Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and Radeon RX 5700 XT combination delivers a solid 1080p experience in Doom, with performance scaling predictably as resolution increases. The data shows a clear shift in system bottleneck from the CPU at lower resolutions to the GPU at 4K, which is typical for a fast-paced FPS from this era. This pairing sits at rank 1278 out of 1681 tested combos, indicating it is a mid-pack performer for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent and significant performance drop as resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 138.6 FPS at 1080p to 88.8 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of roughly 36%. Moving to 4K, the average plummets further to 50.5 FPS, which is about 64% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline is a clear indicator that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern across all settings presets reinforces this. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 4K is from 186.8 FPS down to 65.4 FPS. At Ultra, the 1080p average of 115.3 FPS falls to just 40.7 FPS at 4K. The consistent, dramatic reduction with each resolution step suggests that the RX 5700 XT's rendering throughput is being saturated, while the Ryzen 7 3700X has ample headroom to feed it frames at lower resolutions.

The data indicates that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, where the CPU can push frame rates high enough to fully utilize the GPU. At 1440p, the system still provides a very playable experience, but the GPU's workload increases noticeably. At 4K, the performance ceiling is reached, and the system struggles to maintain high refresh rates, making it suitable only for less demanding visual settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the decisive component in this system's gaming performance, particularly as resolution increases. It is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with a Navi 10 chip and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is rated at 1905 MHz, with a game clock of 1755 MHz, and it holds a 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

The GPU's compute power is substantial, with 2560 shading units and a FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS. This raw throughput directly translates to the frame rates seen in the measured data, especially at 1440p where the GPU is working hard but not yet overwhelmed. The 8 GB VRAM capacity appears sufficient for Doom at these settings, as no memory-related performance cliffs are evident in the scaling data.

Benchmark results show the RX 5700 XT's nearest rival is the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile, with the AMD card scoring a deltaPct of -0.1%, meaning it is essentially tied in average benchmark score. It also sits slightly ahead of the Intel Arc A350M by 0.3% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile by 0.6%. This places the GPU in a competitive position for its generation, though it is clearly not a top-tier performer by modern standards.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates across all settings. At High settings, the system achieves 138.6 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 2560x1440 resolution is also viable, with High settings yielding 88.8 FPS, but 4K results in a significant performance drop.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 3700X compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 3700X has an average benchmark score of 28631. Its closest competitor is the Intel Core i5-12600, which scores 28654, a deltaPct of -0.1%, meaning the AMD chip is essentially at parity. It is also within 0.2% of the AMD EPYC 7203P and 0.1% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT.

Q: Is the RX 5700 XT's VRAM sufficient for Doom at 4K?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory appears to be adequate. The performance drop from 1440p to 4K is consistent across settings, suggesting a compute or bandwidth limitation rather than a VRAM capacity issue, as frame rates do not show any anomalous crashes.

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

A: The difference is substantial. At Low settings, the system averages 186.8 FPS. Moving to Ultra settings, the average drops to 115.3 FPS. This represents a 62% performance advantage for Low settings over Ultra at 1080p, giving players a wide range of options for competitive play versus visual fidelity.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems for Doom?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is ranked 1278 out of 1681 tested combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum for this specific game, indicating that while it is capable, many other hardware pairings deliver higher frame rates.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The benchmark data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160. The frame rate drops dramatically from 1440p to 4K across all settings, while the CPU's strong multi-core performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19087) suggests it has the headroom to handle the game's logic at these resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent frame rates for all presets. The Low preset produces an average of 186.8 FPS, which is ideal for high refresh rate monitors. Medium settings average 163 FPS, High settings average 138.6 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset maintains a smooth 115.3 FPS average.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU's increasing load. The Low preset averages 121.4 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. Medium settings drop to 109.6 FPS, while High settings average 88.8 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 74.8 FPS, which is playable but begins to show the system's limits for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset averages 65.4 FPS, which is acceptable for a 60 Hz display. Medium settings drop to 58 FPS, and High settings average 50.5 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of just 40.7 FPS, which falls below the threshold for smooth 60 FPS gameplay and may require adaptive sync to feel playable.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X provides a robust foundation for this gaming system. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 2 architecture, it offers substantial multi-threaded capability. The CPU has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and its 65 W TDP indicates efficient power usage. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 19087 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2694 in single-core tests.

The CPU's role in Doom is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is not the limiting factor, as frame rates scale consistently with GPU load. The high multi-core score of 8016 in Cinebench R20 indicates that even the most demanding game scenarios are unlikely to stress the CPU fully, allowing it to maintain high frame rates without bottlenecking the RX 5700 XT.

The Ryzen 7 3700X's 32 MB of L3 cache is also beneficial for gaming, as it reduces memory latency and improves data access efficiency. The CPU's overall performance is comparable to the Intel Core i5-12600, with a deltaPct of only -0.1% in average benchmark scores. This parity suggests that system builders can expect similar CPU-bound performance from either processor in this game.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing high frame rates, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the clear choice, delivering an average of 186.8 FPS. This setting is ideal for competitive play on high refresh rate monitors. If visual quality is a concern, the Medium preset still provides excellent performance at 163 FPS, offering a good balance between image clarity and speed.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 109.6 FPS is the recommended starting point for a smooth experience. For those with 144 Hz monitors, the Low preset at 121.4 FPS is a better fit. The High preset at 88.8 FPS is also viable for gamers who prefer higher visual fidelity and are willing to accept a frame rate closer to 90 FPS. The Ultra preset at 74.8 FPS should be reserved for players who value graphics over frame rate.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only viable option for a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 65.4 FPS. The Medium preset at 58 FPS may be acceptable for some, but frame pacing could be an issue. The High and Ultra presets at 50.5 FPS and 40.7 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for fast-paced action, as they may feel sluggish and less responsive. Overall, the Medium preset at 1080p or the Low preset at 1440p offers the best balance of performance and visual quality for this hardware combination.