Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers exceptional performance in Doom, placing this combination in the top tier of tested systems. The data shows this combo ranks 132nd out of 3,712 tested configurations, placing it in the 96th percentile of all combinations. This pairing exhibits a clear GPU-bound profile at higher resolutions, while at 1080p the immense power of the RTX 5090 begins to shift the bottleneck toward the CPU, though the 12-core Ryzen 9 5900X proves more than capable of keeping frame rates at highly competitive levels.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how performance scales as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 363 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 294 FPS, a decrease of 69 FPS or approximately 19%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 159 FPS, representing a 45.9% reduction from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the system is not purely GPU-limited, as the frame rate drops are less than what would be expected if the GPU were the sole constraint.

The 4K to 1080p ratio tells a compelling story about the limiting component. At Medium settings, the 1080p average is 346 FPS, while the 4K average is 139 FPS, meaning 4K delivers only 40.2% of the 1080p performance. This significant drop at 4K strongly suggests the RTX 5090 becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the increased pixel count demands substantially more GPU throughput. The 1440p Medium average of 256 FPS sits at 74% of the 1080p figure, showing a more moderate scaling curve between 1080p and 1440p.

Examining the Ultra preset reveals a similar pattern. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 273 FPS, dropping to 177 FPS at 1440p Ultra (64.8% of 1080p), and further to 96 FPS at 4K Ultra (35.2% of 1080p). The progressive decline with each resolution step indicates that Doom's Ultra settings place substantial load on the GPU, and the RTX 5090's performance headroom at 1080p is being consumed by the increasing pixel throughput demands at 1440p and 4K. This data confirms that for this specific game and hardware pairing, the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, while at 1080p the CPU begins to play a more significant role in determining maximum frame rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X brings substantial processing power to this pairing, featuring 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture. The CPU's benchmark scores illustrate its multi-threaded capabilities: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16,262 and a single-core score of 1,527. In Geekbench, the processor scores 14,118 multi-core and 2,083 single-core. These figures position the 5900X in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance relative to other processors.

The CPU's role in Doom becomes evident when comparing frame rates at 1080p versus higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 363 represents the highest measured result across all settings and resolutions. The fact that increasing to 1440p Low yields 294 FPS (a 19% drop) while 4K Low yields 159 FPS (a 56% drop from 1080p) shows the GPU taking on more work as resolution increases. However, the 5900X's 12-core configuration with a boost clock of 4.80 GHz ensures that even at 1080p, the CPU does not become a severe limiting factor — the frame rates remain exceptionally high, suggesting the processor can feed the RTX 5090 adequately at lower resolutions.

