Doom

The pairing of AMD’s Ryzen 9 7900X with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1650 presents a stark study in bottleneck dynamics. The CPU is a top-tier desktop part, while the GPU is a modest entry-level offering from a previous generation. Benchmark results from Doom highlight exactly how this imbalance plays out, with the graphics card acting as the primary constraint across all but the most forgiving settings. The data reveals a system that is capable of smooth gameplay at 1080p, but which struggles under the weight of higher resolutions and demanding presets.

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

The Ryzen 9 7900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Raphael. It operates on the AMD Socket AM5 platform and features a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor’s substantial 64 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide a powerful foundation for gaming workloads. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 43695 and a single-core score of 6168, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. This raw computational power, however, is largely untapped in this specific configuration.

In Doom, the game’s engine is known for being well-optimized, but the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. The scores in the 3DMark tests, such as 12536 for max threads and 1093 for single-thread, indicate a processor that can easily handle the game’s logic and physics. The bottleneck is not the processor’s ability to feed frames, but rather the GPU’s ability to render them. The data supports this, as even at 1080p with Low settings, where CPU load is typically highest, the 7900X is more than capable of pushing frame rates to 94.9 FPS. This suggests that the processor’s role is to provide a stable, high-speed foundation that the graphics card simply cannot fully utilize. The performance delta to its nearest rivals is negligible, with the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 being only 0.1% faster in average benchmark score, confirming that this CPU is not the source of any performance deficit in this setup.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the clear performance ceiling in this pairing. This Turing-architecture GPU features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s. Its base clock is 1485 MHz, with a boost clock of 1665 MHz. The card’s specifications, including 896 shading units and a pixel rate of 53.28 GPixel/s, are modest by modern standards. Its average benchmark score of 8713 places it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals show a tight cluster of similar performance, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile which is just 0.4% slower.

The GPU’s 4 GB VRAM is a critical limitation, especially at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that as resolution increases, the frame rate drops significantly. This is a direct result of the GPU’s limited memory bandwidth and processing power. The card’s performance in Doom reflects its entry-level positioning. The data shows that the GTX 1650 is the primary bottleneck, with the game’s frame rate being dictated by its rendering capabilities. The integrated Radeon Graphics in the CPU are not used, as the dedicated GPU is present. The GTX 1650’s performance is what it is, and the data shows it must be paired with a low-resolution, low-settings profile to achieve a playable experience.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the system scales with resolution. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 94.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 62 FPS, a significant 34.7% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 29.5 FPS. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets, clearly demonstrating that the GPU is the limiting component. For example, at High settings, the frame rate drops from 66.6 FPS at 1080p to 43 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 26 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior is a textbook sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU is capable of maintaining high frame rates, but the GTX 1650 cannot keep up with the increasing pixel count. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is particularly steep, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and fill rate are quickly overwhelmed. The difference between 1440p and 4K is less dramatic in relative terms, but the absolute frame rates become unplayable. The data shows that this combination is only viable for gaming at 1080p, and even then, only at lower settings. The performance characteristics point directly to the graphics card as the sole determinant of playability, with the CPU's power going largely unused.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Doom?

A: The benchmark data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p Low, it reaches 94.9 FPS, and even at High settings it manages 66.6 FPS. At 1440p, the frame rate drops to 62 FPS on Low, which is borderline, and at 4K it falls below 30 FPS across all settings.

Q: How does the GTX 1650's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 8713, placing it in the 43rd percentile. It is very closely matched with its nearest rivals, with the AMD Radeon 550X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile both being only 0.4% slower. The NVIDIA Quadro P2200 is 0.5% slower, showing a tight performance cluster.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 7900X bottlenecking the GTX 1650?

A: No, the data indicates the opposite. The CPU is far more powerful than the GPU. The Ryzen 9 7900X scores in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, while the GTX 1650 is in the 43rd percentile. The frame rates are consistently limited by the GPU's rendering capabilities, not the CPU's processing speed.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the difference between the Low and Ultra presets is substantial. The Low preset achieves an average of 94.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 56.5 FPS. This is a reduction of 38.4 FPS, or roughly 40%, showing a significant performance cost for the higher visual fidelity.

Q: What does the combo's rank of 1612 out of 1681 indicate?

A: This rank indicates that the combination of the Ryzen 9 7900X and GTX 1650 is one of the slower performing pairs in the database for Doom. The high-performance CPU is effectively held back by the low-performance GPU, resulting in a system that ranks in the bottom 5% of tested combinations.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this setup?

A: The data shows it is not viable. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 29.5 on Low settings. The Ultra preset at 4K falls to 21.5 FPS. These frame rates are below the threshold for smooth, responsive gameplay, indicating that the GPU lacks the necessary power for this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is ranked 1612 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the bottom 5% of all configurations, a position that is directly attributable to the graphics card. The CPU’s strength is irrelevant to the gaming outcome here. The 7900X is in the 93rd percentile of CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 50556, while the GTX 1650 is in the 43rd percentile of GPUs, with an average score of 8713.

This massive disparity in processing power creates a severe bottleneck. The data shows that the system’s performance is almost entirely dictated by the GPU. The rank reflects this reality, as the combination performs no better than a much weaker CPU paired with the same GPU would. The system is fundamentally unbalanced, with its overall gaming capability being defined by its weakest component. The rank is a clear indication that this pairing is not ideal for gaming, and the measured FPS data confirms that it is only suitable for 1080p gaming at moderate settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combination is found at 1920x1080. At this resolution, the Low preset provides the highest average frame rate of 94.9 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset also offers a very playable 78.5 FPS, representing a good balance between performance and visual quality. The High preset, at 66.6 FPS, remains playable and is a viable choice for a more visually detailed experience.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more tenuous. The Low preset at 62 FPS is playable, but the Medium preset drops to 53.7 FPS, and High falls to 43 FPS. For a consistent experience at this resolution, the Low preset is the only reliable choice. At 4K, no preset provides a playable frame rate, with the highest being 29.5 FPS on Low. Therefore, the recommended configuration is to play at 1080p with Medium or High settings, depending on the user’s preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. Choosing the Low preset at 1080p will maximize performance and provide the largest margin over the playability threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data points are the exact measured average frame rates from the benchmark results.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Ultra: 21.5 FPS
• High: 26 FPS
• Medium: 26.4 FPS
• Low: 29.5 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Ultra: 34.6 FPS
• High: 43 FPS
• Medium: 53.7 FPS
• Low: 62 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Ultra: 56.5 FPS
• High: 66.6 FPS
• Medium: 78.5 FPS
• Low: 94.9 FPS

These numbers show a clear and consistent pattern. The frame rate scales directly with resolution and settings, with the 1080p Low preset delivering the best performance and the 4K Ultra preset delivering the worst. The data confirms that the GTX 1650 is the definitive limiting factor, as the powerful Ryzen 9 7900X is unable to compensate for the GPU’s lack of rendering power at higher workloads.