Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800M delivers a highly capable 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, with the data showing a strong balance between the 16-core Dragon Range processor and the 12 GB RDNA 3 mobile GPU. Across the measured resolutions, the combo exhibits a clear trend: excellent performance at 1920x1080, solid high-refresh-rate capability at 2560x1440, and playable but more demanding results at 3840x2160. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing ranks in the 66th percentile of all tested combos for this title, suggesting it sits firmly in the upper-middle tier of systems evaluated. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, component roles, and scaling behavior to provide a methodical look at what this hardware combination delivers in Doom.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 1938 out of 2930 tested combinations, placing it in the 66th percentile of all systems benchmarked for this game. This indicates a solid, above-median result, though not at the very top tier of performance.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 8945HX compare to its closest rival in synthetic CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX scores an average benchmark of 76212, which is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (76155). It also trails the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX by 0.4%, while leading the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D by 0.6%.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achieved at 1920x1080, and at which settings?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 195, achieved with the Low settings preset. The Medium preset delivers 170 FPS, High delivers 144 FPS, and Ultra delivers 117 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for Ultra settings at 4K?

A: The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset still runs, averaging 41 FPS, so the VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's demands, although performance drops significantly.

Q: What is the boost clock of the CPU and the game clock of the GPU?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The AMD Radeon RX 7800M has a game clock of 2145 MHz and a boost clock of 2335 MHz.

Q: How much faster is the 1440p High preset compared to the 4K High preset?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 93. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS drops to 50. This represents a 46% reduction in average frame rate when moving from 1440p to 4K at the same quality preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame places this specific pairing at 1938 out of 2930 tested configurations. This percentile position of 66% indicates that the Ryzen 9 8945HX and RX 7800M combination outperforms roughly two-thirds of all other CPU-GPU pairings tested for Doom. The data suggests that while this is not a top-tier enthusiast configuration, it delivers a robust gaming experience that is above the median for the database. In practical terms, this rank is achieved through a combination of a high-end mobile CPU and a mid-to-high-end mobile GPU, resulting in a system that can handle the game's demands across most settings and resolutions without being the absolute fastest.

The CPU's performance profile contributes significantly to this ranking. With an avgBenchmarkScore of 76212, the Ryzen 9 8945HX sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is a top-tier processor. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, show deltaPct values within 0.6% of each other, meaning the processor is competitive with the fastest chips available. This strong CPU showing helps prevent bottlenecks in a title like Doom, which relies on high frame rates and consistent frame pacing.

The GPU's contribution is more moderate. The Radeon RX 7800M has an avgBenchmarkScore of 27883, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, with deltaPct values ranging from 0.2% to -0.8%. This indicates that the GPU is a solid performer but not at the absolute modern of mobile graphics. The combination of a 95th-percentile CPU with a 73rd-percentile GPU results in a system where the graphics card is likely the primary limiter in GPU-intensive scenarios, but the CPU ensures that frame rates remain high and consistent. The final rank of 1938 reflects this balance, placing the combo in a strong position for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is built on the Navi 32 chip using the RDNA 3.0 architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 3840 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 60 ray tracing cores. The GPU is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. The memory operates at 2250 MHz, which translates to 18 Gbps effective. The core clocks are set at a base of 1295 MHz, a game clock of 2145 MHz, and a boost clock of 2335 MHz. This configuration delivers a pixel rate of 224.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 560.4 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance rated at 35.87 TFLOPS.

In Doom, the GPU's role is central to determining the framerate ceiling. The measured FPS data shows a clear correlation between resolution and performance, which is typical for a GPU-bound title. At 1920x1080, the GPU has ample headroom, delivering 195 FPS on Low settings and 144 FPS on High. The jump to 2560x1440 reduces these figures to 126 FPS and 93 FPS respectively, demonstrating the GPU's workload scaling with pixel count. At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes heavily taxed, with the High preset dropping to 50 FPS and the Ultra preset averaging just 41 FPS.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Doom at all tested presets, as even the most demanding 4K Ultra configuration runs without memory-related stuttering, though the average FPS is low. The memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s appears adequate for the game's texture streaming needs, as the performance drops at 4K are more attributable to raw compute throughput than memory limitations. The GPU's 96 ROPs and 224.2 GPixel/s fill rate are key factors in keeping the 4K Ultra preset playable at 41 FPS, though the result is below the 60 FPS threshold typically desired for smooth gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows consistently high frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 195 FPS, which is the highest result in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 170 FPS, with a minimum of 145 and a maximum of 196. The High preset delivers 144 FPS on average, while the Ultra preset averages 117 FPS. These results indicate that the combo can easily drive high-refresh-rate 1080p displays, with even the most demanding Ultra settings remaining well above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. The Low preset averages 126 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. The Medium preset delivers 110 FPS on average, with a minimum of 94 and a maximum of 127. The High preset averages 93 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 76 FPS. These numbers suggest that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, as it maintains playable frame rates across all settings, with the High and Medium presets offering the best balance of visual quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is pushed to its limits. The Low preset averages 68 FPS, which is the only 4K setting to break the 60 FPS barrier. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69, indicating that it hovers right at the edge of smooth gameplay. The High preset drops to 50 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 41 FPS. The data shows a clear pattern: at 4K, the user must choose between the Low preset for a playable experience or accept sub-60 FPS averages with higher visual settings.

