Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a highly specific performance profile in Doom, characterized by a stark contrast between a high-end CPU and a low-tier integrated GPU. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system where graphical fidelity is the primary bottleneck, while the processor’s capabilities remain largely untapped. This analysis examines the data to understand how this combination behaves, where its limits lie, and what users can expect from the benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and immediate, clearly identifying the Intel Arc B390 as the limiting component. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 78 FPS at 1920x1080 to 51 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 27 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average plummets to 28 FPS, which is a 64% decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is overwhelmed by the pixel count at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern across all settings confirms this trend. At Low settings, the system achieves 107 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 69 FPS at 1440p and further to 37 FPS at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 1440p is 38 FPS, while the delta between 1440p and 4K is 32 FPS. This indicates that the GPU’s rendering throughput is exhausted quickly as resolution increases, with the most significant absolute loss occurring when moving from Full HD to Quad HD.

At 4K, the frame rates are consistently below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset averages just 22 FPS, High averages 28 FPS, Medium averages 33 FPS, and even Low only manages 37 FPS. These numbers suggest that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Doom, regardless of settings adjustments. The data shows that the GPU’s fill rate and shading capabilities are insufficient for the demands of 2160p rendering.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p also reveals a significant performance cost. The High preset drops from 78 FPS to 51 FPS, which is a 34.6% reduction. This indicates that even a moderate increase in pixel count has a disproportionate impact on performance, further underscoring the GPU’s limited headroom. The CPU’s role in this scaling is minimal, as its 8 cores and 16 threads are not the constraining factor at these resolutions; the frame rate is dictated almost entirely by the Arc B390’s output.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal experience for this combination is found at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This configuration yields an average of 107 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for any setting or resolution. This provides a fluid and responsive experience that is suitable for a fast-paced FPS like Doom. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a slightly better visual quality with an average of 93 FPS, but the 14 FPS difference is notable and may be more significant in demanding scenes.

For users prioritizing visual fidelity over raw speed, the High preset at 1080p is a viable option, delivering an average of 78 FPS. This remains above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a good balance between image quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 1080p, however, drops to an average of 64 FPS. While this is still playable, the performance margin is thinner, and users may experience dips below 60 FPS in intense combat sequences.

At 2560x1440, the only setting that achieves an average above 60 FPS is Low, with 69 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution averages 60 FPS, which is borderline, while High drops to 51 FPS and Ultra to 41 FPS. For a smoother experience at 1440p, the Low preset is the recommended choice, as it provides the only comfortable margin above the playability threshold. The data indicates that 1440p is a compromise resolution for this combo, requiring lower settings to maintain acceptable performance.

The 4K resolution is not recommended for any setting, as the highest average frame rate recorded is 37 FPS at Low. All other presets at 4K fall below 33 FPS, which is generally considered too low for a responsive shooter. The benchmark results show that this combination is best suited for 1080p gaming, with the Low preset providing the best experience per the measured rows.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is a mobile integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and manufactured on a 3 nm process. Its performance in Doom is decisively modest, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 1482 in the 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 test is just 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710, according to the nearestRivals data. This positions it as a basic graphics solution that is not designed for high-end gaming.

The GPU’s memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the host system’s DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The bus width and bandwidth are also listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively. This architecture explains the significant performance drop at higher resolutions, as the shared memory bandwidth becomes a bottleneck when handling larger frame buffers. The lack of dedicated video memory is a critical factor in the GPU’s inability to maintain playable frame rates at 1440p and 4K.

The Arc B390’s clock speeds are reported as a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. With 1536 shading units, it offers a theoretical FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS. However, the benchmark results show that this theoretical capability does not translate into strong real-world performance in Doom. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, but these figures are insufficient to handle the demands of the game at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce GT 710, are very old, low-end discrete solutions. The data shows that the Arc B390 performs within a similar range, confirming its status as an entry-level graphics processor. The 3dmark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is a clear indicator that this component is not intended for demanding gaming workloads, and the measured FPS in Doom reflects this limitation.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B390 ranks at 2580 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems, which is a direct consequence of the GPU’s weak performance. The high-rank CPU is effectively neutralized by the graphics bottleneck, resulting in a system that performs far below what the processor alone would suggest.

