Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT in Doom is a study in high-refresh-rate dominance. The measured data shows a combination that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but retains immense headroom at 1080p, where the CPU's capabilities come to the forefront. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across three resolutions and four settings presets to explain exactly where the bottleneck lies and what the numbers mean for a player.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a textbook GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 203 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at Ultra drops that average to 132 FPS, a reduction of 71 FPS. The scaling continues to 3840x2160 at Ultra, where the average falls to 71 FPS—exactly half of the 1440p figure. This linear drop as pixel count increases is the signature of a graphics card operating at its performance ceiling.

The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At High settings, the averages are 249 FPS at 1080p, 161 FPS at 1440p, and 87 FPS at 4K. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs 88 FPS, while the step from 1440p to 4K costs 74 FPS. These are substantial drops that indicate the RX 7900 XT is the limiting component once resolution increases. The CPU is not the constraint here; the data shows the GPU struggling to maintain frame rates as the pixel workload expands.

At Low settings, the trend becomes even more pronounced. The combo achieves 338 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 219 FPS at 1440p and then to 119 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low figure is still respectable, but the fact that it is 64% lower than the 1080p Low figure reinforces the GPU-bound nature of the game at this resolution. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is a 219 FPS loss, which is the largest absolute drop across all presets. This suggests that even when graphical load is minimized, the GPU cannot keep pace with the CPU's ability to feed frames.

The measured data also shows that the gap between settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 135 FPS (338 vs. 203). At 4K, that same gap shrinks to 48 FPS (119 vs. 71). This compression is a direct result of the GPU becoming the bottleneck. At lower resolutions, the CPU can push frames faster than the GPU can render them, making settings changes have a larger impact on the final FPS. At 4K, the GPU is saturated regardless of the preset, so the differences between settings are muted.

For a player targeting 4K, the data suggests that the RX 7900 XT is the primary determinant of performance. The FPS values at 4K across all presets fall within a 48 FPS range, which is a narrow band compared to the 135 FPS range at 1080p. This indicates that resolution scaling is the dominant factor, and the CPU's role becomes secondary once the pixel count rises.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). Its base clock is 4.70 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor has a large L3 cache of 96 MB shared across the cores. In the context of Doom's measured FPS, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 200 FPS.

At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 338 FPS. This high frame rate is only possible if the CPU can process game logic and issue draw calls quickly. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D's boost clock of 5.60 GHz and its 96 MB L3 cache are likely contributors to this headroom. The benchmark results for the CPU support its strength: it scores 3551 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 343 in single-core, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and a single-core score of 2228. These figures place the CPU at the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance.

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (0.1% higher), Intel Core i9-14900 (0.5% higher), and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 (0.7% lower). The narrow delta percentages—all within 0.7%—show that the Ryzen 7 9850X3D sits in a tightly competitive group. However, in Doom specifically, the CPU's role is to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The data shows that at 1080p, the combo is not CPU-limited, as the FPS scales consistently with settings changes. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS at Low and High settings would be closer together.

The CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 4704, is crucial for a game like Doom, which relies heavily on a primary game thread. The boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that this thread can be processed quickly. The data shows that the CPU can support frame rates well above 300 FPS at 1080p Low, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor. The CPU is not the constraint in this pairing; the GPU takes over that role as resolution increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 71 FPS.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the average FPS is 295, while at 3840x2160 Medium, it is 103 FPS. This represents a 192 FPS difference, with 1080p being 186% faster.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1440p?

A: The data shows a significant drop from 1080p to 1440p at all settings, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. For example, at High settings, FPS falls from 249 at 1080p to 161 at 1440p.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 71, measured at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 338, measured at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU's single-core performance relate to the FPS results?

A: The CPU has a boost clock of 5.60 GHz and a Passmark single-thread score of 4704. This high single-thread capability supports the very high frame rates seen at 1080p, where the CPU is not the bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the combo starts with a Low settings average of 338 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded. Medium settings average 295 FPS, with a minimum of 251 FPS and a maximum of 339 FPS. High settings average 249 FPS, and Ultra settings average 203 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 135 FPS, showing a clear progression as graphical fidelity increases.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop across the board. Low settings average 219 FPS, Medium settings average 191 FPS (with a minimum of 162 FPS and a maximum of 219 FPS), High settings average 161 FPS, and Ultra settings average 132 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 87 FPS, which is a smaller absolute gap than at 1080p. This is consistent with the GPU becoming more of a limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are the lowest. Low settings average 119 FPS, Medium settings average 103 FPS (with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS), High settings average 87 FPS, and Ultra settings average 71 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 48 FPS, the smallest of the three resolutions. The 4K Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 88, which is above the 60 FPS threshold but indicates some frame time variance.