The spread between the minimum and maximum FPS at Medium settings is notable. At 1080p, the range is 145 to 196, a 51 FPS difference. At 1440p, the range is 94 to 127, a 33 FPS difference. At 4K, the range is 51 to 69, an 18 FPS difference. This tightening of the frame time variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes the consistent bottleneck, reducing the impact of CPU-driven frame spikes.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. The CPU features 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 64 MB of L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The processor is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC and is part of AMD's 8000 series, designed for the mobile segment.

In Doom, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The benchmark results show that the Ryzen 9 8945HX is more than capable of handling this workload. In the Passmark multithread test, the CPU scores 51405, and in Cinebench R23 multicore, it scores 42713, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. This high multithreaded performance ensures that the CPU does not become a bottleneck, even at the highest frame rates seen at 1080p.

The single-thread performance is equally strong. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030 and the Passmark single-thread score of 3907 indicate that the Zen 4 architecture's high IPC (instructions per cycle) is well-suited for Doom's engine, which typically benefits from strong single-core performance. The boost clock of 5.40 GHz allows the CPU to maintain high frequencies under load, ensuring consistent frame delivery.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, while lower than the GPU's 432.0 GB/s, is sufficient for the game's data requirements. The 64 MB of L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for maintaining stable frame times. The data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor in any of the tested configurations, as the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K follows the expected pattern of GPU-bound performance degradation.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 117 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and smooth enough for most monitors. However, users with 144 Hz or 165 Hz displays may prefer the High preset at 144 FPS or the Medium preset at 170 FPS for a more competitive edge. The Low preset at 195 FPS is ideal for esports-style play where maximum frame rate is prioritized over visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 93 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it stays above 90 FPS. The Medium preset at 110 FPS is also an excellent choice for users who want a higher frame rate buffer. The Ultra preset at 76 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth on high-refresh-rate displays. The Low preset at 126 FPS is recommended for competitive play, as it provides the highest frame rate while maintaining decent visuals at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations are more constrained. The Low preset at 68 FPS is the only setting that consistently exceeds 60 FPS, making it the default choice for a smooth 4K experience. The Medium preset at 60 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 51 FPS, which may result in occasional stutter. The High and Ultra presets at 50 FPS and 41 FPS respectively are not recommended for players who prioritize smooth gameplay, as they fall below the 60 FPS threshold. For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the Low preset is the practical choice, with Medium being an option for those willing to accept occasional frame drops.

The data shows that the combo performs best at 1440p, where it can achieve high frame rates across all settings. For users with 1440p monitors, the High preset is the recommended starting point, with Medium as an alternative for a higher frame rate buffer. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is viable for visual fidelity, while at 4K, the Low preset is the only guaranteed smooth option.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops by approximately 35% across all settings. For example, the High preset falls from 144 FPS at 1080p to 93 FPS at 1440p, a 35% reduction. The Low preset drops from 195 FPS to 126 FPS, also a 35% reduction. This consistent scaling indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the pixel count increases by 78% from 1080p to 1440p, but the frame rate only drops by 35%, suggesting some headroom in the GPU's compute capabilities.

Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the scaling becomes more aggressive. The High preset drops from 93 FPS to 50 FPS, a 46% reduction. The Low preset drops from 126 FPS to 68 FPS, a 46% reduction. The pixel count increases by 125% from 1440p to 4K, but the frame rate drops by 46%, indicating that the GPU is now heavily saturated. The 4K resolution requires 8.3 million pixels to be rendered, and the RX 7800M's 35.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is pushed to its limits.

The scaling behavior suggests a shift in the limiting component. At 1080p, the CPU may still have some influence, as the frame rates are very high and the CPU must keep up with the GPU's output. However, the consistent 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p indicates that the GPU is already the primary constraint at this point. From 1440p to 4K, the 46% drop confirms that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, with the CPU's role diminishing as the GPU's workload increases.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (195 FPS) and Ultra (117 FPS) is 78 FPS. At 1440p, the difference is 50 FPS (126 vs 76). At 4K, the difference narrows to 27 FPS (68 vs 41). This narrowing indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so saturated that the difference in settings has a smaller absolute impact on frame rate. The minimum FPS data at Medium settings reinforces this: at 1080p, the min is 145; at 1440p, the min is 94; at 4K, the min is 51. These figures show that the lowest frame rates scale down more steeply, which could lead to more noticeable stutter at 4K.