Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination delivers exceptional performance in Doom, ranking in the 1217th position out of 3712 tested combos, placing it comfortably in the top third of all configurations. The data shows a pairing that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but capable of extreme frame rates at 1080p, with the measured results indicating a system well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the 3000 series, built on the Zen 2 architecture (codename Matisse) using a 7 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This configuration provides substantial multi-threaded headroom, but in Doom, the game's engine primarily leverages fewer cores, meaning the processor's strong single-thread performance is the more critical factor for achieving high frame rates.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence is most apparent when comparing performance across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system reaches 278 FPS average, while at 3840x2160 with Low settings, it drops to 102 FPS. This 176 FPS gap at identical settings demonstrates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, but the CPU must still be capable of feeding frames fast enough to avoid limiting performance at lower resolutions. The 3700X's 4.40 GHz boost clock and 32 MB of L3 cache are sufficient for this task, as evidenced by the 1080p results exceeding 200 FPS on all presets except Ultra.

The processor's benchmark scores place it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34260. It sits within 0.5% of rivals such as the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (34222, deltaPct +0.1), AMD EPYC 4244P (34220, deltaPct +0.1), and Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (34083, deltaPct +0.5), while being 0.2% behind the Intel Core i5-13450HX (34333). These near-identical scores confirm that the 3700X remains competitive in general processing tasks, though for Doom specifically, the game's optimization means the CPU is rarely the limiting factor outside of extreme frame rate scenarios.

The 65W TDP of the 3700X indicates efficient power delivery, which allows sustained boost clocks during extended gaming sessions. With 16 threads available, the processor can handle background tasks and game engine overhead simultaneously without introducing stutter. The data shows that at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system achieves 165 FPS average with a minimum of 140 FPS, suggesting that even in more demanding scenarios, the CPU maintains consistent frame pacing. While the 3700X is not the newest processor, its performance in Doom is more than adequate, with the measured results showing no signs of CPU-induced bottlenecks until frame rates approach the 300 FPS range.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 21 chip, containing 4608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 128 render output units. Its boost clock of 2250 MHz and game clock of 2015 MHz provide substantial compute throughput, with the FP32 performance rated at 20.74 TFLOPS.

In Doom, the GPU's role is clearly demonstrated by the scaling across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system produces 215 FPS average, which drops to 139 FPS at 2560x1440 and 75 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings, highlighting the GPU's workload increasing exponentially with pixel count. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for Doom, as the game's textures and geometry do not approach the memory limit even at 4K Ultra settings.

The GPU's benchmark performance places it in the 85th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48477. Compared to its nearest rivals, the RX 6800 XT is 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile (47743) and 2.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A550M (49737, deltaPct -2.5). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (49957, deltaPct -3) and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (50001, deltaPct -3) by 3% each. These scores indicate that the RX 6800 XT remains a high-performance GPU, though newer competition has emerged.

The measured FPS data reveals that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K resolution. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system produces only 62 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS threshold typically desired for smooth gameplay. However, at 2560x1440, the GPU delivers 114 FPS on Ultra and 189 FPS on Low, indicating that this resolution is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors. The 512.0 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and data transfer are not limiting factors, even with the high pixel throughput required at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom to maintain high frame rates?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 is the optimal resolution, with 189 FPS average on Low settings and 139 FPS on High, providing a balance between visual fidelity and performance. At 1920x1080, frame rates exceed 215 FPS on High, but the GPU is underutilized.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K resolution with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo produces 62 FPS average, which is below the 75 FPS achieved on High settings. This indicates that Ultra presets at 4K are playable but not ideal for competitive play.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at resolutions above 1080p. Evidence shows the frame rate drops from 278 FPS at 1080p Low to 102 FPS at 4K Low, a 176 FPS reduction that can only be attributed to GPU workload, as the CPU settings remain constant.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The measured data includes minimum FPS values only for Medium settings: 76 FPS at 3840x2160, 140 FPS at 2560x1440, and 216 FPS at 1920x1080. These values indicate consistent frame pacing without major drops.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1217th out of 3712 total tested combos, placing it in the top 33% of all systems. This ranking reflects its strong overall performance in Doom.

Q: Can this system handle high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data shows 278 FPS average on Low settings and 254 FPS on Medium at 1920x1080, which exceeds the refresh rates of most gaming monitors. Even on High settings, 215 FPS is achieved.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT ranks 1217th out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This position places the system in the 67th percentile, meaning it outperforms approximately two-thirds of all tested configurations. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where the GPU's high-end performance is complemented by a capable mid-range CPU.

Compared to other potential pairings, this combo's strength lies in its consistency across resolutions. While it does not achieve the top-tier frame rates of the highest-ranked systems, it delivers playable performance at all tested settings and resolutions. The 4K results, ranging from 62 FPS on Ultra to 102 FPS on Low, demonstrate that the system can handle 4K gaming without requiring significant settings compromises. At 2560x1440, the combo achieves 114 FPS on Ultra, which is competitive with many higher-ranked configurations.

The ranking is likely influenced by the CPU's 84th percentile performance and the GPU's 85th percentile performance, which together create a system that is neither severely CPU-limited nor GPU-limited at common gaming resolutions. The 0.1% deltaPct difference between the 3700X and its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, indicates that processor choice has minimal impact on this ranking. Instead, the GPU's 3% deficit to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 in benchmark scores is the more significant factor in the combo's position.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p gaming, the High preset provides 215 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for any current monitor. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 176 FPS, still well above the 144 Hz threshold, so players with high-refresh displays can opt for Ultra without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 139 FPS average, which is ideal for 144 Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at this resolution produces 114 FPS, still playable but with a noticeable reduction in performance. For competitive play, the Low preset at 1440p achieves 189 FPS, making it the best choice for maximizing frame rates. The Medium preset offers a balance at 165 FPS, providing better visual quality than Low while maintaining high performance.

For 4K gaming, the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering 75 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 62 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced gameplay but is not ideal for fast action. The Low preset at 4K yields 102 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is significant. The Medium preset at 4K provides 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS, making it a viable compromise for players seeking smoother performance than High while maintaining better visuals than Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low preset achieves 278 FPS average, followed by Medium at 254 FPS with a minimum of 216 FPS and maximum of 292 FPS. High settings produce 215 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 176 FPS. These results indicate that the combo is heavily GPU-bound at 1080p, with the CPU providing enough headroom to support frame rates near 300 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance scales predictably with settings. Low settings yield 189 FPS average, Medium produces 165 FPS with a minimum of 140 FPS and maximum of 189 FPS, High achieves 139 FPS, and Ultra delivers 114 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium (140 FPS) is close to the average FPS of High (139 FPS), suggesting that Medium settings provide more consistent frame pacing than High at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload increases substantially. Low settings produce 102 FPS average, Medium delivers 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and maximum of 103 FPS, High achieves 75 FPS, and Ultra drops to 62 FPS. The frame rate reduction from 1080p to 4K at the same settings is significant: Low drops from 278 to 102 FPS, Medium from 254 to 89 FPS, High from 215 to 75 FPS, and Ultra from 176 to 62 FPS. This demonstrates that 4K gaming requires either lower settings or acceptance of sub-100 FPS performance, while 1080p and 1440p offer high-refresh-rate experiences across all presets.