Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Doom, with performance scaling predictably across the three tested resolutions. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU's substantial cache and core configuration ensure that even at 1080p, frame rates remain exceptionally high. This analysis breaks down the measured results, offering a clear picture of what gamers can expect from this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, indicating that the AMD Radeon RX 9070 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 218 FPS at 1920x1080 to 141 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 77 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 76 FPS, representing a 65 FPS decline from the 1440p result. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets, confirming that the GPU's rendering load is the dominant constraint as pixel count increases.

The scaling behavior reveals a system with headroom at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the measured average of 296 FPS suggests that the CPU and GPU are working in tandem to push frame rates to extremely high levels. However, the jump to 1440p at the same Low preset yields 192 FPS, a 104 FPS drop that highlights how quickly the GPU becomes the bottleneck. By 4K, the Low preset still manages 104 FPS, showing that even the most demanding resolution is playable, but the frame rate ceiling is significantly lowered.

The gap between settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (296 FPS) and Ultra (178 FPS) is 118 FPS. At 1440p, that gap narrows to 77 FPS (192 vs 115), and at 4K, it shrinks to 42 FPS (104 vs 62). This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that visual quality settings have a reduced relative impact on performance. The data suggests that for competitive play at high refresh rates, 1080p is the ideal resolution, while 4K is best suited for slower-paced, visually demanding sessions where frame rates above 60 FPS are still achievable.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results indicate that the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p, High delivers 218 FPS, which is sufficient for even the fastest 240Hz displays. At 1440p, High produces 141 FPS, comfortably exceeding the 120Hz refresh rate threshold that many gaming monitors target. Even at 4K, the High preset maintains 76 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset is the clear choice. It delivers 296 FPS at 1080p and 192 FPS at 1440p, providing a significant competitive edge. However, the visual compromise is substantial, and the data shows that the Medium preset offers a more reasonable middle ground. At 1080p, Medium runs at 258 FPS, only 38 FPS slower than Low, while at 1440p it hits 167 FPS. The Medium preset also includes recorded minimum FPS values (219 at 1080p, 142 at 1440p, and 77 at 4K), which are not available for other presets, suggesting a more stable frame time experience.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and the data suggests it should be reserved for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 1080p, Ultra still manages an impressive 178 FPS, and at 1440p it reaches 115 FPS. However, at 4K, Ultra drops to 62 FPS, which sits right at the edge of acceptable smoothness. Given that High at 4K provides 76 FPS, the extra visual fidelity of Ultra may not justify the 14 FPS loss. The recommended path is High for most users, with Medium as a solid alternative for those seeking higher frame rates without the full visual sacrifice of Low.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Doom?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best all-around experience. The High preset delivers 141 FPS, which is smooth on high-refresh-rate monitors, while 4K High still manages 76 FPS for those who prioritize image quality.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset runs at 178 FPS average, while High runs at 218 FPS. This represents a 40 FPS difference, or roughly 18% lower performance for Ultra, which may be a worthwhile trade for maximum visual detail on a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: Yes, but with caveats. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 62 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The High preset is more comfortable at 76 FPS, while Low reaches 104 FPS, showing that 4K is viable with settings adjustments.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 167 FPS with a minimum of 142 FPS and a maximum of 192 FPS. This is a very strong result that ensures smooth gameplay even during intense scenes.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The resolution scaling indicates the GPU is the main bottleneck. At 1080p, the system reaches up to 296 FPS, but this drops significantly as resolution increases, showing that the CPU has ample headroom and the GPU's workload is the deciding factor.

Q: How does the Low preset perform at 1080p?

A: The Low preset delivers the highest measured average of 296 FPS at 1920x1080. This is ideal for competitive play where maximum frame rates are prioritized over visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates exceptional performance across all presets. The Low setting achieves an average of 296 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. Medium follows with 258 FPS, showing a 38 FPS drop. High reduces performance further to 218 FPS, and Ultra brings the average down to 178 FPS. The Medium preset records a minimum of 219 FPS and a maximum of 296 FPS, indicating that even the lowest dips remain well above the refresh rates of most monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, frame rates remain high but show the expected decline. Low averages 192 FPS, while Medium drops to 167 FPS (with a minimum of 142 FPS and a maximum of 192 FPS). High settles at 141 FPS, and Ultra reaches 115 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 77 FPS spread, demonstrating that the GPU is handling increased pixel loads while still providing smooth performance for all settings.

At 3840x2160, the data shows a more significant performance penalty. Low averages 104 FPS, Medium drops to 90 FPS (with a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 104 FPS), High falls to 76 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 62 FPS. The 42 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is the smallest gap among all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is heavily taxed at this resolution. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 77 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold for acceptable gameplay.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth ensure that texture streaming and data transfer are not limiting factors at any resolution, even at 4K with Ultra settings. The GPU's 128 ROPs and 224 TMUs contribute to its pixel and texture processing rates of 322.6 GPixel/s and 564.5 GTexel/s, respectively, which are crucial for maintaining high frame rates in a fast-paced FPS.

The clock speeds of the RX 9070 play a significant role in its performance. The boost clock of 2520 MHz and the game clock of 2070 MHz allow the GPU to maintain high throughput during sustained gaming workloads. The base clock of 1330 MHz provides a solid foundation, but the boost behavior is what allows the card to reach the measured frame rates. The 36.13 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is more than sufficient for Doom's rendering demands, as evidenced by the 296 FPS at 1080p Low.

The GPU's RDNA 4.0 architecture and 53,900 million transistors on a 4 nm process node contribute to its efficiency and performance. The benchmark results show that the RX 9070 sits in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23877. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z, which is 0.6% slower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6800S, which is 0.8% faster. This places the RX 9070 in a competitive position, and the in-game data confirms that it is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and capable 4K performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D provides the computational foundation for this system, and its unique configuration is well-matched to the GPU's capabilities. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the CPU has enough processing power to handle Doom's game logic and physics without becoming a bottleneck. The base clock of 4.00 GHz and boost clock of 4.50 GHz ensure responsive single-threaded performance, which is critical for FPS games. The most notable feature is the 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which helps reduce memory latency and improve frame pacing in scenarios where the CPU must feed data to the GPU.

The CPU's benchmark results show it is a strong performer in its own right. Its PassMark single-thread score is 3494, and its multithread score is 25047. The average benchmark score of 44573 places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, which is 0.2% faster, and the Intel Core i9-13950HX, which is 0.5% faster. The AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 is 0.6% faster, while the Intel Core i5-14600 is 0.7% slower. These close margins indicate that the 7500X3D is competitively positioned in the CPU market.

The CPU's role in Doom is evident from the resolution scaling data. At 1080p, where GPU load is lower, the system achieves up to 296 FPS, showing that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output. The 12 threads and high clock speeds prevent CPU-bound scenarios even at the highest frame rates. The 65 W TDP and 5 nm process node also indicate efficient operation, which allows the CPU to sustain boost clocks over long gaming sessions. The DDR5 memory support and dual-channel interface, with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, ensure that the CPU can quickly access game data, further reducing potential bottlenecks.