Doom

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers a robust 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, with the data showing a clear progression of frame rates that scales predictably with settings and resolution. The measured results indicate that this pairing is heavily skewed toward high refresh rate gaming at lower resolutions, while 4K performance remains solid but demands careful settings management to maintain high frame rates.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, and built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 120 W TDP. The processor features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache. Its memory interface supports DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, offering a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

In the context of Doom, the CPU’s role is critical for maintaining high frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less likely to be the bottleneck. At 1080p, the average FPS across all settings ranges from 202 to 335, and the processor’s high boost clock and large L3 cache help ensure that the game’s draw calls and physics calculations are processed without stalling. The 9850X3D’s benchmark results are telling: it achieves a multi-core score of 22,807 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 2,228, placing it in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs. This single-core strength is directly relevant to Doom, a game that relies heavily on a few primary threads for its simulation and rendering logic.

The processor’s nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Core i9-14900 at 58,115 (0.5% behind), the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M at 58,323 (0.1% ahead), the Intel Xeon w5-2545 at 58,504 (0.2% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 at 58,826 (0.7% ahead). These deltas are minimal, indicating that the 9850X3D sits in a performance class where small differences in synthetic workloads do not translate into meaningful FPS gaps in Doom. The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game; instead, it provides ample headroom for the GPU to operate.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data offers a clear picture of how settings impact performance. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers an average of 335 FPS, Medium 292 FPS, High 247 FPS, and Ultra 202 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is approximately 40%, which is substantial but still leaves the game well above the 144 Hz refresh rate threshold for most monitors. For competitive play, the Low preset at 1080p offers the highest possible frame rate, maximizing responsiveness. However, the Medium preset at 292 FPS is a strong middle ground, providing a significant visual upgrade over Low while still maintaining a frame rate that far exceeds the needs of any current display.

At 1440p, the pattern is similar but the absolute numbers are lower. Low averages 217 FPS, Medium 189 FPS, High 160 FPS, and Ultra 131 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p remains above 120 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate displays, but the High preset at 160 FPS offers a better balance of visual fidelity and speed if the user prioritizes a higher frame rate. The data suggests that at 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering a 22% improvement over Ultra in average FPS while likely presenting only marginal visual differences.

At 4K, the choices become more constrained. Low averages 118 FPS, Medium 102 FPS, High 87 FPS, and Ultra 71 FPS. The Ultra preset at 71 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth on a 120 Hz display. The Medium preset at 102 FPS is the recommended setting for 4K, as it provides a 44% increase in average FPS over Ultra while maintaining a frame rate that is comfortable for most gaming scenarios. The High preset at 87 FPS sits between the two and is a viable option for users who want a balance of quality and speed. Based on the measured rows, Medium at 4K offers the best experience, balancing visual detail with a frame rate that avoids the dips seen at Ultra.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured data shows a clear and consistent FPS drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. For the High preset, the average FPS goes from 247 at 1080p to 160 at 1440p and finally to 87 at 4K. This represents a 35% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a further 46% decrease from 1440p to 4K. The Low preset shows a similar trend: 335 FPS at 1080p, 217 FPS at 1440p, and 118 FPS at 4K, with corresponding drops of 35% and 46%. The Medium preset follows the same pattern, with 292 FPS, 189 FPS, and 102 FPS across the three resolutions, and the Ultra preset drops from 202 FPS to 131 FPS to 71 FPS.

The magnitude of these drops is consistent across all settings, which indicates that the scaling is primarily driven by the GPU’s rendering load rather than any CPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K would be less pronounced at lower settings, as the CPU would be able to feed frames at a similar rate regardless of resolution. Instead, the data shows that doubling the pixel count from 1080p to 4K roughly halves the frame rate, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. The RTX 5070’s 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth are being utilized progressively more at higher resolutions, and the GPU’s compute capacity becomes the limiting factor.

This analysis is supported by the fact that the percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p and from 1440p to 4K is nearly identical for every preset. The consistent scaling pattern suggests that the game’s engine is efficiently scaling the workload, and the RTX 5070 is the component that determines the final frame rate at each resolution. The CPU, with its high single-core performance, is able to keep up even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is tasked with producing over 300 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this CPU and GPU combination in Doom?

A: The highest average FPS is 335, achieved at 1080p with the Low preset.

