Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 pairing in Doom presents a fascinating study in generational mismatch. The data shows a CPU that is overwhelmingly powerful for this 2016 title, paired with a GPU that is decidedly mid-range by modern standards. Benchmark results indicate that this combination produces a wide range of performance, entirely dependent on the resolution and settings used, revealing a system where the bottleneck shifts dramatically depending on the workload.

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, codenamed Granite Ridge. It operates on the AMD Socket AM5 platform and features a base clock of 4.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. With a 120W TDP and a 4 nm process node from TSMC, this is a high-end desktop part designed for maximum throughput. Its 64 MB of L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth position it as a top-tier CPU for productivity and gaming alike.

In the context of Doom, a game released in 2016, the Ryzen 9 9900X is vastly over-provisioned. The game was designed for the 4-core, 8-thread era of CPUs, meaning the 12-core, 24-thread configuration of this processor is rarely, if ever, fully utilized. The benchmark data supports this, as the CPU's performance is effectively a non-factor in the final FPS numbers. The 3DMark scores show a massive scaling from 2 threads (2519) to 8 threads (9114), but the game's engine is unlikely to leverage all 24 threads efficiently. The single-thread performance, as measured by 3dmark_single_thread at 1286 and Cinebench R23 single-core at 2253, is exceptional and more than sufficient to feed the GTX 1070. This high single-core strength is likely what prevents the CPU from ever becoming a limiting factor at lower resolutions, where the GPU is typically the constraint. The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 92 puts it in the top 8% of all processors, proof of its raw power. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900 with a deltaPct of -1.1, are similarly powerful, confirming that the 9900X sits at the very top of the performance stack. In this game, the CPU is not a variable; it is a constant, providing a massive, untapped reservoir of compute power that allows the GPU to be the sole determinant of frame rate.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, built on the Pascal architecture with the GP104 chip, is the definitive performance driver in this pairing. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. With a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz, the card is capable of a theoretical FP32 performance of 6.463 TFLOPS. The GTX 1070's 47th percentile ranking among all GPUs, alongside its average benchmark score of 9780, places it in the middle of the pack. Its nearest rivals, like the AMD FirePro W5000 (deltaPct -0.2) and NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (deltaPct -0.5), are professional or mobile parts with similar average scores, but they are not gaming-focused. The data clearly shows that the GTX 1070 is the primary factor in the FPS results for this game.

The GTX 1070's performance in Doom is heavily influenced by settings and resolution. The card's 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures, but the processing power becomes the limiting factor at higher settings. At 1080p, the card is capable of high frame rates, but as resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU's workload scales exponentially. The benchmark results show a clear pattern: at any given resolution, the average FPS drops as settings increase from Low to Ultra. For example, at 1440p, the average FPS ranges from 102 on Low to 61 on Ultra. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario where the pixel and shader workload outpaces the GPU's compute capabilities. The card's 1920 shading units and 64 ROPs are sufficient for 1080p gaming, but the higher resolutions demand more from these units, leading to the observed performance degradation. The GTX 1070, once a high-end card, is now the definitive bottleneck in this system, especially as the resolution and graphical fidelity increase.

FAQ

Q: How does this CPU compare to its closest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X has an average benchmark score of 57498. It is 0.1% behind the AMD EPYC 9015 (score 57555) and 1.1% behind the Intel Core i9-14900 (score 58115). Conversely, it is 0.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7313 (score 57399) and 1.4% ahead of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (score 58323).

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 158, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is a 20% increase over the Medium setting at the same resolution, which yields 137 FPS.

Q: Is there a resolution where this combo fails to maintain a playable frame rate?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 33. This is the lowest average FPS in the dataset, and it is the only resolution/settings combination where the average falls below 40 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9780. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD FirePro W5000 (score 9803) and 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (score 9832). However, it is 0.6% behind the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (score 9724) and 0.7% behind the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (score 9716).

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 102 on Low settings to 61 on Ultra settings. This represents a 40% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest graphical preset.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance score?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X scores 1286 in the 3dmark_single_thread test and 2253 in the cinebench_r23_singlecore test. These scores indicate very strong single-threaded performance, which is beneficial for gaming workloads.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Doom, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is ranked 3068 out of 3712 total combos. This places it in the bottom 17% of all tested systems, a low ranking that is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU is a top-tier component, but the GTX 1070's age and performance level drag the overall combo down. The rank indicates that a large majority of other CPU-GPU pairings tested in this game deliver higher average frame rates. This is not a reflection of the CPU's capability, but rather of the GPU's inability to keep pace with more modern or higher-end graphics cards. The data suggests that the GTX 1070 is the primary reason for this low ranking, as the CPU's performance headroom is not being fully exploited. The combo’s position in the lower percentiles makes it clear that for Doom, this is a GPU-limited configuration, and the CPU's power is effectively wasted in this specific context.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how this combo performs across different resolutions and settings. The data shows a clear and consistent trend: performance decreases as resolution and graphical settings increase.

• 1920x1080 (1080p): At this resolution, the combo is at its strongest, achieving high frame rates across all settings. The average FPS is 158 on Low, 137 on Medium, 116 on High, and 95 on Ultra. The Medium setting has a min FPS of 117 and a max FPS of 158.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): Stepping up to 1440p results in a significant performance hit. The average FPS is 102 on Low, 89 on Medium, 75 on High, and 61 on Ultra. The Medium setting has a min FPS of 75 and a max FPS of 102.
• 3840x2160 (4K): At 4K, the GTX 1070 struggles to maintain high frame rates. The average FPS is 55 on Low, 48 on Medium, 41 on High, and 33 on Ultra. The Medium setting has a min FPS of 41 and a max FPS of 55.

These results highlight the GPU's limitations. At 1080p, the card is capable of delivering a smooth experience even at Ultra, but at 4K, even Low settings only achieve an average of 55 FPS. The scaling is consistent, with each step up in resolution or settings reducing the average frame rate noticeably.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and performance target. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, the data suggests that certain settings are preferable.

• At 1920x1080: All settings provide an average FPS above 90, making any preset viable. The High setting offers a good balance of visual quality and performance at 116 FPS, while Ultra at 95 FPS is also playable. For the absolute best experience, Medium at 137 FPS offers a significant frame rate boost with only a modest visual reduction.
• At 2560x1440: To maintain a consistently high frame rate above 60 FPS, the High setting at 75 FPS is the best choice. The Ultra setting at 61 FPS is borderline, while Medium at 89 FPS provides a more comfortable margin. Low at 102 FPS is the best for maximizing frame rate, but it sacrifices visual fidelity.
• At 3840x2160: Achieving 60 FPS is not possible at any setting. The highest average FPS is 55 on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium setting at 48 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and playability, while High at 41 FPS and Ultra at 33 FPS are less desirable for a fast-paced FPS.

The data indicates that for a 60 FPS target, the user should play at 1080p with any settings or 1440p with High or lower settings. At 4K, the user must accept frame rates below 60 FPS, with Low settings providing the highest average FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the role of the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 158 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average FPS drops to 102, a 35% decrease. At 4K Low, the average FPS drops to 55, a further 46% decrease from 1440p and a total of 65% decrease from 1080p.

This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU is not the limiting factor, as its performance is more than sufficient to handle the game's physics and logic at all resolutions. The frame rate is instead dictated by the GPU's ability to render pixels. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels the GPU must process grows exponentially, leading to the observed performance degradation. The significant drop from 1080p to 4K, from 158 FPS to 55 FPS on Low settings, underscores that the GTX 1070's processing power is the primary bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload is independent of resolution. The data shows that this is not the case, confirming the GTX 1070 as the definitive performance limiter in this configuration.