Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is a formidable combination for Doom, delivering playable frame rates at 4K and exceptional performance at lower resolutions. The data confirms that this system can run the game at 60 FPS or higher at 4K with High settings, while at 1440p and 1080p, it can handle the maximum Ultra preset with substantial headroom. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, compares it to similar hardware, and provides clear guidance on optimal settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Ryzen 9 5900X sits in a tightly contested performance tier, with its nearest rivals showing remarkably small average score differences. The Intel Core Ultra 7 366H is essentially a dead heat, scoring 41,263 against the 5900X's 41,376 average, a mere 0.3% difference. Similarly, the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (41,215, +0.4%) and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440 (41,208, +0.4%) are within a rounding error of the 5900X's performance. The Intel Core i7-14650HX trails slightly at 41,576, which is 0.5% lower than the Ryzen. In practical terms for Doom, any of these CPUs would deliver indistinguishable frame rates, as the game's engine is not particularly demanding on multi-threaded workloads at the tested resolutions.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3070's nearest rivals present a more interesting picture. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17,083 in average benchmarks, just 0.7% behind the RTX 3070's 17,208. This means the RX 7600 XT would likely produce nearly identical FPS numbers in Doom, making it a viable alternative for those looking at team red. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 and AMD Radeon HD 7970M are also listed as close competitors with scores of 17,037 (+1%) and 17,019 (+1.1%) respectively, though these are older architectures and their real-world performance in a modern title like Doom may not perfectly mirror the synthetic benchmark delta. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is the only rival that edges ahead, scoring 17,468, which is 1.5% higher than the RTX 3070, but this is a compute-oriented card, not a gaming product.

For Doom specifically, the benchmark data shows that the CPU and GPU combination is well-balanced. At 1080p, the system achieves 158 FPS on Ultra, which is likely GPU-bound given the high frame rates. At 4K, the system still manages 70.1 FPS on High, indicating the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions, while the 12-core CPU provides ample headroom.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 259.1 FPS on Low settings, 222.6 FPS on Medium, 187.9 FPS on High, and 158 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 39% performance drop, which is substantial and indicates that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting as settings increase. However, even at Ultra, the frame rate is so high that the CPU is unlikely to be a limiting factor; the Ryzen 9 5900X's strong single-thread performance ensures the game's render thread has plenty of headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are more pronounced. The system hits 168.8 FPS on Low, 146.4 FPS on Medium, 121.3 FPS on High, and 101 FPS on Ultra. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 40%, similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower. This suggests the GPU is becoming more of a constraint, as the higher pixel count increases the workload on the RTX 3070's 5888 shading units. The CPU's role diminishes further, as the frame rates are still well above 100 FPS even on Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The system manages 91.3 FPS on Low, 80.4 FPS on Medium, 70.1 FPS on High, and drops to 56.2 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 38%, but the key observation is that the CPU is almost certainly idle waiting for the GPU to finish rendering frames. The Ryzen 9 5900X's 12 cores and 24 threads are far more than Doom needs at 4K; the game is heavily GPU-bound at this resolution. This is evident because the drop from 1080p Low (259.1 FPS) to 4K Low (91.3 FPS) is a 65% reduction, which is directly attributable to the 4x increase in pixel count overwhelming the GPU.

In summary, the CPU matters most at 1080p where frame rates are extremely high, but even then, the RTX 3070 is the primary determinant of performance when settings are increased. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, and the Ryzen 9 5900X provides more than enough processing power to avoid holding the system back.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides exact average FPS for each resolution and preset combination, with no minimum or maximum frame rates recorded. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast: Low settings produce 259.1 FPS, Medium yields 222.6 FPS, High delivers 187.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 158 FPS. All of these are far above the 60 FPS playable threshold, and even Ultra offers more than 2.5 times the required frame rate.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low settings achieve 168.8 FPS, Medium runs at 146.4 FPS, High hits 121.3 FPS, and Ultra still produces a smooth 101 FPS. The step from High to Ultra at 1440p is a 17% reduction, which is a reasonable trade-off for the visual quality increase.

The 3840x2160 results are the most telling for this hardware combination. Low settings maintain 91.3 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS. Medium settings drop to 80.4 FPS, still playable. High settings yield 70.1 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold but leaves little room for fluctuation in demanding scenes. Ultra settings fall to 56.2 FPS, which is below the playable threshold and would result in noticeable stuttering or a less smooth experience.

The data shows that the RTX 3070 has a performance ceiling at 4K Ultra, but the system is otherwise very capable. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 35.1 FPS, representing a 38% drop. This is a smaller absolute difference than at 1080p (101.1 FPS), but the percentage drop is consistent across resolutions, indicating the GPU scaling is uniform.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, at 4K the system achieves playable frame rates (above 60 FPS) on High, Medium, and Low settings. High settings average 70.1 FPS, Medium averages 80.4 FPS, and Low averages 91.3 FPS. Ultra settings fall short at 56.2 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1440p for maximum visual quality while staying above 60 FPS?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 101 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. This provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 187.9 at 1080p to 70.1 at 4K, a 63% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 259.1 FPS to 91.3 FPS, a 65% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is heavily stressed by the higher resolution.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 or the Ryzen 9 5900X the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the limiting factor when settings are raised. The difference between Low (259.1 FPS) and Ultra (158 FPS) is 101.1 FPS, showing that the GPU's workload increases significantly with preset quality. The CPU has ample headroom, as even the lowest frame rates at 1080p are extremely high.

Q: Are there any settings where the system fails to reach 60 FPS?

A: Yes, the only combination that falls below 60 FPS is 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which averages 56.2 FPS. All other resolution and preset combinations exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems for Doom?

A: This combination ranks 1,575 out of 3,712 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the top 42% of all systems. This indicates that while it is not a top-tier setup, it performs above average for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 158 FPS. This is the ideal configuration for 1080p, as it provides the maximum visual quality while maintaining a frame rate that is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is also the best choice, achieving an average of 101 FPS. This gives players the highest fidelity settings at 1440p without any risk of dropping below the 60 FPS threshold.

For 3840x2160, the situation is different. The Ultra preset only manages 56.2 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The best option is High, which averages 70.1 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (80.4 FPS) while still maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Players who prioritize frame rate over quality could also use Medium or Low, but High is the recommended balance for 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1,575 out of 3,712 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the 58th percentile of all systems tested, meaning it outperforms the majority of configurations. This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data: the system is not a top-tier performer at 4K Ultra, but it handles most settings and resolutions very well.

The ranking is influenced by the fact that Doom is a well-optimized game that can run on a wide range of hardware, so the competition is stiff. The RTX 3070's 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs and the Ryzen 9 5900X's 87th percentile among all CPUs contribute to this solid overall position. In practice, this combo is more than capable of delivering an excellent Doom experience, particularly at 1080p and 1440p where it performs exceptionally. The only weakness is 4K Ultra, where the GPU's 8 GB of memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are pushed to their limits. However, with a simple settings adjustment, the system remains fully playable at 4K, making it a versatile choice for this classic FPS.