Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a remarkably strong showing in Doom (2016), with the data indicating that this combination can handle the game’s demanding id Tech engine with ease across most resolutions. The measured FPS figures reveal a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet so powerful at 1080p that it approaches the refresh rate limits of most displays. The benchmark results provide a clear picture of what to expect from this pairing, with every setting at 1440p and below clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold with significant headroom.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that maintains an average of 60 FPS or higher is High, which delivers an average of 68.9 FPS. While the Ultra preset is technically selectable, its 55.7 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold, making High the optimal choice for a smooth 4K experience. The data shows that Low and Medium also clear the threshold at 93.3 FPS and 79 FPS respectively, but High provides the best visual fidelity while staying comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the system can push all the way to the Ultra preset, achieving an impressive average of 100.8 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available in the game, and the fact that it clears the 60 FPS threshold by a margin of over 40 FPS indicates that the RTX 3070 has substantial headroom at this resolution. The High preset at 1440p produces 124.4 FPS, while Medium and Low reach 144.9 FPS and 165.3 FPS respectively, all of which are far above the playability threshold.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Ultra preset is again the best choice, with an average of 153.6 FPS. This resolution is clearly where this combo shines, as even the most demanding settings produce frame rates that are more than double the 60 FPS baseline. The High preset hits 191.8 FPS, Medium reaches 223.5 FPS, and Low peaks at a staggering 256.6 FPS, making this pairing ideal for high-refresh-rate 1080p displays.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck behavior as resolution changes. At 1080p, the GPU is relatively underutilized, with frame rates scaling dramatically as settings are lowered. The jump from Ultra (153.6 FPS) to Low (256.6 FPS) represents a 67% increase in performance, indicating that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than it can render at this resolution. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, demonstrates no signs of being a limiting factor here.

Moving to 1440p, the scaling pattern becomes more moderate but still shows GPU dominance. The spread from Ultra (100.8 FPS) to Low (165.3 FPS) is a 64% difference, which is slightly less pronounced than at 1080p. This suggests that the GPU is beginning to take on more of the workload, but the CPU still has ample headroom to spare. At 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck, with the performance gap between Ultra (55.7 FPS) and Low (93.3 FPS) narrowing to a 67% difference, yet the absolute frame rates are substantially lower across the board.

The data indicates that the Ryzen 7 9700X is never the limiting factor in this pairing. Even at 1080p with Low settings, where the CPU workload is proportionally highest, the system achieves 256.6 FPS, which is far beyond what most displays can even show. The RTX 3070, by contrast, reaches its limit at 4K Ultra, where it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. This suggests that for 4K gaming, the GPU is the component that matters most, while at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU provides more than enough performance to keep up with the GPU’s output.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: 55.7 FPS average
• High: 68.9 FPS average
• Medium: 79 FPS average
• Low: 93.3 FPS average

At 4K, the data shows a steady progression from Ultra to Low, with each step down in settings yielding roughly 10-14 FPS gains. The Ultra preset is the only one that fails to reach 60 FPS, making High the highest playable setting. The 93.3 FPS at Low indicates that even at 4K, the GPU has significant headroom when visual effects are reduced.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: 100.8 FPS average
• High: 124.4 FPS average
• Medium: 144.9 FPS average
• Low: 165.3 FPS average

The 1440p results show a much healthier margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The jump from Ultra to High is particularly notable, with a 23.6 FPS increase for a single step down in quality. The progression from Medium to Low is less dramatic at 20.4 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns as settings are lowered further.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: 153.6 FPS average
• High: 191.8 FPS average
• Medium: 223.5 FPS average
• Low: 256.6 FPS average

At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptional across all settings. The spread from Ultra to Low is 103 FPS, which is larger than the total frame rate at 4K Ultra. The data shows that this resolution is where the combo is most comfortable, with even the most demanding preset delivering over 150 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K with everything maxed out?

A: No, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 55.7 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset at 68.9 FPS is the highest quality setting that maintains a smooth experience at 4K.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 100.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes it the recommended choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing performance.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, placing it 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083) and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037). It trails the NVIDIA Tesla K40c by 1.5% (17468).

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700X a bottleneck for the RTX 3070?

A: The data suggests not. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 256.6 FPS, which indicates the CPU has significant headroom. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 37943 places it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, with performance nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-14901E (37911, 0.1% delta).

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset is 153.6 FPS. This is more than double the 60 FPS playability threshold and is suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Doom?

A: Out of 3712 tested combos, this pairing ranks 1589th in terms of measured performance in the game.

The Verdict

This system can absolutely run Doom with excellent performance. The verdict data shows that at 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra with an average of 153.6 FPS, which is vastly above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also clears the threshold with 100.8 FPS, providing a premium experience. At 3840x2160, the system can run High settings at 68.9 FPS, which is playable but requires a slight reduction from max settings.

The practical implications are clear: for 1080p and 1440p displays, this combo delivers maximum quality with frame rates that far exceed what is needed for smooth gameplay. At 4K, users will need to compromise on visual fidelity by using High instead of Ultra, but the resulting 68.9 FPS is still a very playable experience. The only configuration that fails to meet the 60 FPS standard is 4K Ultra at 55.7 FPS, which is an expected limitation for a GPU of this class.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all 3712 tested combinations for Doom, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 holds the 1589th position. This ranking places it in the upper-middle tier of tested systems, which is notable given that the RTX 3070 is an end-of-life product with a percentile ranking of just 61 among all GPUs.

The CPU’s strong showing helps boost the combo’s standing. The Ryzen 7 9700X scores in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37943. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14901E (37911, 0.1% faster), AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37904, 0.1% faster), Intel Core 5 211E (37829, 0.3% faster), and AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (37804, 0.4% faster). This clustering indicates the 9700X is well-matched with other high-end processors.

The GPU, by contrast, is closer to the middle of the pack. With an average benchmark score of 17208, it sits just ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083, 0.7% slower) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037, 1% slower), while lagging slightly behind the NVIDIA Tesla K40c (17468, 1.5% faster). Despite this mid-tier GPU ranking, the measured game performance is strong due to Doom’s efficient engine and the CPU’s ability to maintain high frame delivery.