Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 presents a striking contrast in eras—a modern 5nm Zen 4 processor driving a 14nm Polaris GPU from 2017. In Doom, this pairing yields surprisingly playable results across the board, though the data clearly delineates where the bottleneck lies. The combination ranks 1022nd out of 3712 tested combos for this title, placing it comfortably in the upper third of all tested systems. This guide breaks down how the resolution, CPU, and GPU each contribute to the final frame rates, and what settings you should actually use.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates fall, but the drops are not uniform across all settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 291 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 200 FPS—a 31% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 118 FPS, which is another 41% drop from 1440p. This steep decline at higher resolutions indicates that the RX 580 is being pushed to its limits, and the CPU's immense headroom is being left untapped.

The scaling pattern changes when you look at higher presets. At Ultra settings, the 1080p average is 183 FPS, dropping to 126 FPS at 1440p (a 31% decrease) and then to 74 FPS at 4K (a 41% decrease from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Ultra presets is telling—it suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is the primary limiter once you move past 1080p. The CPU is not the constraining factor here; if it were, we would see the frame rate gap between 1080p and 4K narrow significantly.

The 4K results are the most informative for understanding the system's balance. At 4K Low, the system manages 118 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 74 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 44 FPS, whereas at 1080p the delta between Low and Ultra is 108 FPS. This compression of the settings spread at 4K confirms that the GPU is saturated; it simply cannot render more frames regardless of how much load is taken off it. For a 4K display, this combo is best suited to Medium or High settings, where it can maintain 101 and 87 FPS respectively, provided you are willing to accept the occasional dip below 60 FPS in demanding scenes.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 7700X is a formidable processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 4 architecture. It operates at a base clock of 4.50 GHz and boosts up to 5.40 GHz. In the context of Doom, this CPU is drastically overqualified for the task. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 291 FPS, which is far beyond what the RX 580 can typically manage in most titles. This indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than it can render.

Looking at the CPU's synthetic benchmarks reinforces this point. The Ryzen 7 7700X scores 19,088 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,987 in single-core. Its Passmark single-thread score is 4,190, and it achieves 88,59 in 3DMark's 16-thread test. These scores place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35,909. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (0.3% ahead) and the Intel Core 7 250H (0.5% behind), showing it sits in a competitive performance tier.

For Doom, which is known for its excellent Vulkan and OpenGL optimization, the CPU's single-thread performance is crucial. The 5.40 GHz boost clock ensures that even the most demanding physics or AI calculations are handled without breaking a sweat. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is most stressed, the frame rate of 74 FPS is still high enough to suggest the CPU is never the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would see 1080p and 4K frame rates converge, but they remain distinct, confirming the GPU as the sole performance gate.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the clear limiting component in this pairing. This is a GCN 4.0 architecture GPU built on a 14nm process, featuring 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. It operates at a base clock of 1257 MHz with a boost clock of 1340 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p but becomes strained at 4K.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 12,928. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (0.1% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (0.4% ahead). This positioning confirms that the RX 580 is a mid-range performer by modern standards, and it is being paired with a CPU that sits in the top 15% of all processors.

The frame rate data illustrates the GPU's limitations clearly. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 248 FPS, with a minimum of 211 FPS and a maximum of 285 FPS. This is an excellent result, but it is the ceiling for this GPU at this resolution. When you move to 4K Medium, the average drops to 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS. The 86 FPS minimum at 4K Medium is notable—it shows that while the average is respectable, there are moments where the GPU's 32 ROPs and 256-bit memory bus are overwhelmed.

The GPU's texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s are sufficient for 1080p gaming but are stretched thin at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor in Doom, as the game is not particularly VRAM-hungry, but the raw compute power of 6.175 TFLOPS is what holds the system back at higher resolutions. The data suggests that this GPU is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates without being pushed to its breaking point.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on your target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p gamers, the system is a powerhouse. At High settings, it averages 215 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor. Even at Ultra settings, it maintains 183 FPS, so there is no reason to compromise on visual quality at this resolution. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 248 FPS, but the visual fidelity loss is unnecessary given the headroom.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. High settings yield 148 FPS, which is excellent for most 144Hz displays. Ultra settings drop to 126 FPS, which is still very playable, but the difference in visual quality between High and Ultra in Doom is often subtle, making High the better choice for maintaining a stable frame rate. If you have a 1440p 165Hz monitor, you might need to drop to Medium (171 FPS) to fully utilize it, but the visual compromise may not be worth it.

