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 9070 reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 296 FPS average, which drops to 192 FPS at 1440p and further to 104 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 65% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is consistent across all settings presets, with Ultra settings showing 178 FPS at 1080p, 115 FPS at 1440p, and 62 FPS at 4K.

The resolution scaling behavior strongly suggests that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p, the extremely high frame rates — 296 FPS on Low and 218 FPS on High — indicate that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough work to maintain very high output. However, the dramatic drop when moving to 4K points to the graphics card being saturated by the increased pixel count. The RX 9070's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth provide ample headroom for texture data, but the raw compute requirements of 4K rendering push the GPU to its limits.

Interestingly, the gap between settings presets narrows at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 118 FPS (296 vs 178). At 4K, that same gap shrinks to 42 FPS (104 vs 62). This compression of performance differences at higher resolutions is a classic sign of GPU-bound operation — when the GPU is the bottleneck, the relative cost of each settings tier becomes proportionally larger, but the absolute differences shrink because the GPU has less spare capacity to absorb the additional workload.

The data also shows that the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads, with boost clock of 5.60 GHz, are more than sufficient for Doom's engine at 1080p. The fact that Low settings at 1080p reaches 296 FPS while Medium hits 258 FPS suggests the CPU overhead is minimal, as even the fastest frame rates don't expose a CPU ceiling. This is further supported by the 3DMark single-thread score of 1286 and multi-thread score of 13929, indicating strong per-core performance that handles the game's single-threaded rendering tasks efficiently.

# FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p with High settings delivers 141 FPS average, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on high refresh rate monitors. At 4K, the average drops to 76 FPS on High, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The sweet spot appears to be 1440p, where the combo maintains high frame rates across all settings presets.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 296 at 1080p to 104 at 4K, a 65% reduction. On Ultra settings, the drop is from 178 to 62 FPS, a 65% reduction as well. The proportional loss is consistent across settings, indicating that resolution scaling is uniform regardless of the quality preset chosen.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 4K?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The RX 9070's 36.13 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 322.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are the components that determine 4K performance. The Ryzen 9 9900X's 12 cores and 24 threads are not saturated at this resolution, as evidenced by the relatively small FPS differences between settings presets compared to the large resolution-based drops.

Q: What settings preset provides the best balance of quality and performance?

A: Looking at the measured rows, High settings at 1440p offers 141 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. At 4K, High settings gives 76 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K provides 90 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS, offering more headroom than High while still maintaining good visual quality.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1118 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 30% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the solid performance of the CPU-GPU pairing, though the GPU's 69th percentile ranking among all GPUs suggests there is room for improvement with a higher-end graphics card.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM on the RX 9070 matter for this game?

A: The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory provides substantial capacity for Doom's textures and geometry at 4K resolution. The 644.6 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and frame buffer operations are not bottlenecked. The data shows consistent performance at 4K across settings, indicating that VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor in this title.

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination achieves rank 1118 out of 3712 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 30% of all configurations. This ranking is notable given that the individual components have different percentile standings — the CPU sits at the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 69th percentile among all GPUs. The disparity suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing, which aligns with the resolution scaling analysis.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include 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%). These small deltas indicate that the 9900X is well-positioned among high-end processors, with its 12 cores and 24 threads providing strong multi-threaded performance as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32172.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (deltaPct 0.6%), AMD Radeon RX 6800S (deltaPct -0.8%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile (deltaPct 1.1%), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (deltaPct -1.2%). These comparisons show that the RX 9070 sits in a competitive position relative to these cards, though the small deltas suggest that the performance differences are minimal. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 25381 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290 provide additional context for its overall capability.

The combo's rank of 1118 out of 3712 means that roughly 2600 other combinations perform better in Doom specifically. This is likely due to the GPU being paired with more powerful graphics cards, as the CPU's performance is clearly sufficient for this game. The data suggests that users looking to improve this combo's ranking would benefit more from upgrading the GPU than the CPU.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 296 FPS, Medium settings achieve 258 FPS with a minimum of 219 FPS and maximum of 296 FPS, High settings reach 218 FPS, and Ultra settings provide 178 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at the most demanding preset, the combo maintains well over 144 FPS, making it suitable for high refresh rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. Low settings deliver 192 FPS average, Medium settings produce 167 FPS with a minimum of 142 FPS and maximum of 192 FPS, High settings achieve 141 FPS, and Ultra settings provide 115 FPS. The minimum FPS of 142 on Medium settings suggests that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate remains above 140 FPS, which is excellent for smooth gameplay on 144Hz monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly but remains playable. Low settings deliver 104 FPS average, Medium settings produce 90 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS and maximum of 104 FPS, High settings achieve 76 FPS, and Ultra settings provide 62 FPS. The Medium settings row is particularly informative, as the minimum FPS of 77 indicates that even in the most demanding moments, the game stays above 60 FPS, providing a smooth experience on 4K displays.

