Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a performance profile in Doom that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset selection. The measured data shows a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, but one that becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution climbs to 4K. The raw numbers reveal a clear hierarchy: the RTX 5050’s 8 GB frame buffer and the Ryzen 5 7500X3D’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache interact differently depending on the workload imposed by each settings tier. This analysis breaks down the FPS measurements, contextualizes the combo’s standing among 2,930 tested configurations, and evaluates the role each component plays in the final output.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and consistent across all four settings presets, indicating a transition from a CPU-assisted workload to one dominated by the GPU. At the Low preset, the average frame rate falls from 202 FPS at 1920x1080 to 131 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 71 FPS, and then to 71 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 64.9% decrease in performance from 1080p to 4K. The scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is capable of feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them, but the RTX 5050’s rendering limits become the primary constraint as pixel count quadruples.

The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory, with averages of 176 FPS at 1080p, 114 FPS at 1440p, and 62 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, a 45.6% drop, which points to the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shader throughput being saturated. The High preset follows the same pattern: 149 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, dropping from 122 FPS at 1080p to 79 FPS at 1440p and finally to 43 FPS at 4K.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts definitively to the GPU at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 80 FPS, but at 4K that gap narrows to 28 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is hitting a performance ceiling regardless of the settings load. The RTX 5050’s 128-bit memory bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth appear to be the bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the increased pixel count demands more memory throughput than the card can provide. Conversely, the CPU’s role is more pronounced at 1080p, where the Ryzen 5 7500X3D’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to maintain high frame rates that the GPU can then process.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this specific CPU-GPU pair achieves a rank of 1766 out of 2930 combos in Doom. This places it in the 39.7th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 60% of configurations deliver higher average frame rates in this title. The ranking is a composite measure that accounts for all measured resolutions and settings, and the result suggests that while the combo is competent, it is not positioned at the top tier of performance.

The ranking is influenced by the GPU’s relative standing among its peers. The RTX 5050’s average benchmark score of 21035 places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, which is a moderate position. Its nearest rivals in terms of average score are the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, deltaPct -0.6%), the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, deltaPct -1%), and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, deltaPct 1.6%). The deltaPct values show that the RTX 5050 is within 1.6% of these competitors, indicating a tight cluster of performance. This suggests that the GPU is not a standout performer, which drags the combo’s overall rank down despite the CPU’s stronger showing.

The CPU, by contrast, performs better relative to its peers. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D has an average benchmark score of 44573, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H (44466, deltaPct 0.2%) and the Intel Core i9-13950HX (44342, deltaPct 0.5%), which it slightly edges out. This disparity between the CPU’s high percentile and the GPU’s lower percentile is a key takeaway: the processor is capable of more, but the graphics card holds the system back in this particular game. The combo rank of 1766 reflects this imbalance, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor in most scenarios.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, built on the Raphael codename with a 5 nm process node. It operates at a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The defining feature is its cache hierarchy: 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache. This large L3 cache is critical for gaming performance, as it allows the CPU to store more frequently accessed data on-die, reducing latency and speeding up frame generation.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p where the average FPS exceeds 122 even at the Ultra preset. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 202 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that the CPU’s single-thread performance becomes a factor. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D’s PassMark single-thread score of 3494 is moderate, but its multithread score of 25047 and physics score of 2779 indicate strong overall processing power. The 96 MB L3 cache is particularly beneficial for a game like Doom, which relies on rapid texture streaming and geometry processing.

