Doom

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

The measured FPS data for Doom with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 reveals a predictable but informative scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo produces 145 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 Ultra drops that to 94 FPS, a reduction of 51 FPS or roughly 35%. The jump to 3840x2160 Ultra yields just 51 FPS average, which is a further 43 FPS decline from the 1440p result. Across the entire Ultra settings curve, the frame rate falls from 145 to 94 to 51 as resolution climbs from 1080p to 1440p to 4K.

This steep drop-off at 4K strongly suggests the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The RX 7700's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus width provide substantial bandwidth at 624.1 GB/s, yet the raw compute throughput of 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 appears insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 3840x2160. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU's high single-thread performance can push the GPU to 145 FPS on Ultra, but the rendering load at 4K overwhelms the graphics processor.

Examining the Low settings row reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 241 FPS average, which is remarkably close to the 242 FPS maximum observed in the Medium settings run at the same resolution. This ceiling effect indicates that even at Low settings, the system is approaching a performance limit that is not purely GPU-bound — the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz are likely contributing to this upper boundary. At 4K Low, the average drops to 85 FPS, a 65% reduction from the 1080p Low figure, again pointing to the GPU as the limiting factor when pixel count rises dramatically.

The delta between Low and Ultra at each resolution tells a similar story. At 1080p, the gap between Low (241 FPS) and Ultra (145 FPS) is 96 FPS, indicating that settings have a massive impact on performance when the GPU is not fully saturated. At 1440p, that gap narrows to 62 FPS (156 vs 94), and at 4K it shrinks further to 34 FPS (85 vs 51). This progressive narrowing of the settings-based performance delta as resolution increases is a classic signature of GPU-bound workloads — the graphics card is already working near its maximum capacity, so reducing quality settings yields diminishing returns.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7700, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, brings a substantial 16 GB of GDDR6 memory to the table. This capacity is noteworthy for a game like Doom, which was released in 2016 and does not demand excessive VRAM at typical settings. The measured results show that memory capacity is not a limiting factor — even at 4K Ultra with 51 FPS average, the system is clearly constrained by compute throughput rather than memory allocation. The 624.1 GB/s memory bandwidth and 19.5 Gbps effective memory clock are more than adequate for this title's data streaming requirements.

The GPU's clock behavior provides additional context. The base clock of 1900 MHz, game clock of 2041 MHz, and boost clock of 2459 MHz define a performance envelope that the card appears to utilize fully at higher resolutions. The 96 ROPs and 160 TMUs deliver a pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s, which are the hardware resources directly responsible for filling pixels and applying textures at each resolution. At 4K, the pixel throughput requirement increases by a factor of four compared to 1080p, and the data shows the card's output dropping from 241 FPS at 1080p Low to 85 FPS at 4K Low — a 65% reduction that aligns with the increased pixel workload.

The GPU's benchmark scores situate it in the broader market context. With a percentile rank of 58 against all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 15852, the RX 7700 sits near the AMD Radeon R9 370X (deltaPct -0.1) and AMD Radeon RX 9060 (deltaPct -1), while trailing the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti by 1.7%. These rivals are close in aggregate performance, yet the measured Doom results show this GPU can deliver 145 FPS at 1080p Ultra, suggesting the game is well-optimized for this class of hardware. The 16 GB VRAM is future-proofing for this card, but in Doom specifically, the capacity is not the constraining factor — the shading units (2560) and RT cores (40) are what determine the rendering ceiling.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. With a base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz, this CPU delivers strong single-threaded performance that is critical for a game like Doom, which relies heavily on a few primary threads for game logic and physics. The single-core benchmark results support this: 3dmark_single_thread scores 1286, Cinebench R23 single-core hits 2253, and Geekbench single-core reaches 3010. In the measured FPS data, the CPU's capability shines through at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck.

At 1080p, the combo achieves 178 FPS on High settings and 145 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that the CPU can feed the GPU with enough frames to exceed 144 Hz refresh rates at this resolution, even with quality settings elevated. The 241 FPS at 1080p Low is particularly telling — this approaches the theoretical limit of what modern display interfaces and game engine loops can deliver, and it suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. The Ryzen 9 9900X's 64 MB of L3 cache and 1 MB L2 per core provide ample on-chip storage for game data, reducing the need to access system memory (DDR5, dual-channel, 89.6 GB/s bandwidth) during gameplay.

However, the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases. At 4K, the frame rates across all settings (51-85 FPS) are far below what the CPU is capable of supporting. The processor's multithreaded performance — Cinebench R23 multicore at 32172 and Geekbench multicore at 22174 — is far beyond what Doom's engine can utilize, even with its 24 threads. This is a case where the CPU's capabilities are largely untapped by the game's workload, particularly at high resolutions where the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The CPU's percentile rank of 92 against all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 57498 place it near the AMD EPYC 9015 (deltaPct -0.1) and Intel Core i9-14900 (deltaPct -1.1), confirming its high-end positioning, but Doom's frame rates do not scale with this processing headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 241, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The maximum FPS observed across all measurements is 242, recorded in the 1080p Medium settings run.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable frame rates at 4K?