The consistency of the minimum FPS values across resolutions is noteworthy. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 219 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it's 142 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it's 77 FPS. This linear scaling of minimum FPS suggests that the game's performance is predictable and doesn't suffer from sudden spikes or drops, which is indicative of a well-optimized engine working within the hardware's capabilities.

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X brings substantial processing power to this gaming combo. With 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC, this CPU delivers strong multi-threaded performance. The base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide excellent single-thread performance, which is crucial for game engines like Doom that rely heavily on a few primary threads for rendering logic.

The cache hierarchy is generous: 80 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3 cache. This large L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed game data close to the cores, reducing memory latency and improving performance in scenarios where the CPU is actively managing game state. The dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth ensures that the CPU can feed data to the GPU without creating a bottleneck.

In Doom specifically, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the combo achieves 296 FPS on Low settings, which represents a scenario where the CPU's ability to issue draw calls and manage game logic is fully tested. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1286 and multi-thread score of 13929 indicate that the CPU has both strong single-core performance for the game's main thread and sufficient multi-core capability for background tasks and physics calculations.

The CPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its high-end positioning. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 9015, scores nearly identically (deltaPct -0.1%), while the Intel Core i9-14900 is only 1.1% behind in average benchmark score. This places the 9900X in elite company, though the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32172 and Geekbench multi-core score of 22174 reveal that its strengths are particularly pronounced in multi-threaded workloads.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings across different resolutions. At 1080p, all settings presets deliver exceptionally high frame rates — even Ultra settings maintain 178 FPS average. However, the difference between Medium (258 FPS) and Ultra (178 FPS) is substantial, and for competitive play, the Medium preset's 258 FPS with a 219 FPS minimum offers the best balance of visual quality and performance headroom.

At 1440p, the High settings preset delivers 141 FPS average, which is ideal for 144Hz monitors. The Medium preset provides 167 FPS with a 142 FPS minimum, offering even more headroom for demanding scenes. For players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, Low settings at 192 FPS is an option, but the Medium preset's combination of 167 FPS average and 142 FPS minimum represents the best compromise.

At 4K, the situation is more nuanced. Ultra settings average 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold but may dip below in intense action sequences. High settings provide 76 FPS, offering a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset delivers 90 FPS average with a 77 FPS minimum, which is the recommended choice for 4K gaming as it maintains consistently smooth frame rates while still providing decent visual quality.

For the best overall experience, the data suggests that Medium settings at 1440p (167 FPS average, 142 FPS minimum) offers the optimal combination of high frame rates and visual fidelity. This preset takes advantage of the CPU's strong performance to maintain high FPS while allowing the GPU to render at a resolution that showcases its capabilities without being overwhelmed.

# GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is the primary determinant of gaming performance in this combo, particularly at higher resolutions. Built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip, this GPU features 3584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. The boost clock of 2520 MHz and game clock of 2070 MHz provide substantial compute throughput, with FP32 performance rated at 36.13 TFLOPS.

The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for 4K gaming where texture data demands are high. The pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s determine how quickly the GPU can fill the screen with rendered pixels and apply textures. These specifications directly impact the measured FPS at each resolution.

The GPU's 69th percentile ranking among all GPUs is reflected in its performance in Doom. At 4K Ultra, the 62 FPS average shows that the GPU is working near its limits, as this is the most demanding configuration tested. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290 and PassMark G3D score of 25381 provide synthetic benchmarks that corroborate the real-world gaming results.

The RX 9070's nearest rivals — the GTX TITAN Z (0.6% higher average score), RX 6800S (0.8% lower), RTX 3080 Mobile (1.1% higher), and RTX 2080 SUPER (1.2% lower) — all show very small performance deltas. This tight grouping indicates that the RX 9070 is competitively positioned among these graphics cards, though its 4 nm process and RDNA 4.0 architecture suggest it should offer better efficiency. In Doom, the GPU's performance at 4K Medium (90 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (115 FPS) demonstrates that it can handle demanding resolutions, but the frame rates suggest that it's not a top-tier 4K card for this title.