Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a decisive performance profile in Doom (2016), characterized by exceptionally high frame rates that scale predictably with resolution and settings. The data indicates that this combination is capable of fully saturating high-refresh-rate displays at 1080p, while still providing a playable experience at 4K with adjusted settings. The measured results show a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at lower resolutions, with the CPU’s substantial thread count and clock speeds providing a robust foundation that never becomes a bottleneck in this title.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This mobile flagship, part of the 8000 series, features a 64 MB L3 cache and is built on a 5 nm process. Its benchmark results, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030, place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier processing power.

In the context of Doom, which is a well-optimized game that can leverage multiple threads, the CPU’s 32 threads provide ample headroom. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 227 FPS. This high frame rate, which exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors, suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain maximum output. The single-core performance, reflected in the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030, is also critical for game logic and frame pacing, ensuring that the high core count translates into real-world gaming performance rather than just synthetic benchmark superiority. The processor’s performance is nearly identical to its closest rivals, with a negligible 0.1% delta compared to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, and it sits comfortably ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D by 0.6%. This indicates that the 8945HX is a top contender for gaming workloads, providing the necessary computational muscle to avoid being a limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 167 FPS, which is an excellent balance for high-refresh-rate gaming, while the Ultra preset still provides a very smooth 137 FPS. For users with a 144Hz monitor, the High preset is the clear recommendation, as it provides a 30 FPS advantage over Ultra without a significant visual sacrifice, based on the data. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 198 FPS, which is only useful for competitive play on 240Hz panels, but the visual downgrade from High is substantial.

At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves an average of 108 FPS, which is ideal for 100Hz+ displays. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 89 FPS, which is still playable but less optimal. The Medium preset at 1440p provides 128 FPS, offering a smoother experience than High but with lower visual fidelity. For a balanced experience, the data suggests High is the sweet spot at 1440p, as it provides a frame rate that is 21% higher than Ultra while maintaining high visual quality. At 3840x2160, the situation changes drastically. The High preset only manages an average of 59 FPS, which is barely playable but not ideal for a fast-paced FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 69 FPS, which is a more comfortable experience, while the Low preset reaches 80 FPS. Therefore, for 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it offers the best compromise between the playable frame rate of 69 FPS and visual quality, being 10 FPS faster than High and 11 FPS slower than Low but with better graphics.

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

The FPS scaling across resolutions clearly indicates a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p High, the system achieves 167 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 108 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 4K High, the frame rate falls to 59 FPS, a further 45% reduction from 1440p. This pattern—where performance degrades significantly as pixel count increases—is the classic signature of a graphics card that is the primary bottleneck. The CPU’s powerful single and multi-threaded capabilities are sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 1080p, but as the resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows exponentially, and the frame rate becomes limited by the RTX 4070’s rendering throughput.

This is further corroborated by the frame rate deltas. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is 59 FPS, while the difference between 1440p and 4K is 49 FPS. The consistent drop in performance with each resolution increase demonstrates that the CPU is not the limiting factor; if it were, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions. The RTX 4070, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, is the primary driver of these results. The data suggests that the CPU has ample headroom to support even higher frame rates if the GPU were faster, making this a balanced but GPU-centric pairing for Doom.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination is ranked 1554 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places the system in the 47th percentile of all tested combinations, which is a mid-table position. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the high individual performance of the components. The CPU itself is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. The disparity between the component-level percentiles and the combo-level rank suggests that while this is a strong system, many other combinations in the database may have higher-end GPUs that are better suited to Doom's specific rendering requirements, particularly at higher resolutions.

The ranking indicates that there are 1375 other combos that perform better in this specific game. This could be due to the RTX 4070 being a mid-range card in the current generation, while many top-tier combos likely feature flagship GPUs like the RTX 4090. However, within the context of this pairing, the performance is strong, as evidenced by the measured FPS data. The combo’s rank of 1554 is not a reflection of poor performance, but rather proof of the wide variety of more powerful hardware that has been benchmarked. It is a solid mid-pack performer that excels at 1080p and 1440p, but is less competitive at 4K where higher-end GPUs have a distinct advantage.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is a discrete graphics card based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring 5888 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2475 MHz, and it has a pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s. The GPU’s performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3854, places it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 37648 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with a negligible 0.1% delta compared to the NVIDIA Tesla P4 and a 1.3% deficit against the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56.

In Doom, the GPU’s role is pivotal. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the GPU renders 227 FPS, but this drops to 137 FPS at Ultra settings, showing the impact of increased graphical load. The 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for Doom's texture requirements at all settings, even at 4K, as the game is from 2016 and does not have the massive VRAM demands of modern titles. The GPU’s raw compute power, reflected in its 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is what drives the frame rates. The data shows that at 4K, the GPU’s limitations become apparent, with the High preset only achieving 59 FPS, indicating that the card is at its performance ceiling at this resolution for this game. The card’s performance is well-matched to the CPU, ensuring that the system is balanced, with no single component holding back the other in a significant way.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 108 FPS.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, at 4K with Medium settings, the system achieves an average of 69 FPS, and with Low settings, it reaches 80 FPS. However, the High preset falls short at 59 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score that is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, indicating near-identical performance.

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 227, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the combo's rank in the database for this game?

A: The combo is ranked 1554 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates drop significantly with increased resolution, while the CPU's high core count and clock speeds provide sufficient headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system’s performance is robust across all presets. The Low preset yields an average of 227 FPS. The Medium preset averages 198 FPS, with a minimum of 168 FPS and a maximum of 228 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 167 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 137 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the GPU’s increasing load. The Low preset averages 147 FPS. The Medium preset averages 128 FPS, with a minimum of 109 FPS and a maximum of 148 FPS. The High preset achieves an average of 108 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to an average of 89 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset averages 80 FPS. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. The High preset averages 59 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to an average of 48 FPS. These figures demonstrate a clear and consistent performance hierarchy, with the system delivering over 100 FPS at 1080p and 1440p on most presets, while dropping below 60 FPS only at 4K with the High and Ultra presets.