Doom

This CPU and GPU pairing delivers exceptional performance in Doom, with frame rates that comfortably exceed the requirements of any high-refresh-rate display on the market. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures that even at 1080p, the frame rates remain extremely high and playable. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 proves to be a powerful match for this title, offering a wide range of settings to tailor the experience to one's display and performance preferences.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates suggest that the Ultra preset is the ideal choice for most users, provided they are not targeting the absolute highest refresh rates at 1080p. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 131.9 FPS, which is still well above the 120Hz threshold and offers the best visual fidelity. For those with 4K displays, the High preset is the sweet spot, producing an average of 85.1 FPS, which is smooth for a single-player FPS and a significant visual upgrade over the Medium preset's 103.5 FPS. The performance cost of moving from High to Ultra at this resolution is steep, a drop of 14.5 FPS, making High the more practical choice for maintaining a high and consistent frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset's 205.5 FPS average will be more than sufficient for even the fastest 240Hz monitors, though the High preset at 248.5 FPS is available for those seeking even higher frame rates. The Low preset at 1080p yields an astronomical 337.4 FPS, but this comes at a considerable visual cost in a game where the atmospheric details contribute heavily to the experience. Benchmark results indicate that the Low preset is unnecessary for competitive play in this title, as the High and Ultra presets already provide frame rates far beyond the refresh rate of most displays. The data suggests that for a balanced experience, Ultra at 1440p or High at 4K are the most sensible starting points, offering a strong blend of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset, while offering a good middle ground, is largely superseded by High, which provides a substantial performance and quality boost for a relatively small difference in frame rate at 1440p and 4K.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this hardware?*

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 offers the best overall experience. The Ultra preset at this resolution achieves an average of 131.9 FPS, which is high enough for smooth, responsive gameplay while still delivering excellent visual detail. At 4K, the High preset's 85.1 FPS is playable, but the higher refresh rate at 1440p makes it the more immersive choice.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between the Low and Ultra settings?

A: The difference is substantial. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 116.8 FPS, while Ultra averages 70.6 FPS, a difference of 46.2 FPS. This gap narrows at lower resolutions, with a difference of 85 FPS at 1440p and 131.9 FPS at 1080p, indicating that the GPU becomes less of a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Doom?*

A: Yes, it can. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, even the Ultra preset achieves a playable average of 70.6 FPS. For a smoother experience, the High preset is recommended, as it provides an 85.1 FPS average, which is a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The results indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. This is evident in the scaling from 1080p to 4K, where the frame rates drop significantly. However, the CPU's strong single-thread performance is crucial for achieving the extremely high frame rates seen at 1080p, such as the 337.4 FPS on Low settings.

*Q: Is the 12 GB of VRAM on the RTX 5070 sufficient for Doom at 4K?*

A: The measured FPS data, which shows playable frame rates at 4K on all presets, confirms that the RTX 5070's 12 GB of VRAM and 672.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth are sufficient for this title at its highest settings, as the game was released in 2016 and is not particularly VRAM-hungry by modern standards.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is more than capable for Doom. The game's engine benefits heavily from strong single-thread performance, an area where this CPU excels, as evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 3353 and its 3dmark single-thread score of 1280. This is reflected in the 1080p performance, where the CPU is less likely to be a bottleneck. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces 337.4 FPS, a figure that requires a very capable CPU to feed the GPU. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.50 GHz is a key factor in this performance.

The 32 MB of shared L3 cache also helps reduce memory latency, which can be beneficial in game scenarios. While the GPU does most of the heavy lifting at 4K, the CPU's role becomes more pronounced at 1080p, where the demand for draw calls and physics calculations is higher relative to the pixel workload. The benchmark results indicate that this CPU is not a weak link in this pairing, as the frame rates scale consistently with the resolution, suggesting the GPU is the primary determinant of performance in most scenarios. The Ryzen 7 9700X is a strong match for the RTX 5070, ensuring that the system is balanced and that the GPU's potential is fully realized.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Doom, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks at 367 out of 1681 combos. This places it in the top 22% of all tested systems, which is a strong result for a mainstream high-end setup. The CPU's average benchmark score of 36029 puts it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14500HX and the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, with performance deltas of 0.2% and -0.4% respectively. This indicates that the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class.

The GPU, with an average benchmark score of 41687, sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which it leads by a small 0.6% margin in average score. This is notable, as the RTX 5070 is a newer generation card, and its performance parity with a previous flagship confirms its efficiency. The combination of a high-percentile CPU and GPU results in a system that delivers excellent performance in Doom, as evidenced by the high frame rates in the measured data. The rank of 367 out of 1681 combos is a clear indicator that this is a well-balanced and capable setup for this game, offering performance that will satisfy most users.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and expected trend: performance decreases as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 205.5 FPS. This drops to 131.9 FPS at 2560x1440, a decrease of 73.6 FPS, and further to 70.6 FPS at 3840x2160, a decrease of 61.3 FPS from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. As the resolution increases, the pixel count and shading workload rise dramatically, placing a much heavier burden on the GPU's rendering pipeline. The RTX 5070's 6144 shading units and 80 ROPs are tasked with filling more pixels, which directly impacts the frame rate.

The fact that the frame rate drops by roughly 36% from 1080p to 1440p and then another 46% from 1440p to 4K on Ultra settings highlights the GPU's dominant role. In contrast, the CPU's workload, which involves game logic and draw calls, does not scale with resolution. This is why the frame rates remain so high at 1080p, as the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with data faster than it can render at lower resolutions. The data suggests that the system is well-balanced, but the GPU is the clear limiting factor for 4K gaming. For users seeking the highest possible frame rates, sticking to 1440p or below is recommended, as the performance scaling confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings preset combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

|:--- |:--- |:--- |

| 3840x2160 | High | 85.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 116.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 103.5 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 70.6 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 162.3 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 216.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 192.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 131.9 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 248.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 337.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 297.3 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 205.5 |

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly GPU-bound. The spread between Low and Ultra is 46.2 FPS, showing that the graphics card is the primary determinant of performance. The High preset at 85.1 FPS is the most balanced for 4K, offering a smooth experience while still providing a significant visual upgrade over the Medium preset. The Ultra preset at 70.6 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance headroom becomes evident. The Low preset hits 216.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset still maintains a very high 131.9 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 85 FPS difference, but the system is less constrained, allowing for higher frame rates across the board. The High and Medium presets offer excellent performance at 162.3 and 192.1 FPS, respectively, making this the ideal resolution for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 1920x1080, the data shows the system's maximum potential. The Low preset achieves an extraordinary 337.4 FPS, while even the Ultra preset delivers 205.5 FPS. The performance difference between the presets is more pronounced here, with a 131.9 FPS spread between Low and Ultra. This indicates that while the GPU is still the main bottleneck, the CPU's strong single-thread performance allows it to push frame rates to extremely high levels, making this an excellent pairing for competitive or high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming.