultra is 40.5%, which is consistent with the 4K scaling. The frame rates at this resolution are sufficient for high-refresh-rate gaming, with even the most demanding preset producing nearly triple the 60 FPS baseline.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are the highest of any resolution: Low hits 369.4 FPS, Medium reaches 354.6 FPS, High produces 326.6 FPS, and Ultra achieves 270.9 FPS. The scaling between presets is compressed compared to higher resolutions, with only a 26.7% difference between Low and Ultra. This compression indicates that the CPU is becoming the limiting factor, as the GPU has the capacity to render frames faster than the processor can feed it.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT provide interesting comparison points. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H has an average score of 29868, showing a 0% difference from the 5800XT's 29879 average. This mobile processor would deliver nearly identical CPU performance in Doom, making it a viable alternative for systems that require lower power consumption. The AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS both score 29955, representing a 0.3% performance advantage over the 5800XT, which is negligible in real-world gaming scenarios.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090's nearest rivals show some surprising results. The Intel Arc Pro A60 has an average score of 60326, which is essentially identical to the RTX 4090's 60347, despite being a workstation-oriented product. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140, showing a 0.3% deficit, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M achieves 61896, representing a 2.5% advantage in synthetic benchmarks. These differences are minor, but the RTX 4090's architectural advantages in ray tracing and DLSS make it a stronger choice for modern games.

For users considering alternatives, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X scores 29713, showing a 0.6% deficit compared to the 5800XT. This processor would produce nearly identical frame rates in Doom, as the game is not particularly CPU-intensive at higher resolutions. The data suggests that any of these CPU alternatives would maintain the same playability classification, with the GPU remaining the dominant factor in determining performance.