Doom

Doom, the 2016 reboot, remains a demanding benchmark even years after release, and this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT produces a wide spectrum of results depending on resolution and settings. The measured data shows a system capable of extremely high refresh rates at 1080p, but one that requires careful settings management to maintain smooth performance at 4K. The benchmark results indicate a configuration where the GPU is the primary scaling factor, with the CPU providing ample headroom across all tested configurations.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F serves as the computational backbone for this system, built on the Zen 5 architecture and codenamed Granite Ridge. This is an 8-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its 65W TDP and 4 nm process node from TSMC make it a highly efficient part, and the 32 MB of shared L3 cache helps feed the demanding physics and game logic of a fast-paced FPS like Doom. The processor communicates with the rest of the system over a Gen 5 PCIe interface with 24 lanes, ensuring no bandwidth bottleneck for the GPU.

In the context of Doom's performance, the CPU's role is largely to stay out of the way. The data shows that even at the lowest tested resolution of 1920x1080, where the GPU workload is lightest, the system achieves an average of 292 FPS on Low settings. This suggests the Ryzen 7 9700F is more than capable of keeping up with the Radeon RX 6800 XT's frame output. The processor's PassMark single-thread score of 4691 and multithread score of 36470 place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance that aligns well with the high frame rates observed.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 9700F's average benchmark score of 69996 is virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which scores 69875, a delta of just 0.2%. It also sits within a narrow margin of the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which scores 70163 (-0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which scores 69515 (+0.7%). These tight deltas indicate that the 9700F is operating at the very top tier of desktop processor performance, and its strong single-thread capabilities are particularly relevant for a game like Doom, which relies heavily on a few main threads for its simulation loop. The CPU's performance is not a limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the primary driver of visual performance in this configuration. This GPU, based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture and the Navi 21 chip, features 4608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 128 render output units. It is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 512.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The card's clocks are specified with a base of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, allowing it to deliver up to 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance.

The GPU's memory configuration is a key asset in Doom, particularly at higher resolutions. The 16 GB VRAM buffer ensures that texture data and geometry can be stored locally without stutter, which is reflected in the measured frames. The benchmark results show that the GPU is the dominant factor in frame rate scaling. At 3840x2160 (4K), the average FPS drops to 75 on High settings, compared to 139 at 2560x1440 and 215 at 1920x1080. This steep drop-off is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where the rendering workload at higher pixel counts exceeds the card's fill rate capabilities.

In terms of its overall standing, the RX 6800 XT's average benchmark score of 48477 places it in the 85th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals show a tight grouping: it is 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile (score 47743) and 2.5% behind the Intel Arc A550M (score 49737). More notably, it is 3% behind both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, which score 49957 and 50001 respectively. This data suggests that while the RX 6800 XT is a high-end part, it is not at the very top of the performance hierarchy, and its age is showing in the most demanding scenarios, such as 4K Ultra settings where it only manages 62 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent scaling pattern as resolution increases, which provides insight into the system's bottleneck characteristics. At 1920x1080, the system is heavily GPU-bound, but the GPU is powerful enough to deliver exceptionally high frame rates. On High settings, the average FPS is 215, and this jumps to 292 on Low settings. The gap between settings at this resolution is significant, showing that the GPU has enough headroom to be pushed harder by higher quality presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, there is a substantial drop in performance. The High preset average falls to 139 FPS, a decrease of 76 FPS from 1080p. The Low preset drops to 189 FPS. This 27% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 1440p is expected as the pixel count increases by roughly 78%, placing more strain on the GPU's pixel and texture processing units. The system remains highly playable, with even the Ultra preset achieving 114 FPS.

The transition to 3840x2160 (4K) is where the system begins to struggle to maintain very high refresh rates. The High preset average drops further to 75 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to just 62 FPS. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate from 1080p on High settings. The data clearly indicates that the RX 6800 XT is the limiting component at 4K, as the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the increased rendering workload. The CPU, which showed no signs of bottlenecking at lower resolutions, is not the primary constraint here. The scaling pattern across resolutions confirms that for this game, the GPU is the definitive performance arbiter.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this hardware for maximum frame rate?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates, with the Low preset achieving an average of 292 FPS and the High preset achieving 215 FPS. This resolution allows the system to fully exploit high refresh rate monitors.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, the system can handle 4K, but with compromises. At 3840x2160, the High preset delivers an average of 75 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers 62 FPS. These are playable, but they do not reach the very high refresh rates seen at lower resolutions.

Q: Which component is more important for performance in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's high benchmark scores and consistent performance across resolutions indicate it is not a bottleneck.

Q: How does the performance of the RX 6800 XT compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 6800 XT has an average benchmark score of 48477. It performs 1.5% better than the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile and 2.5% worse than the Intel Arc A550M. It is also 3% behind both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64.

Q: What is the FPS difference between the Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 189 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 114 FPS. This is a difference of 75 FPS, showing a significant performance cost for the highest visual quality settings.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700F a high-performing CPU compared to others?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 7 9700F is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 69996. It performs nearly identically to the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which is just 0.2% faster, and the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which is 0.2% faster.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for different priorities. For players seeking the absolute highest frame rates, particularly for competitive play, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the clear choice, delivering an average of 292 FPS. However, this comes at a significant cost to visual fidelity. The High preset at 1080p offers a much better balance, with an average of 215 FPS, which is still well above the threshold for high refresh rate displays.

For those gaming at 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended sweet spot, providing an average of 139 FPS. This is a high frame rate that remains smooth on most displays. The Ultra preset at 1440p is also viable, with 114 FPS, but the 25 FPS drop from High may not be worth the marginal visual improvement for some players. The Medium preset at this resolution offers 165 FPS, which is excellent, but High is a better balance of quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. The High preset, with an average of 75 FPS, is the best option for a playable experience, as it stays above the 60 FPS mark. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS is borderline, and the Medium preset at 89 FPS is a strong alternative that provides a significant frame rate boost over High with only a slight reduction in visual quality. The data indicates that the Low preset at 4K, at 102 FPS, is not recommended as the visual degradation is likely too severe to justify the performance gain. The best overall experience for a balance of quality and performance is the High preset at 2560x1440, which offers a high frame rate without sacrificing too much visual detail.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for every combination of resolution and settings provided in the data.

1920x1080:

• Low: 292 FPS average.
• Medium: 254 FPS average, with a minimum of 216 FPS and a maximum of 292 FPS.
• High: 215 FPS average.
• Ultra: 176 FPS average.

2560x1440:

• Low: 189 FPS average.
• Medium: 165 FPS average, with a minimum of 140 FPS and a maximum of 189 FPS.
• High: 139 FPS average.
• Ultra: 114 FPS average.

3840x2160:

• Low: 102 FPS average.
• Medium: 89 FPS average, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS.
• High: 75 FPS average.
• Ultra: 62 FPS average.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings or resolution reduces the average frame rate by a predictable margin. The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data, showing a tight range that suggests stable frame pacing. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 116 FPS, while at 4K, the difference is 40 FPS, indicating that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached more quickly at higher resolutions. This system's overall rank in the database is 866 out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the top 30% of all tested hardware pairings for this game.