Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 pairing presents a fascinating study in generational contrast within the 2016 classic Doom. The data reveals a system where a modern, efficient CPU meets an older, mid-range GPU, with the benchmark results clearly illustrating where the performance bottleneck lies across different resolutions and settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 4 architecture, using a 4 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, which provides substantial single-threaded headroom. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a single-thread score of 951 in 3dmark and 2943 in Cinebench R23, indicating strong per-core performance that is often critical for game logic and physics in fast-paced FPS titles like Doom.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20851 and a 3dmark max-thread score of 6165. This positions the 8400F in the 82nd percentile compared to all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25064. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X with an average score of 25057 (a 0% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F with a score of 24993 (a 0.3% delta). This means the 8400F is statistically on par with these alternatives, offering a solid foundation for gaming.

In the context of Doom, the high boost clock and modern architecture suggest that the CPU should rarely be the limiting factor, especially at lower resolutions. The game is known for its Vulkan API support, which can distribute workloads efficiently across threads. With 12 threads available, the 8400F has ample resources to handle the game's AI, physics, and rendering commands without becoming a bottleneck. The data implies that as resolution decreases, the CPU's role becomes more prominent, but its high-performance metrics indicate it can comfortably support high frame rates.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the older component in this pairing, built on the Pascal architecture with a 16 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1506 MHz, boosting to 1683 MHz, and it houses 1920 shading units. These specifications were once high-end but now place the GTX 1070 in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12331.

The GTX 1070's performance is closely matched by its nearest rivals: the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 has an average score of 12241 (a 0.7% delta), while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER scores 12504 (a -1.4% delta). This confirms the GTX 1070's position as a solid 1080p-class card that struggles with higher resolutions. In Doom, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures, but the raw compute power (6.463 TFLOPS FP32) becomes the primary constraint when pushing pixels at 1440p or 4K.

The benchmark results show that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck in this system. At 1080p, the GPU can deliver high frame rates, but at 4K, it falls below playable thresholds on higher settings. The GPU's texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s are adequate for 1080p but are overwhelmed by the 8.3 million pixels in a 4K frame. This dynamic is clearly visible in the measured FPS data, where the GPU's limits dictate performance scaling.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its closest rival, the Ryzen 7 2700X?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25064, while the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X scores 25057, resulting in a 0% delta. This indicates the two processors perform virtually identically in overall synthetic benchmarks, despite their architectural differences.

Q: What is the GTX 1070's performance percentile relative to all GPUs?

A: The GTX 1070 sits in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12331. This places it squarely in the mid-range tier, significantly below modern high-end cards but above entry-level options.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1440p in Doom?

A: Yes, on Medium and High settings, the combo achieves 89.5 and 78 FPS respectively at 2560x1440. However, on Ultra settings, the frame rate drops to 58.3 FPS, falling just short of a consistent 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 156.8 FPS, while Ultra drops to 92.3 FPS. This represents a 64.5 FPS difference, highlighting the significant impact of graphical settings on the GTX 1070.

Q: Where does this specific CPU-GPU combo rank among all tested combinations in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 1431 out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the database. This ranking reflects the GTX 1070's age and its struggle with higher resolutions in this title.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to limit performance in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter. At 4K, the frame rate drops to 39.1 FPS on High settings, while the CPU's strong single-thread scores suggest it has ample headroom to drive higher frame rates if the GPU could keep up.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1431 out of 1681 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the bottom 15% of all tested systems, which is a telling indicator of the GPU's age. While the CPU is a modern, capable processor sitting in the 82nd percentile, the GPU's 51st percentile performance drags the overall combo ranking down.

This ranking suggests that in a game like Doom, which can scale well with hardware but is demanding at higher resolutions, the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor. The CPU could easily support a more powerful GPU, as its benchmark scores indicate it would not bottleneck a significantly faster card. The data implies that users with this combo are experiencing a GPU-bound scenario in most situations, particularly at 1440p and above.

The delta between the combo's rank and what the CPU alone achieves (82nd percentile) is stark. It suggests a substantial imbalance in this pairing, where the processor's potential is largely untapped due to the graphics card's constraints. This is a classic case of an older GPU pairing with a newer CPU, resulting in a system that performs well at 1080p but falls off sharply at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals a clear GPU-bound pattern. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops significantly across all settings. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 113.8 FPS at 1080p to 78 FPS at 1440p, a 31.5% decrease, and then plummets to 39.1 FPS at 4K, a further 49.9% drop from the 1440p figure.

This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU that lacks the raw pixel-pushing power for 4K gaming. The GTX 1070's 256.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 6.463 TFLOPS of compute are insufficient for the 4K workload. In contrast, a CPU-bound scenario would show much smaller frame rate differences between resolutions, as the CPU's workload remains constant regardless of resolution.

At Low settings, the frame rate scales from 156.8 FPS at 1080p to 100.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 53.2 FPS at 4K. The 4K-to-1080p ratio is approximately 0.34, meaning the card loses about two-thirds of its performance when quadrupling the pixel count. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as its performance degrades proportionally with pixel count rather than plateauing due to CPU limitations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of this combo's performance across resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably. Low settings deliver 156.8 FPS, Medium achieves 138.8 FPS, High reaches 113.8 FPS, and Ultra still manages a smooth 92.3 FPS. All these figures are well above the 60 FPS threshold, and even the most demanding preset provides a highly playable experience. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this pairing.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance begins to show strain. Low settings still deliver 100.1 FPS, and Medium achieves 89.5 FPS, both excellent for 1440p gaming. High settings drop to 78 FPS, which is still playable, but Ultra falls to 58.3 FPS, just below the 60 FPS mark. This indicates that users seeking a locked 60 FPS at 1440p must sacrifice some graphical fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the GTX 1070 struggles significantly. Low settings yield 53.2 FPS, Medium drops to 45.4 FPS, High falls to 39.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 35.1 FPS. None of these settings provide a consistently smooth 60 FPS experience, and even the lowest settings fail to reach a solid 60 FPS mark. This resolution is not viable for competitive or smooth play with this combo.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution.

For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset at 92.3 FPS is the clear recommendation. This provides the best visual quality while maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS, ensuring a smooth and responsive experience in Doom's fast-paced combat. The High preset at 113.8 FPS is an alternative for users who prioritize higher frame rates over maximum visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 89.5 FPS offers the best balance between visual quality and performance. The High preset at 78 FPS is also acceptable, but the Ultra preset at 58.3 FPS should be avoided if a stable 60 FPS is desired. For users with 144Hz monitors, the Low preset at 100.1 FPS would be the best choice to maximize refresh rate utilization.

For 4K gaming, no preset provides a fully satisfactory experience. The Low preset at 53.2 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, but it still falls short of 60 FPS. Users with 4K displays should consider lowering the resolution or upgrading the GPU, as the data clearly shows this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in Doom. The Ultra preset at 35.1 FPS is not recommended, as the visual improvements do not justify the significant frame rate penalty.