Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, built on the Zen 5 architecture with a 4 nm process, brings 8 cores and 16 threads to the table. Its base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz are high figures, but its defining characteristic for gaming is the massive 96 MB of shared L3 cache. This large cache is designed to reduce memory latency, which is often a critical factor in FPS titles like Doom. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and a single-core score of 2228, place it in the 92nd percentile compared to all CPUs, indicating top-tier processing power that is unlikely to bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios. With a TDP of 120 W, it is a high-power part, but the architecture’s efficiency allows it to maintain high clock speeds without being constrained.

In the context of Doom, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The data shows that at lower resolutions and settings, the frame rate scales significantly, which suggests that the CPU is capable of pushing frame rates well above 190 FPS at 1080p Low. The processor’s PassMark single-thread score of 4704 and multi-thread score of 41318 demonstrate strong performance in both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads. This is crucial because Doom’s id Tech engine is known for its excellent multi-threading, meaning the 16 threads here can be utilized effectively. The CPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900 with a delta of 0.5%, shows that it is competitive with the best consumer chips, ensuring that it does not become the limiting factor when paired with the Radeon RX 6600 XT.

The question of whether the CPU or GPU is the bottleneck can be inferred from the scaling data. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 192 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 40 FPS. This 79% drop in performance from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra is a classic sign of GPU limitation, as the resolution increase places a much heavier load on the rendering hardware. The CPU’s high core count and clock speeds, combined with its large cache, are more than sufficient to handle the game’s logic at these frame rates. Even at 4K Ultra with a 40 FPS average, the CPU is likely not the constraint, as the GPU’s pixel and texture rates are being pushed to their limits. The 9850X3D’s data encryption score of 22856 and floating point math score of 81998 further indicate that it is a powerhouse that will not struggle with the computational demands of modern games.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 167, with a minimum of 142 and a maximum of 192.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the Intel Core i9-14900 in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D has an average benchmark score of 58386, which is 0.5% higher than the Intel Core i9-14900’s score of 58115.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is in the 70th percentile when compared to all GPUs, based on its average benchmark score of 24442.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in the measured data?

A: The highest average FPS is 192, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for 4K gaming?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, which is sufficient for the measured 4K results, but the data shows that average FPS at 4K Ultra is only 40, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at that resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations for Doom?

A: The combo ranks 2660 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the lower half of all tested hardware pairings for this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how different presets affect performance. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset yields an average of 115 FPS, while High delivers 141 FPS, Medium 167 FPS, and Low 192 FPS. The jump from Ultra to High is a 26 FPS increase, which is significant, but the step from High to Medium is another 26 FPS gain. For players with a 144 Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 1080p is the optimal choice, as it provides an average of 167 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate, while still maintaining a minimum of 142 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 115 FPS may be acceptable for 60 Hz displays, but it leaves performance on the table for higher refresh rate panels.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation changes. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 75 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for competitive play. The High preset at 91 FPS is a better balance, offering a 21% improvement over Ultra. The Medium preset at 108 FPS is the best choice for 1440p if the goal is to maintain a high refresh rate, as it provides a smooth experience with a minimum of 92 FPS. At 3840x2160, all presets struggle to maintain high frame rates. The Medium preset at 59 FPS is the only option that approaches a 60 FPS experience, with a minimum of 50 FPS. The High preset at 49 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold, making them less desirable for a fluid experience.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo across all resolutions. It offers a substantial performance boost over High and Ultra while maintaining visual quality that is likely acceptable for most players. The minimum FPS values for Medium are also the most stable, with 142 at 1080p, 92 at 1440p, and 50 at 4K. This consistency indicates that the Medium preset avoids the extreme GPU load spikes that can cause stuttering at higher settings. For the best experience, prioritizing a high and stable frame rate over maximum visual fidelity is the recommended approach with this hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT ranks 2660 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the 28th percentile of all tested pairings, which is a lower position than the individual component percentiles might suggest. The CPU is in the 92nd percentile, and the GPU is in the 70th percentile, but the combination’s performance is dragged down by the GPU’s relative weakness compared to the CPU. This is a classic case of a high-end processor being paired with a mid-range graphics card, resulting in a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

