Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a dominant performance profile in Doom, with average frame rates that remain exceptionally high even at maximum settings. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU's capabilities become the defining factor only when the graphical load is reduced. This combination ranks in the top 7% of all tested combos for this title, underscoring its strength as a high-refresh-rate powerhouse.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shifting bottleneck within this system. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 399 FPS, a figure that drops to 140 FPS at 3840x2160 with the same settings. This represents a 64.9% reduction in performance when moving to 4K, indicating that even at Low settings, the GPU is being taxed significantly by the sheer pixel count.

The scaling pattern becomes more telling when examining the High preset. Here, the average FPS falls from 294 at 1080p to 190 at 1440p, and finally to 103 at 4K. The 4K result is 65% lower than the 1080p figure, a substantial drop that highlights the RTX 4080 SUPER's struggle to maintain the same relative performance as pixel density increases. This is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario, where the rendering hardware is the primary constraint.

However, the transition from 1440p to 4K shows a slightly different story. At 1440p High, the system hits 190 FPS, while 4K High yields 103 FPS—a 45.8% decline. This steeper drop between these two resolutions, compared to the 1080p to 1440p step (which only saw a 35.4% decrease), suggests that the memory bandwidth and raw compute of the GPU are being saturated as the resolution approaches 4K. The 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth and 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are immense, but the data indicates they are the limiting factor at this resolution.

Interestingly, the scaling at Ultra settings is more linear. The average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 240, dropping to 155 at 1440p (a 35.4% decrease) and then to 84 at 4K (a 45.8% decrease from 1440p). This consistent degradation across all resolutions at Ultra suggests that the game's most demanding settings amplify the GPU workload evenly, making the graphics card the unequivocal bottleneck regardless of resolution. The data shows that while the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, the RTX 4080 SUPER is the component that determines the final frame rate in nearly all tested configurations.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, provides a solid foundation for Doom's engine. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz are key contributors to the high frame rates seen at 1080p, where the CPU's single-threaded performance becomes more relevant. The benchmark data supports this, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1280 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4654, placing the CPU in the 86th percentile of all processors.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also robust, as evidenced by a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 20485 and a passmark_multithread score of 37161. This headroom means that in Doom, which is not typically a heavily threaded title, the CPU rarely becomes the limiting factor. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 399 FPS, a figure that is likely near the engine's or the CPU's practical ceiling for frame generation. The fact that the 9700X can sustain such high output without bottlenecking the GPU confirms its architectural efficiency on the Zen 5 design.

Comparatively, the CPU's nearest rivals show it is in a tight performance cluster. It sits just 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14901E and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core 5 211E in average benchmark scores. This indicates that while the 9700X is a top-tier performer, its advantage over the closest alternatives is marginal. In the context of Doom, this means that any of these CPUs would likely deliver similar frame rates when paired with the RTX 4080 SUPER, as the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The CPU's role is to ensure that it can always provide frames faster than the GPU can render them, and the data confirms this is the case.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the undisputed star of this pairing, and its specifications directly correlate with the measured frame rates. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 256-bit bus, it offers a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s, which is crucial for feeding the shader cores at high resolutions. The GPU's boost clock of 2550 MHz and 10240 shading units provide the raw compute necessary to handle Doom's demanding effects at 4K.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its high-end status. A passmark_g3d score of 34245 and a 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 6600 place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is so robust that it nearly matches the non-SUPER RTX 4080, sitting just 0.1% behind its predecessor in average benchmark scores. This tight margin suggests that the SUPER variant offers only a marginal performance uplift over the standard 4080, but the data shows it is still a formidable piece of hardware.

The GPU's role as the bottleneck is most evident in the 4K results. At 4K Ultra, the system manages 84 FPS, which is still a very playable experience, but it is the lowest result in the entire dataset. This drop from 103 FPS at 4K High to 84 FPS at 4K Ultra highlights how the most intensive settings, likely including advanced lighting and shadow effects, can tax the GPU's resources. The fact that the frame rate scales down as settings increase, even at 4K, confirms that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the limiting component in this configuration. Its 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is impressive, but Doom's engine at Ultra settings can push it to its limits.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a rank of 255 out of 3712 combos in Doom. This places it in the top 6.9% of all tested systems, a strong showing that reflects its ability to deliver high frame rates across all resolution and settings combinations. The data indicates that this is a premium pairing, capable of handling the game with ease.

This ranking is a direct result of the synergy between the two components. The CPU's strong single-threaded performance ensures that it does not hold back the GPU at lower resolutions, while the GPU's immense power allows for high settings at 4K. The combination is well-balanced for this title, with neither component appearing to be a significant weak link. The 86th percentile ranking for both the CPU and GPU individually is consistent with the combo's overall ranking, suggesting that this pair performs as expected given its constituent parts.

When compared to other potential combinations, the data suggests that this pairing is among the best for maximizing frame rates in Doom. The top 7% placement implies that only a handful of more powerful or better-matched components could outperform it. For a user seeking a high-refresh-rate experience at 1440p or a stable 4K experience, this combo is clearly positioned at the upper echelon of performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the system shines with an average of 399 FPS on Low, 348 FPS on Medium, 294 FPS on High, and 240 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 296 FPS and a maximum of 400 FPS, indicating excellent frame time consistency even during intense action sequences. These figures are exceptionally high, making the 1080p resolution almost trivial for this hardware.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar. The average FPS is 259 on Low, 225 on Medium, 190 on High, and 155 on Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum of 191 FPS and a maximum of 259 FPS, demonstrating that the system can easily drive high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors without dropping below 155 FPS even at the most demanding settings. The step from High to Ultra at 1440p results in an 18.4% performance hit, which is a notable but acceptable trade-off for enhanced visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the system still delivers playable and often excellent frame rates. The average FPS is 140 on Low, 122 on Medium, 103 on High, and 84 on Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 104 FPS and a maximum of 140 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience. However, the Ultra preset's 84 FPS average is the only result that dips below the 100 FPS mark, indicating that 4K Ultra is the most demanding scenario for this hardware. The data shows a clear progression: the higher the resolution, the more significant the impact of settings on the final frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p or 1440p 240Hz monitor, the High preset is the recommended choice. At 1440p High, the system delivers 190 FPS, which is close to the 240Hz refresh rate, while at 1080p High, it hits 294 FPS, exceeding that threshold. This preset offers a substantial visual improvement over Medium while still maintaining frame rates that are high enough to take advantage of fast displays.

For those with a 1440p 360Hz monitor, the Low preset is the only option that can come close to saturating the display, with an average of 259 FPS. However, the Medium preset, at 225 FPS, is a more balanced choice that provides a better visual experience while still remaining above the 200 FPS mark. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p is a sweet spot for competitive play, offering a high enough frame rate with improved visual clarity.

At 4K, the recommendation is to use the High preset. It delivers an average of 103 FPS, which is suitable for a 120Hz or 144Hz display, and it provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium. The Ultra preset, at 84 FPS, is only recommended for users with a 60Hz or 75Hz monitor who prioritize visual fidelity above all else. The Medium preset at 4K, at 122 FPS, is also a valid option for those with a 120Hz display, but High offers a better balance of image quality and performance. Ultimately, the data indicates that High settings provide the best overall experience, as they maintain high frame rates across all resolutions while offering a substantial visual improvement over the lower presets.