Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 produces a highly resolution-dependent experience in Doom. At 1080p, the combination delivers playable frame rates across all settings, but the transition to higher resolutions quickly exposes the GPU's limitations. The measured data provides a clear picture of a system where the graphics card is the primary bottleneck in most scenarios, with the CPU's headroom becoming evident only at lower resolutions and settings.

Settings Recommendations

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear hierarchy across the four quality presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 92 FPS, which is the highest measured result for this combination. Medium follows at 80 FPS, High at 68 FPS, and Ultra drops to 55 FPS. The scaling between Low and Medium is a 12 FPS reduction, while the step from Medium to High costs another 12 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 13 FPS, indicating that each tier imposes a similar performance penalty at this resolution.

For players prioritizing smoothness, the Low preset at 1080p offers the best margin above typical 60 FPS thresholds. However, the Medium preset at 80 FPS still provides substantial headroom and likely delivers a noticeably better visual experience for a 12 FPS cost. The High preset at 68 FPS remains viable for those who want improved fidelity, but it sits closer to the edge of comfortable play. The Ultra preset at 55 FPS falls below the 60 FPS mark, making it a less ideal choice for fast-paced combat scenarios where frame consistency matters.

At 2560x1440, the situation changes. Low produces 59 FPS, which is right at the edge of smooth play, while Medium drops to 52 FPS. High falls to 44 FPS, and Ultra reaches only 36 FPS. The measured minimum and maximum values for Medium at this resolution are 44 and 60 FPS, respectively, showing significant frame time variance. This data suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo, with only the Low preset approaching a consistently playable experience.

At 3840x2160, all presets fall below acceptable playability. Low averages 32 FPS, Medium 28 FPS, High 24 FPS, and Ultra 19 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 32 FPS, indicating severe frame pacing issues. None of these results support a playable experience at 4K.

The optimal experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1920x1080. It provides 80 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while offering better visual quality than Low. The High preset at 68 FPS is a secondary option for those willing to trade some smoothness for higher fidelity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the defining component in this pairing. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1485 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz, with memory running at 2001 MHz (8 Gbps effective). These specifications place the card in the 40th percentile of all GPUs according to the benchmark database.

The GPU's VRAM capacity appears to be a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 19, which is the lowest measured result in the entire dataset. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a steady decline from 32 to 19 FPS, suggesting that the card's compute resources and memory bandwidth are both strained.

The GTX 1650's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon HD 8850M, which scores 0.3% higher, and the Intel UHD Graphics 750, which scores 0.4% higher. The Intel Arc A310 scores 1% higher, while the AMD Radeon R7 350 scores 0.6% lower. These deltas are all within 1%, indicating that the GTX 1650 sits in a tightly contested performance tier.

The GPU's compute capabilities are reflected in its benchmark scores: a Passmark G3D score of 7880 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 3048. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 33042 and OpenCL score of 29629 provide additional context for its compute throughput. These numbers are consistent with a card that can handle 1080p gaming but struggles when pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 92 at 1080p to 59 at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and further to 32 at 4K (a 65% reduction from 1080p). At Medium settings, the progression is 80 to 52 to 28 FPS. High settings show 68 to 44 to 24 FPS, and Ultra shows 55 to 36 to 19 FPS.

The scaling pattern indicates that the GTX 1650 is the limiting component across all resolutions. The consistent percentage drops between resolutions align with the increase in pixel count, which is the classic signature of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, which is not the case here.

The 1080p to 1440p transition costs roughly 26-36% of performance depending on the preset. The 1440p to 4K transition costs an additional 43-47% of the 1440p value. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading capacity are increasingly saturated as resolution rises.

At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to allow the GPU to reach its maximum output. The 92 FPS at Low settings likely represents near-peak performance for this GPU in Doom. As resolution increases, the GPU's pixel processing rate becomes the dominant constraint, and the CPU's role diminishes.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the only resolution where all presets achieve at least 55 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset reaches 59 FPS, while all other presets fall below 52 FPS. 3840x2160 is not playable at any setting.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU scores 0.3% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 8850M, 0.4% lower than the Intel UHD Graphics 750, and 1% lower than the Intel Arc A310. It scores 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon R7 350. All deltas are within 1%, placing the GTX 1650 in a very competitive tier.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 3700X holding back the GTX 1650?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck at most resolutions. The 1080p results show significant headroom, with the CPU capable of supporting higher frame rates than the GPU can deliver. The CPU only becomes a potential factor if the GPU were upgraded.

