Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 presents a fascinating study in system bottlenecking within Doom. The data shows a classic case where a modern, high-end CPU is paired with an older, entry-level GPU, leading to performance characteristics that are almost entirely dictated by the graphics card. The 8-core, 16-thread Ryzen 7 9700X, based on the Zen 5 architecture, is a compute powerhouse, but the 4 GB RX 570, built on the older GCN 4.0 architecture, is the clear limiting factor in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is a textbook indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with High settings, the system delivers 68.2 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the frame rate to 45 FPS, a reduction of 23.2 FPS. The jump to 3840x2160 is even more punishing, with the average plummeting to 22.4 FPS. This linear degradation with pixel count is the signature of a graphics card that is saturated; the GPU's fillrate and memory bandwidth are being exhausted.

The data implies that the CPU is not the constraining factor at any resolution. If the processor were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a much smaller frame rate delta between 1080p and 1440p, as the GPU would have headroom to render more pixels. Instead, the 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p (from 68.2 to 45 FPS) and the subsequent 50% drop from 1440p to 4K (from 45 to 22.4 FPS) show that the RX 570 is working at its absolute limit. The scaling is harsh and consistent, suggesting that the game's engine is asking for more graphics throughput than the Polaris 20 chip can provide.

This pattern holds across all settings. At Low, the system achieves 93.7 FPS at 1080p, but this falls to 62.1 FPS at 1440p and 34.8 FPS at 4K. The fact that even the lowest settings can't maintain a high frame rate at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU's raw compute and memory subsystems are the primary hurdle. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs, is likely sitting idle waiting for the GPU to catch up, even at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate this combo can achieve in Doom?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 93.7, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K resolution with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the setup produces an average of 19.8 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth, playable performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a graphics-bound workload. The CPU, which ranks in the 89th percentile, has ample headroom.

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings yield 62.1 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 39 FPS, a difference of 23.1 FPS.

Q: Does the RX 570's 4 GB VRAM appear to be a limitation in this test?

A: At 4K resolution with High settings, the average FPS drops to 22.4. While not explicitly stated, the severe performance degradation at higher resolutions is consistent with the GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth being insufficient for the texture and geometry loads.

Q: How does the 1080p High setting compare to the 1440p Medium setting?

A: The 1080p High setting achieves 68.2 FPS, whereas 1440p Medium achieves 50.3 FPS, showing that the resolution increase is more taxing than the settings increase.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is the central character in this performance narrative. Its specifications paint a clear picture of its capabilities and limits. With 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, it offers a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. While this was respectable for its 2017 release, modern game engines like Doom's id Tech 6 can be demanding. The GPU's base clock of 1168 MHz and boost clock of 1244 MHz are relatively modest, and its 2048 shading units are tasked with all the geometry and pixel processing.

The measured results show that the GPU's performance ceiling is quickly hit. At 1080p, the RX 570 can push frame rates above 60 FPS, but only on Low and Medium settings. The jump to High settings brings the average down to 68.2 FPS, and Ultra drops it to 54.4 FPS. This indicates that the GPU's shader and texture units are the primary constraint. The 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is simply not enough to handle the game's visual effects at higher presets and resolutions.

The GPU's role as the bottleneck is further confirmed by its performance relative to its peers. The benchmark data shows it has an average score of 30158, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (deltaPct 0.2) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (deltaPct 0.2). This is a surprising result, as those are much newer and more powerful cards on paper. This suggests that the RX 570's drivers or architecture are being very efficient in this specific workload, or that the benchmark suite used for the average score is measuring something different than the game's requirements. Regardless, in Doom, the 4 GB memory capacity and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely the limiting factors at high resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience balances visual fidelity with a playable frame rate. For players targeting 1080p, the Medium preset at 82.8 FPS offers a significant improvement over High (68.2 FPS) with only a modest visual downgrade. The Low preset at 93.7 FPS is the only way to get close to 100 FPS, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for the small gain over Medium. The Ultra preset at 54.4 FPS is the least desirable, as it provides the highest visual quality but drops below the 60 FPS threshold that is often considered the target for a fast-paced FPS.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more challenging. The Medium preset at 50.3 FPS is the best compromise, as it offers a decent visual experience while staying above 50 FPS. The High preset at 45 FPS is also playable, but the Low preset at 62.1 FPS is the only one that guarantees a smooth 60 FPS experience. The Ultra preset at 39 FPS is not recommended, as it falls into a frame rate range that can feel sluggish in a game that demands quick reactions.

The 4K resolution is not viable for this combination. Even the Low preset at 34.8 FPS is below the standard for comfortable play, and the Ultra preset at 19.8 FPS is essentially a slideshow. The data suggests that this GPU is not equipped to handle the pixel count of 3840x2160 in Doom, regardless of settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a clear matrix of performance across resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. The Low preset achieves an average of 93.7 FPS. The Medium preset follows closely at 82.8 FPS. The High preset comes in at 68.2 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 54.4 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each step up in settings costs roughly 10-14 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a significant hit across the board. The Low preset records 62.1 FPS, which is still smooth. The Medium preset drops to 50.3 FPS. The High preset averages 45 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 39 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 23.1 FPS, showing that the settings have a large impact at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. The Low preset is the only one that manages to stay above 30 FPS, with an average of 34.8 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 29 FPS. The High preset falls to 22.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 19.8 FPS. The gap between the best and worst preset at 4K is only 15 FPS, showing that the GPU is so overwhelmed that settings changes have a diminished return.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an exceptionally powerful processor, and the data confirms that it is not the limiting factor in this game. With 8 cores and 16 threads, it has more than enough processing power for Doom's engine. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 31588 and a single-core score of 4459. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs further emphasizes its high-end status.

The fact that the FPS scales so dramatically with resolution is the key piece of evidence. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would be relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU's workload (physics, AI, game logic) remains constant. Instead, the FPS plummets as resolution increases, which proves that the GPU is the one doing all the heavy lifting. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 5.50 GHz boost clock, is likely waiting for the RX 570 to feed it frames.

The CPU's role is therefore one of a silent partner. It provides the platform for the GPU to work, but it never becomes a constraint. The benchmark data shows that the Ryzen 7 9700X is a top-tier part, and its performance in Doom is effectively masked by the GPU's limits. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more powerful graphics card would unlock significantly higher frame rates in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of benchmark results, this combination of components is positioned at the lower end of the spectrum for Doom. The combo ranks 1586 out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 6% of all systems. This ranking is a direct consequence of the RX 570's limitations, as the CPU is clearly a high-performing component.

The low rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capabilities, but rather the overall system's balance. The data shows that this is a mismatch of eras. The Ryzen 7 9700X is a 2024 processor with a 65 TDP and Zen 5 architecture, while the RX 570 is a 2017 GPU with a 150 W TDP and GCN 4.0 architecture. The performance of the system is held back by the older component, resulting in a rank that is far below what the CPU alone could achieve.

This pairing is a good example of how a system's performance is only as strong as its weakest link. The measured FPS data and the resulting rank of 1586 out of 1681 demonstrate that the RX 570 is a severe bottleneck. A user with this setup would see a massive improvement in Doom by upgrading the GPU, as the Ryzen 7 9700X has the headroom to support a much faster graphics card. The combo's low rank underscores the importance of balanced component selection.