Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a starkly imbalanced configuration for id Software's 2016 Doom. While the CPU is a 12-core, 24-thread Zen 5 flagship, the GPU is an integrated-class part with a 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The measured FPS data confirms a system where the graphics adapter is the overwhelming performance bottleneck across all tested resolutions and settings. This analysis breaks down the measured results, exploring how the GPU and CPU each contribute to the final experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance degradation from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is severe, confirming that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component at every step. At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 58 at 1080p to 37 at 1440p, a reduction of 21 FPS, and then further to 20 at 4K, which is a 38 FPS drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is being saturated well before the CPU can become a factor.

The data shows a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases. At Medium settings, the 1080p average is 84 FPS, which falls to 54 at 1440p (a 30 FPS loss) and then to 29 at 4K (a 25 FPS loss from 1440p). The transition from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings shows a slightly smaller absolute drop than the 1080p to 1440p transition, but the percentage loss is still substantial. This suggests that the GPU's rendering pipeline, including its 20 ROPs and 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, is exhausted quickly as pixel count rises.

The most telling comparison is at Low settings. Here, the system achieves 96 FPS at 1080p, but that score plummets to 62 FPS at 1440p and 34 FPS at 4K. Even at the lowest graphical load, the GPU cannot maintain a high frame rate at higher resolutions. The frame rate at 4K Low is less than the frame rate at 1080p Ultra, highlighting how severely the resolution increase taxes the graphics hardware. The gap between Low and Ultra settings also narrows as resolution increases; at 1080p the difference is 38 FPS, while at 4K it is only 14 FPS. This narrowing indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so constrained by pixel throughput that reducing graphical quality yields only marginal improvements.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, operating on Intel's 3 nm process. Its role in this configuration is defined by its system-shared memory and low power envelope of 25 W. The GPU's boost clock reaches 2400 MHz, and its shading units (1280) and texture units (40) are modest. The measured 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, directly competing with legacy mobile and desktop parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770.

In Doom, this GPU's limitations are evident in the absolute FPS numbers. The memory bandwidth is system-dependent, meaning the GPU relies on the CPU's dual-channel DDR5 memory, which has a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. For a game like Doom, which requires fast texture streaming and geometry processing, this shared memory architecture is a significant drawback. The GPU's pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering, as evidenced by the 20 FPS average at Ultra settings.

The benchmark results indicate that the Arc B370 is best suited for lower resolutions. At 1080p, it provides playable frame rates on lower presets, but it lacks the raw throughput for high-refresh-rate gaming or for the increased pixel load of 1440p and 4K. The GPU's performance is consistent with its power and memory constraints; it is a part designed for minimal power draw, not for high-end gaming workloads. The data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at 1080p, and any attempt to push beyond that results in a precipitous fall in frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the recommended settings for this combo depend entirely on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. The data shows that high refresh rate gaming is only possible at 1080p with lower settings.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 96 FPS, which is the only configuration that approaches a high-refresh-rate experience. The Medium preset yields 84 FPS, which is still playable, but the Ultra preset drops to 58 FPS. For a smooth single-player experience, the Low or Medium presets at 1080p are the only viable options.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset yields 62 FPS, which is acceptable for standard 60 Hz displays. The High preset drops to 46 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 37 FPS. None of these settings provide a consistently high frame rate, so users should stick to the Low preset for the best balance of visual quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, no setting provides a playable experience. The best result is 34 FPS on Low, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is a slideshow at 20 FPS. Therefore, the data suggests that 4K is not a viable resolution for this GPU.

The best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1080p with the Medium preset, which offers a good balance between the 84 FPS average and the higher visual fidelity compared to Low. The Medium preset also has a measured range of 71 to 96 FPS, indicating that the frame rate is variable but generally stays within a playable band. For users with a 60 Hz monitor, the High preset at 1080p (71 FPS) is also a strong choice, as it provides better visuals while still exceeding the refresh rate.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K resolution?

A: No. The measured FPS data shows that at 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate is 34 FPS on Low settings. The Ultra preset only achieves 20 FPS. All 4K results are below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What settings should I use for a 1440p monitor?