Q: What is the Ultra preset performance at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 36 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold and would likely result in a suboptimal experience for a fast-paced FPS. The Low preset at 59 FPS is the only 1440p option approaching acceptable smoothness.

Q: How much VRAM does the GTX 1650 have and does it matter?

A: The GPU has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory. The sharp performance decline at 4K, particularly the 19 FPS average at Ultra settings, suggests that both memory capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for high-resolution gaming.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 3585 out of 3712 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the bottom 3.4% of all tested systems for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 combination ranks 3585 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This places the system in the lowest percentile of tested configurations, indicating that it is a below-average performer for this specific game. The rank reflects the comprehensive performance data, which shows playability only at 1080p.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's position in the market. The GTX 1650 sits in the 40th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all within 1% of its average benchmark score. This competitive tier does not include high-end cards, which dominate the top ranks of the combo list.

The CPU, by contrast, is a much stronger component. The Ryzen 7 3700X sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34260. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (0.1% higher), AMD EPYC 4244P (0.1% higher), Intel Core i5-13450HX (0.2% lower), and Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (0.5% higher). The CPU's strength does not compensate for the GPU's limitations in Doom.

The rank of 3585 out of 3712 means that only 127 tested combinations perform worse in this game. This places the system in a very select group of low-performing configurations, primarily driven by the GPU's inability to handle higher resolutions. The 1080p results are respectable, but the overall ranking is dragged down by the poor 1440p and 4K performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a Zen 2 (Matisse) processor with 8 cores and 16 threads. It operates at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide ample resources for gaming workloads.

In this game, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows that the system is GPU-bound at all settings and resolutions. The 1080p results, which range from 55 to 92 FPS, demonstrate that the CPU can feed the GPU effectively at these frame rates. The fact that FPS scales consistently with resolution changes confirms that the CPU is not the limiting factor.

The CPU's benchmark scores support this interpretation. The Passmark Multithread score of 22458 and Cinebench R15 Multi-Core score of 2092 indicate strong multi-threaded performance. The Passmark Single-Thread score of 2656 and Cinebench R15 Single-Core score of 204 suggest adequate per-core performance for gaming.

The CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all processors means it is a strong performer in the broader market. However, in this specific configuration, its capabilities are largely underutilized because the GTX 1650 cannot translate the CPU's headroom into higher frame rates. The CPU would likely perform better with a more powerful GPU, but the data for this combo shows the GPU as the clear bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for this combo in Doom is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 92 FPS average
• Medium: 80 FPS average, with a minimum of 68 and maximum of 92
• High: 68 FPS average
• Ultra: 55 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 59 FPS average
• Medium: 52 FPS average, with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 60
• High: 44 FPS average
• Ultra: 36 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 32 FPS average
• Medium: 28 FPS average, with a minimum of 24 and maximum of 32
• High: 24 FPS average
• Ultra: 19 FPS average

The 1080p results show a smooth progression from Low to Ultra, with each preset tier costing approximately 12-13 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 68 FPS and maximum of 92 FPS indicate that frame times are relatively stable, with the average sitting near the midpoint.

At 1440p, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset at 59 FPS is the only result above 55 FPS, and the Medium preset's range of 44 to 60 FPS shows substantial variance. The High and Ultra presets fall to 44 and 36 FPS, respectively, which would be noticeable in fast-paced gameplay.

The 4K results are uniformly poor. The Medium preset's minimum of 24 FPS and maximum of 32 FPS illustrate the extreme frame time fluctuations at this resolution. The Ultra preset at 19 FPS is the worst measured result, making 4K gaming with this combo impractical.

The data clearly shows that 1080p is the only viable resolution for this hardware combination in Doom. The Medium preset at 1080p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with 80 FPS average and a minimum of 68 FPS. The High preset at 68 FPS is a reasonable alternative for those seeking higher fidelity, while the Low preset at 92 FPS provides the maximum frame rate headroom.