Doom

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT places at rank 494 out of 1,681 tested combos in Doom. That puts this combination in the top 29% of all tested systems, a strong result for a game that scales well across both CPU and GPU resources. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where neither component becomes a consistent bottleneck across the tested resolutions, though the data reveals where each part pulls its weight differently.

This combo sits comfortably above the median tested configuration, and the measured frame rates confirm that the pairing is well-suited to Doom's id Tech engine. The RX 9070 XT's raw throughput drives most of the performance, while the 3700X's eight cores and sixteen threads provide enough headroom to avoid holding back the GPU at lower resolutions. The rank of 494 is not a top-tier position, but it is a respectable mid-upper placement that indicates this system will deliver smooth gameplay across most settings and resolutions.

# GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the dominant performance contributor in this pairing, and its specifications explain why. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1660 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2970 MHz, giving it substantial frequency headroom. Memory capacity is 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, with memory clocked at 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. That memory configuration is more than sufficient for Doom, a game from 2016 that does not demand excessive VRAM even at 4K Ultra settings.

The GPU's shading units number 4,096, with 256 texture mapping units and 128 render output units. Pixel rate is 380.2 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 760.3 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput is 48.66 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 97.32 TFLOPS (2:1). These figures translate directly into the measured frame rates: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 277.1 FPS average, and even at 4K Ultra, it maintains 68.7 FPS average. The GPU's 82nd percentile ranking versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39,647, places it well above typical hardware, and its nearest rivals (AMD Radeon Pro 575, NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile, AMD Radeon Pro 575X, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64) are all within 0.6% in average score, indicating tight competition at this performance tier.

# FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, at 4K High settings the combo delivers 78.5 FPS average, and at 4K Medium it reaches 97.6 FPS. Even at 4K Ultra, the average is 68.7 FPS, which remains playable for most users.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 3700X has an average benchmark score of 28,631, placing it within 0.2% of the AMD EPYC 7203P (28,583) and within 0.1% of the Intel Core i5-12600 (28,654) and Intel Core i5-12600H (28,666). The AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT scores 28,591, also 0.1% away.

Q: What is the best settings preset for maximum frame rate at 1080p?

A: The Low preset yields the highest average at 277.1 FPS, followed by Medium at 266.4 FPS and High at 230.9 FPS. Ultra drops to 185.9 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU bottleneck the CPU at any resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K, where frame rates drop from 277.1 FPS (1080p Low) to 107.1 FPS (4K Low). At 1080p, the CPU's eight cores keep pace well, as shown by the high frame rates.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 9070 XT's average benchmark score is 39,647. The AMD Radeon Pro 575 scores 39,703 (-0.1%), the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39,568 (+0.2%), the AMD Radeon Pro 575X scores 39,836 (-0.5%), and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 scores 39,879 (-0.6%).

Q: What is the CPU's single-threaded performance like?

A: The 3700X scores 2,694 in Cinebench R23 single-core, 1,131 in Cinebench R20 single-core, and 271 in Cinebench R15 single-core. These scores indicate adequate single-thread performance for Doom, which benefits from moderate CPU load.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 277.1 FPS, Medium averages 266.4 FPS, and High averages 230.9 FPS. Ultra is the most demanding, averaging 185.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 91.2 FPS, representing a 32.9% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but drops noticeably. Low averages 202.2 FPS, Medium averages 178.3 FPS, High averages 151.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 125.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 77.1 FPS, a 38.1% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to feel the load. Low averages 107.1 FPS, Medium averages 97.6 FPS, High averages 78.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 68.7 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 38.4 FPS, a 35.9% reduction. Notably, 4K Ultra still clears 60 FPS, which is a solid result for this demanding resolution.

# Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and expected pattern: frame rates decline as resolution increases, but the rate of decline varies by preset. From 1080p Low (277.1 FPS) to 1440p Low (202.2 FPS), the drop is 74.9 FPS, or 27.0%. From 1080p Low to 4K Low (107.1 FPS), the drop is 170.0 FPS, or 61.3%. This steep decline at 4K indicates the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

For the Ultra preset, the scaling is similar: 1080p Ultra (185.9 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (125.1 FPS) is a 60.8 FPS drop (32.7%), and to 4K Ultra (68.7 FPS) is a 117.2 FPS drop (63.0%). The consistent ~60% reduction from 1080p to 4K across presets suggests that the RX 9070 XT's compute and memory bandwidth are the binding constraints at 4K, rather than the CPU.

At 1080p, the CPU's role is more pronounced. The 3700X's eight cores and sixteen threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the high frame rates. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28,631, supports this interpretation.

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a Zen 2 architecture processor built on the 7 nm process, codenamed Matisse. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The L3 cache is 32 MB, with 64 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core. Memory support is DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU uses the AMD Socket AM4 and supports PCIe Gen 4 with 24 lanes.

In Doom, the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are relevant, though the game is not heavily threaded. The 3700X scores 19,087 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 8,016 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Its single-thread scores are 2,694 (R23) and 1,131 (R20). These figures indicate the CPU can handle the game's physics and AI calculations without bottlenecking the GPU, particularly at 1080p where frame rates exceed 230 FPS on High settings.

The CPU's nearest rivals are all within 0.2% in average benchmark score, showing that the 3700X is competitively positioned. The Intel Core i5-12600 scores 28,654 (-0.1%), the Intel Core i5-12600H scores 28,666 (-0.1%), the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT scores 28,591 (+0.1%), and the AMD EPYC 7203P scores 28,583 (+0.2%). This tight clustering suggests that any of these CPUs would perform similarly in Doom when paired with the same GPU.

# Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing maximum frame rate at 1080p, the Low preset is the clear choice, delivering 277.1 FPS average. This is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 266.4 FPS is nearly as fast and offers better visual fidelity, making it a strong alternative if the display supports it.

At 1440p, the High preset at 151.6 FPS provides an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, easily exceeding 144 Hz refresh rates. The Ultra preset at 125.1 FPS is also viable for 120 Hz displays. For those with 4K displays, the Medium preset at 97.6 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it clears 90 FPS and maintains smooth gameplay. The High preset at 78.5 FPS is acceptable for 60-75 Hz monitors, while Ultra at 68.7 FPS remains playable but is the most demanding option.

The data suggests that the Low preset offers diminishing returns in visual quality for the frame rate gains it provides, particularly at higher resolutions. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs only 10.7 FPS (from 277.1 to 266.4), while the jump from Medium to High costs 35.5 FPS. At 4K, the differences are smaller in absolute terms: Low to Medium costs 9.5 FPS, Medium to High costs 19.1 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 9.8 FPS. This makes Medium a compelling choice at 4K for users who want quality without sacrificing too much speed.