For 4K, the situation is more delicate. Ultra settings average 74 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced FPS action. High settings improve this to 87 FPS, providing a smoother experience. The sweet spot is Medium, which averages 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS. This setting offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for 4K. Low settings at 4K push the average to 118 FPS, but the graphical downgrade is significant, making it a less attractive option unless you are chasing every last frame.

The data indicates that the Medium preset is the most versatile choice for this combo. It delivers 248 FPS at 1080p, 171 FPS at 1440p, and 101 FPS at 4K. This consistency across resolutions makes it the safest recommendation for users who play at varying resolutions or who want a single setting that works everywhere. For those with high-refresh-rate 1080p displays, High or Ultra are also excellent choices, as they offer superior visuals without dropping below 183 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Ryzen 7 7700X and RX 580 ranks 1022nd out of 3712 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the 72nd percentile of all tested systems, which is a strong result given the age of the GPU. The ranking reflects the game's excellent optimization and the CPU's ability to compensate for the GPU's weaknesses.

To contextualize this ranking, consider the CPU's position relative to its rivals. The Ryzen 7 7700X has an average benchmark score of 35,909, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (35,802, 0.3% ahead) and the Intel Core 7 250H (35,728, 0.5% ahead). These CPUs are all in the same performance tier, so the ranking is primarily determined by the GPU.

The RX 580's average benchmark score of 12,928 places it in the 53rd percentile of GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, scores 12,986 (0.4% ahead). The fact that this combo ranks in the top 28% of all systems, despite having a GPU in the bottom half of the performance chart, speaks volumes about Doom's engine efficiency. The game scales well with CPU power, and the 7700X's strong single-thread performance ensures that the RX 580 is always fed with data, even if it cannot render the frames as fast as the CPU can prepare them.

The rank of 1022 indicates that there are many systems with more powerful GPUs that rank higher, but there are also many with weaker CPUs that rank lower. The data shows that this combo is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, and it is only at 4K where the GPU's age becomes a significant factor. If you are building a system with this combo, you are getting a CPU that will last for years and a GPU that is sufficient for current esports titles and older AAA games like Doom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table provides the exact measured frame rates for this combo across all tested resolutions and settings. All values are average FPS unless otherwise noted.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 291 FPS average
• Medium: 248 FPS average (min 211, max 285)
• High: 215 FPS average
• Ultra: 183 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 200 FPS average
• Medium: 171 FPS average (min 145, max 196)
• High: 148 FPS average
• Ultra: 126 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 118 FPS average
• Medium: 101 FPS average (min 86, max 116)
• High: 87 FPS average
• Ultra: 74 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra settings remains relatively constant at each resolution (108 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K). This narrowing gap is a direct result of the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to allow the GPU to stretch its legs fully, resulting in a wide spread between settings. At 4K, the GPU is so saturated that changing settings has a diminished impact on frame rate.

The minimum FPS values recorded for Medium settings provide insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 211 FPS, which is only 15% below the average, indicating smooth performance. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 145 FPS, a 15% drop from the average of 171. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 86 FPS, a 15% drop from the average of 101. This consistent 15% variance suggests that the frame times are stable and predictable, with no sudden spikes or drops that would indicate a CPU or driver issue. The system is delivering consistent performance across all resolutions, with the only variable being the overall level of performance.

For owners of 60Hz displays, every resolution and setting combination in this data set exceeds 60 FPS on average, making this combo viable for 4K gaming at High settings. For 144Hz displays, the system is capable at 1080p Ultra and 1440p High. For 240Hz esports displays, only 1080p Low and Medium settings will fully saturate the refresh rate, though High and Ultra still deliver competitive frame rates. The measured data confirms that this is a versatile combo that can adapt to a wide range of display configurations, with the primary compromise being visual quality at higher resolutions.