Doom

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS for this combo in Doom at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combo delivers an average of 94 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 287 FPS average, while Ultra achieves 173 FPS average. This represents a 114 FPS difference, meaning Low is roughly 65% faster than Ultra at this resolution.

Q: Does the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM get fully utilized in Doom?

A: The FACT PACK does not include VRAM usage data for Doom. However, the GPU features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 384-bit bus and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, which is far beyond what a 2016 title like Doom would typically require at any tested setting.

Q: What is the best resolution for 240Hz+ gaming with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080, all four tested presets exceed 267 FPS average. The Medium preset hits 347 FPS average, and Low hits 364 FPS average, so 1080p is the only resolution where every preset clears the 240 FPS mark.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Doom?

A: This combo ranks 151st out of 3,712 tested combos, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations tested for Doom.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded across all measured rows is 115 FPS, which appears at 4K Medium settings. The 1440p Medium row shows a 213 FPS minimum, and the 1080p Medium row shows a 295 FPS minimum.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X brings 16 cores and 32 threads to the table, built on the Zen 3 architecture with a 7 nm process. Its base clock runs at 3.40 GHz, boosting up to 4.90 GHz. This CPU posts strong synthetic scores: a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 26,017 and a single-core result of 1,614. The Geekbench scores are similarly robust at 15,233 multicore and 2,083 single-core.

For a game like Doom, which was designed with scalability in mind, the 5950X's thread count is more than adequate. The 64 MB of L3 cache helps with game asset streaming, and the dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s provides sufficient bandwidth for this title. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it sits well above the median processor, and its nearest rivals show interesting comparisons. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX scores 52,073 on average (0.2% higher), while the AMD EPYC 8124P scores 52,121 (0.3% higher). The Intel Core i9-13900F trails slightly at 51,730 (0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i7-14700 leads the group at 52,301 (0.7% higher). These deltas are all within 1%, meaning the 5950X trades blows with modern competition.

In Doom specifically, the CPU's 32 threads are unlikely to be fully utilized, as this title typically scales well with fewer cores. However, the high single-thread performance (944 in 3DMark single-thread) ensures that the game's main thread has ample headroom. The 16-core configuration also guarantees that background tasks won't interfere with game performance, which matters for streaming or recording gameplay.

The data shows that at 1080p, where CPU bottlenecks are more likely, the combo still achieves 327 FPS average on High settings. This suggests the 5950X is not a limiting factor even at lower resolutions. At 4K, the burden shifts almost entirely to the GPU, but the CPU's consistent performance ensures frame pacing remains stable.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the defining component of this combo. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process, it packs 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. The GPU runs at a base clock of 2235 MHz, boosting to 2520 MHz, and its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory operates at 21 Gbps effective, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth across a 384-bit bus.

The RTX 4090's compute capabilities are staggering: 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate. With 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores, this card is future-proofed for ray tracing and AI workloads, though Doom (2016) does not use either. The GPU's 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the upper echelon, though its nearest rivals are unexpected. The Intel Arc Pro A60 matches it at 60,326 (0% delta), while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60,140 (0.3% lower). The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% higher, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% lower.

In Doom, the RTX 4090's raw rasterization power dominates. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages 94 FPS average, which is remarkable for a 2016 title maxed out. The GPU's 24 GB VRAM is overkill for this game, as Doom's texture sets are modest by modern standards. The bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s ensures that even at 4K with Ultra settings, texture streaming never becomes a bottleneck.

The GPU's pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s means it can fill frames faster than most displays can refresh. At 1440p, the combo hits 211 FPS average on High, and at 1080p, it reaches 327 FPS average on High. The RTX 4090's end-of-life production status doesn't diminish its current performance, but the data indicates it remains a top-tier option.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of how settings impact performance. At 4K, the spread from Low to Ultra is significant: Low averages 156 FPS, Medium averages 136 FPS, High averages 115 FPS, and Ultra drops to 94 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS, giving a 41 FPS variance.

