Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a stark study in hardware imbalance within the 2016 title Doom. The data shows a CPU with substantial multi-threaded headroom, but the measured frame rates reveal a system consistently constrained by its graphics solution. This analysis examines the measured FPS rows to determine where the bottleneck lies and what settings offer the most viable experience.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a Zen 4 (Raphael) architecture processor built on a 5 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 4.50 GHz, which can boost up to 5.40 GHz. This is a desktop-class chip with a 105 W TDP, and its benchmark scores place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance. For a title like Doom, which is known to be well-optimized and not exceptionally demanding on core counts, this processor provides a massive foundation of computational power.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are evident in its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19088 and its Passmark multithread score of 35686. However, the game's frame rates do not scale with this level of CPU performance. The limiting factor is not the processor's ability to feed the game logic or render draw calls. Instead, the data suggests the Ryzen 7 7700X is far ahead of what the graphics pipeline can utilize. In this context, the CPU's role is purely preparatory; it is never the bottleneck. The measured FPS numbers, such as 107 FPS at 1080p Low, are more indicative of what the GPU can handle. This is a classic case where the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are effectively waiting on the GPU to catch up. The single-thread performance is also strong, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1090, ensuring that even the primary game thread is not a limiting factor. The data implies that the Ryzen 7 7700X is operating well within its comfort zone, providing a stable platform that will not cause hitches or stutters due to CPU overload.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Given the constraints of the Intel Arc B390, the settings must be chosen to prioritize frame pacing and playability over visual fidelity. The measured data provides a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves an average of 107 FPS, while Medium drops to 93 FPS. High yields 78 FPS, and Ultra falls to 64 FPS. The step from Medium to High is a 15 FPS loss, which is significant, but the jump from High to Ultra is another 14 FPS loss. The most efficient balance at this resolution appears to be the Medium preset. It maintains an average above 90 FPS, which is a good target for a fast-paced FPS, while offering a substantial visual upgrade over Low. The data shows a 29 FPS difference between Low and Medium, but the quality gain is typically worth that performance cost.

At 1440p, the choice becomes more constricted. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, which is the minimum threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset drops to 51 FPS, which may introduce noticeable stutter on a standard 60 Hz display. Low is the only preset that provides a significant margin above 60 FPS, hitting 69 FPS. For a consistent experience at this resolution, the Low preset is the safest recommendation, as it offers a 9 FPS advantage over Medium. The Ultra preset at 41 FPS is not recommended for active play. At 4K, all presets are below the 60 FPS threshold; the highest average is 37 FPS on Low. In this scenario, the user must decide between visual quality and frame rate, but none of the options provide a truly fluid experience. The data suggests that 1080p Medium is the sweet spot for this hardware combo, providing the best frame rate-to-fidelity ratio among the measured rows.

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

The performance scaling across resolutions is a textbook illustration of a GPU-bound scenario. Starting with the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 107 at 1080p to 69 at 1440p, a reduction of 38 FPS (or about 35%). Moving to 4K, the average plummets to 37 FPS, which is a further 32 FPS drop (or about 46%). This pattern of significant FPS loss with each resolution increase confirms that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary constraint. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not increase proportionally with pixel count. Instead, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being saturated.

The same trend is visible on the Medium preset. The average FPS goes from 93 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p, and then to 33 at 4K. The relative performance loss is consistent, indicating a linear scaling of GPU workload. The Ultra preset follows a similar trajectory, moving from 64 to 41 to 22 FPS. The data is clear: the Ryzen 7 7700X is capable of supplying frames much faster than the Arc B390 can render them. The 4K results, which hover in the 20-30 FPS range for most presets, are particularly telling. These numbers are simply too low for a playable experience, and they highlight that this GPU is not designed for high-resolution gaming. The scaling behavior points directly to the GPU as the bottleneck, with the CPU having ample headroom to spare.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and Intel Arc B390 ranks at 2580 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the bottom 12% of all systems tested, which is a low ranking that aligns with the GPU's individual performance percentile. The Intel Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that it is a very low-performing part. This ranking is not a reflection of the CPU, but rather a signal of how heavily the GPU drags down the system's overall gaming capability.

