Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a Zen 4 desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, operating at a base clock of 4.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark profile shows a strong balance between single-thread and multi-thread performance, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1090 and a multi-thread score of 8852 at 16 threads. In Cinebench R23, it scores 4281 single-core and 30325 multi-core. This places the CPU in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34313. Its nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core i5-13500 (average score 34175, a 0.4% delta) and the Intel Core i7-12800HX (34136, 0.5% delta), showing that the 7700X is effectively tied with those parts. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is slightly ahead at 34584, representing a -0.8% delta from the 7700X’s perspective.

In Doom, this CPU’s capabilities are more than sufficient to feed the GPU. The game is an older title from 2016, and its engine does not heavily tax modern multi-core processors. The measured frame rates at 1080p, where the CPU has the most influence, reach up to 262.1 FPS on Low settings. Even at Ultra settings at 1080p, the average frame rate is 155.5 FPS. These numbers indicate that the 7700X provides ample headroom; the bottleneck at lower resolutions is unlikely to be the processor. The 16 threads help ensure that background tasks or API overhead do not cause frame hitches, but the raw data suggests that the GPU will be the primary determinant of performance in most scenarios.

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

The Ryzen 7 7700X’s 8 cores and 16 threads, combined with a 5.40 GHz boost clock, deliver exceptional single-thread throughput, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1090 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4281. For a game like Doom, which launched in 2016 and was designed for the hardware of that era, these figures are far beyond what is necessary to maintain high frame rates. The CPU’s performance in multi-threaded tests, such as the PassMark multithread score of 35686, shows that even when the game engine scales across cores, the 7700X has substantial headroom.

When examining the measured FPS data, the CPU’s role becomes clearer when looking at the scaling from 1440p to 1080p at High settings. The average FPS jumps from 124.8 at 1440p to 187.9 at 1080p, indicating that the GPU was the limiting factor at 1440p, and the CPU is capable of driving significantly higher frame rates. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 262.1 demonstrates that the CPU can push the game far beyond typical 60 Hz and 144 Hz display refresh rates. The 7700X’s position in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34313, confirms that it is a high-end part. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-13500, scores 34175, a mere 0.4% difference, meaning that in a CPU-bound scenario, these two processors would deliver nearly identical performance. However, Doom is rarely CPU-bound at the settings tested, so the differences between the 7700X and its rivals are unlikely to manifest in the average FPS figures.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip, featuring 5888 shading units and 96 ROPs. Its memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is 1725 MHz, and it delivers a pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s. These specifications place the RTX 3070 in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (average score 27985, a 0.9% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (27956, a 1% delta), indicating that the RTX 3070 is slightly ahead of those parts in raw compute.

In Doom, the GPU’s role is dominant across most of the measured configurations. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game, as the resolutions tested (up to 3840x2160) do not appear to exceed that capacity, given that frame rates remain playable. The RTX 3070’s performance scales predictably with resolution. At 1080p High, it averages 187.9 FPS, while at 1440p High, that drops to 124.8 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 66.8 FPS. This scaling shows the GPU is the primary limiter as resolution increases. The boost clock of 1725 MHz, combined with the high bandwidth, allows the RTX 3070 to handle the game’s demands, but the 4K Ultra setting, which averages 53 FPS, reveals the GPU’s limits. The data suggests that the RTX 3070 is a solid performer for 1440p gaming in Doom, but at 4K, the frame rates dip below the 60 FPS threshold on higher presets.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 262.1 at 1080p to 164.4 at 1440p (a 37.3% reduction) and then to 91 at 4K (a 44.6% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline indicates that the RTX 3070’s fill rate and bandwidth are being taxed heavily at higher resolutions. At High settings, the drop is from 187.9 FPS at 1080p to 124.8 at 1440p (33.6% reduction) and 66.8 at 4K (46.5% reduction from 1440p). The proportional decrease from 1440p to 4K is larger than from 1080p to 1440p, showing that the GPU’s resources are becoming more strained as pixel count rises.

The pattern across all presets is the same: the RTX 3070 is the limiting component. The CPU’s performance, as measured by its 3DMark scores, does not change with resolution, so the FPS variation is entirely attributable to the GPU. At 1080p, the CPU is capable of delivering over 260 FPS on Low, which is far beyond most display capabilities. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 53 shows that the GPU cannot maintain a smooth experience at the highest settings. The data implies that for 4K gaming, the RTX 3070 requires reduced settings, while at 1440p, it offers a comfortable margin above 60 FPS on all presets except Ultra, which averages 104.2 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear, but rather exponential in terms of pixel count, and the FPS drops reflect that the GPU’s computational throughput is the primary bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this CPU and GPU combo in Doom?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 262.1 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This shows the CPU can push very high frame rates when the GPU load is minimal.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 7700X compare to its nearest CPU rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The 7700X has an average benchmark score of 34313, while the Intel Core i5-13500 scores 34175, a delta of 0.4%. This means the two are virtually identical in overall CPU performance.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 capable of running Doom at 4K Ultra settings smoothly?

A: No, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. Lowering to High settings raises this to 66.8 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all GPUs in the database?

A: The RTX 3070 is in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, scores 27985, a 0.9% difference.

Q: How much does the average FPS drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 124.8 at 2560x1440 to 66.8 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 46.5%. This indicates the GPU is heavily loaded at 4K.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU act as the limiting factor at 1080p resolution?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is still the limiting factor, as evidenced by the FPS drop from 262.1 on Low to 155.5 on Ultra. The CPU has ample headroom, as its single-thread score of 1090 in 3DMark suggests.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K gaming, High settings provide the best balance, with an average FPS of 66.8, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings at 4K drop to 53 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced play but is not ideal for a fast FPS. Medium settings at 4K offer 79.2 FPS, but the visual fidelity gain from High is likely worth the slight FPS reduction.

At 1440p, Ultra settings are the clear choice, as the average FPS of 104.2 is well above 60 FPS and provides the best visual quality. High settings deliver 124.8 FPS, which is beneficial for high-refresh-rate monitors, but Ultra’s 104.2 FPS is still smooth. The difference between Medium (148.7 FPS) and High (124.8 FPS) is significant, but both are playable. For 1080p, Ultra settings are recommended, as the average FPS of 155.5 exceeds most display refresh rates. The data shows that this CPU-GPU combo is capable of running Doom at maximum settings at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K users should stick to High or Medium presets to maintain fluid gameplay. The RTX 3070’s 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game’s demands at these resolutions, so there is no need to drop below High settings unless targeting 4K at higher frame rates.