Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Doom, a game from 2016 that remains a demanding benchmark for modern hardware. The data shows a combination capable of obliterating even the most demanding presets at high refresh rates, with the limiting factor shifting predictably from the GPU at 4K to the CPU at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions, settings, and component roles.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the transition from a CPU-bound scenario to a GPU-bound one. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 207.6 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 132.6 FPS, a reduction of 75 FPS, and then to 73.7 FPS at 4K, another 58.9 FPS drop. This steep decline as resolution increases is the classic signature of the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck.

At 1080p, the data suggests the CPU is doing the heavy lifting to keep up. The jump from High to Low settings at 1080p yields a massive increase from 207.6 FPS to 282.1 FPS. This 74.5 FPS gain indicates that reducing graphical load on the GPU allows the CPU to push even more frames, meaning the processor has headroom that is otherwise capped by the GPU's workload. The 5700X3D’s 8 cores and 16 threads are sufficient to feed the RX 7800 XT at this resolution, but the system is clearly not GPU-limited here.

The picture changes completely at 4K. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages 60.7 FPS, while dropping to Low settings raises the average to 99.9 FPS. The performance gap between presets is much smaller in absolute FPS terms than at 1080p, but the scaling is still present. This indicates that at 4K, the RX 7800 XT’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the determining factors, and the CPU’s role is diminished. The 39.2 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is entirely attributable to the GPU's workload, while at 1080p, the 112.8 FPS difference between the same settings shows a combination of both GPU and CPU headroom being exploited.

The 1440p results show a balanced middle ground. The 184.1 FPS at Low and 113 FPS at Ultra demonstrate that neither component is completely maxed out, but the GPU is starting to feel the pressure of higher pixel counts. This resolution offers the best of both worlds, providing a substantial boost over 4K while still allowing the CPU to contribute to high frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting the highest refresh rates, the data shows that even the most demanding preset is viable. At 1080p Ultra, the combo still delivers 169.3 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz threshold for most high-refresh monitors. There is no practical need to reduce settings at this resolution, as the performance headroom is immense.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset produces 113 FPS, which is still excellent for smooth gameplay but may not fully saturate a 144 Hz display. Dropping to High settings yields 132.6 FPS, a 19.6 FPS improvement, while Medium provides 160.3 FPS. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for 1440p, as it offers a significant frame rate boost over Ultra with likely minimal visual difference in a fast-paced game like Doom. The 19.6 FPS gain from Ultra to High is a worthwhile trade-off for competitive play.

The 4K experience is more demanding. The Ultra preset at 60.7 FPS is playable but leaves no headroom for dips. The High preset at 73.7 FPS is a more comfortable target for a 60 Hz display, providing a 13 FPS buffer. For players with high-refresh 4K monitors, the Medium preset at 89 FPS is the most balanced choice, offering a substantial improvement over High while still looking significantly better than Low. The Low preset at 99.9 FPS is a fallback for maximum frame rates, but the visual compromise is steep. The data indicates that High is the recommended preset for 4K, balancing visual fidelity with a stable frame rate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D is a Zen 3-based processor built on the 7 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.00 GHz with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. While these clock speeds are not industry-leading, the processor’s defining feature is its large 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is critical for gaming performance. This cache helps the CPU store more game data on-die, reducing the need to access slower system memory.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is most apparent at lower resolutions. The fact that the 1080p frame rates are so high, even with a powerful GPU like the RX 7800 XT, suggests that the 5700X3D is not a limiting factor. Its multithreaded capabilities, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22366, allow it to handle the game’s engine logic and draw calls efficiently. The single-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3157, is also sufficient to prevent bottlenecks in the game’s primary thread.

Benchmark results place this CPU in the 82nd percentile among all tested processors. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1360P, which scores a nearly identical average benchmark score with a deltaPct of 0.2%, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D, which is just 0.3% behind. This indicates that the 5700X3D’s performance is highly competitive, and in gaming workloads, the large cache gives it a specific advantage that synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture. The data shows that the CPU has ample headroom to support the GPU at 1080p, but its influence on the final frame rate diminishes as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 5700X3D and the RX 7800 XT ranks 614th out of 1681 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the top 36.5% of all configurations tested. While not a top-tier ranking, this position is strong considering the vast number of possible hardware pairings.

This ranking reflects a balance between the CPU and GPU. The CPU’s 82nd percentile standing and the GPU’s 76th percentile standing combine to produce a system that is well-matched for this game. The rank suggests that there are many other combinations that can achieve higher frame rates, likely featuring more powerful (and more expensive) components. However, this specific combo offers a level of performance that is significantly above the median, making it a capable choice for high-refresh-rate gaming.

The fact that the combo does not rank higher is more proof of the sheer number of high-end configurations that have been tested than a criticism of its performance. The measured frame rates, particularly at 1080p and 1440p, are excellent and would provide a superior gaming experience. The rank of 614 indicates that while there is faster hardware available, this pairing delivers a substantial level of performance that will not disappoint.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are crucial for high-resolution textures and demanding effects. The GPU’s boost clock is 2430 MHz, and it has a game clock of 2124 MHz.

The GPU’s role becomes dominant as resolution increases. At 4K, the frame rates are directly tied to the GPU’s ability to render pixels. The 73.7 FPS at High settings and 89 FPS at Medium settings show that the RX 7800 XT is a strong 4K performer, but not a class-leading one. The GPU’s 60 ray accelerators and 96 ROPs handle the game’s lighting and pixel output, while the 3840 shading units process the bulk of the work.

In terms of synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7800 XT scores 24176 in Passmark’s G3D test and 139381 in Geekbench’s OpenCL test. Its average benchmark score of 32619 places it in the 76th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro S9300 X2, which is 0.2% behind, and the NVIDIA P104-100, which is 0.4% ahead. These comparisons show that the RX 7800 XT is a solid performer, but it is the limiting factor in this combo at 4K. The data clearly shows that to achieve higher frame rates at 4K, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, as the CPU has proven it can deliver higher frame rates when the GPU workload is reduced.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Doom?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 282.1 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this combo capable of playing Doom at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 60.7 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which is playable but leaves little headroom for intense scenes.

Q: How much performance is gained by lowering settings from Ultra to High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, moving from Ultra to High increases the average frame rate from 113 FPS to 132.6 FPS, a gain of 19.6 FPS.

Q: Which component is more likely to limit performance at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is still the primary limiter at 1080p, as reducing settings from High to Low increases the frame rate from 207.6 FPS to 282.1 FPS, indicating the GPU is still working hard.

Q: How does the CPU's average benchmark score compare to its closest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D has an average benchmark score of 24673, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i7-1360P's score of 24627.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations in Doom?

A: This combo ranks 614th out of 1681 total tested combinations, placing it in the top 36.5% of all configurations.