For 4K gaming, the High preset offers the best balance. At 115 FPS average, it's well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the visual uplift over Medium is worth the 21 FPS cost. Ultra at 4K drops below 100 FPS, which is still playable but doesn't justify the visual gains for most users. Low at 4K hits 156 FPS, but the visual degradation is likely too severe for a game like Doom.

At 1440p, the situation improves dramatically. Low hits 287 FPS, Medium averages 250 FPS with a 213 FPS minimum, High averages 211 FPS, and Ultra still manages 173 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p is the sweet spot: it delivers 250 FPS average with a minimum of 213 FPS, ensuring no drops below 200 FPS. High and Ultra both remain excellent choices if you prefer visual fidelity over raw frame rates.

At 1080p, every preset exceeds 260 FPS. Low hits 364 FPS, Medium averages 347 FPS with a 295 FPS minimum, High averages 327 FPS, and Ultra averages 267 FPS. For competitive play, Low or Medium at 1080p maximizes frame rates. For a single-player experience, Ultra at 267 FPS is still far beyond what any monitor can display.

The data suggests that Medium settings provide the most consistent experience across resolutions. At 4K Medium, the 115 FPS minimum is the only sub-120 FPS dip recorded in the entire dataset. For 1440p and 1080p, Medium ensures the minimum stays above 213 FPS and 295 FPS respectively.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 151st out of 3,712 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations. The rank reflects the exceptional synergy between the Ryzen 9 5950X and the RTX 4090. With 3,561 combos ranked below it, this pairing outperforms the vast majority of tested systems.

The CPU's 91st percentile and GPU's 88th percentile rankings individually suggest both components are strong, but their combined performance in Doom is greater than the sum of their parts. The 5950X's 16 cores prevent any CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions, while the RTX 4090's immense rasterization power shines at 4K.

The combo's rank of 151 means there are 150 configurations that perform better in Doom. Given the GPU's end-of-life status and the CPU's 2020 release date, newer hardware likely occupies the top 150 spots. However, this pairing still delivers playable frame rates at 4K Ultra (94 FPS) and exceptional performance at lower resolutions.

For context, the nearest CPU rival (Intel Core i7-14700) scores 0.7% higher on average benchmarks, and the nearest GPU rival (AMD Radeon Pro W6600M) scores 2.5% higher. These small deltas suggest that the Ryzen 9 5950X and RTX 4090 remain competitive despite their age.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 156 FPS average
• Medium: 136 FPS average, 115 FPS minimum, 156 FPS maximum
• High: 115 FPS average
• Ultra: 94 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 287 FPS average
• Medium: 250 FPS average, 213 FPS minimum, 288 FPS maximum
• High: 211 FPS average
• Ultra: 173 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 364 FPS average
• Medium: 347 FPS average, 295 FPS minimum, 399 FPS maximum
• High: 327 FPS average
• Ultra: 267 FPS average

The 4K data shows a clear progression: dropping from Ultra to Low yields a 62 FPS improvement (94 to 156 FPS). The Medium preset at 4K has a wider variance (115-156 FPS) compared to other settings, suggesting some scenes are more demanding than others. The 1440p Medium row mirrors this pattern with a 213-288 FPS range.

At 1080p, the Medium preset's variance (295-399 FPS) is the widest in the dataset, spanning 104 FPS. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU and GPU have enough headroom to push frame rates to extreme levels in less demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 1080p (267 FPS) is 97 FPS lower than Low (364 FPS), showing the visual settings have a substantial impact even at this resolution.

The data confirms this combo is exceptionally well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming. At 1440p, even Ultra settings clear 170 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most 1440p monitors. At 4K, the High preset's 115 FPS average is ideal for 120Hz displays, while Medium's 136 FPS average suits 144Hz panels. For maximum frame rates, 1080p Low at 364 FPS is the top performer, though it sacrifices visual quality for speed.