The ranking data implies that there are over 2600 other hardware combinations that achieve higher average frame rates in Doom than this setup. This is not surprising given the GPU’s 70th percentile ranking, but it does highlight that the CPU’s power is not being fully utilized. The nearest rivals to the GPU, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER with a delta of 1.1%, show that the RX 6600 XT is competitive with older high-end cards, but it is still not a top-tier performer in this game. The combo’s rank of 2660 out of 3712 means that it is in the bottom 28% of tested systems, which is a significant consideration for those looking to maximize performance in Doom.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. If the GPU were upgraded to a more powerful model, the rank would likely improve substantially. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as the PassMark multi-thread score of 41318, indicate that it has plenty of headroom to support a faster GPU. The fact that the combo ranks in the lower half despite having a top-tier CPU reflects the GPU’s influence on gaming performance. For users with this specific combination, the data implies that they are leaving CPU performance on the table, and that a more balanced pairing would yield better results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear scaling pattern that points to the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 192 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 67 FPS, a 65% reduction. This drastic drop indicates that the GPU is being overwhelmed as the pixel count increases. The CPU, which is capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions, is not the constraint here, as the frame rate is tied directly to the GPU’s rendering capabilities. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a 35% drop at Low settings (192 to 124 FPS), which is consistent with the increased pixel workload.

The most telling data point is the difference between 1080p Ultra and 4K Ultra. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 115, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 40 FPS, a 65% decrease. This is a massive performance hit that cannot be attributed to CPU limitations. The GPU’s pixel rate of 165.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 331.4 GTexel/s are being pushed to their limits at 4K, especially with Ultra settings that increase the complexity of shading and post-processing effects. The 8 GB of VRAM on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth is also a factor, as higher resolutions and settings require more memory bandwidth.

The scaling pattern suggests that the system is heavily GPU-bound at 4K, moderately bound at 1440p, and more balanced at 1080p. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely able to keep up with the GPU, resulting in a high 192 FPS. As the resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows exponentially, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The fact that the FPS at 4K Low (67) is nearly the same as the FPS at 1440p Ultra (75) indicates that the GPU is struggling to maintain playable frame rates at high resolutions. This data is a clear indication that for this combo, lower resolutions and settings are necessary to achieve high frame rates, and that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in the system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 192, the highest recorded for this combo. Medium settings reduce the average to 167, with a minimum of 142 and a maximum of 192. High settings yield an average of 141 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to an average of 115 FPS. The data shows a consistent decline in performance as settings are increased, with a 40% difference between Low and Ultra. The minimum FPS data is only available for Medium settings, which shows a 25 FPS gap between the average and minimum, indicating some frame time variance.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are significantly lower. Low settings produce an average of 124 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings have an average of 108 FPS, with a minimum of 92 and a maximum of 124. High settings average 91 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 75 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 49 FPS, or a 40% reduction. The Medium setting’s minimum of 92 FPS suggests that the system can maintain a high frame rate in most scenarios, but there are dips that could be noticeable on a 144 Hz display.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings average 67 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 67. High settings average 49 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 40 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 27 FPS, or a 40% reduction, which is consistent with the scaling at other resolutions. The Medium setting’s minimum of 50 FPS indicates that there are significant frame drops at 4K, which could lead to stuttering in fast-paced scenes. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for high refresh rate gaming with this combo, and even 60 FPS is only achievable on Low settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture and manufactured on a 7 nm process, is the primary determinant of frame rates in this system. With 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, it is a mid-range GPU that is now end-of-life. Its boost clock of 2589 MHz and game clock of 2359 MHz are respectable, but the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus limits its bandwidth to 256.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a significant factor in the GPU’s performance at higher resolutions, as 4K gaming requires substantial memory bandwidth to feed the shaders and texture units.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 70th percentile, with a PassMark G3D score of 16461 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1804. It is competitive with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630, which has a delta of 0.7%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, which has a delta of 1.1%. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 10.60 TFLOPS is modest compared to modern high-end cards, which explains its struggles at 4K Ultra settings. In Doom, the GPU’s rendering capabilities are the bottleneck, as evidenced by the FPS scaling data. The 40 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a direct result of the GPU’s pixel rate of 165.7 GPixel/s being insufficient for the demands of 4K resolution with high detail settings.

The GPU’s role in this combo is to render the game at the specified resolution and settings. The data shows that it is capable of delivering excellent frame rates at 1080p, with 192 FPS on Low settings being a standout result. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU’s limitations become apparent. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the measured settings, but the 128-bit memory bus is a weakness that hampers performance at 4K. The GPU’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 ensures compatibility with modern game APIs, but its raw compute power is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data suggests that this GPU is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can provide a smooth experience at medium to high settings.