Doom

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process at TSMC. It carries a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The chip supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 CPU lanes. Its 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a flexible desktop part, and it launched with an MSRP of $359.

Benchmark results place this CPU in the 86th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 37,943. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Intel Core i9-14901E scores 37,911 (0.1% ahead), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores 37,904 (0.1% ahead), the Intel Core 5 211E scores 37,829 (0.3% behind), and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 scores 37,804 (0.4% behind). This indicates the 9700X is essentially tied with its closest competition in synthetic workloads, offering no meaningful advantage or deficit in raw compute.

For Doom, a 2016 FPS, the CPU's performance profile matters primarily at high frame rates where the render thread can become a bottleneck. The single-thread score of 1,280 in 3DMark and 2,211 in Cinebench R23 single-core demonstrate strong per-core performance, which is critical for maintaining high FPS in fast-paced shooters. The multi-threaded score of 9,824 in 3DMark 16-thread and 20,485 in Cinebench R23 multi-core show that the 8-core/16-thread configuration provides ample headroom for background tasks, but Doom's engine does not heavily scale beyond a few cores.

The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 264 FPS average, which is the highest measured value across all rows. This suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates. However, the gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 105 FPS (from 264 down to 159), indicating that the GPU becomes more limiting as settings increase. The CPU's 86th percentile ranking and tight rivalry with the i9-14901E (0.1% delta) suggest that swapping to a similarly performing CPU would yield negligible FPS differences in this game.

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

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings preset for this CPU-GPU combination. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 56, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced shooter. The 4K High preset delivers 68 FPS average, which is playable but not without occasional dips. The 4K Medium preset offers 81 FPS average with a minimum of 69 FPS, making it the best choice for 4K if you prioritize consistent frame pacing over visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the situation improves significantly. The Ultra preset averages 103 FPS, which is smooth for most monitors, but the High preset jumps to 126 FPS and the Medium preset reaches 149 FPS with a minimum of 127 FPS. The Low preset hits 171 FPS, but the visual degradation from Low settings is substantial in a game like Doom where lighting and shadows contribute heavily to atmosphere. The 1440p High preset at 126 FPS strikes the best balance between visual quality and performance, offering a 22% improvement over Ultra while maintaining a clearly superior image compared to Medium.

At 1080p, all presets are playable, but the differences are stark. Low averages 264 FPS, Medium averages 230 FPS (minimum 196), High averages 194 FPS, and Ultra averages 159 FPS. For competitive play, the Medium preset at 230 FPS provides a massive headroom over 144 Hz displays, while High at 194 FPS still exceeds 165 Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at 159 FPS is the only one that falls below 160 FPS, making it less ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

The data strongly indicates that the Medium preset is the sweet spot across all resolutions. At 4K, Medium maintains a 69 FPS minimum, which is acceptable. At 1440p, Medium delivers a 127 FPS minimum, which is excellent. At 1080p, Medium achieves a 196 FPS minimum, which is outstanding. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p where 159 FPS is still smooth, but the 22% FPS drop from High to Ultra at 4K (68 to 56) and the 18% drop at 1440p (126 to 103) make it a poor trade for the marginal visual gains.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 194 at 1080p to 126 at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and then to 68 at 4K (a 46% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline with resolution is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario, where the Radeon RX 7700 XT's rendering throughput becomes the primary constraint.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more dramatic: 264 FPS at 1080p drops to 171 FPS at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and then to 93 FPS at 4K (a 46% reduction from 1440p). The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical between Low and High settings suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor even at low settings, because the GPU still scales down proportionally with pixel count.

The Medium settings row includes minimum FPS values, which provide additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 196 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the minimum is 127 FPS; and at 4K Medium, the minimum is 69 FPS. The minimum FPS scales roughly with the average, indicating that frame pacing remains consistent across resolutions rather than exhibiting CPU-related stutters at high frame rates.

Comparing the 1080p to 4K drop at each setting reveals a consistent pattern: Low drops from 264 to 93 (a 65% reduction), Medium drops from 230 to 81 (a 65% reduction), High drops from 194 to 68 (a 65% reduction), and Ultra drops from 159 to 56 (a 65% reduction). This uniform 65% reduction across all settings strongly indicates that the GPU is the sole limiting component, as a CPU bottleneck would manifest as a smaller percentage drop at higher resolutions where the CPU workload per frame remains constant.

