Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a strong performance profile in Doom, placing in the top percentile of tested systems. The pairing ranks 651st out of 2930 recorded combos, positioning it firmly in the upper quarter of all configurations tested for this title. This ranking reflects a balanced system where neither component bottlenecks the other to a significant degree, allowing the game's engine to scale effectively with the hardware's capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 651 out of 2930 places it in the 78th percentile of all tested configurations for Doom. This is a solid result, indicating that this system outperforms roughly four out of every five other builds tested with this game. The ranking is driven by the combination's ability to maintain high frame rates across all settings and resolutions, with the RTX 4070 providing ample graphics throughput and the Ryzen 5 7500X3D ensuring the CPU side keeps up without introducing frame pacing issues.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 44573 places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU's average score of 37648 lands it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. When examining the CPU's nearest rivals, the data shows a tightly clustered group: the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H scores 44466 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i9-13950HX scores 44342 (0.5% higher), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 scores 44309 (0.6% higher). On the opposite side, the Intel Core i5-14600 scores 44889, which is 0.7% higher than the 7500X3D. This indicates the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class, with negligible differences from its closest competitors. Similarly, the GPU's rivals show minimal variance: the NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 37628 (0.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507 (0.4% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135 (1.3% higher), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157 (1.3% lower). These margins are all within typical run-to-run variance, confirming that this specific CPU and GPU pairing is delivering performance consistent with their respective hardware tiers.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The maximum recorded average FPS is 314, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the peak performance ceiling for this configuration when graphics load is minimized.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution with maximum settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 66. This is still playable for most users, though it represents the most demanding scenario in the measured data. The frame rate remains above the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered the minimum for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor in this system?

A: Based on the data, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, with the 1080p Ultra average of 189 FPS falling to 66 FPS at 4K Ultra. This 65% reduction indicates the graphics card is struggling to maintain performance as pixel count increases, while the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads provide sufficient headroom for the game's processing demands.

Q: What is the difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 177 FPS with a minimum of 150 FPS, while High settings average 150 FPS. The 27 FPS difference between these presets shows that the Medium setting provides a noticeable performance boost without requiring a significant visual sacrifice, making it a viable option for higher refresh rate monitors.

Q: Does the combo support modern graphics APIs?

A: The RTX 4070 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Doom's engine can take advantage of these APIs, with the Vulkan support being particularly relevant for this title. The GPU's benchmark scores in Vulkan (174152) and OpenCL (154858) indicate strong compute performance that can benefit the game's rendering pipeline.

Q: How does the combo's performance scale between 1080p and 1440p?

A: The average FPS drops by approximately 35% when moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 across all settings. For example, High settings drop from 231 FPS to 150 FPS, and Ultra drops from 189 FPS to 122 FPS. This scaling is consistent with the GPU becoming more stressed at higher resolutions, while the CPU maintains adequate frame delivery.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers extremely high frame rates across all settings, ranging from 189 FPS at Ultra to 314 FPS at Low. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-limited or engine-limited, as the GPU has significant headroom to render frames quickly. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D's 6 cores and 12 threads, combined with its boost clock of 4.50 GHz, are sufficient to feed the RTX 4070 at these resolutions without becoming a bottleneck.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops by roughly 35% across all settings. The High preset falls from 231 to 150 FPS, Medium from 273 to 177 FPS, Low from 314 to 203 FPS, and Ultra from 189 to 122 FPS. This consistent percentage drop suggests the GPU is now becoming the primary limiting factor, as the increased pixel count demands more from the graphics card's 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs. The RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth handles the larger frame buffer requirements without issue, but the raw compute power begins to show its limits.

At 3840x2160, the scaling becomes more pronounced. The Ultra preset drops to 66 FPS, which is a 65% reduction from the 1080p Ultra score. Low settings at 4K achieve 110 FPS, while Medium reaches 96 FPS and High manages 81 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 44 FPS, compared to a 125 FPS gap at 1080p. This compression of performance differences at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is now the dominant constraint, with the CPU's role diminishing significantly. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4070 is the limiting component, while at 1080p the system may benefit from a faster CPU if chasing maximum frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all presets. The Low setting achieves an average of 314 FPS, with Medium at 273 FPS (minimum 232, maximum 314), High at 231 FPS, and Ultra at 189 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors (240Hz or above) even with maximum quality settings. The Ultra preset's 189 FPS average is well above the 144Hz threshold, making this resolution ideal for competitive play where high frame rates are prioritized.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low settings average 203 FPS, Medium averages 177 FPS (minimum 150, maximum 204), High averages 150 FPS, and Ultra averages 122 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 150 FPS is noteworthy, as it indicates consistent frame delivery without significant drops. The Ultra preset at 122 FPS is still sufficient for 120Hz monitors, though users with 144Hz displays may need to drop to High settings to maintain a locked frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the combo enters more demanding territory. Low settings average 110 FPS, Medium averages 96 FPS (minimum 81, maximum 110), High averages 81 FPS, and Ultra averages 66 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 81 FPS suggests some frame time variance at 4K, but the overall experience remains smooth. The Ultra preset at 66 FPS is playable, but users seeking higher frame rates at 4K will need to reduce settings to Medium or below. The 96 FPS average at Medium with a 81 FPS minimum indicates this preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance at 4K.

