Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a highly playable experience in Doom, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. The measured data shows a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K remains viable with adjustments. The 16-core CPU provides ample headroom, while the 8 GB GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions and demanding presets.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured frames per second, 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At High settings, the combo achieves 97 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while 1920x1080 reaches 149 FPS at the same settings. 4K is playable but requires dropping to Low settings to hit 71 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 17639 places it in the 61st percentile. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, which is a negligible 0.2% difference. The AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% slower, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 and Pro 460 are 0.5% and 0.7% slower, respectively.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 8945HX a bottleneck for the RTX 4060 in this game?

A: The CPU's synthetic performance suggests it is not a bottleneck. With a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42713, it sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, scores nearly identically with a 0.1% delta. The data indicates the CPU has significant headroom, leaving the GPU as the limiting factor in most scenarios.

Q: What is the performance drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 149 FPS at 1920x1080 to 97 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 52 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 65% reduction in frames per second from 1080p to 4K, highlighting the substantial load increase on the GPU at higher resolutions.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest frame rate at 1440p?

A: The Low preset provides the highest average frame rate at 2560x1440, achieving 131 FPS. The Medium preset follows at 114 FPS, High at 97 FPS, and Ultra at 79 FPS. For a smooth experience with better visuals, the Medium preset offers a strong balance.

Q: How does the CPU's single-threaded performance compare to its multi-threaded performance?

A: In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 6030 in the single-core test and 42713 in the multi-core test. This indicates strong single-thread capability, which is relevant for game logic, and exceptional multi-threaded throughput, which is more useful for productivity tasks.

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, built on a 5 nm process. In the context of Doom, this processor provides substantial computational headroom. The game's engine is generally well-optimized, and the data suggests that at no point does the CPU become the primary limiter. The high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded game logic is processed swiftly, while the 16 cores provide ample capacity for background tasks and any additional engine threads.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark scores reinforce the idea that it is not a bottleneck. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42713 places it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance. The average benchmark score of 76212 is nearly identical to its closest rivals, with a 0.1% difference from the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and a 0.6% difference from the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. This level of performance means that in a GPU-bound scenario like Doom at high resolutions, the CPU is waiting on the GPU to deliver frames, not the other way around.

The processor's memory support for DDR5 and its dual-channel memory bus, which provides a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, also contribute to its ability to feed data to the GPU efficiently. The large 64 MB L3 cache helps reduce latency for frequently accessed data, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times. With a PassMark single-thread score of 3907, the CPU demonstrates strong per-core performance that is crucial for the main game thread. In practical terms, the data shows that the CPU is a capable partner to the RTX 4060, allowing the GPU's performance to be the deciding factor in frame rate across all tested settings and resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the primary driver of frame rate in this configuration. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD107 chip, it features 3072 shading units and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. The memory operates at 2125 MHz, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock of 2460 MHz is a key factor in its performance, allowing it to process the Vulkan-based Doom engine efficiently.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the combination of the CPU and GPU can push very high frame rates, with the Low preset hitting 203 FPS. However, the 8 GB VRAM capacity and the 128-bit memory bus become limiting factors at 3840x2160. The data shows a significant drop in performance at 4K, with the Ultra preset falling to 43 FPS. This is a clear indication that the GPU is the limiting component at this resolution, as the memory bandwidth and capacity are insufficient for the higher texture and geometry loads.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4060 scores an average of 17639, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, a difference of only 0.2%. This is an interesting data point, as the RTX 4060 is a modern GPU with features like ray tracing and DLSS, but its raw compute performance in these specific tests is similar to an older card. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 19545 also contributes to its overall standing. The data indicates that while the GPU is not at the top of the performance charts, it is more than sufficient for a smooth 1080p and 1440p experience in Doom, which is a game known for its scalability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this configuration are consistent across a matrix of resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high. The Low preset yields an average of 203 FPS, which drops to 177 FPS on Medium, 149 FPS on High, and 122 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 150 FPS and a maximum of 203 FPS, indicating a very smooth experience with no significant frame drops.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very playable. The Low preset achieves an average of 131 FPS, Medium 114 FPS, High 97 FPS, and Ultra 79 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 97 FPS and maximum of 132 FPS show that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above 60 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this hardware, offering a significant visual upgrade over 1080p without sacrificing smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become apparent. The Low preset delivers an average of 71 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset drops to 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS, indicating some stutter in the most demanding moments. High settings fall to 52 FPS, and Ultra drops to 43 FPS. These results show that 4K gaming is possible with this combo, but only at lower settings for a consistently smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly demonstrates the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 149 FPS at 1920x1080 to 97 FPS at 2560x1440, a 35% reduction. The drop from 1440p to 4K is even more severe, falling from 97 FPS to 52 FPS, a 46% reduction. This non-linear scaling is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, where the increased pixel count and memory pressure at 4K overwhelm the RTX 4060's 8 GB of VRAM and 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The pattern holds across other settings. At Low, the frame rate drops from 203 FPS at 1080p to 131 FPS at 1440p, and then to 71 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is 46% for High and 46% for Low, showing that the GPU is consistently the limiting factor regardless of the preset. The CPU's performance, which is in the 95th percentile, does not change with resolution, so all the performance variance can be attributed to the GPU's workload. The data suggests that the limiting component is the GPU, specifically its memory subsystem and raw compute throughput, which are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K with high detail levels.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for different priorities. For players with a 1080p monitor, the High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 149 FPS, which is more than enough for a high refresh rate display, and it offers a substantial visual improvement over the Low preset. The Ultra preset, at 122 FPS, is also viable, but the 18% performance cost over High may not justify the marginal visual gains.

For 1440p displays, the Medium preset offers the best experience. It achieves an average of 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in intense action sequences. The High preset is also playable at 97 FPS, but the Medium preset provides a larger safety margin for frame time consistency. The Ultra preset at 79 FPS is still above 60 FPS, but the drop from Medium is significant.

At 4K, the choices are more constrained. The Low preset is the only one that guarantees a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 71 FPS. The Medium preset averages 62 FPS but has a minimum of 53 FPS, which could lead to noticeable hitches. For a cinematic experience where frame rate is less critical, the High preset at 52 FPS might be acceptable, but for competitive or fast-paced play, Low is the safe recommendation. Given the GPU's 61st percentile performance ranking and its 8 GB VRAM, the data supports using lower settings at 4K to prioritize frame rate.