The data also shows that the Medium preset consistently provides a middle ground, with averages of 295, 191, and 103 FPS across the three resolutions. The minimum FPS values for Medium are 251, 162, and 88 FPS respectively. These minimums are all within 14-19 FPS of their corresponding averages, suggesting relatively stable frame pacing. The maximum FPS values for Medium are 339, 219, and 119, which align closely with the Low preset averages, indicating that Medium settings can occasionally hit the same peaks as Low.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the clear performance limiter in this pairing at higher resolutions. This GPU, based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 31 chip, has a boost clock of 2394 MHz and a game clock of 2025 MHz. It features 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s. The GPU has 5376 shading units and 192 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 459.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 804.4 GTexel/s.

The GPU's Passmark G3D score is 29009, which places it at the 55th percentile among all GPUs. This is a mid-range ranking, and the average benchmark score is 13745. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (1.5% higher), AMD Radeon 660M (0.5% lower), and NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (0.5% lower). These delta percentages are small, showing that the RX 7900 XT sits in a competitive performance tier.

In Doom, the GPU's role is most evident at 4K. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 71, which is exactly half of the 1440p Ultra average of 132. This halving of performance with a doubling of pixel count is a classic sign of GPU saturation. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s is likely sufficient for the game, but the compute load of rendering at 4K overwhelms the GPU's capabilities.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 51.48 TFLOPS is substantial, yet the measured data shows that it cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K. This suggests that Doom's rendering pipeline is not purely compute-bound but also relies on other GPU subsystems. The 20 GB VRAM is more than ample for this game, as Doom's texture sizes are unlikely to exceed this capacity. The GPU's boost clock of 2394 MHz is the maximum achievable, and the fact that FPS drops consistently with resolution indicates that the GPU is running at its limit.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For a 1080p display, the Ultra preset at 203 FPS is the best choice. This frame rate is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors, and the visual fidelity of Ultra settings will be fully appreciated. The data shows that even the most demanding preset at 1080p maintains a high average FPS, so there is no reason to sacrifice quality.

For 1440p, the Ultra preset at 132 FPS is still excellent for most high-refresh-rate displays. However, if a player has a 240 Hz monitor, the High preset at 161 FPS might be preferable. The data shows a 29 FPS difference between High and Ultra at 1440p, which could be the difference between hitting a higher refresh rate. The Medium preset at 191 FPS is another option for those seeking maximum smoothness, but the visual quality trade-off from Ultra to Medium is significant.

For 4K, the situation is different. The Ultra preset at 71 FPS is playable but does not take full advantage of high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at 87 FPS offers a 16 FPS improvement over Ultra, which could be worthwhile for a 90 Hz or 120 Hz display. The Medium preset at 103 FPS is the best balance for 4K, providing a frame rate above 100 FPS while still maintaining decent visual quality. The Low preset at 119 FPS is the smoothest, but the reduction in graphical fidelity is substantial.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the most versatile choice across all resolutions. At 1080p, it averages 295 FPS, which is only 43 FPS lower than Low. At 1440p, it averages 191 FPS, which is close to the High preset's 161 FPS but with a higher minimum FPS of 162. At 4K, it averages 103 FPS, which is the best compromise between frame rate and visual quality. The Medium preset's minimum FPS values are also the most consistent, with 251, 162, and 88 FPS across the three resolutions, indicating stable performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D + AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combo ranks 533rd out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the top 18.2% of all tested combos. Given that the GPU sits at the 55th percentile among all GPUs, this ranking is respectable. The combo's performance is clearly driven by the CPU's strength, as the GPU is a mid-range performer.

The ranking suggests that there are many other combos that achieve higher FPS in Doom, likely those with more powerful GPUs. However, the 533rd position out of 2930 is a solid result, especially considering the RX 7900 XT's overall benchmark ranking. The data shows that this combo is not at the top of the charts, but it is well above average. The high FPS at 1080p and 1440p contributes to this ranking, while the 4K performance is more modest.

The combo's rank is influenced by the fact that Doom is a highly optimized game that can run well on a wide range of hardware. The CPU's 92nd percentile ranking helps push the combo higher, but the GPU's 55th percentile ranking holds it back. The delta percentages of the GPU's nearest rivals, all within 1.5%, indicate that swapping the GPU for a slightly faster model could improve the ranking. Conversely, the CPU's rivals are also close, but the CPU's high single-thread performance is a key differentiator in this game.

In summary, this combo delivers exceptional performance at 1080p and 1440p, with frame rates well above 200 FPS at lower resolutions. At 4K, it is capable of playing at High settings with an average of 87 FPS, which is smooth for most players. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom for high-refresh-rate gaming. The rank of 533 out of 2930 places this combo in the upper tier of tested systems.