Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a playable yet uneven experience in Doom, with performance heavily dictated by resolution and graphics settings. The data shows a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p but struggles to maintain fluid frame rates at 4K, particularly on higher presets. The 12-core, 24-thread Zen 4 processor provides ample headroom, leaving the Intel Arc B570 as the primary bottleneck in this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second (FPS) reveal a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, with the most significant drop occurring between 1440p and 4K. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 121 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same preset reduces this to 78 FPS, a 43 FPS decrease. The jump to 3840x2160 High is far more punishing, with the average falling to 42 FPS—a 36 FPS drop from 1440p and a 79 FPS decline from 1080p.

This scaling behavior indicates that the Intel Arc B570’s rendering capabilities are the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU is less stressed, and the high frame rates suggest the CPU is capable of feeding it adequately. However, the steep decline at 4K, where the average FPS at High is less than half of the 1080p result, points to the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth becoming saturated. The 160-bit memory bus and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in this title, despite the 10 GB GDDR6 frame buffer.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution further confirms this. At 4K, the spread from Low (57 FPS) to Ultra (35 FPS) is 22 FPS, while at 1080p, the spread is 65 FPS (from 164 FPS at Low to 99 FPS at Ultra). This compressed range at 4K suggests that even the Low preset is pushing the GPU near its limits, leaving little performance headroom for visual enhancements.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this hardware?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the optimal balance. At Medium settings, the combo averages 92 FPS, which is well above the 4K results and only 51 FPS below the 1080p Medium average. High settings at 1440p still deliver a smooth 78 FPS, making it a strong choice for higher visual fidelity.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but only on lower presets. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 57, which is playable. However, 4K High drops to 42 FPS, and 4K Ultra falls to 35 FPS, both of which may feel less fluid for fast-paced action.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The difference is substantial at lower resolutions. At 1080p, Low averages 164 FPS while Ultra averages 99 FPS, a 65 FPS gap. At 1440p, the gap narrows to 42 FPS (106 FPS at Low vs 64 FPS at Ultra). At 4K, the gap is only 22 FPS (57 FPS at Low vs 35 FPS at Ultra).

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 7900X or the Arc B570 the bottleneck in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU’s high multi-threaded score of 29,300 in Cinebench R23 and single-thread score of 2,016.5 suggest it has ample processing power. The consistent FPS drops across resolutions align with GPU limitations rather than CPU stalls.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 121 at 1080p to 78 at 1440p, a 43 FPS reduction. This represents a 35.5% decrease in performance, showing a significant impact from the additional pixel count.

Q: Does the combo perform better than the average tested configuration?

A: No. The combo is ranked 2,332 out of 2,930 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 20th percentile. This suggests that while the hardware is capable, other combinations in the database deliver higher frame rates in Doom.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570’s specifications directly influence the measured performance in Doom. The GPU features 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, which are modest for a modern discrete card. Its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s, a figure that appears to be a limiting factor at high resolutions.

The GPU’s clock speeds are fixed at a base and boost of 2500 MHz. This consistent clock rate means performance scales predictably with resolution and settings, as observed in the measured FPS. The lack of a dynamic boost range suggests the card operates at a steady state, which can be advantageous for consistent frame times but also means it cannot compensate for heavy loads by increasing clocks.

The memory configuration is particularly relevant to Doom’s results. At 4K, the 10 GB frame buffer is likely sufficient for the game’s textures, but the 380.0 GB/s bandwidth may not be enough to feed the shader units efficiently. This explains the sharp FPS drop at 4K High (42 FPS) compared to 1440p High (78 FPS). The GPU’s pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are also likely saturated at 4K, further limiting performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience is achieved at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, which yields an average of 92 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. This preset offers a significant performance boost over High (78 FPS) while maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The measured minimum of 79 FPS ensures that even demanding scenes do not cause noticeable stuttering.

For users prioritizing visual quality, 1440p High at 78 FPS is a viable alternative. The 14 FPS penalty compared to Medium is acceptable for enhanced detail, and the average remains fluid. At 1080p, all settings are playable, but Medium (143 FPS) provides a strong balance between high frame rates and visual fidelity, with a minimum of 121 FPS ensuring consistency.

At 4K, the data suggests that only Low settings (57 FPS) are suitable for a playable experience. Medium (50 FPS) and High (42 FPS) may be acceptable for slower-paced moments but risk frame drops during intense action. Ultra at 35 FPS is not recommended for this game’s fast-paced nature, as the low frame rate could impede responsiveness.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B570 combination is ranked 2,332 out of 2,930 tested combos for Doom, placing it in the bottom 20% of the database. This low ranking is surprising given the hardware’s individual capabilities. The Ryzen 9 7900X holds a 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the Arc B570 sits in the 65th percentile among GPUs. The combination’s poor in-game ranking suggests that the GPU’s performance in Doom is not commensurate with its overall benchmark scores, or that other tested combos pair stronger GPUs with similar CPUs.

The GPU’s average benchmark score is 20,556, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20,534, 0.1% lower) and Intel Arc A750 (20,582, 0.1% higher). This indicates the B570 is a mid-range performer. However, in Doom, the combination’s 4K High average of 42 FPS is below what many users would consider acceptable, contributing to its low rank. The CPU’s strong synthetic scores, such as a 3DMark max threads score of 12,536, do not translate into top-tier gaming performance when paired with this GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its highest frame rates. Low settings average 164 FPS, Medium averages 143 FPS with a minimum of 121 FPS and maximum of 164 FPS, High averages 121 FPS, and Ultra averages 99 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is well within the hardware’s comfort zone, with even Ultra settings providing near-100 FPS performance.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low averages 106 FPS, Medium averages 92 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 106 FPS, High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 64 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 14 FPS, which is relatively modest, suggesting the GPU handles the extra visual load at this resolution without a severe penalty.

At 3840x2160, the data reveals a significant performance cliff. Low averages 57 FPS, Medium averages 50 FPS with a minimum of 43 FPS and maximum of 58 FPS, High averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 43 FPS indicates that even this setting can dip below playable thresholds during intense scenes. The gap between Low and Ultra is 22 FPS, which is smaller than at lower resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the dominant constraint at 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 4 architecture. Its base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide substantial single-thread performance, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,016.5. In Doom, which is a well-optimized FPS title, this CPU likely provides more than enough processing power to avoid being a bottleneck.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29,300 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 19,267. These scores suggest that even when the GPU is fully loaded, the CPU can handle game logic, physics, and AI without introducing frame time spikes. The 64 MB of shared L3 cache is another asset, potentially improving data access for game assets that are frequently used.

However, the data indicates that the CPU’s power is underutilized in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 164 FPS, which is likely near the upper limit of what the Arc B570 can produce. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar FPS across different resolutions at the same settings. Instead, the significant FPS drops at higher resolutions demonstrate that the GPU, not the CPU, determines the frame rate. The Ryzen 9 7900X’s performance in synthetic tests, such as a Passmark multi-thread score of 51,406, further confirms it is not the weak link in this system for Doom.