Doom

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

The measured frame rates for this AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination show a clear and consistent decline as resolution increases, but the shape of that decline reveals important details about where the performance ceiling sits. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 349 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops that to 226 FPS, a reduction of 123 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 123 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly a 35% drop, while the step from 1440p to 4K is another 45% drop. This pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is doing more of the work, but as pixel count rises, the GPU becomes increasingly dominant.

For High settings, the same trend appears: 257 FPS at 1080p, 166 FPS at 1440p, and 90 FPS at 4K. The percentage losses are similar to Low, suggesting that the balance between CPU and GPU load shifts consistently with resolution rather than with quality preset. At Ultra settings, the numbers compress further: 210 FPS at 1080p, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 74 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest measured in the entire dataset, indicating that this is where the GPU is most heavily taxed.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the RTX 4070 SUPER is not the limiting factor—the 349 FPS Low result is far above what most displays can show, and the CPU's strong single-thread performance is likely keeping the pipeline full. At 4K, however, the GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth become more relevant, and the frame rate drops to 74-123 FPS depending on settings. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 49 FPS, which is substantial but not as wide as the 139 FPS gap at 1080p. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions is a classic sign that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck, as quality settings have less headroom to play with when pixel throughput is already high.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 607th out of 3,712 tested combinations for Doom. That places it in the top 16.4% of all combos tested for this game, which is a strong showing given the game's release date of 2016-05-12 and the modern hardware involved. The rank of 607 indicates that while this combo is not at the very top—likely due to the GPU's position in the broader market—it outperforms the vast majority of systems that have been benchmarked.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals provides context for the combo's overall score. The AMD EPYC 9015 sits at an average score of 57,555, which is 0.1% lower than the 9900X's 57,498 (the negative deltaPct indicates the rival is slightly slower). The AMD EPYC 7313 is 0.2% faster at 57,399, and the Intel Core i9-14900 is 1.1% faster at 58,115. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M leads the pack at 58,323, 1.4% ahead. These small margins show that the 9900X is tightly clustered with server-class and high-end desktop parts, meaning the CPU is not the weak link in this combo.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a similar tight grouping. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB is 0.1% slower, the RTX 5050 Mobile is 0.1% slower, and the Quadro M6000 is 0.2% slower. The RTX 4090 Mobile is 1% faster, which is the largest delta in the GPU's rival set. This suggests the RTX 4070 SUPER is positioned in a competitive mid-to-high tier, and the combo's rank reflects a balanced pairing where neither component drastically underperforms relative to its peers.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the AD104 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It carries 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The base clock is 1980 MHz, and the boost clock reaches 2475 MHz. These specifications are directly relevant to the Doom results, particularly at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth and raw compute become more critical.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity is ample for Doom, a title from 2016 that does not demand excessive memory. None of the measured FPS rows show signs of VRAM throttling, as even at 4K Ultra the combo maintains 74 FPS average. The GDDR6X memory type and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for this game's texture and geometry loads, which explains why the frame rate drops are relatively smooth rather than showing sudden cliffs.

The boost clock of 2475 MHz is a key factor in the GPU's performance. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 349 FPS, which is likely close to the game engine's practical limit given the CPU's capability. The pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s provide the raw throughput needed to sustain high frame rates. The FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS is also relevant, as Doom's id Tech 6 engine uses compute shaders for certain effects, though the game is not heavily compute-bound compared to modern titles.

The GPU's percentile rank of 83 out of all GPUs places it in the upper tier, and its average benchmark score of 43,223 is consistent with its measured game performance. The nearest rivals, including the RTX 4090 Mobile at just 1% faster, indicate that the desktop RTX 4070 SUPER is a well-optimized part that holds its own against higher-tier mobile offerings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 349 FPS, which is the single highest measurement in the dataset. Medium settings drop to 304 FPS, with a minimum of 259 and a maximum of 350. High settings average 257 FPS, and Ultra settings average 210 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 139 FPS, showing that quality settings have a significant impact when the GPU is not stressed by resolution.

At 2560x1440, the numbers shift downward but remain very playable. Low settings average 226 FPS, Medium averages 197 FPS with a minimum of 167 and maximum of 227, High averages 166 FPS, and Ultra averages 136 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra here is 90 FPS, narrower than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is starting to feel the load of additional pixels.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates compress further. Low settings average 123 FPS, Medium averages 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 and maximum of 123, High averages 90 FPS, and Ultra averages 74 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is now just 49 FPS, the smallest of any resolution. This compression is the clearest evidence that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K, as even the lowest settings cannot push frame rates much higher than 123 FPS, and the highest settings still maintain a playable 74 FPS.

