Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, with the data revealing a clear shift in system bottleneck as resolution climbs. At 1080p, the combination achieves high frame rates that suggest the CPU is doing heavy lifting, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor. The measured FPS rows show a performance curve that is steep but predictable, offering a clear picture of where this combo excels and where it struggles.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS across resolutions tells a story of classic scaling behavior. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo produces 121 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same preset drops that to 78 FPS, a reduction of 43 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 at Ultra yields just 43 FPS, which is a 78 FPS drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that the RX 7600 XT’s rendering capabilities are being saturated as pixel count increases.

Analyzing the Low preset reveals the same trend with higher absolute numbers. The system outputs 202 FPS at 1080p Low, 130 FPS at 1440p Low, and 71 FPS at 4K Low. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 36%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 45%. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are increasingly strained at higher resolutions, even when graphical fidelity is minimized.

The data implies that at 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU’s single-thread performance and cache efficiency are likely contributing to the ceiling, but the GPU is still the primary driver of the final output. At 4K, however, the 43 FPS at Ultra and 71 FPS at Low demonstrate that the GPU is unquestionably the limiting component. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 28 FPS, which is smaller than the 81 FPS gap seen at 1080p, reinforcing that the GPU’s fill rate and shader throughput are the bottlenecks at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 33 chip. Its boost clock is listed at 2755 MHz, with a game clock of 2470 MHz. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is notable for a card in this class, as the capacity is generous, but the bus width limits the raw bandwidth available to the GPU cores.

In Doom, the GPU’s role is evident in the scaling between settings. At 1080p Medium, the combo hits 176 FPS, while at 4K Medium it drops to 62 FPS. The 16 GB frame buffer is unlikely to be a limiting factor at these resolutions and settings, as the game’s texture requirements are likely well within that capacity. Instead, the 288.0 GB/s bandwidth and the 2048 shading units are the more probable constraints. The FP32 performance of 22.57 TFLOPS provides a theoretical ceiling, but the measured results indicate that the card is not sustaining its peak compute in this title at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s percentile ranking against all GPUs is 60, and its average benchmark score is 17083. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, has a score of 17208, a delta of -0.7%, meaning the RX 7600 XT is slightly behind. This context suggests that the card is a solid mid-range performer, and the Doom results align with that positioning. The 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action, indicating that the GPU’s raw compute is sufficient for entry-level 4K but not for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz, boosting up to 5.50 GHz. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache is a key feature for gaming, as it helps reduce memory latency. The CPU’s multi-threaded benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20485 and a single-core score of 2211, indicating robust per-thread performance.

In Doom, the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 202 FPS, which is a high frame rate that likely tests the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1280 and 2-thread score of 2525 suggest that the processor has ample headroom for single-threaded tasks common in game engines. The boost clock of 5.50 GHz is a critical asset here, as higher clocks directly translate to faster frame submission.

However, as resolution increases, the CPU’s influence wanes. The CPU’s percentile ranking against all CPUs is 86, placing it well above average. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14901E, has a near-identical average score of 37911 versus 37943, a delta of just 0.1%. This performance parity means that the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo; the GPU is the deciding factor for 4K performance. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 43 FPS, which is a GPU-bound scenario where the CPU is likely idling, waiting for the GPU to complete its work.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank in Doom is 2346 out of 3712 tested combinations. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems, which is a crucial context for interpreting the raw FPS numbers. While the frame rates at 1080p are high, the overall ranking suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings achieve better performance in this specific title.

The GPU’s nearest rival data shows the RTX 3070 is only 0.7% faster on average, yet the combo ranking implies that the CPU pairing can shift results. The CPU’s rank of 86th percentile is strong, but the GPU’s 60th percentile is more modest. This asymmetry suggests that the combo is held back by the GPU in most scenarios, particularly at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU can push the GPU to its limits, but the GPU’s ceiling is still lower than what higher-tier cards would offer. The rank of 2346 indicates that a significant number of combos deliver better performance, likely due to more powerful GPUs that can maintain higher frame rates at 1440p and 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a granular view of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 202 FPS average, with Medium at 176 FPS, High at 148 FPS, and Ultra at 121 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 202 FPS, indicating a consistent frame pacing with no severe dips. At 2560x1440, the results are 130 FPS for Low, 114 FPS for Medium, 96 FPS for High, and 78 FPS for Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution has a min of 97 FPS and max of 131 FPS, showing a tighter range relative to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low yields 71 FPS, Medium 62 FPS, High 52 FPS, and Ultra 43 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has a min of 52 FPS and max of 71 FPS, which is a wide 19 FPS spread, suggesting potential stutter in demanding scenes. The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings costs roughly 20-30 FPS at 1080p, but only 9-10 FPS at 4K. This indicates diminishing returns on visual quality versus frame rate at higher resolutions. The 1080p High result of 148 FPS is particularly noteworthy, as it provides a smooth experience for a fast-paced shooter, while 4K Ultra at 43 FPS is borderline for competitive play.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution. For 1080p users, the High preset at 148 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 121 FPS is also viable if maximum detail is preferred, but the 27 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the visual upgrade for all players. The Medium preset at 176 FPS is the best choice for those with high-refresh-rate monitors, as it provides near-competitive frame rates without sacrificing too much visual quality.

For 1440p, the High preset at 96 FPS is the sweet spot, delivering smooth gameplay with good detail. The Ultra preset at 78 FPS is playable, but the drop to below 80 FPS may be noticeable in fast-moving scenes. The Medium preset at 114 FPS is a strong alternative for those prioritizing frame rate. At 4K, the data suggests that the Low preset at 71 FPS is the only option that consistently exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for a playable experience. The Medium preset at 62 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets at 52 and 43 FPS respectively are not ideal for a game that demands quick reactions. The data indicates that players seeking 4K should either accept lower settings or consider a more powerful GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 delivers the highest frame rates, with the Ultra preset at 121 FPS and Low at 202 FPS. 2560x1440 is also viable, with High at 96 FPS, while 3840x2160 at Ultra drops to 43 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7600 XT compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 17083, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 scores 17208, a delta of -0.7%. This indicates the RX 7600 XT is slightly slower on average.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K in Doom?

A: The measured FPS at 4K, such as 43 FPS at Ultra, strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s high single-thread scores suggest it is not the constraint at this resolution.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 176 FPS, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 202 FPS, indicating a very smooth experience.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested combinations in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 2346 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier, likely due to the GPU’s mid-range performance relative to other cards.

Q: What is the CPU’s multi-core performance score?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X scores 20485 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 37161 in Passmark multithread, showing strong multi-threaded capabilities that are less relevant in this GPU-bound title at higher resolutions.