A: Yes, all 4K settings produce playable averages. The lowest is 51 FPS at Ultra, while Medium achieves 74 FPS, High reaches 62 FPS, and Low tops out at 85 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 63, which remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 7700 compare to its nearest rivals in GPU benchmarks?

A: The RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, placing it 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 370X, 1% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9060, 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, and 1.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the primary limiter at higher settings. The gap between Low (241 FPS) and Ultra (145 FPS) is 96 FPS, indicating that settings changes have a large impact. The CPU's strong single-thread performance allows it to feed the GPU effectively, but the GPU's rendering capacity caps Ultra settings at 145 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 1724 out of 3712 total combinations tested, placing it in the upper half of the database. This rank reflects the balanced but not top-tier performance of the RX 7700 paired with the high-end Ryzen 9 9900X.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM on the RX 7700 matter for Doom?

A: Based on the measured data, VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor for this game. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with compute-bound behavior, and the 16 GB GDDR6 memory with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth is more than sufficient for Doom's requirements, which date back to its 2016 release.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination ranks 1724 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the 46th percentile of all configurations. This mid-pack ranking is somewhat surprising given the CPU's high-end credentials — the Ryzen 9 9900X sits at the 92nd percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 57498. The GPU, however, is more modestly positioned at the 58th percentile among all GPUs with an average score of 15852, and this hardware imbalance explains the combo's overall standing.

The ranking suggests that Doom's performance is heavily weighted toward GPU capability, and the RX 7700's mid-tier positioning drags the combo down despite the CPU's strength. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU can push the GPU to high frame rates, but the combo cannot compete with configurations using faster graphics cards. The 145 FPS average at 1080p Ultra is respectable, yet it is far from the top-tier results that would place this combo in the upper quartile. The 4K results (51 FPS at Ultra) reinforce that this is not a 4K-focused configuration, even though the 16 GB VRAM might suggest otherwise.

Interestingly, the CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores — the AMD EPYC 9015 (deltaPct -0.1), AMD EPYC 7313 (deltaPct 0.2), Intel Core i9-14900 (deltaPct -1.1), and Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (deltaPct -1.4) — are all server or high-end desktop processors that would likely pair with different GPUs. The fact that this combo lands at 1724 suggests that the GPU is the constraining factor in the ranking, and a more powerful GPU would substantially improve the position without changing the CPU.

Settings Recommendations

For each resolution, the measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset delivers the best experience. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves 145 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. However, the Medium preset at 210 FPS average with a minimum of 179 FPS offers a significantly smoother experience with only a modest visual quality reduction — the 65 FPS gain over Ultra may be preferable for competitive play. The Low preset at 241 FPS approaches the 242 FPS maximum and is optimal for esports scenarios where frame rate trumps visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 115 FPS average, which is excellent for most gaming scenarios and provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 94 FPS is still playable and offers the best image quality, but the 21 FPS sacrifice compared to High may not justify the visual gains. The Medium preset at 136 FPS (minimum 116 FPS) is the sweet spot for competitive players at this resolution, offering 42 FPS more than Ultra while maintaining smooth minimums. Low at 156 FPS is the maximum achievable but strips away too many visual features for most users.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 74 FPS average with a minimum of 63 FPS is the recommended choice. It provides the best combination of playability and visual quality, keeping minimums above 60 FPS. The High preset at 62 FPS is marginally playable but risks dipping below 60 FPS in intense scenes, while Ultra at 51 FPS is too choppy for a fast-paced FPS. Low at 85 FPS offers the smoothest 4K experience but at significant visual cost. For most players at 4K, Medium is the optimal preset, as it maintains a comfortable frame rate buffer while preserving enough graphical detail to appreciate the higher resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 241 FPS average
• Medium: 210 FPS average, 179 FPS minimum, 242 FPS maximum
• High: 178 FPS average
• Ultra: 145 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 156 FPS average
• Medium: 136 FPS average, 116 FPS minimum, 156 FPS maximum
• High: 115 FPS average
• Ultra: 94 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 85 FPS average
• Medium: 74 FPS average, 63 FPS minimum, 85 FPS maximum
• High: 62 FPS average
• Ultra: 51 FPS average

The data reveals consistent scaling across resolutions. At each resolution, the Low preset provides the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra in descending order. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values, showing a 19-22 FPS range between minimum and average across all resolutions, which indicates moderate frame time variance. The gap between Low and Ultra widens at lower resolutions — 96 FPS at 1080p, 62 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K — confirming that settings have the most impact when the GPU is not fully saturated. At 4K, even the best preset (85 FPS at Low) cannot overcome the GPU's rendering limits, while at 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to benefit substantially from lower quality settings.