Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon 8050S delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p gaming experience in Doom, but the data shows a clear ceiling at 4K where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor. At 1080p High settings, the combo produces 139 FPS, while Ultra settings still manage 113 FPS, indicating that the 16-core CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions. The benchmark results place this combination in the 73rd percentile of tested combos (rank 2146 out of 2930), which is a strong showing for a mobile platform, but the scaling curve reveals where the performance boundaries lie.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable and steep decline as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is typical for a GPU-bound title like Doom. At 1080p High settings, the combo achieves 139 FPS, but this drops to 90 FPS at 1440p High and further down to 49 FPS at 4K High. This represents a 35% performance drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 46% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern strongly indicates that the AMD Radeon 8050S is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the CPU has ample headroom with its 16 cores and 5.40 GHz boost clock.

Looking at the Low settings preset, the data reveals the same trend with a slightly different magnitude. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 188 FPS, which falls to 122 FPS at 1440p Low and 66 FPS at 4K Low. The percentage drops are 35% and 46% respectively, almost identical to the High preset scaling. This consistency across presets confirms that the GPU's pixel throughput, not the CPU or memory subsystem, is what determines the frame rate at higher resolutions.

The Medium settings row provides additional insight, as it includes both minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 164 FPS with a minimum of 139 FPS and maximum of 189 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 106 FPS with a range of 90-122 FPS. The 4K Medium result shows 57 FPS average with a 49-66 FPS range. The narrowing of the frame time variance at 4K, where the gap between min and max is only 17 FPS compared to 50 FPS at 1080p, suggests that the GPU is running at near-saturation at 4K, leaving less room for frame rate fluctuation.

FAQ

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

A: Benchmark results indicate that 1440p is the sweet spot, with High settings delivering 90 FPS and Medium settings reaching 106 FPS. At 4K, even Low settings only manage 66 FPS, which falls below the 70 FPS threshold many players consider smooth.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which places it 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (76155) and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (75779). It trails the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P by 0.4% (76492) and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX by 0.4% (76513).

Q: Does the GPU bottleneck the CPU at any resolution?

A: Yes, the data clearly shows a GPU bottleneck at 4K. While 1080p High produces 139 FPS and 1440p High produces 90 FPS, the 4K High result drops to 49 FPS. This steep decline, despite the CPU's strong single-thread score of 6030 in Cinebench R23, indicates that the Radeon 8050S cannot sustain the pixel workload at 4K.

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

A: At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 113 FPS while Low produces 188 FPS, representing a 66% performance increase from Ultra to Low. The Medium preset sits at 164 FPS and High at 139 FPS, showing that each step up in quality costs roughly 25 FPS on average.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 2146 out of 2930 tested combos, placing it in the 73rd percentile. This is a strong result for a mobile platform, especially considering that the GPU alone sits in the 89th percentile of all GPUs while the CPU is in the 95th percentile.

Q: Is the integrated graphics a factor in performance?

A: The AMD Radeon 8050S is the primary GPU, and the CPU also includes a Radeon 610M integrated graphics unit. However, the measured FPS data reflects the discrete GPU's performance, and the integrated unit does not appear to contribute to the gaming results in this configuration.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 5 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz provide the single-thread performance necessary for game logic and physics, while the 64 MB of L3 cache helps with data locality. In Doom, which is a fast-paced FPS with heavy draw calls, the CPU's strong single-core performance is critical, and the benchmark results reflect this.

The CPU's Cinebench R23 scores are 6030 for single-core and 42713 for multi-core, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. This level of performance means that at 1080p, where frame rates are high, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The fact that the FPS drops from 188 at 1080p Low to 66 at 4K Low, a 65% reduction, while the CPU load would remain relatively constant, proves that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The CPU's memory support of DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 83.2 GB/s bandwidth provides sufficient bandwidth for the GPU's system-shared memory architecture. The Radeon 8050S uses system memory for its frame buffer, which can introduce latency, but the benchmark data shows that this is not a significant issue at 1080p and 1440p. The CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads also help with background tasks and streaming, ensuring consistent frame delivery without stutters.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2146 out of 2930 places this configuration in the 73rd percentile of all tested combinations. This is a respectable position, especially when considering that both the CPU and GPU are recent mobile parts. The CPU alone scores in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 89th percentile, indicating that the pairing is well-balanced despite the GPU being the weaker component.

In the context of Doom, which is a well-optimized title that scales well across hardware, this ranking suggests that the combo delivers a smooth experience at 1080p and playable frame rates at 1440p. The 4K results are below the 60 FPS threshold for High and Ultra presets, which brings the overall ranking down compared to combos with more powerful GPUs. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, scores 0.3% higher on average, while the AMD Radeon RX 7600M is 2.6% faster, yet the 8050S holds its own in this game.

The ranking also reflects the CPU's contribution. The Ryzen 9 8945HX is 0.1% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and 0.6% faster than the Ryzen 9 9950X3D in average benchmark scores, which means that for CPU-bound scenarios, this combo punches above its weight. In Doom, the CPU headroom allows the GPU to reach its full potential at lower resolutions, maximizing the frame rates available from the 8050S.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo shows strong performance across all settings. The Low preset delivers 188 FPS average, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium produces 164 FPS with a range of 139-189 FPS, High drops to 139 FPS, and Ultra maintains 113 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at Ultra settings, the frame rate is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay, and the minimum FPS of 139 FPS at Medium suggests consistent frame delivery.

Moving to 1440p, the performance remains playable but with a notable step down. Low delivers 122 FPS, Medium averages 106 FPS with a range of 90-122 FPS, High produces 90 FPS, and Ultra drops to 73 FPS. The 73 FPS at Ultra is still above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1440p Ultra a viable option for players who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate. The Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance, with 106 FPS average and a minimum of 90 FPS.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings produce 66 FPS, Medium averages 57 FPS with a range of 49-66 FPS, High drops to 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 40 FPS. Only the Low preset approaches the 60 FPS target, while High and Ultra are not suitable for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset's minimum of 49 FPS indicates that even this setting can experience noticeable frame drops during intense scenes. For 4K gaming, players would need to significantly reduce settings or accept lower frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data suggests that the optimal experience for this combo is at 1440p with Medium settings. This configuration delivers 106 FPS average with a minimum of 90 FPS, providing a smooth and responsive experience that exceeds the 60 FPS standard. The visual quality at Medium is still respectable, and the frame rate headroom ensures that demanding scenes do not cause significant stuttering.

For players who prioritize maximum frame rates, 1080p Low is the best choice, delivering 188 FPS. This is ideal for competitive play where response time matters more than visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 164 FPS, which is also excellent and provides better visuals without sacrificing much performance. At 1080p, all settings are playable, with even Ultra maintaining 113 FPS.

At 4K, the data shows that only the Low preset is recommended, as it achieves 66 FPS. The Medium preset at 57 FPS is borderline, and its minimum of 49 FPS may cause noticeable hitches during fast-paced action. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as they fall below 50 FPS. Players with 4K displays should either reduce the resolution to 1440p or accept the visual compromises of the Low preset. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with 73 FPS, is a viable alternative for players who want high visual quality without dropping to 4K.