Doom

# Doom — AMD Ryzen 9 9900X + Intel Arc B570 Benchmark Analysis

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Doom, with measured frame rates ranging from 164 FPS at 1080p Low down to 35 FPS at 4K Ultra. The combination ranks 2332 out of 2930 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database, which reflects a GPU-bound pairing where the Arc B570's 10 GB VRAM and 160-bit memory bus become the primary constraints at higher resolutions and quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-limited scenario. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 164 FPS average, which drops to 106 FPS at 1440p Low (a 35.4% reduction) and further to 57 FPS at 4K Low (a 65.2% reduction from 1080p). This steep scaling curve indicates the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting component; the Ryzen 9 9900X's 12 cores and 24 threads are not the bottleneck at these settings, as evidenced by the relatively high frame rates at lower resolutions where CPU overhead would typically surface.

Moving to High settings, the resolution penalty is even more pronounced. The 1080p High average of 121 FPS falls to 78 FPS at 1440p High (a 35.5% drop) and then to 42 FPS at 4K High (a 65.3% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and High settings—roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p and 65% from 1080p to 4K—confirms that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the dominant factors. The Arc B570's 380.0 GB/s bandwidth and 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K, regardless of the CPU's capabilities.

At Medium settings, the measured data includes minimum and maximum FPS values, which provide additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 143 FPS with a min of 121 and max of 164 FPS, indicating a tight frame time distribution. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 92 FPS (min 79, max 106), and at 4K Medium, the average falls to 50 FPS (min 43, max 58). The 4K Medium range of 43-58 FPS suggests occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which could cause perceptible stuttering on displays without adaptive sync.

Ultra settings show the most severe scaling. The 1080p Ultra average of 99 FPS drops to 64 FPS at 1440p Ultra (a 35.4% reduction) and then to 35 FPS at 4K Ultra (a 64.6% reduction from 1080p). The 4K Ultra result of 35 FPS is the lowest measured value across all configurations, highlighting that this combo is not suitable for maximum quality at 4K. The data clearly shows that the limiting component shifts entirely to the GPU as resolution increases, with the CPU's single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1286) being more than adequate for Doom's engine at any tested resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination, with all settings presets delivering playable frame rates. At 1080p Ultra, the 99 FPS average provides a smooth experience on standard 60 Hz displays and is sufficient for high-refresh monitors up to 100 Hz. The 1080p High preset at 121 FPS offers a better balance for 120 Hz displays, while 1080p Medium at 143 FPS (min 121, max 164) is optimal for 144 Hz monitors, as the minimum FPS stays above the refresh rate threshold.

For 1440p users, the recommendation depends on the display's refresh rate. The 1440p High preset at 78 FPS is suitable for 60-75 Hz monitors, but the 1440p Medium preset at 92 FPS (min 79, max 106) provides a more comfortable margin for 100 Hz displays. The 1440p Ultra preset at 64 FPS is borderline for 60 Hz displays, with the average barely clearing the threshold; however, the lack of min FPS data for Ultra settings means frame dips cannot be fully assessed. The 1440p Low preset at 106 FPS is the best option for competitive play on 100-120 Hz monitors, sacrificing visual quality for consistent high frame rates.

At 4K, the data suggests that only the Low preset (57 FPS) approaches playability, and even then, it falls short of 60 FPS. The 4K Medium preset at 50 FPS (min 43, max 58) is marginal, with the minimum FPS dipping well below 60. The 4K High preset at 42 FPS and 4K Ultra at 35 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay. For 4K, users should either lower resolution to 1440p or accept frame rates in the 35-57 FPS range, depending on the quality preset. The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, which offers the highest minimum FPS (121) relative to the average (143), indicating stable frame pacing without significant dips.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: The data shows playability is limited. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 57, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 50 FPS with a minimum of 43 FPS. Higher presets (High at 42 FPS, Ultra at 35 FPS) are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The 1440p Medium preset at 92 FPS average (min 79, max 106) provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, keeping the minimum FPS above 75. For higher refresh rates, 1440p Low at 106 FPS is preferable, though visual fidelity is reduced.

Q: How does the Arc B570's VRAM affect performance in Doom?

A: The 10 GB GDDR6 memory with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for 1080p and 1440p presets, as frame rates scale predictably. At 4K, the memory bandwidth likely contributes to the significant FPS drops, particularly at Ultra settings where the 35 FPS average suggests memory pressure.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X the bottleneck in this combination?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores (3dmark_max_threads of 13929, cinebench_r23_multicore of 32172) indicate ample processing headroom. The consistent frame rate drops across resolutions point to the GPU as the limiting factor, especially since 1080p Low achieves 164 FPS without CPU-related stutters.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average at 1080p Ultra is 99 FPS. While this is playable, it is notably lower than the 121 FPS at High and 143 FPS at Medium, suggesting the Ultra preset incurs a significant GPU cost relative to the visual improvement.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2332 out of 2930 combos, placing it in approximately the 20th percentile of tested systems for Doom. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning (65th percentile among all GPUs) rather than CPU limitations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2332 out of 2930 (roughly the 20th percentile) positions this system in the lower-middle tier for Doom. This ranking is primarily driven by the Intel Arc B570, which holds a 65th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 20556. In contrast, the Ryzen 9 9900X sits at the 92nd percentile among CPUs with an average benchmark score of 57498, indicating that the CPU is significantly above average while the GPU is closer to mid-range.

The GPU's nearest rivals contextualize its performance tier. The Arc B570's average score of 20556 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, deltaPct 0.1% higher for the Arc) and the Intel Arc A750 (20582, deltaPct -0.1% for the Arc). This suggests the B570 performs similarly to a mobile RTX 3070 and the previous-generation Arc A750 in synthetic benchmarks. The measured FPS in Doom aligns with this positioning—playable at 1080p and 1440p, but struggling at 4K.

