Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB achieves a combo rank of 1524 out of 1681 tested combinations in Doom. This places the pairing in the bottom 10% of all tested combos, indicating that while the game is playable, this configuration sits near the lower end of the performance spectrum. The rank reflects the significant bottleneck introduced by the GPU, which limits the otherwise capable CPU from reaching higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame of 1524 out of 1681 combos is a clear indicator of where this hardware stands. Benchmark results show that this pairing is outperformed by roughly 90% of all other tested combinations in Doom. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the graphics card's limited memory capacity and bandwidth, which become critical factors at higher resolutions. The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor here, as its benchmark scores place it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs. Instead, the GPU's 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs drags the overall combo performance down. In practical terms, this means that users will see frame rates that are acceptable for casual play at 1080p but will struggle to maintain smooth performance at 1440p or 4K, especially with higher graphical presets.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 4 architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and can boost up to 5.00 GHz. This CPU is part of the 7000 series and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. In terms of raw processing power, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22799 and a single-core score of 3218, which are strong numbers for a desktop processor.

In Doom, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The benchmark data shows that the CPU is well-equipped for this task, as its 3DMark single-thread score of 974 and multi-thread score of 6379 indicate robust performance. When compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 7500F shows a negligible deltaPct of 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-11850H and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX. It lags slightly behind the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 5 8400F by 0.3% each. These marginal differences suggest that the CPU is not the constraining factor in this combo. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration is more than sufficient for Doom, which is a title that scales well with multiple threads but does not require extreme core counts.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is built on the Ampere architecture using Samsung's 8 nm process node. It features 2048 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units, along with 16 ray tracing cores and 64 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1545 MHz and a boost clock of 1740 MHz. The memory subsystem is where this card faces its biggest challenge: it has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s. The memory runs at an effective speed of 12 Gbps.

The 4 GB VRAM capacity is the primary limitation in Doom at higher resolutions. The benchmark results show a clear pattern where the average FPS drops significantly as resolution increases and settings are raised. At 1080p Low, the GPU delivers 133.2 FPS, but this drops to 49.4 FPS at 4K Low. This 63% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings indicates that the GPU is struggling to maintain frame rates as pixel count increases. The FP32 performance of 7.127 TFLOPS is modest, and the pixel rate of 55.68 GPixel/s, while adequate for 1080p, becomes a bottleneck at 4K. The GPU's 90 W TDP and suggested 250 W PSU indicate it is a low-power part, but in Doom, the memory bandwidth and capacity are the limiting factors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable frame rates across all presets. With Low settings, the average FPS is 133.2, which drops to 119.4 at Medium, 98.7 at High, and 83.7 at Ultra. This shows a steady decline of approximately 26% from Low to Ultra, which is a typical scaling pattern for GPU-bound scenarios.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop noticeably. Low settings yield 87.7 FPS, Medium produces 78.1 FPS, High achieves 66.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 51.3 FPS. The jump from 1080p to 1440p represents a 34% reduction in FPS at Low settings, which is slightly less than the 37% reduction seen at Ultra. This indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor at 1440p, as the higher pixel count requires more memory bandwidth.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal. Low settings deliver 49.4 FPS, Medium drops to 38.7 FPS, High falls to 33.8 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 27.8 FPS. These numbers show that 4K gaming is only feasible at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is below the 60 FPS target. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is severe, with a 44% drop in FPS at Low settings and a 46% drop at Ultra. This pattern strongly suggests that the GPU's 4 GB VRAM is being exceeded at 4K, causing the card to rely on slower memory paging.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling analysis reveals a clear picture of the limiting component. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS across all settings drops by approximately 35%. From 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops by another 45%. This accelerating decline is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, specifically one related to memory capacity and bandwidth.

At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to push the GPU to its limits, resulting in frame rates that range from 83.7 FPS at Ultra to 133.2 FPS at Low. The CPU's 3DMark scores and benchmark results show it can handle the game's threading requirements without becoming a bottleneck. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's 4 GB VRAM and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth become insufficient. The 128-bit memory bus is narrow, and the effective 12 Gbps memory speed, while decent for 1080p, cannot keep up with the data demands of 1440p and 4K.

The data shows that the scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings results in a 63% FPS drop, while at Ultra settings, the drop is 67%. This suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint, as a CPU-bound system would show more consistent scaling across resolutions. The CPU's performance relative to its rivals, with deltaPct values of 0.1% to 0.4%, indicates that it is not the limiting factor. Instead, the GPU's 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs and its modest memory configuration are the key reasons for the performance degradation at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in Doom?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 with Medium settings delivers 119.4 FPS, providing a good balance between visual quality and performance. High settings at 1080p yield 98.7 FPS, which is also playable, but Ultra drops to 83.7 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22799 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 974, are strong. The GPU's 4 GB VRAM and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth cause significant FPS drops at higher resolutions, indicating a GPU bottleneck.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the combo only achieves playable frame rates at Low settings with 49.4 FPS. Medium settings drop to 38.7 FPS, High to 33.8 FPS, and Ultra to 27.8 FPS, which are all below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low?

A: The average FPS drops from 133.2 at 1080p Low to 49.4 at 4K Low, representing a 63% reduction in performance. This large drop highlights the GPU's inability to handle the increased pixel count.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500F has an average benchmark score of 24993. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-11850H and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX, while being 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 5 8400F. These differences are negligible for gaming performance.

Q: Is the 4 GB VRAM sufficient for Doom at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo delivers 87.7 FPS at Low settings and 51.3 FPS at Ultra. While playable at Low and Medium settings, the 4 GB VRAM may cause texture pop-in or stuttering at Ultra settings, as evidenced by the significant FPS drop from Medium to Ultra.