However, the CPU’s influence wanes as resolution increases. At 4K, the frame rates at all settings are lower, and the bottleneck shifts to the GPU. The measured data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at 4K, as even the Low preset only yields 71 FPS, which is well below what the processor could theoretically support. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D’s performance relative to rivals reinforces this: it is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13950HX in average benchmark scores, but these differences are negligible in practical gaming terms. The CPU is a capable partner, but its advantages are masked by the GPU at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across the board. The Low preset averages 202 FPS, with Medium at 176 FPS (min 150, max 203), High at 149 FPS, and Ultra at 122 FPS. These numbers indicate that the combo is well-suited for competitive play at 1080p, where high refresh rate monitors can be fully utilized. The spread between Low and Ultra is 80 FPS, showing that the settings have a significant impact on performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop but remain playable. Low yields 131 FPS, Medium averages 114 FPS (min 97, max 131), High produces 96 FPS, and Ultra drops to 79 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 30-35% across all presets, which is expected given the increased pixel count. The Medium preset’s minimum of 97 FPS suggests that there is some frame time variance, but the overall experience is still smooth. At this resolution, the RTX 5050 is beginning to show its limits, particularly at Ultra where the 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are strained.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low averages 71 FPS, Medium averages 62 FPS (min 52, max 71), High drops to 52 FPS, and Ultra falls to 43 FPS. The data shows that 4K is only viable at Low settings for a 60 FPS target, and even then it is close to the edge. The Ultra preset’s 43 FPS average is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on most displays. The min and max values for Medium at 4K (52 and 71) indicate significant frame rate fluctuation, which could lead to noticeable stuttering. The overall picture is that the combo is not designed for 4K gaming, but it excels at 1080p and is adequate at 1440p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the primary determinant of performance in Doom, especially at higher resolutions. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The GPU is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB207 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process. It has 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz. The memory operates at 2500 MHz with a 20 Gbps effective rate.

The GPU’s performance in Doom is directly tied to its memory subsystem. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at most settings, but at 4K Ultra, the demand for texture storage and frame buffer space likely exceeds what is available, causing performance to drop to 43 FPS. The 128-bit memory bus is a limiting factor as well, as the 320.0 GB/s bandwidth is not enough to sustain high frame rates at 4K. The FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS and the pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s are moderate, but they are overshadowed by the memory constraints.

The RTX 5050’s benchmark scores provide context for its capabilities. Its PassMark G3D score is 17326, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2502. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 90334 and Vulkan score of 89381 indicate solid compute performance. However, its percentile rank of 66 among all GPUs shows that it is not a top-tier card. The nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (deltaPct 1.6%), are within a small margin, confirming that the RTX 5050 is a mid-range performer. In Doom, this translates to a card that can handle 1080p with ease but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 202, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: At what resolution and settings does the combo first drop below 60 FPS average?

A: The system falls below 60 FPS average at 3840x2160 with the High preset, which produces 52 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, which produces 43 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, which is 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713) and 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153).

Q: What is the CPU’s percentile ranking among all tested CPUs?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44573.

Q: Does the combo rank higher in CPU or GPU performance relative to other components?

A: The CPU ranks higher, at the 89th percentile, while the GPU ranks lower, at the 66th percentile. This suggests the GPU is the limiting factor for overall gaming performance.

Q: What is the frame rate range for the Medium preset at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 has an average FPS of 114, with a minimum of 97 and a maximum of 131.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset is viable with an average of 122 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset offers 149 FPS, providing a smoother experience for competitive play without a significant visual downgrade. The Low preset’s 202 FPS is excessive for most monitors, but it ensures the absolute highest frame rates possible.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it delivers 96 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides good visual quality. The Medium preset, at 114 FPS, is also a strong option for those prioritizing frame rate over detail. The Ultra preset at 79 FPS is playable but may exhibit occasional dips, while the Low preset at 131 FPS is the best for high refresh rate 1440p monitors.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that only the Low preset, with 71 FPS average, provides a consistently playable experience above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 62 FPS is close to the threshold but has a minimum of 52 FPS, which could cause noticeable stutters. The High and Ultra presets, at 52 and 43 FPS respectively, are not recommended for 4K gaming. The best experience at 4K is achieved with the Low preset, which balances frame rate and playability, though visual fidelity is significantly reduced. For most users, the system is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p with High or Ultra settings, where the combo demonstrates its strengths.