Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a narrow band of playable performance in Doom, with the data clearly indicating that the integrated graphics solution is the primary constraint across all tested configurations. The measured frames per second (FPS) reveal a system that can handle the game at lower resolutions and settings, but which rapidly falls behind as graphical demands increase.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K illustrates a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 96 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops the average to 62 FPS, a reduction of 34 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 at Low yields an average of 34 FPS, which is a 28 FPS drop from the 1440p result. This linear decline with increasing pixel count is the signature of a system where the rendering capacity of the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

The pattern holds across other settings. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 71 at 1080p to 46 at 1440p, and finally to 25 at 4K. The scaling is consistent: each step up in resolution halves the performance in some cases. For instance, the jump from 1440p High (46 FPS) to 4K High (25 FPS) is a 45.7% reduction. This consistent proportionality strongly suggests that the Ryzen 7 9700X has ample headroom, and the Arc B370's fillrate and shader processing are what determine the final frame rate.

The data shows that the system is not CPU-limited at any tested resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance gap between 1080p and 1440p, as the GPU would have less work to do at the lower resolution. Instead, the FPS scales almost inversely with the number of pixels, which is the expected behavior for a GPU that is saturated. The 4K Ultra result of 20 FPS is the extreme example of this trend, showing that the GPU simply cannot cope with the combined load of high resolution and maximum quality settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the most balanced experience for this hardware combination is found at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This configuration produces an average of 84 FPS, which is a significant improvement over the High preset’s 71 FPS. The Medium preset also provides a minimum FPS of 71, matching the average of the High preset, indicating a more stable frame delivery without the peak demand of higher quality effects.

For users seeking the highest frame rates, the 1080p Low preset is the only configuration that approaches the 100 FPS mark, averaging 96 FPS. However, the visual compromise is substantial, and the data suggests that the step from Low to Medium only costs 12 FPS (from 96 to 84), which is a reasonable trade-off for improved visual fidelity. The jump from Medium to High costs another 13 FPS, which is a steeper decline for diminishing returns.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset is the only viable option for smooth gameplay, averaging 62 FPS. Medium at 1440p drops to 54 FPS, which is playable but less comfortable, while High (46 FPS) and Ultra (37 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, none of the presets are suitable for consistent gameplay, with even the Low preset averaging only 34 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 20 FPS, is essentially a slideshow and should be avoided.

The recommendation is clear: to get the best experience per the measured rows, users should target 1080p with the Medium preset. This offers the best balance of frame rate and visual quality, staying well above the 60 FPS mark while avoiding the visual starkness of the Low preset. For 1440p, dropping to Low is necessary to maintain acceptable performance.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Doom?*

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 96, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: No. The only preset at 1440p that averages above 60 FPS is Low, which hits 62 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, while High and Ultra are lower.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700X the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: No, the data indicates a GPU bottleneck. The consistent FPS drops with each resolution increase suggest the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component, not the 8-core CPU.

Q: What is the worst performing setting combination recorded?

A: The lowest average FPS is 20, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset.

Q: How does the 1080p Ultra preset compare to the 1080p Medium preset?

A: The Ultra preset averages 58 FPS, which is 26 FPS lower than the Medium preset’s 84 FPS average. The Ultra preset also has no recorded minimum FPS, while Medium has a minimum of 71 FPS.

Q: Does the system support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes, the Intel Arc B370 GPU lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) as a supported API, which is relevant for modern game features.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Doom, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2696 out of 2930 total combos. This places it in the bottom 8 percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it is a low-performing configuration for this title. The rank reflects the significant limitations imposed by the GPU, which is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score.

The CPU itself is not the issue; the Ryzen 7 9700X sits in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. The disparity between the CPU’s high ranking and the combo’s low ranking highlights the severe bottleneck created by the integrated graphics unit. While the CPU is more than capable of feeding frames, the GPU cannot render them fast enough to produce a competitive result. The combo rank of 2696 is a direct consequence of the GPU’s low performance ceiling, which is confirmed by the measured FPS data showing sub-60 FPS averages at 1440p and above.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operations pipelines. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its performance metrics are modest: a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s, a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s, and a floating-point performance of 6.144 TFLOPS.

The GPU uses System Shared memory, meaning its performance is heavily dependent on the system's RAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which is a critical factor for a game like Doom that requires high memory throughput. The shared memory architecture is a likely contributor to the performance cliffs observed at higher resolutions, where memory bandwidth demands increase substantially.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B370 scores 1184 points. This places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 with a score of 1186 (0.2% faster) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with a score of 1190 (0.5% faster). This performance level is roughly equivalent to very old discrete graphics cards, which explains why it struggles to maintain high frame rates in Doom at resolutions above 1080p. The GPU’s 10 ray tracing cores are present, but their impact on standard rasterization performance in this game is negligible.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 96 FPS
• Medium: Average 84 FPS (min 71, max 96)
• High: Average 71 FPS
• Ultra: Average 58 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 62 FPS
• Medium: Average 54 FPS (min 46, max 62)
• High: Average 46 FPS
• Ultra: Average 37 FPS

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 34 FPS
• Medium: Average 29 FPS (min 25, max 34)
• High: Average 25 FPS
• Ultra: Average 20 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: for every resolution, the Low preset provides the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra in descending order. The spread between Low and Ultra is significant. At 1080p, the difference is 38 FPS (96 vs 58). At 1440p, it is 25 FPS (62 vs 37). At 4K, the spread narrows to 14 FPS (34 vs 20), as the GPU becomes the limiting factor regardless of settings. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, showing a range that mirrors the Low and High averages for each respective resolution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance, scoring 20,485 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 17,906 in Geekbench multicore. Its single-thread performance is also robust, with a Geekbench single-core score of 3,023 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,211. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 37,943, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i9-14901E (score 37,911, 0.1% slower) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (score 37,904, 0.1% slower).

The CPU’s high performance is evident, but it does not translate into high FPS in Doom due to the GPU bottleneck. The CPU is capable of far higher frame rates, as evidenced by its 3DMark 16-thread score of 9,824 and max-thread score of 9,771. The fact that the FPS does not scale with CPU performance confirms that the Ryzen 7 9700X is idle much of the time, waiting for the Intel Arc B370 to complete rendering tasks. The CPU’s role in this setup is to provide a stable platform, which it does admirably, but its potential is unrealized in this specific pairing.