Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination delivers exceptional performance in Doom, placing in the 69th percentile of 3,712 tested hardware combos for this title. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rate gaming even at 4K, though the scaling patterns reveal a clear shift in bottleneck behavior across resolutions and settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results to determine where each component matters most and what settings provide the best experience.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (Raphael), built on TSMC's 5 nm process. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The processor features 32 MB of shared L3 cache, with 1 MB of L2 per core and 64 KB of L1 per core. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, delivering 83.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 7700 shows strong multi-threaded performance, scoring 18,760 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,047 in Cinebench R15 multi-core. Single-thread scores are equally robust: 1,930 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 308 in Cinebench R15 single-core. These results indicate that the processor has both the multi-core throughput and the single-thread responsiveness that a fast-paced FPS like Doom benefits from. The 3DMark results reinforce this, with a single-thread score of 1,049 and an 8-thread score of 6,933, showing that scaling up to eight cores is efficient, while the jump to 16 threads yields only a marginal gain (8,484 in 16-thread versus 8,479 max threads).

The Ryzen 7 7700 sits at the 87th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40,081. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 is 0.1% ahead, the Intel Core 5 221E is 0.2% behind, the AMD Ryzen 9 270 is 0.4% behind, and the Intel Core i9-13905H is 0.6% behind. This indicates the processor is competitively positioned, though not a top-tier outlier.

For Doom, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p with lower settings, where the GPU has less work per frame. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 425 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 273 FPS. The 152 FPS difference between these settings is driven by GPU load, but the fact that even Low settings exceed 400 FPS shows the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. The processor's high boost clock and solid single-thread performance are sufficient to feed the RTX 5090 at these frame rates.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU based on the GB202 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. It has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective).

The RTX 5090's compute specifications are substantial: 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. It has 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores. The GPU delivers 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s, which directly impacts fill-rate-bound scenarios. The texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s ensures that even at high resolutions with detailed textures, the GPU can sustain high throughput.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5090 scores 39,650 in Passmark G3D and 18,355 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its Vulkan score of 376,728 and OpenCL score of 334,370 in Geekbench indicate strong API-agnostic compute performance. The GPU sits at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,842. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% ahead), the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6% ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% ahead), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (1.4% behind). These are workstation or mobile parts, suggesting the RTX 5090's closest desktop competition lies beyond this immediate cluster.

For Doom, the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 96 FPS, while at 4K Low, it reaches 159 FPS. The 63 FPS gap between these settings is significant, but even the Ultra result exceeds 60 FPS, showing the RTX 5090 handles Doom's maximum settings at 4K. The 32 GB VRAM is far more than Doom requires, but the memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s is what enables the GPU to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals how performance scales across resolutions. At 1080p High, the system averages 334 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, it drops to 216 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 117 FPS, which is 65% lower than 1080p High. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 5090 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames at 1080p.

The Ultra settings show a similar trend. At 1080p Ultra, the system hits 273 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 177 FPS (35% lower), and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 96 FPS (65% lower than 1080p). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest the GPU is the bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, regardless of quality level.

Conversely, at 1080p, the CPU's role becomes more evident. The difference between 1080p Low (425 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (273 FPS) is 152 FPS, which is driven by GPU load, but the absolute numbers are so high that neither component is truly stressed. The fact that 1080p Low exceeds 400 FPS while 4K Low stays at 159 FPS reinforces that the GPU is the primary limiter as resolution increases. The CPU can sustain high frame rates, but the RTX 5090's workload grows disproportionately with pixel count.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 425 FPS average
• Medium: 396 FPS average, with a minimum of 336 FPS and a maximum of 455 FPS
• High: 334 FPS average
• Ultra: 273 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 294 FPS average
• Medium: 256 FPS average, with a minimum of 218 FPS and a maximum of 295 FPS
• High: 216 FPS average
• Ultra: 177 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 159 FPS average
• Medium: 139 FPS average, with a minimum of 118 FPS and a maximum of 160 FPS
• High: 117 FPS average
• Ultra: 96 FPS average

The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, providing a more complete picture of frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the system ranges from 336 to 455 FPS, a spread of 119 FPS, which is typical for a fast-paced shooter with varying scene complexity. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 218–295 FPS (77 FPS spread), and at 4K Medium, it narrows further to 118–160 FPS (42 FPS spread). This tightening of the frame time range at higher resolutions suggests the GPU becomes more consistently loaded, reducing CPU-induced frame spikes.

The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding configuration measured, averaging 96 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. This is still comfortably above 60 FPS, indicating the RTX 5090 can handle Doom's maximum settings at 4K with headroom for a high refresh rate monitor.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: Yes. The measured results show a 96 FPS average at 4K Ultra settings. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the system maintains this performance with the RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play?

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 425 FPS, which is the highest measured result. For maximum frame rates, 1080p Low is optimal, but 1440p Low at 294 FPS still provides an exceptionally smooth experience if you prefer higher resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, performance drops from 334 FPS at 1080p to 117 FPS at 4K, a 65% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 273 FPS at 1080p to 96 FPS at 4K, also a 65% reduction. This consistent scaling indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: At 1080p, the CPU and GPU are both capable of high frame rates, with the GPU becoming the primary limiter as resolution increases. At 4K, performance is clearly GPU-bound, as evidenced by the consistent percentage drops across settings when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Should I use the Medium preset for more stable frame times?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum FPS values. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 118 FPS, which is higher than the 4K Ultra average of 96 FPS. This suggests Medium provides more consistent frame pacing, though the average FPS is lower than Low but higher than High.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 79,842. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scores 0.3% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.1% ahead. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% behind. These are all workstation or mobile parts, not direct desktop gaming competitors.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the best settings for different priorities. For players targeting the highest possible frame rates, 1080p Low delivers 425 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play where response time matters more than visual fidelity. However, this sacrifices texture quality and effects that Doom's engine is known for.

For a balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset is a strong choice. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 396 FPS, which is only 29 FPS lower than Low but provides a significant visual upgrade. At 1440p Medium, the average is 256 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it reaches 139 FPS. The Medium preset also has recorded minimum FPS values (336 at 1080p, 218 at 1440p, 118 at 4K), indicating stable frame pacing.

The High preset offers a substantial visual improvement over Medium but at a measurable performance cost. At 1080p High, the system averages 334 FPS, which is still excellent, but at 4K High, it drops to 117 FPS. For most players, High at 1440p (216 FPS) represents the sweet spot between fidelity and speed, as it remains well above 144 Hz refresh rates.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with 273 FPS at 1080p, 177 FPS at 1440p, and 96 FPS at 4K. While 4K Ultra remains playable, the 96 FPS average leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. If you have a 120 Hz or higher 4K monitor, Medium or High at 4K (139 FPS and 117 FPS respectively) will provide a more consistent experience.

Given the combination's rank of 69 out of 3,712 combos, this system is positioned well above the median for Doom performance. The data suggests that High settings at 1440p is the recommended configuration, as it delivers 216 FPS — far exceeding typical 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor refresh rates — while maintaining the visual quality most players expect. For 4K displays, Medium at 139 FPS offers the best compromise, as it stays above 120 FPS while providing a more complete visual experience than Low.