Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces a highly asymmetric result in Doom (2016). The data shows a processor capable of leading the CPU benchmark charts paired with a graphics card from an older generation, resulting in a combo that ranks near the bottom of the database. The measured FPS figures are heavily constrained by the GPU at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strength becomes apparent only at 1080p with lower settings.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combo in Doom?*

A: This specific combination ranks 2675th out of 2930 tested combos in the database.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X3D compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762, which is 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF’s score of 55093.

Q: What is the best average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 102 at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 22 at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the RX 580's average benchmark score compare to the GTX 1660 SUPER?

A: The RX 580 has an average score of 12928, which is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER's score of 12986.

Q: What is the L3 cache size on the Ryzen 9 9900X3D?

A: The processor features a 128 MB L3 cache.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It operates with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 120 W. The CPU’s performance in isolation is strong, as evidenced by its 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 54762. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, scores 55093, indicating a delta of -0.6%, meaning the 9900X3D is marginally slower in aggregate synthetic tests.

In Doom, the CPU’s role is clear when examining the 1080p results. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 102 FPS. The game is generally well-optimized for multi-threading, but the sheer speed of the 9900X3D’s single-core performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1269) ensures that it does not bottleneck the older GPU at lower resolutions. The large 128 MB L3 cache is a hallmark of the X3D series, designed to reduce memory latency, which can benefit game physics and draw call processing.

However, the data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. As the resolution increases, the FPS drops significantly, suggesting that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU has ample headroom; even at 4K with Ultra settings, the FPS is limited by the graphics card. The 24 threads are far more than Doom requires, so the CPU’s utilization likely remains low while the GPU works at maximum capacity. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s multi-threaded might, demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737, is largely untapped in this specific game and resolution configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2675 out of 2930 places this system in the 9th percentile of tested configurations, indicating that it is slower than the vast majority of systems in the database for Doom. This is a low ranking, primarily driven by the GPU’s age and performance tier. The RX 580 sits in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, which is a mid-pack position, but when paired with a top-tier processor, the overall system is dragged down by the graphics card’s limitations.

To contextualize, the GPU’s average benchmark score of 12928 places it close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (score of 12940, delta -0.1%) and the GTX 1660 SUPER (score of 12986, delta -0.4%). These are all older or lower-tier cards. The CPU, in contrast, is at the 91st percentile. The combination of a 91st percentile CPU with a 53rd percentile GPU creates a massive imbalance, which is reflected in the low combo rank. The system is effectively a high-end processor held back by a mid-range graphics card from 2017.

The rank suggests that while the CPU can deliver frames, the GPU cannot keep pace at higher settings. This is not a pairing that maximizes the potential of either component; the CPU is overqualified for the GPU, and the GPU is underpowered for the CPU’s capabilities. The data implies that any modern mid-range GPU would likely produce a higher combo rank than this specific configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's performance across resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable frame rates:

• Low: 102 FPS average
• Medium: 89 FPS average (min 76, max 103)
• High: 75 FPS average
• Ultra: 62 FPS average

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops notably:

• Low: 66 FPS average
• Medium: 58 FPS average (min 49, max 66)
• High: 49 FPS average
• Ultra: 40 FPS average

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain smooth gameplay:

• Low: 36 FPS average
• Medium: 31 FPS average (min 27, max 36)
• High: 26 FPS average
• Ultra: 22 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: lowering settings increases FPS at every resolution. The gap between Low and Ultra settings is significant. At 1080p, the difference is 40 FPS (102 vs 62), while at 4K, the difference narrows to 14 FPS (36 vs 22). This narrowing suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so saturated that settings adjustments have a diminishing return. The minimum FPS figures, where available, also indicate frame pacing stability; the 1080p Medium setting has a minimum of 76 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a Polaris 20 chip built on the 14 nm process with a GCN 4.0 architecture. It features 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The card has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1257 MHz with a boost clock of 1340 MHz, and the memory operates at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The GPU’s FP32 performance is rated at 6.175 TFLOPS, and its texture rate is 193.0 GTexel/s.

The RX 580’s average benchmark score is 12928, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the GTX 1660 SUPER, scores 12986, a delta of -0.4%. This indicates that the RX 580 is a competent 1080p card, but it is not designed for high-refresh-rate 1440p or 4K gaming, especially on modern titles.

In Doom, the GPU’s role is the dominant limiting factor. The game is known for its scalable engine, but the RX 580’s pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s are insufficient for high resolutions with demanding settings. The 4K results, which top out at 36 FPS on Low settings, confirm that the GPU is struggling to fill the frame buffer. The card’s DirectX 12 benchmark score of 43 (Passmark) is notably low, which suggests that its API overhead handling may be weaker than its DirectX 11 performance (score of 60). This could explain why the FPS does not improve dramatically with settings changes at 4K, as the GPU is bound by raw fill rate and memory bandwidth rather than shader complexity.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, the High preset at 75 FPS average provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset is also playable at 62 FPS, but the drop to below 60 FPS might be noticeable on a 60 Hz display. The Medium preset at 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS, offers the best headroom for maintaining a stable 60+ FPS experience, especially in intense combat scenarios. The Low preset at 102 FPS is ideal for competitive play, but it sacrifices visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 58 FPS average (min 49) is borderline. The Low preset at 66 FPS is the only one that consistently stays above 60 FPS. The High preset at 49 FPS is playable but may experience stutters. Given the data, Low is recommended for a smooth 1440p experience, with Medium as an option if the user can tolerate occasional dips below 60 FPS.

For 3840x2160, none of the presets deliver a smooth 60 FPS experience. The Low preset at 36 FPS is the only one that is remotely playable for a casual session, but it is far from ideal. The Ultra preset at 22 FPS is not recommended for actual gameplay. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable option for this combo, and users should either drop the resolution or accept a slideshow-like experience.

In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1920x1080 with High settings, which offers a solid 75 FPS average without the visual downgrade of Low settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and reveals the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 102 at 1080p to 66 at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and further to 36 at 4K (a 65% reduction from 1080p). At Ultra settings, the drop is from 62 at 1080p to 40 at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and then to 22 at 4K (a 65% reduction from 1080p).

The percentage drop between 1080p and 1440p is nearly identical across settings (around 35%), which indicates a scaling bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the CPU’s workload (draw calls, physics) does not change with resolution. Instead, the FPS scales inversely with resolution, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario.

The RX 580’s memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions. Each pixel requires more memory traffic, and the card’s bandwidth cannot keep up with the demands of 4K rendering. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Doom even at 4K, but the bandwidth and pixel fill rate are not. The CPU, with its 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and 128 MB L3 cache, is not waiting on the GPU; it is the GPU that is saturated.

This scaling behavior confirms that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is not the bottleneck in this system. The data shows that the CPU’s performance is effectively masked by the GPU’s limitations. To utilize the 9900X3D’s potential in Doom, a significantly more powerful GPU would be required, one with higher memory bandwidth and a better pixel fill rate. The current combo is a textbook example of a CPU that is far ahead of its GPU partner, resulting in a system that is only suitable for 1080p gaming at high settings.