Doom

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 2 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In Doom, a fast-paced FPS, the CPU's multi-threaded capability matters less than its ability to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data shows that at 1080p, where the GPU is less likely to be the sole bottleneck, the average FPS scales strongly with settings, reaching 276.8 FPS at Low. That number indicates the CPU can sustain very high frame rates without becoming a hard limiter in this title.

The Ryzen 7 3700X sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28631. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12600, which scores 28654 (a delta of -0.1%), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT at 28591 (a delta of 0.1%). These deltas are negligible, meaning the 3700X is effectively performance-equivalent to those parts in general compute. For Doom specifically, the 16 threads and 32 MB of L3 cache provide ample headroom for the game's engine, which is known for scaling across cores. The CPU's 65 W TDP suggests it runs cool, and the data indicates it does not become a limiting factor until frame rates approach the 200+ FPS range at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is a high-end graphics card from the RDNA 3.0 architecture, featuring 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1387 MHz, with a boost clock of 2394 MHz and a game clock of 2025 MHz. In Doom, the GPU is the dominant component at higher resolutions and settings. The measured FPS drops from 276.8 at 1080p Low to 119.6 at 4K Low, a 57% reduction, which shows the GPU's workload scaling with pixel count. At 4K Ultra, the card still manages 72.4 FPS, indicating it has enough raw compute to handle this older title at maximum settings.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 38358. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile (score 38349, delta 0%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (score 38135, delta 0.6%). These are mobile parts, so the desktop RX 7900 XT is effectively on par with them in synthetic tests, but in real gaming, its 20 GB VRAM and 800 GB/s bandwidth provide a clear advantage for high-resolution textures. The GPU's FP32 throughput of 51.48 TFLOPS is more than sufficient for Doom's Vulkan-based engine. The data confirms the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences across settings and resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows allow for a clear verdict on optimal settings. At 1080p, the difference between Low (276.8 FPS) and Medium (268 FPS) is only 8.8 FPS, while High (248.9 FPS) is still far above any refresh-rate threshold. Ultra drops to 203.4 FPS, which remains playable but offers diminishing returns. For 1080p users, High is the best balance, as it provides a significant visual uplift over Low with only a 10% frame rate penalty compared to Low.

At 1440p, High delivers 164.2 FPS, while Medium achieves 190.6 FPS. The gap between High and Medium is 26.4 FPS, suggesting that High settings impose a measurable cost. However, 164.2 FPS is still well above 144 Hz, making High the recommended preset for 1440p monitors. Ultra drops to 130.3 FPS, which is still fluid but not ideal for high-refresh displays. At 4K, the situation changes: High (85 FPS) is the only preset that keeps the average above 80 FPS, while Ultra (72.4 FPS) and Medium (103.3 FPS) bracket it. Given that 4K High is 17.5% faster than 4K Ultra, and the visual difference between High and Ultra in Doom is minor, High is the clear recommendation for 4K gameplay. Low settings at 4K (119.6 FPS) do not provide enough of a boost to justify the visual hit.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination—Ryzen 7 3700X paired with RX 7900 XT—ranks 400th out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 24% of all configurations. That rank is respectable, but it is not elite, which reflects the CPU's position as a mid-range part from 2019 paired with a high-end GPU from 2022. The data suggests the CPU holds the combo back in lower-resolution scenarios, where frame rates exceed 200 FPS and the GPU is not fully saturated. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 276.8 FPS, but a more modern CPU would likely push that number higher. However, at 4K, the rank improves in relative terms because the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the RX 7900 XT's strengths shine through.

The combo's rank of 400 out of 1681 is better than the CPU's percentile (85th) but worse than the GPU's percentile (82nd) would suggest, indicating a slight imbalance. In Doom, the GPU is the more critical component, so the combo ranks higher than the CPU's standalone position but not as high as the GPU's standalone position. This is typical for a pairing where the CPU is several generations older than the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and tells a clear story about the limiting component. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 248.9 at 1080p to 164.2 at 1440p (a 34% drop) and then to 85 at 4K (a 66% drop from 1080p). At Low settings, the drop is even more pronounced: 276.8 at 1080p, 218.3 at 1440p, and 119.6 at 4K—a 57% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, where the RX 7900 XT's 800 GB/s bandwidth and 20 GB VRAM are taxed by the increasing pixel load.

The fact that 1080p Low (276.8 FPS) is only 24% faster than 1080p Ultra (203.4 FPS) suggests that even at 1080p, the GPU is still a significant factor, but the CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2694) begins to matter at such high frame rates. The data indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the sole limiter, as the FPS differences between settings (72.4 to 119.6) are purely driven by GPU load. Conversely, at 1080p, the gap between Low and Medium is only 8.8 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 19.1 FPS, showing that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shader count are more impactful than the CPU at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is comprehensive across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers:

• Low: 276.8 FPS
• Medium: 268 FPS
• High: 248.9 FPS
• Ultra: 203.4 FPS

The spread from Low to Ultra is 73.4 FPS, which shows that the RX 7900 XT has enough headroom to handle the most demanding settings without falling below 200 FPS. At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: 218.3 FPS
• Medium: 190.6 FPS
• High: 164.2 FPS
• Ultra: 130.3 FPS

Here, the gap between Low and Ultra widens to 88 FPS, indicating that the GPU's workload is scaling with resolution. At 3840x2160, the numbers are:

• Low: 119.6 FPS
• Medium: 103.3 FPS
• High: 85 FPS
• Ultra: 72.4 FPS

The 4K results show a more linear decline across settings, with Ultra being only 39% of the Low performance. This breakdown confirms that the GPU is the primary scaling factor, and the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases. The data also shows that at any given resolution, the jump from High to Ultra is the most costly in terms of FPS, while the jump from Low to Medium is the least costly.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Doom at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes, the measured FPS at 3840x2160 High is 85 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At Ultra, it drops to 72.4 FPS, still playable but with a 17.5% performance penalty.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: The data shows High settings at 2560x1440 deliver 164.2 FPS, which is well above 144 Hz refresh rates. Medium achieves 190.6 FPS, but the visual uplift from Medium to High is worth the 26.4 FPS loss.

Q: How does the RX 7900 XT compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 38358, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile scores 38349 (a delta of 0%) and the RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135 (a delta of 0.6%). The RX 7900 XT is effectively tied with these parts in synthetic tests.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 3700X bottleneck the RX 7900 XT in Doom?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo hits 276.8 FPS, which suggests the CPU can keep up. However, the combo's rank of 400 out of 1681 indicates the CPU's older architecture limits peak frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios, but it is not a severe bottleneck.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 248.9, while at 4K High it is 85, a 66% reduction. This drop is attributed to the GPU's increased workload at higher resolutions.

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

A: The combo ranks 400th out of 1681 tested combos, placing it in the top 24% of all configurations. This is a strong result, though not top-tier, due to the CPU's mid-range status.