The 3DMark results provide additional context. The 5900X scores 9,075 in the 16-thread test and 10,075 in the max-thread test, showing strong scaling with thread count. Its single-thread score of 941 in 3DMark indicates solid per-core performance. For a game like Doom, which typically benefits from both high single-thread performance and multi-core capabilities, this CPU delivers a balanced profile. The PassMark multi-thread score of 39,002 and single-thread score of 3,469 reinforce this assessment. The data suggests that while the RTX 5090 handles the graphics workload at higher resolutions, the 5900X provides sufficient processing headroom to avoid creating a CPU bottleneck at 1080p, allowing the GPU to achieve its highest frame rates in this configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a rank of 132 out of 3,712 tested combos in Doom. This places the pairing in the top 3.6% of all configurations tested, indicating near-elite performance for this game. The rank reflects the synergy between the two components — both are high-end parts in their respective categories, with the CPU in the 87th percentile of all CPUs and the GPU in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 5900X has an average benchmark score of 41,376. The Intel Core Ultra 7 366H scores 41,263, a delta of 0.3%, meaning the 5900X is 0.3% ahead. The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H and AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440 both score 41,215, placing them 0.4% behind the 5900X. The Intel Core i7-14650HX scores 41,576, putting it 0.5% ahead of the 5900X. These very small deltas indicate that the 5900X is competitively positioned among its closest CPU competitors, though none of these directly influence the combo rank which depends on the full system performance.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 79,842. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scores 79,605, a 0.3% deficit. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396, 0.6% behind. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, 1.1% behind, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80,959, 1.4% ahead of the RTX 5090. These comparisons show the RTX 5090 performing at a level consistent with other high-end GPUs, though the combo rank of 132 out of 3,712 demonstrates that the pairing with the 5900X yields excellent real-world game performance in Doom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 resolution, the measured FPS data shows the following averages: Low settings deliver 363 FPS, Medium settings deliver 346 FPS with a minimum of 294 FPS and maximum of 398 FPS, High settings deliver 326 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 273 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 24.8% reduction in average FPS (from 363 to 273), indicating that each settings tier imposes additional GPU load. The Medium preset's min FPS of 294 FPS remains well above 240 FPS, suggesting consistent performance even during demanding scenes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease across all settings. Low delivers 294 FPS, a 19% drop from the 1080p Low figure. Medium delivers 256 FPS with a minimum of 218 FPS and maximum of 295 FPS. High delivers 216 FPS, and Ultra delivers 177 FPS. The 1440p results show that even at Ultra settings, the system maintains an average above 170 FPS, providing an excellent experience for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset's minimum of 218 FPS still exceeds 200 FPS, indicating smooth frame delivery.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more moderate but remain highly playable. Low settings average 159 FPS, Medium averages 139 FPS with a minimum of 118 FPS and maximum of 160 FPS, High averages 117 FPS, and Ultra averages 96 FPS. The 4K Ultra figure of 96 FPS is the lowest average recorded, yet it remains above 60 FPS, ensuring a fluid experience on 4K displays. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 118 FPS, which provides consistent performance above 100 FPS. The data across all resolutions and settings demonstrates that this combination can handle Doom at maximum quality settings at 4K with playable frame rates, and at 1080p it achieves frame rates suitable for the highest refresh rate gaming displays.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 363, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% ahead with a score of 80,959, while the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB is 0.3% behind with a score of 79,605.

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

A: The lowest average FPS is 96, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 5900X perform in Cinebench R23?

A: The CPU scores 16,262 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,527 in single-core tests.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations?

A: This combination ranks 132nd out of 3,712 tested combos, placing it in the top 3.6% of all configurations.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the 1080p average is 326 FPS, while the 4K average is 117 FPS, representing a 64.1% reduction in performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display resolution and refresh rate priorities. At 1920x1080, even the most demanding Ultra preset delivers an average of 273 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of virtually all gaming monitors. For users with 240Hz or 360Hz displays, the Medium preset at 346 FPS or High preset at 326 FPS provides the best balance of visual quality and frame rate headroom, ensuring the display's refresh rate is fully utilized. The Low preset's 363 FPS offers marginal additional performance but sacrifices visual fidelity for a frame rate advantage that most displays cannot showcase.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 177 FPS, which is sufficient for 144Hz and even 165Hz displays in most scenarios. The High preset at 216 FPS allows for smoother performance on 240Hz monitors, while the Medium preset at 256 FPS with a 218 FPS minimum ensures consistent performance above 200 FPS. For 1440p users with high refresh rate displays, High settings at 216 FPS represent the best experience, offering superior visual quality compared to Medium while still providing enough frame rate headroom for 240Hz panels.

At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 117 FPS, which is excellent for 4K gaming and suitable for 120Hz displays. The Medium preset at 139 FPS with a 118 FPS minimum provides additional smoothness, though the visual difference between Medium and High may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 96 FPS remains above 60 FPS, providing a playable experience on 4K displays, but the performance drop from High is substantial at 21 FPS. For 4K users, the High settings at 117 FPS offer the best compromise between visual quality and performance, as the frame rate comfortably exceeds 60 FPS while maintaining higher graphical fidelity than Medium. The data clearly indicates that this hardware combination is powerful enough to run Doom at maximum settings across all tested resolutions, with the choice of preset primarily determined by whether the user prioritizes maximum visual quality or maximum frame rate.