The combo's rank of 2580 is a direct result of the GPU's limitations. The data shows that even with a top-tier CPU, the system cannot overcome the graphics card's low performance. This is an important insight for understanding system bottlenecks. The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals are small, with the closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, being 1.3% behind. This suggests the Arc B390 is in a performance tier with very old or low-end graphics solutions. The combo rank demonstrates that in a game like Doom, the CPU has almost no influence on the final frame rate once the GPU is this weak. The system is effectively a high-end CPU paired with a low-end GPU, resulting in a gaming experience that is entirely constrained by the latter.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and is part of the Arc Graphics-M (Panther Lake) generation. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's DDR5 RAM, and its bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent." This is a critical specification that directly impacts performance. The GPU's fill rate and texture rate are 60.00 GPixel/s and 120.0 GTexel/s, respectively, and it has 1536 shading units.

The low performance in Doom can be attributed to several factors. First, the shared memory architecture means the GPU is competing with the CPU for memory bandwidth. The Ryzen 7 7700X has a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, but the GPU's actual usable bandwidth is dependent on the system, and the overhead of sharing this resource can reduce effective performance. Second, the GPU's raw compute power is very low, with an FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS. This is insufficient for the demands of a modern 3D engine, even one from 2016. The data shows that the GPU is the sole bottleneck, and its specifications support this conclusion. The fact that it is an IGP with a 80 W TDP and no dedicated VRAM means it is fundamentally not designed for high-end gaming. The measured FPS numbers, such as 28 FPS at 4K High, are consistent with a part that has a very low pixel rate and limited memory resources.

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

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset.

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 107 FPS average.
• Medium: 93 FPS average (min 79, max 107).
• High: 78 FPS average.
• Ultra: 64 FPS average.

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 69 FPS average.
• Medium: 60 FPS average (min 51, max 69).
• High: 51 FPS average.
• Ultra: 41 FPS average.

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 37 FPS average.
• Medium: 33 FPS average (min 28, max 37).
• High: 28 FPS average.
• Ultra: 22 FPS average.

The data reveals a consistent pattern. At 1080p, the system is barely playable on Low and Medium, with High and Ultra becoming progressively less smooth. At 1440p, only Low manages to stay above the 60 FPS mark, while Medium is exactly at 60 FPS. All presets at 4K are below 40 FPS, confirming that this resolution is not viable for this combo. The min/max FPS data for the Medium preset at each resolution also shows a narrow range (e.g., 79-107 at 1080p), which indicates a lack of severe frame spikes, but the overall average is still too low for a high-refresh-rate experience. The numbers paint a clear picture of a system that is best suited for 1080p gaming with lower settings.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this CPU and GPU combo?*

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the only resolution where playable frame rates are achievable. At 1080p, the Low and Medium presets average 107 and 93 FPS, respectively, which are suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset at 1440p?

A: No. The Ultra preset at 1440p only averages 41 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target for a smooth experience. This setting is not recommended for active play.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X or the Intel Arc B390 the limiting factor in this system?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases, which is a clear sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's benchmark scores are in the 85th percentile, indicating it has ample performance headroom.

*Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems in Doom?*

A: This combo ranks 2580 out of 2930 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 12% of systems. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's 9th percentile performance.

Q: Can I achieve a stable 60 FPS at 4K with any settings?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 4K is 37 FPS on the Low preset. All other presets are lower, with Ultra averaging only 22 FPS. 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware combination.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the Low and High presets at 1080p?

A: The Low preset averages 107 FPS, while the High preset averages 78 FPS. This is a 29 FPS difference, indicating a significant performance cost for the higher visual quality settings.