The RX 7700 XT's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth provides sufficient memory bandwidth for 4K textures, as evidenced by the fact that the FPS scaling remains linear rather than collapsing at 4K due to memory pressure. The GPU's 67th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average score of 22,549, places it close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (22,435, 0.5% ahead) and RTX 4060 Mobile (22,729, 0.8% behind), but the data shows that this GPU is clearly the bottleneck in Doom at all resolutions above 1080p Low.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 264, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the maximum across all measured rows, and it indicates that the combo can drive very high frame rates at 1080p when visual settings are reduced.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Doom at playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at reduced settings. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 81 with a minimum of 69, which is playable. At 4K High, the average drops to 68 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 7700 XT scores 22,549 on average, which puts it 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (22,435) and 1.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (22,170). It trails the RTX 4060 Mobile by 0.8% (22,729) and the RTX 2080 by 1.5% (22,895). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 159 at 1080p to 103 at 1440p and then to 56 at 4K. This represents a 65% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is consistent across all settings and indicates that the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700X significantly faster than its nearest CPU rival?

A: No. The Ryzen 7 9700X scores 37,943 on average, which is only 0.1% behind the Intel Core i9-14901E (37,911) and 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37,904). The largest delta among its nearest rivals is 0.4% (vs. the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 at 37,804), meaning these CPUs are effectively performance equals.

Q: Does the Medium preset provide a consistent frame rate at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 149 with a minimum of 127 and a maximum of 171. The 22 FPS gap between minimum and average suggests smooth frame pacing, making this preset ideal for 144 Hz monitors.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture (Navi 32 chip) using a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1435 MHz, a game clock of 2171 MHz, and a boost clock of 2544 MHz, with memory running at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). It contains 3,456 shading units, 216 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 54 ray tracing cores, delivering 35.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores place it in the 67th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 22,549. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (22,435, 0.5% ahead), RTX 4060 Mobile (22,729, 0.8% behind), RTX 2080 (22,895, 1.5% behind), and AMD Radeon RX 5700 (22,170, 1.7% ahead). These tight deltas indicate that the RX 7700 XT is a mid-range performer whose real-world gaming results depend heavily on the specific title and settings.

In Doom, the GPU's role is clearly dominant across all measured configurations. The 65% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at every settings tier is direct evidence that the GPU's rendering throughput is the bottleneck. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's texture requirements, as evidenced by the linear FPS scaling rather than a sudden collapse at 4K that would indicate memory capacity or bandwidth constraints. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth provides ample data throughput for the game's assets.

The GPU's clock behavior is also relevant. The boost clock of 2544 MHz and game clock of 2171 MHz indicate that the card sustains high frequencies under load, which is consistent with the strong performance at 1080p Low (264 FPS). The 245 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest adequate cooling for sustained gaming sessions, which is important for maintaining consistent frame rates over time.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks all fall within 1.7% of its score, yet the measured FPS in Doom could vary based on driver optimization and game-specific features. The RX 7700 XT's 54 ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are not heavily utilized by Doom, which is a 2016 title that primarily relies on traditional rasterization. This explains why the GPU's synthetic compute scores, which include ray tracing workloads, may not perfectly predict its performance in this specific game.

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

The measured FPS data covers four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) across three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160). The table below presents the exact average FPS for each combination, with minimum and maximum values where available.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: Average 264 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: Average 230 FPS, minimum 196 FPS, maximum 265 FPS
• High: Average 194 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: Average 159 FPS (no min/max recorded)

The 1080p data shows a clear progression: Low to Medium drops by 34 FPS (13%), Medium to High drops by 36 FPS (16%), and High to Ultra drops by 35 FPS (18%). The Medium preset's minimum of 196 FPS indicates that even at its lowest point, the frame rate remains well above 144 Hz, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440:

• Low: Average 171 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: Average 149 FPS, minimum 127 FPS, maximum 171 FPS
• High: Average 126 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: Average 103 FPS (no min/max recorded)

The 1440p data follows a similar pattern: Low to Medium drops by 22 FPS (13%), Medium to High drops by 23 FPS (15%), and High to Ultra drops by 23 FPS (18%). The Medium preset's minimum of 127 FPS is still above 120 Hz, making it suitable for 144 Hz displays with slight headroom. The Ultra preset at 103 FPS is the lowest comfortable option for 144 Hz gaming.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: Average 93 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: Average 81 FPS, minimum 69 FPS, maximum 93 FPS
• High: Average 68 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: Average 56 FPS (no min/max recorded)

The 4K data shows the most constrained performance: Low to Medium drops by 12 FPS (13%), Medium to High drops by 13 FPS (16%), and High to Ultra drops by 12 FPS (18%). The Medium preset's minimum of 69 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold, while the Ultra preset at 56 FPS falls below it. The Low preset at 93 FPS is the only 4K configuration that provides comfortable headroom for 60 Hz displays.

Across all resolutions, the percentage drop from Low to Medium, Medium to High, and High to Ultra remains remarkably consistent at approximately 13%, 16%, and 18% respectively. This uniformity indicates that the settings presets scale predictably in this game, and the GPU's performance curve is smooth without any unexpected bottlenecks or frame drops. The combo's overall rank in Doom is 1,396 out of 3,712 tested combinations, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all CPU-GPU pairings for this game.