This low ranking is consistent across all resolutions and settings. Even at the best-case scenario of 1080p Low, the combo’s frame rate of 107 FPS is not competitive with systems that feature dedicated mid-range or high-end graphics cards. The combo’s position in the rankings is primarily determined by the GPU, as the CPU’s performance is not a limiting factor in this game.

The data shows that the combo’s overall ranking is dragged down by the GPU’s inability to scale with resolution. While the CPU might rank in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, the GPU’s 9th percentile ranking dominates the combined result. This results in a system that is severely unbalanced, with the processor’s capabilities being wasted in this configuration.

In comparison to other combos, this pairing is at the bottom of the performance spectrum. The rank of 2580 indicates that there are 350 other tested combos that perform worse, but the vast majority of systems deliver better results in Doom. This highlights the fact that the Arc B390 is a significant limiting factor, and the Ryzen 7 9700X’s potential cannot be realized with this graphics solution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-performance desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture. Its benchmark scores are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20485 and a single-core score of 2211. It also achieves a Geekbench multi-core score of 17906 and a single-core score of 3023. These figures place it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong processing power for both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is minimal due to the GPU bottleneck. The measured frame rates are so low that the processor is unlikely to be fully utilized. The Ryzen 7 9700X’s high boost clock of 5.50 GHz and 32 MB of shared L3 cache are more than sufficient for the game’s engine, which is not particularly demanding on the CPU at the frame rates observed. The data suggests that the CPU is essentially idle, waiting for the GPU to render each frame.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14901E and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, have average benchmark scores that are within 0.1% to 0.4% of the Ryzen 7 9700X. This indicates that the CPU is at the top of its class in terms of raw processing power. However, this power is irrelevant to the final gaming performance in this specific combo, as the GPU is the clear bottleneck.

The processor’s 65W TDP and 4 nm process node make it an efficient part, but this efficiency does not translate into higher frame rates when paired with such a weak GPU. The benchmark results show that the CPU’s performance characteristics, including its high single-thread score of 4654 in PassMark, do not influence the gaming experience in this scenario. The limiting factor is purely the graphics processing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system’s performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 107 FPS for Low, 93 FPS for Medium, 78 FPS for High, and 64 FPS for Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS, indicating a range of performance that is generally smooth but can dip under load.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 69 FPS for Low, 60 FPS for Medium, 51 FPS for High, and 41 FPS for Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. This shows a significant drop from 1080p, with the Low preset being the only option that maintains an average above 60 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at this resolution fall below the smooth gameplay threshold.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 37 FPS for Low, 33 FPS for Medium, 28 FPS for High, and 22 FPS for Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 28 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. This resolution is clearly unplayable for this combo, as even the lowest settings fail to produce a consistent 30 FPS in the High and Ultra presets. The data shows a clear linear progression of performance loss as both resolution and settings increase.

The difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low is 70 FPS, a dramatic reduction that highlights the GPU’s limitations. Similarly, the difference between 1080p Ultra and 4K Ultra is 42 FPS. These numbers confirm that the Arc B390 is not capable of handling the pixel throughput required for 4K rendering in Doom, and its performance at 1440p is also compromised at higher settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The benchmark data shows that 1920x1080 is the best resolution, as it is the only one where the system can achieve high average frame rates. At 1080p, the Low preset averages 107 FPS, and even the Ultra preset averages 64 FPS, which is playable.

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate recorded is 37 FPS on the Low preset. All other presets at this resolution average between 22 and 33 FPS, which is not a smooth experience.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710, according to the nearestRivals data. This indicates it is a very low-end graphics solution.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X a bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The Ryzen 7 9700X is not the limiting factor. The data shows that the CPU is very powerful, ranking in the 86th percentile, but the GPU is too weak to utilize its full potential, making the Arc B390 the sole bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 107 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 64 FPS. This is a difference of 43 FPS, indicating a significant performance cost for the higher visual quality.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested systems in Doom?

A: This combo ranks 2580 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the bottom portion of the performance rankings, primarily due to the GPU’s low performance.