Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT delivers a highly playable experience in Doom, but the data clearly shows that the graphics card is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the combination produces excellent frame rates that push well past the 100 FPS mark, while 4K performance drops to levels that require settings adjustments for smooth gameplay. The benchmark results indicate a system where the CPU’s substantial cache and high clock speeds are rarely the limiting factor, leaving the GPU to dictate the final performance envelope.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic resolution scaling curve, with performance degrading predictably as pixel count increases. At 1080p with High settings, the system achieves 141 FPS on average. Moving to 1440p drops that average to 91 FPS, a reduction of 50 FPS, while 4K High sees the average fall to 49 FPS, a 92 FPS drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates that the RX 6600 XT’s rendering capabilities are being saturated as resolution rises, with the gap between 1440p and 4K being particularly punishing.

The scaling pattern becomes clearer when examining the Low preset across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system produces 192 FPS, which drops to 124 FPS at 1440p and 67 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 35%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is approximately 46%. This uneven scaling suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and fill rate become increasingly strained at 4K, as the 256.0 GB/s bandwidth and 64 ROPs struggle to keep up with the 8.3 million pixels required per frame.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU, as evidenced by the high frame rates across all settings. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache and 5.20 GHz boost clock allow it to maintain high minimum frame rates, as seen in the Medium preset where the 1080p minimum of 142 FPS is only 25 FPS below the average. This tight gap between average and minimum frames at 1080p suggests the CPU is delivering consistent frame pacing, whereas the 4K Medium preset shows a wider spread, with an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50 FPS, pointing to GPU-side variability.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a formidable processor for gaming, and the benchmark data confirms it is not the bottleneck in this pairing. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, the CPU posts strong synthetic scores that place it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23230 and single-core score of 2080 indicate exceptional processing power, but Doom’s performance is more dependent on the GPU at higher resolutions.

At 1080p, the CPU’s influence is most apparent. The 192 FPS average at Low settings demonstrates that the processor can drive frame rates well beyond what most displays can show. The 3DMark 8-thread score of 8252 and max-thread score of 10067 suggest that the CPU has ample headroom for gaming workloads, which typically utilize fewer threads. The single-thread performance, as measured by the 3DMark single-thread score of 1212, is also strong, ensuring that game logic and draw call processing do not create stutters.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s average benchmark score of 39768 is 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS and 0.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450, while sitting 0.7% below the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 and 0.8% below the AMD Ryzen 7 7700. These minuscule deltas indicate that the CPU is performing exactly in line with expectations for its class, and in a GPU-bound scenario like Doom at 1440p or 4K, these differences would be imperceptible. The CPU’s 120 W TDP and 4 nm process node contribute to its efficiency, but the performance data shows that it is the GPU that determines the final frame rates in this game.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the defining component in this configuration, and the benchmark results show it is well-suited for 1080p gaming but struggles at 4K. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but insufficient for the demands of 4K texture loading. The boost clock of 2589 MHz and game clock of 2359 MHz help the GPU achieve a 10.60 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, yet this raw compute power is constrained by the memory subsystem at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s percentile ranking of 70 places it in the upper tier of graphics cards, but its nearest rivals show how close the competition is. The RX 6600 XT’s average benchmark score of 24442 is 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 and 0.8% higher than the GTX 780 Ti, while being 0.8% lower than the Intel Arc A350M and 1.1% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER. These small deltas suggest that the card performs as expected for its class, and the Doom results reflect this positioning.

At 1080p Ultra, the GPU produces 115 FPS, which is respectable for a high-fidelity preset. However, the drop to 40 FPS at 4K Ultra is stark, representing a 65% reduction in performance. This severe scaling indicates that the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are overwhelmed by 4K Ultra settings, which likely require more memory capacity and bandwidth than the card can provide. The 4K High preset’s 49 FPS average and 4K Medium’s 59 FPS average show that even reducing settings cannot fully compensate for the resolution’s demands.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p provides the smoothest experience, with average FPS ranging from 115 at Ultra to 192 at Low. At 1440p, the average FPS ranges from 75 at Ultra to 124 at Low, which is also playable, while 4K averages drop to 40-67 FPS depending on settings.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 141 at 1080p High to 49 at 4K High, a reduction of 92 FPS, or approximately 65%. This indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for Doom performance in this system?

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p, the CPU can drive frame rates above 190 FPS, but the GPU’s performance declines sharply as resolution increases, suggesting the RX 6600 XT is the constraining component.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The only minimum FPS values recorded are for the Medium preset, with 142 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. These minimums show that the system maintains relatively consistent frame pacing, especially at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the RX 6600 XT compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 2080 SUPER?

A: The RX 6600 XT’s average benchmark score is 24442, which is 1.1% lower than the RTX 2080 SUPER’s score of 24170. This indicates the two cards perform similarly in synthetic tests, though Doom-specific results may vary.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM of the RX 6600 XT affect 4K performance?

A: The 4K Ultra preset shows the lowest average FPS at 40, which strongly suggests that the 8 GB VRAM capacity and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the demands of 4K Ultra settings, causing a severe performance drop.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers the highest frame rates, with Low settings producing an average of 192 FPS, Medium at 167 FPS with a minimum of 142 FPS and maximum of 192 FPS, High at 141 FPS, and Ultra at 115 FPS. The tight range between average and minimum at Medium settings indicates stable performance, with the CPU providing consistent frame delivery.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop significantly. Low settings yield 124 FPS, Medium produces 108 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 124 FPS, High falls to 91 FPS, and Ultra reaches 75 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 92 FPS shows that even during demanding scenes, the system maintains playable frame rates at this resolution, but the gap between average and minimum widens compared to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings produce 67 FPS, Medium averages 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS and maximum of 67 FPS, High drops to 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 40 FPS. The 4K Medium preset shows a noticeable spread between average and minimum, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth is a limiting factor in maintaining consistent performance. The data across all resolutions shows a clear pattern: the RX 6600 XT is capable of high frame rates at 1080p, acceptable performance at 1440p, and only marginal playability at 4K with reduced settings.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this hardware, the data suggests prioritizing 1080p or 1440p resolutions with High or Ultra settings. At 1080p, the Ultra preset provides 115 FPS, which is an excellent balance of visual fidelity and performance. The High preset at 141 FPS offers a slight performance boost with minimal visual compromise, making it the recommended choice for players seeking higher frame rates without sacrificing too much quality. The Medium preset at 167 FPS is an option for competitive play, though the visual downgrade may not be worth the 26 FPS gain over High.

At 1440p, the High preset’s 91 FPS average is the sweet spot, providing a substantial improvement over 1080p visual clarity while maintaining smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 75 FPS is still playable, but the 16 FPS drop from High may be noticeable in fast-paced action. The Medium preset’s 108 FPS is a strong alternative for those who prioritize frame rate over visual detail, though the minimum of 92 FPS suggests occasional dips.

For 4K gaming, the data indicates that only the Low preset at 67 FPS offers a consistently smooth experience, while Medium at 59 FPS is borderline and High at 49 FPS may feel sluggish. The Ultra preset at 40 FPS is not recommended for serious play. Given the GPU’s limitations at this resolution, players should either stick to 1440p High for the best overall experience or use 4K Low if they absolutely require the higher resolution. The measured data clearly favors 1440p High as the optimal configuration, balancing visual quality with frame rates that stay well above 60 FPS.