The minimum FPS data provided for Medium settings across all resolutions shows consistent behavior: at 1080p the minimum is 232, at 1440p it is 150, and at 4K it is 81. These minimums represent approximately 85% of the average FPS at each resolution, indicating a stable frame delivery without major stutters or hitches. The maximum FPS values align closely with the Low setting averages, suggesting that the Medium preset's performance ceiling is similar to what Low settings can achieve consistently.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080 users, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. The 189 FPS average is sufficient for even the fastest refresh rate monitors, and the visual quality benefits of Ultra settings are worthwhile when performance is this high. If a user has a 240Hz monitor and wants to maximize frame rates, dropping to High (231 FPS) or Medium (273 FPS) provides diminishing returns in visual quality for increasingly marginal performance gains. The Low preset at 314 FPS is only recommended for extreme competitive play where every frame matters.

At 2560x1440, the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The 150 FPS average is ideal for 144Hz monitors, providing a smooth experience with minimal screen tearing. The Ultra preset at 122 FPS is also viable for 120Hz displays, but the 28 FPS drop from High may not justify the visual improvements for most users. Medium at 177 FPS is a strong alternative for those who prioritize frame rates over graphics details, and its minimum of 150 FPS ensures consistent performance. Low at 203 FPS is excessive for most 1440p monitors and sacrifices too much visual quality.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. The 96 FPS average with an 81 FPS minimum provides a smooth experience that takes advantage of the GPU's capabilities without pushing it to its limits. High settings at 81 FPS are acceptable for 60Hz displays but may cause noticeable frame drops in intense scenes. The Ultra preset at 66 FPS is playable but near the threshold where frame pacing issues become apparent. Low at 110 FPS offers the highest frame rates at 4K, but the visual sacrifices are significant for a game like Doom where the art style benefits from higher quality settings.

The data suggests that the Medium preset provides the most consistent experience across all resolutions, with the smallest gap between average and minimum FPS. This indicates that the game engine and the hardware combination are well-matched at this setting, delivering predictable performance without unexpected drops.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 (Raphael) architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU features 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is substantial for a desktop processor and beneficial for game workloads that frequently access large datasets. This cache configuration, combined with the 5 nm process, allows the CPU to maintain high instructions-per-clock performance without requiring excessive power draw.

In Doom, the CPU's role becomes less critical at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the FPS scaling data. At 1080p, the CPU must deliver frames quickly enough to keep the GPU fed, and the 7500X3D's performance is adequate for this task. The PassMark single-thread score of 3494 and multithread score of 25047 indicate strong per-core performance, which is essential for a game like Doom that relies on efficient single-threaded execution for its core game loop. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads provide sufficient parallel processing for the game's background tasks, such as AI and physics, without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU's benchmark performance relative to its rivals shows it is competitive with higher-tier mobile and desktop processors. Its average benchmark score of 44573 places it just 0.2% behind the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and 0.5% behind the Intel Core i9-13950HX, while being 0.7% behind the Intel Core i5-14600. This tight grouping indicates that the 7500X3D offers performance in line with other mid-range to high-end processors, and its 89th percentile ranking across all CPUs confirms its strong position.

At 4K resolution, the CPU's influence on FPS diminishes significantly, as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is 44 FPS, compared to 125 FPS at 1080p. This suggests that the CPU can maintain high frame delivery even at lower graphics settings, but the GPU's rendering capacity limits the overall output. The CPU's 12 threads and high L3 cache help maintain frame pacing, ensuring that the GPU has a steady stream of work to process without waiting on the CPU to catch up. The combination of the 7500X3D's strong single-thread performance and large cache makes it a suitable match for the RTX 4070, delivering balanced performance across all tested resolutions and settings.