Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT delivers exceptional performance in Doom, achieving high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings. The data indicates that this combination ranks in the 69th percentile of all tested combos, making it a top-tier performer for this title. While the GPU is the primary driver of the impressive results, the CPU's six Zen 4 cores provide sufficient headroom to prevent bottlenecks, even at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 290 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combo in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 1158 out of 3712 tested combinations. This places it in the top 31% of all systems tested, indicating strong overall performance for this game.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its closest rival, the Ryzen 5 7500F?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005, which is 0.2% higher than the Ryzen 5 7500F's score of 24964. The performance difference is negligible, making them effectively equivalent in processing power.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable at 1080p with this setup?

A: The highest average FPS is 292, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This demonstrates the system's ability to push frame rates far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 resolution the combo averages 75 FPS on High settings and 62 FPS on Ultra settings. While the Ultra preset dips slightly below the 60 FPS threshold, the High preset provides a smooth 4K experience.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and how does it affect performance?

A: The Radeon RX 6800 XT features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. This large memory allocation is more than sufficient for Doom's requirements, preventing any VRAM-related performance limitations at any tested settings.

Q: How does the 8400F's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The CPU scores 2943 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 20851 in multi-core. The multi-core score is roughly 7 times higher, reflecting the benefit of its 6 cores and 12 threads, though Doom's engine primarily relies on fewer, faster threads.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the frame rates observed in Doom. The GPU's high boost clock of 2250 MHz and game clock of 2015 MHz allow it to process the game's geometry and effects rapidly. With a base clock of 1825 MHz, the card maintains substantial throughput even under sustained load. The GPU's 4608 shading units provide immense parallel processing power, which is critical for handling the game's lighting and particle effects at high resolutions.

The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory is another key factor. At 3840x2160 Ultra settings, the game demands significant memory bandwidth, and the 512.0 GB/s provided by the 256-bit bus ensures that textures stream without stuttering. This is evidenced by the fact that performance scales predictably across settings; the drop from High (75 FPS) to Ultra (62 FPS) at 4K is a 17% reduction, while the jump from Low (102 FPS) to Medium (89 FPS) is a 13% difference. The GPU's 72 ray accelerators also contribute to the overall feature set, though Doom primarily relies on traditional rasterization.

The GPU's 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a strong indicator of its raw compute capability. This power translates directly into the high frame rates seen at 1440p, where the card averages 139 FPS on High settings. The data shows that the RX 6800 XT is not the limiting factor until the Ultra preset and 4K resolution combine to create a more demanding workload. The GPU's 85th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its position as a high-end part capable of delivering a premium experience in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 3712 tested combinations, this CPU and GPU pairing achieves a rank of 1158. This percentile placement of roughly 69% means that it outperforms more than two-thirds of all other systems tested in Doom. This is a strong result, particularly considering the CPU is not a flagship model. The ranking indicates that the combination strikes an excellent balance; the GPU is powerful enough to drive high frame rates, and the CPU is fast enough to keep up.

The ranking is somewhat influenced by the GPU's performance tier. The RX 6800 XT's average benchmark score of 48477 places it in the 85th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64. The GPU is 3% behind the RTX 5070 Ti and 3% behind the RX Vega 64 in average score, yet its performance in Doom is still exceptional. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs further supports the notion that this is a well-matched pair.

The data suggests that while the combo rank is high, it is not at the absolute top. Systems with more powerful GPUs, such as those in the 95th percentile, would likely achieve higher frame rates at 4K Ultra. However, for the vast majority of gaming scenarios, this rank represents a very capable machine. The 1158 rank confirms the fact that high-refresh-rate 1440p and smooth 4K gaming are well within reach for this specific configuration.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080 resolution, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice. The system averages 176 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of most high-end monitors. Dropping to High settings provides a 22% performance increase to 215 FPS, but the visual fidelity loss is not worth it when the Ultra preset already delivers such high frame rates. The Medium preset at 254 FPS and Low preset at 292 FPS are excessive for any standard display.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset remains viable with an average of 114 FPS. This is sufficient for 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitors. The High preset offers a significant boost to 139 FPS, which is ideal for 144 Hz displays. Given the minimal visual difference between High and Ultra, the High preset provides the best balance of image quality and performance for competitive play, while Ultra is recommended for immersive single-player experiences.

For 3840x2160, the High preset is the optimal choice. It delivers an average of 75 FPS, which is smooth for 60 Hz 4K displays and provides headroom for occasional drops. The Ultra preset drops to 62 FPS, which is playable but close to the edge of the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 89 FPS is also a good option if you prefer a higher frame rate buffer, but High offers the best visual quality without compromising the 60 FPS target. The Low preset at 102 FPS is not recommended as it significantly reduces visual quality for a marginal frame rate gain.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance scales as follows: Low settings produce an average of 292 FPS, Medium settings produce 254 FPS with a minimum of 216 FPS and a maximum of 292 FPS, High settings produce 215 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 176 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 116 FPS, representing a 40% reduction in performance for the highest visual fidelity. This resolution is clearly CPU-limited, as the frame rates are extremely high across all presets.

At 2560x1440, the results are: Low settings average 189 FPS, Medium settings average 165 FPS with a minimum of 140 FPS and a maximum of 189 FPS, High settings average 139 FPS, and Ultra settings average 114 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 40% drop, mirroring the 1080p pattern. The minimum FPS of 140 on Medium is still very high, indicating consistent frame delivery without significant stutters.

At 3840x2160, the performance is as follows: Low settings average 102 FPS, Medium settings average 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS, High settings average 75 FPS, and Ultra settings average 62 FPS. This resolution shows the greatest impact of settings changes, with a 39% reduction from Low to Ultra. The Ultra preset's 62 FPS average is the only result that dips below the 60 FPS mark, suggesting that this is the boundary of the GPU's capability at 4K with maximum settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F plays a supporting but crucial role in this combo. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, it provides a solid foundation for Doom's engine. The CPU's boost clock of 4.70 GHz is particularly important for gaming, as the game's main thread relies on high single-core performance. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2943 demonstrates this capability, which is essential for maintaining high frame rates at lower resolutions.

The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for the game's data-heavy workloads. The 4 nm process node and 65 W TDP indicate an efficient design that does not generate excessive heat, allowing the CPU to sustain its boost clocks during long gaming sessions. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s via DDR5 support ensures that data can flow to the GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

The benchmark results show that the 8400F's average score of 25005 is virtually identical to its nearest rival, the Ryzen 5 7500F, differing by only 0.2%. This near-parity suggests that the 8400F is not holding back the RX 6800 XT in this title. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking versus all CPUs indicates it is a mid-to-high-tier processor, and the data from Doom confirms that it can keep up with the GPU's output. At 1080p, where CPU load is highest, the system still achieves 292 FPS on Low settings, proving that the CPU is more than adequate for this game. The single-thread score of 951 in 3DMark further reinforces that the CPU's per-core performance is sufficient to avoid limiting the frame rates in Doom.