The minimum FPS data is only available for Medium settings at each resolution: 259 at 1080p, 167 at 1440p, and 91 at 4K. These minimums are consistently above 60 FPS, which means even the worst-case frame pacing remains smooth for most display configurations. The maximum FPS values follow the same pattern, with 350 at 1080p, 227 at 1440p, and 123 at 4K.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides a clear picture of what to expect from each preset. For 1080p displays, the High preset at 257 FPS is an excellent balance—it delivers well above the refresh rate of any mainstream monitor while maintaining visual quality. The Ultra preset at 210 FPS is still far above 144 Hz, but the 47 FPS cost from High to Ultra may not be worth the marginal visual gains in a fast-paced FPS. Medium at 304 FPS is overkill for most displays, and Low at 349 FPS offers no practical benefit unless chasing absolute maximum frame rates on a 360 Hz panel.

For 1440p displays, the High preset at 166 FPS is the standout choice. It comfortably exceeds 144 Hz refresh rates and leaves headroom for frame time spikes. Medium at 197 FPS is also viable for 170 Hz or 180 Hz panels, but the jump to High adds visual fidelity without dropping below the 144 Hz threshold. Ultra at 136 FPS is still playable on 144 Hz displays, but the 30 FPS loss from High makes it a less attractive option for competitive play. Low at 226 FPS is unnecessary unless targeting 240 Hz.

For 4K displays, the choice is more nuanced. High at 90 FPS is the best balance for 60 Hz to 120 Hz panels, providing smooth gameplay with good visual quality. Medium at 107 FPS is a better option for 120 Hz displays, though it sacrifices some visual detail. Ultra at 74 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz panels but will feel less fluid on faster displays. Low at 123 FPS is the only preset that reaches above 120 FPS at 4K, but the visual downgrade is significant.

The data suggests that High settings are the sweet spot across all resolutions, as they consistently deliver frame rates that are high enough for smooth gameplay while maintaining the visual features that Doom's id Tech 6 engine offers. For users with 144 Hz or faster displays at 1080p or 1440p, High is the recommended preset. For 4K, High remains the best overall choice, with Medium as a viable alternative for those prioritizing frame rate over detail.

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), built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with 64 MB of L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, and it has 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. Its TDP is 120 W, and it was released on 2024-08-14 with a launch MSRP of $499.

For Doom, the CPU's role is most apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 349 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU can feed the GPU fast enough to saturate its capabilities. The boost clock of 5.60 GHz is crucial for this, as Doom's engine benefits significantly from high single-thread performance. The CPU's single-thread benchmark scores support this: 1,286 in 3dmark single-thread, 2,253 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 3,010 in Geekbench single-core.

The 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for Doom, which typically scales well to 8 threads but does not heavily utilize more than that. The CPU's multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,172 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 22,174, ensures that even background tasks or streaming will not cause frame drops. The 64 MB of L3 cache is also beneficial, as it reduces memory access latency for the game's assets.

The CPU's percentile rank of 92 out of all CPUs places it in the top 8%, and its average benchmark score of 57,498 is competitive with server-grade parts. The nearest rivals—the AMD EPYC 9015 at 57,555 and the Intel Core i9-14900 at 58,115—are within 1.4% of the 9900X's score, confirming that this is a high-end desktop processor that will not bottleneck the RTX 4070 SUPER in Doom at any resolution.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average is 349 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 304 FPS at 1080p Medium.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the 3840x2160 Ultra preset averages 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. Even at 4K High, the average is 90 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900?

A: The Core i9-14900 has an average benchmark score of 58,115, which is 1.1% higher than the 9900X's 57,498. The difference is small and unlikely to affect Doom's frame rates.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for Doom at 4K?

A: The measured data shows no evidence of VRAM limitation. At 4K Ultra, the combo still averages 74 FPS, indicating that 12 GB is adequate for this game.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested CPU-GPU combinations for Doom?

A: The combo ranks 607th out of 3,712 tested combinations, placing it in the top 16.4% of all systems benchmarked for this game.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best balance of frame rate and visual quality at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 1440p averages 166 FPS, which exceeds 144 Hz refresh rates. This makes High the recommended choice for 1440p displays.