A: The data indicates that the Low preset is the only option that provides a near-60 FPS average, at 62 FPS. Higher presets drop below 54 FPS, which may result in a less fluid experience.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X holding back the Intel Arc B370?

A: No. The benchmark results indicate the opposite. The GPU is the bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution. The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads, along with its high boost clock of 5.60 GHz, provide ample processing power that the GPU cannot fully utilize.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its rivals in this game?

A: The GPU's overall benchmark score is 1184, which is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). These are legacy parts, which explains the low frame rates observed in Doom.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS measured is 96, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset. This is the only configuration that comes close to a high-refresh-rate experience.

Q: Why is the performance so poor at Ultra settings?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and the Intel Arc B370 lacks the necessary compute and memory bandwidth. The GPU has 1280 shading units and relies on system-shared memory, which is insufficient for the high texture and geometry loads of the Ultra preset, resulting in frame rates as low as 20 FPS at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2696 out of 2930 tested combos for Doom. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations tested, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's very low performance percentile. The CPU is a top-tier part, ranking in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU's 5th percentile ranking drags the entire combo down.

The data shows a massive mismatch in capability. The Ryzen 9 9900X's average benchmark score is 57498, and it sits close to the AMD EPYC 9015 (57555) and Intel Core i9-14900 (58115). This CPU is more than capable of feeding a powerful discrete GPU. However, the Arc B370's average benchmark score is just 1184, putting it in the same league as the ATI Radeon HD 5770. The ranking of 2696 reflects this extreme bottleneck, where the system's overall gaming performance is limited by the weakest link.

This ranking suggests that the system is not optimized for gaming performance. The CPU is overkill for the GPU, and the GPU is underpowered for the CPU. For a game like Doom, which is well-optimized and can scale across many threads, the Ryzen 9 9900X is not the limiting factor. The combo's rank is a clear indicator that the graphics solution is the primary constraint, and any upgrade to a more capable GPU would dramatically improve the system's standing.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. In the context of this Doom benchmark, the CPU's role is to prepare frames and feed the GPU, but the data indicates it is never the bottleneck.

The CPU's massive processing power is evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32172 and a single-core score of 2253. Its PassMark multi-thread score is 54643. These numbers are more than sufficient for Doom, which is a title from 2016 that scales well on modern multi-core processors. The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel memory support provide the necessary bandwidth for game assets.

However, the benchmark results show that the CPU's performance is wasted in this configuration. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 96 FPS, but the frame rate drops to 34 FPS at 4K Low. This drop is entirely due to the GPU's inability to render at higher resolutions. The CPU is capable of far higher frame rates, as evidenced by its 3DMark max thread score of 13929 and single-thread score of 1286. The fact that the system cannot maintain 100+ FPS at 1080p is a direct reflection of the GPU's limitations, not the CPU's.

The CPU's 92nd percentile ranking and its position relative to rivals like the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (58323) and AMD EPYC 7313 (57399) show that it is a high-end part. In this system, its role is reduced to that of a bystander, as the GPU cannot keep up with its output. The data suggests that the CPU would perform admirably in CPU-bound scenarios, but in this GPU-bound pairing, its potential is entirely untapped.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and Intel Arc B370 combination in Doom.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are the highest of any resolution. The Low preset delivers an average of 96 FPS. The Medium preset achieves an average of 84 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 71 FPS. The Ultra preset yields an average of 58 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 62 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. The High preset averages 46 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 37 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system is largely unplayable. The Low preset averages 34 FPS. The Medium preset averages 29 FPS, with a minimum of 25 FPS and a maximum of 34 FPS. The High preset averages 25 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 20 FPS.

The data reveals a consistent trend: performance scales linearly with resolution, and the gap between settings presets is most pronounced at 1080p. The Medium preset at 1080p is the sweet spot, offering an 84 FPS average that is 13 FPS higher than High and 12 FPS lower than Low. At 4K, the differences between presets shrink to a 14 FPS spread between Low and Ultra, underscoring that the GPU is the primary constraint.