Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT delivers exceptional performance in Doom, ranking in the 65th percentile of all tested combinations. The data shows a configuration that remains highly playable at every resolution, with the CPU's strength providing a massive headroom that keeps frame rates high even when the GPU is stressed by 4K Ultra settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep but expected, indicating a transition from CPU-bound to GPU-bound territory. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 294.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 104 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 65%. This significant drop highlights that at 1080p, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s single-thread performance is the limiting factor, while at 4K, the RX 6800 XT’s rendering workload takes over.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For High settings, the average FPS drops from 215.7 at 1080p to 137.2 at 1440p, and finally to 75.9 at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p narrows as settings increase, suggesting that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck earlier when graphical fidelity is higher. Specifically, the jump from 1440p to 4K on Ultra settings sees a 46% performance loss, from 110.5 FPS down to 59.5 FPS, which demonstrates the immense pixel throughput required at 3840x2160.

Notably, the 1080p results show the clearest sign of CPU limitation. The difference between Low (294.2 FPS) and Ultra (173.2 FPS) at 1080p is 121 FPS, which is a larger absolute gap than the 78 FPS difference seen at 4K between the same presets (104 FPS vs 59.5 FPS). This indicates that at lower resolutions, the GPU has spare capacity, and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s clock speed and cache architecture are what push the frame rate to such high levels.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 6800 XT is a pivotal component here, equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card’s boost clock of 2250 MHz and game clock of 2015 MHz allow it to maintain high throughput in Doom’s fast-paced environments. The GPU’s 72 RT cores and 128 ROPs contribute to its 288.0 GPixel/s pixel rate, which is crucial for the game’s particle effects and lighting.

The VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for all tested settings, as the benchmark data shows no signs of memory-related stuttering or frame drops, even at 4K Ultra where texture detail is highest. The GPU’s 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance provides the raw compute needed to sustain over 100 FPS at 4K Low settings. However, the card’s 300 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate it is a high-power part, and the data shows it is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS dips to 59.5.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RX 6800 XT holds its own. It sits 2.6% above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER in average benchmark score, and 1.9% above the NVIDIA CMP 50HX. This competitive positioning translates directly to the measured Doom results, where the card delivers playable frame rates across the board, though it cannot maintain 60+ FPS at 4K Ultra without dropping to 59.5 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific CPU-GPU pairing achieves a rank of 588 out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the top 35% of all systems. This rank is impressive given the GPU is from the Radeon RX 6000 series, which launched in 2020, while the CPU is a newer 9000-series part from 2024. The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s performance is improving the older GPU’s results significantly.

The CPU itself is a top-tier performer, with an average benchmark score of 37780 and a percentile rank of 90 among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6353P, scores 37811, a mere 0.1% difference, indicating the 9800X3D is essentially at parity with that server chip. The GPU’s percentile rank is 87, with an average score of 49982, showing it is also a strong performer relative to its peers.

The combination’s overall rank of 588 confirms the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU efficiently. Since the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution, the system’s FPS is dictated solely by the GPU’s capabilities. This is why the 4K Ultra results are the lowest, as the RX 6800 XT’s 16 GB VRAM and compute power reach their limits.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 294.2 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 59.5 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p, as evidenced by the 121 FPS gap between Low and Ultra settings, indicating the RX 6800 XT has spare capacity.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 588 out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the top 35% of all systems tested.

Q: How much faster is this CPU than the Intel Core i5-13600KF?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 37780, which is 0.7% higher than the Intel Core i5-13600KF’s score of 38028.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth?

A: The Radeon RX 6800 XT has a memory bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s, provided by 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience. At 1920x1080, all settings presets are playable, with even Ultra settings hitting 173.2 FPS. However, the jump from High to Ultra at 1080p costs 42.5 FPS, a significant drop for marginal visual gains. The sweet spot at 1080p is High settings, which delivers 215.7 FPS while maintaining excellent visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds. Ultra settings yield 110.5 FPS, while High settings provide 137.2 FPS. The difference between these is 26.7 FPS, making High settings the better choice for competitive play. For those prioritizing visual quality, Medium settings at 165.7 FPS offer a balanced compromise, but High is recommended for the best combination of frame rate and image quality.

At 3840x2160, the choice becomes more critical. Ultra settings fall to 59.5 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay. High settings at 75.9 FPS provide a smoother experience, while Medium settings at 89.9 FPS offer the best balance of quality and performance. For 4K gaming, High settings are recommended as they maintain a comfortable margin above 60 FPS without sacrificing too much visual detail.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Its 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a critical asset for gaming, as it reduces memory latency and improves data access patterns. The CPU’s single-thread performance is exceptional, with a 3dmark single-thread score of 1212 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3341.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is particularly evident at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the frame rate of 294.2 FPS is nearly three times the 4K Ultra result, demonstrating that the CPU can process game logic and draw calls faster than the GPU can render frames. The CPU’s 3dmark 16-thread score of 10081 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 34004 indicate strong multi-core performance, but Doom benefits more from the high single-thread speed.

The CPU’s performance relative to its rivals is notable. It is 0.7% faster than the Intel Core i5-13600KF and 0.6% faster than the Intel Core i9-13900HK, despite those chips having different architectures. This consistency across benchmarks shows that the 9800X3D provides a robust foundation for high-refresh-rate gaming, ensuring the GPU is never starved of data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 294.2 FPS on Low, 252.9 FPS on Medium, 215.7 FPS on High, and 173.2 FPS on Ultra. These results show a clear progression, with the difference between Low and Ultra being 121 FPS. The 1080p results confirm that the CPU is the primary driver, as the frame rates are exceptionally high even on lower settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 187.9 FPS on Low, 165.7 FPS on Medium, 137.2 FPS on High, and 110.5 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 77.4 FPS, reflecting the increased GPU load. At this resolution, the system remains highly playable across all settings, with even Ultra exceeding 100 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 104 FPS on Low, 89.9 FPS on Medium, 75.9 FPS on High, and 59.5 FPS on Ultra. The 4K results show the GPU becoming the limiting factor, as the frame rates drop below 60 FPS only on Ultra settings. The spread between Low and Ultra is 44.5 FPS, indicating that the RX 6800 XT’s performance is the primary constraint at this resolution. These measured figures provide a complete picture of the combo’s capabilities, showing it is a versatile system capable of handling Doom at any resolution with appropriate settings adjustments.