The high combo rank number (2332 out of 2930) indicates that many other combinations outperform this pairing in Doom, likely due to more powerful GPUs. However, the ranking does not account for the CPU's potential in other workloads; the 9900X's 12 cores and 24 threads make it a strong multi-threaded performer (cinebench_r23_multicore of 32172), which is irrelevant to Doom's frame rates but valuable for other tasks.

Comparing to the CPU's nearest rivals, the 9900X's average benchmark score of 57498 is within 1.4% of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (58323) and 1.1% of the Intel Core i9-14900 (58115). These differences are negligible for gaming performance, as Doom's frame rates are GPU-bound at all tested resolutions. The combo's rank would likely improve significantly if paired with a higher-tier GPU, but as configured, the data shows a system that is CPU-overpowered for the GPU's capabilities.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process. Its base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by the 3dmark_single_thread score of 1286 and cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 2253. In Doom, a game originally released in 2016, single-thread performance is typically more critical than multi-thread scaling, and the 9900X's scores indicate it is more than capable of feeding the GPU at all tested settings.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities (3dmark_max_threads of 13929, cinebench_r23_multicore of 32172) are largely underutilized in Doom, which is a lightly threaded game by modern standards. The 64 MB L3 cache and 1 MB L2 per core help reduce memory latency, but the data shows no CPU-related bottlenecks: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 164 FPS, which is likely near the GPU's maximum output at that setting. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect frame rates to plateau at lower resolutions regardless of GPU load, but the steady increase from 1080p to 1440p to 4K FPS drops aligns with GPU scaling.

The 9900X's memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth is ample for gaming. The CPU's PCIe Gen 5 support with 24 lanes provides high-bandwidth connectivity, though the Arc B570 uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which is sufficient for this GPU's bandwidth needs. The processor's 120 W TDP and active production status indicate it is a current-generation desktop part, well-matched to the GPU's requirements in terms of thermal headroom.

In terms of CPU benchmarks relative to rivals, the 9900X's average score of 57498 is 0.1% lower than the AMD EPYC 9015 (57555) and 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313 (57399). These differences are within noise and have no practical impact on Doom's frame rates. The data clearly shows that the CPU's role in this combo is to provide consistent, high-frequency processing without introducing frame pacing issues, which it does admirably based on the measured FPS stability at 1080p Medium (min 121, max 164, average 143).

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full settings range was measured. Low preset yields 164 FPS average, which is the highest of any configuration. Medium preset averages 143 FPS with a minimum of 121 and maximum of 164 FPS, showing a narrow frame time distribution. High preset averages 121 FPS, while Ultra averages 99 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 39.6% reduction in frame rate (164 to 99 FPS), indicating that Ultra settings impose a substantial GPU load even at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the same settings ladder was tested. Low preset averages 106 FPS, Medium averages 92 FPS (min 79, max 106), High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 64 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 39.6% (106 to 64 FPS), matching the percentage reduction seen at 1080p. This consistency suggests that the GPU's shading units and texture units (2304 shading units, 144 TMUs) scale linearly with resolution, with no unexpected bottlenecks.

At 3840x2160, the data shows the most significant performance degradation. Low preset averages 57 FPS, Medium averages 50 FPS (min 43, max 58), High averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is 78.7% lower than the 1080p Low result, highlighting the GPU's limitations at this resolution. The 4K Medium minimum of 43 FPS is particularly notable, as it represents a 25.9% drop from the average, suggesting occasional frame dips that could be perceptible.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides the best minimum FPS relative to average: at 1080p, the min is 84.6% of the average; at 1440p, the min is 85.9% of the average; and at 4K, the min is 86.0% of the average. This indicates that Medium settings offer the most stable frame pacing, while Low and High presets may have less predictable frame times (though min FPS data is not available for those presets). The Ultra preset at 4K with 35 FPS average is the only configuration below 40 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a mid-range GPU based on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation), manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process with 19,600 million transistors. Its 10 GB GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is a key constraint at higher resolutions. The GPU's base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz, with memory clocked at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). These specifications place the B570 at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556.

In Doom, the GPU's role is dominant across all measured configurations. The 2304 shading units and 80 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s. These figures explain the frame rate scaling: at 1080p, the GPU can process pixels fast enough to exceed 120 FPS at High settings, but at 4K, the fourfold increase in pixel count overwhelms the ROP throughput, resulting in the 35-57 FPS range depending on settings.

The 10 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor at 1080p or 1440p, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates across presets. However, at 4K Ultra, the combination of higher resolution textures and increased shading complexity likely approaches the VRAM capacity, contributing to the 35 FPS average. The 160-bit memory bus with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the bandwidth becomes a bottleneck, particularly when Ultra settings increase texture fetches and buffer sizes.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (avg score 20534, deltaPct +0.1% for the Arc) and the Intel Arc A750 (avg score 20582, deltaPct -0.1% for the Arc). In Doom, the B570's performance aligns with these comparisons, delivering mid-range frame rates. The GPU's 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 23.04 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1) provide adequate compute for Doom's Vulkan-based engine, but the measured FPS data indicates that memory bandwidth and ROP throughput are the primary limitations at 4K.

The GPU's 150 W TDP and dual-slot design with a single 8-pin power connector suggest it is a power-efficient part, though the suggested 450 W PSU provides headroom. The PCIe 4.0 x8 interface does not appear to bottleneck performance, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution. The B570's 65th percentile ranking among GPUs, combined with the 92nd percentile CPU, creates an imbalance where the GPU consistently limits frame rates in Doom, as confirmed by the resolution scaling analysis.