Q: How much does the Ultra preset at 4K cost in performance compared to the Low preset at 4K?

A: The Ultra preset at 4K averages 71 FPS, while the Low preset averages 118 FPS. This is a 40% reduction in average FPS when moving from Low to Ultra at 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p High settings?

A: The data shows an average of 160 FPS at 1440p High. Given the consistent FPS drops across resolutions, the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU has the headroom to push higher frame rates if the GPU could render them.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS value is 87, which occurs at 4K with Medium settings. The minimum FPS for 1440p Medium is 161, and for 1080p Medium it is 248.

Q: How does the combo’s rank in this game compare to other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 563rd out of 2,930 tested combinations, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The High preset averages 247 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 202 FPS. This is a difference of 45 FPS, or approximately 18%.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a member of the GeForce 50-series, based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. The GPU has 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units, along with 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores. Its compute capabilities include 30.87 TFLOPS for FP32 operations and a pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s.

In Doom, the GPU’s role is central to the measured performance, particularly at higher resolutions. The 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game’s textures and geometry, even at 4K Ultra, and the high bandwidth ensures that texture streaming does not become a bottleneck. The GPU’s benchmark scores reflect its capability: it achieves a Passmark G3D score of 29,137 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 178,923, placing it in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (0.1% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (1.2% behind), and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (2% ahead), though these are professional or mobile parts and not direct gaming comparisons.

The RTX 5070’s boost clock of 2512 MHz is a key factor in its 1080p performance, where it achieves over 300 FPS on the Low preset. As resolution increases, the GPU’s fill rate and compute throughput become more important, and the data shows that it can still deliver 118 FPS at 4K Low. The GPU’s 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs are well-suited for Doom’s rendering requirements, and the 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute ensures that the game’s shading and lighting calculations are processed efficiently. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (71 FPS) indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at that setting, as the CPU has ample headroom to support higher frame rates if the GPU could render them.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for this combination covers three resolutions and four settings, providing a comprehensive view of performance. At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are 335 for Low, 292 for Medium, 247 for High, and 202 for Ultra. The Medium preset also records a minimum FPS of 248 and a maximum FPS of 336, showing a tight range that indicates stable performance. At 2560x1440, the average FPS values drop to 217 for Low, 189 for Medium, 160 for High, and 131 for Ultra. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum of 161 FPS and a maximum of 217 FPS, again suggesting consistent frame pacing. At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 118 for Low, 102 for Medium, 87 for High, and 71 for Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K records a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 118 FPS, which is the only 4K setting with min/max data available.

Looking at the data across all resolutions, the scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution is consistent. At 1080p, the drop from Low to Ultra is 133 FPS (335 to 202), at 1440p it is 86 FPS (217 to 131), and at 4K it is 47 FPS (118 to 71). This shows that the relative cost of higher settings is more pronounced at lower resolutions, where the GPU has more headroom to render additional effects. The absolute FPS at 1080p Low, 335, is nearly three times the FPS at 4K Ultra, 71, highlighting the significant impact of resolution on this GPU.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination is ranked 563rd out of 2,930 tested combinations in Doom. This places it in the top 20% of all configurations, indicating that it is a strong performer for this game. The rank is based on measured FPS data, and the combination’s performance is driven primarily by the RTX 5070’s capabilities, as the CPU is not a bottleneck in most scenarios. The top 20% ranking suggests that this combo outperforms a significant majority of other CPU and GPU pairings tested, likely due to the high single-core performance of the 9850X3D and the solid rasterization performance of the RTX 5070.

Given that the combo sits at rank 563, it is outperformed by roughly 19% of other configurations. These higher-ranked combos likely feature more powerful GPUs, such as higher-tier RTX 50-series or AMD equivalents, which would push frame rates higher at 4K and high settings. However, for a mid-range to high-end pairing, the 9850X3D and RTX 5070 offer a balanced experience that excels at 1080p and 1440p, with playable 4K performance. The rank also reflects the fact that Doom is a well-optimized game that responds well to both high clock speeds and substantial memory bandwidth, both of which this combo provides. The data indicates that users with this combination can expect a smooth experience at high refresh rates in most scenarios, with the caveat that 4K Ultra settings will require a more powerful GPU to consistently exceed 100 FPS.