Doom

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It carries a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 120 W TDP. The processor's cache layout is notable: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a substantial 128 MB of L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth and includes ECC support.

In the context of Doom — a 2016 FPS built on the id Tech 6 engine — the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and maintain a stable frame pacing. The 9900X3D's benchmark scores indicate strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. In 3DMark, it scores 1,269 points in single-thread and 13,795 points in max-thread tests. Cinebench R23 results show 6,739 points in single-core and 47,737 points in multi-core. Geekbench adds 3,041 single-core and 22,884 multi-core points. PassMark's single-thread score is 4,646, with a multithread score of 56,154.

These numbers place the CPU in the 91st percentile against all CPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score is 54,762. The nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (average score 55,093, delta -0.6%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54,053, delta +1.3%), the Intel Xeon 6505P (53,701, delta +2%), and the Intel Core i7-14700F (53,620, delta +2.1%). The deltas are tight — all within 2.1% — indicating that the 9900X3D sits in a very competitive performance band for synthetic workloads.

For Doom specifically, the CPU's high boost clock and large L3 cache help ensure that frame times remain consistent, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p, the measured average FPS ranges from 127 to 211 depending on settings, which suggests the CPU can keep pace with the GPU's output. The processor's 24 threads are more than Doom requires — the game is not heavily threaded — but the strong single-core performance (evidenced by the 4,646 PassMark single-thread score) is what matters most for this title's engine.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1,686 out of 2,930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the upper-middle portion of the database — roughly the 42nd percentile of all CPU-GPU pairings tested for this game. The rank reflects the balanced nature of the pairing: neither component is so weak that it drags the other down, nor so strong that it creates a lopsided bottleneck.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 16,014, which places it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (average score 16,129, delta -0.7%), the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15,862, delta +1%), the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15,852, delta +1%), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15,679, delta +2.1%). The GPU is essentially on par with the RTX 3060 Ti in synthetic tests, though real-world game performance can vary.

The combo rank of 1,686 suggests that, in Doom, the pairing performs as expected given the individual component scores. It is not a standout combination that punches above its weight, nor does it underperform. The CPU is in the 91st percentile, the GPU is in the 59th percentile, and the combo lands near the middle of the pack. This is consistent with a GPU-limited scenario at higher resolutions — the CPU has headroom, but the GPU caps the frame rate.

When compared to other combos in the database, the 9900X3D + RX 9060 pairing delivers playable frame rates at all tested settings and resolutions, but it does not reach the top tier of results. The data indicates that the bottleneck shifts from CPU at 1080p to GPU at 4K, which is typical for a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows clear resolution scaling patterns. At 1080p High settings, the combo averages 155 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 101 FPS — a 34.8% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 54 FPS, which is a 46.5% reduction from 1440p and a 65.2% reduction from 1080p. These are steep declines, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component as resolution increases.

At Low settings, the pattern repeats. 1080p Low averages 211 FPS, 1440p Low averages 137 FPS (a 35.1% drop), and 4K Low averages 74 FPS (a 46.0% drop from 1440p and a 64.9% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings — roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p and another 46% from 1440p to 4K — suggests a uniform GPU bottleneck that scales predictably with pixel count.

Medium settings show the same trend with measured min and max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 184 FPS with a min of 156 and a max of 212. At 1440p Medium, the average is 119 FPS with a min of 101 and a max of 137. At 4K Medium, the average is 65 FPS with a min of 55 and a max of 74. The min-to-max spread narrows as resolution increases, indicating that the GPU is more consistently saturated at higher pixel counts.

Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates. 1080p Ultra averages 127 FPS, 1440p Ultra averages 82 FPS, and 4K Ultra averages 45 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly associated with smooth gameplay, while 1440p Ultra remains comfortably above it.

The resolution scaling data strongly suggests that the RX 9060 is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K. The CPU's performance headroom, evidenced by its high single-thread scores, does not translate into higher frame rates at these resolutions because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough. At 1080p, however, the GPU is still the bottleneck — the 211 FPS at Low settings and 155 FPS at High settings are high enough that the CPU's role is diminished, but the frame rates are not so high that they would expose CPU limitations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). All data points are measured, not estimated, and average FPS is provided for all 12 combinations. Minimum and maximum FPS are only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 211 FPS average
• Medium: 184 FPS average, with a min of 156 and a max of 212
• High: 155 FPS average
• Ultra: 127 FPS average

The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 84 FPS, or roughly 40% of the Low setting's value. This is a significant settings impact, but even at Ultra, the average of 127 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 137 FPS average
• Medium: 119 FPS average, with a min of 101 and a max of 137
• High: 101 FPS average
• Ultra: 82 FPS average

The spread from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 55 FPS, which is a smaller absolute difference than at 1080p but a similar percentage drop (40.1% from Low to Ultra). All settings at 1440p remain above 60 FPS average, with Ultra being the closest at 82 FPS.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 74 FPS average
• Medium: 65 FPS average, with a min of 55 and a max of 74
• High: 54 FPS average
• Ultra: 45 FPS average

The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 29 FPS. Only the Low setting achieves an average above 60 FPS at 4K. Medium averages 65 FPS, which is borderline, while High and Ultra fall below the smoothness threshold.

Comparing settings across resolutions, the percentage drop from Low to Ultra is consistent: 39.8% at 1080p, 40.1% at 1440p, and 39.2% at 4K. This consistency indicates that the settings presets scale uniformly regardless of resolution, and that the relative performance difference between presets is stable.

The min and max FPS values at Medium settings provide additional insight. At 1080p, the min is 156 and the max is 212, a range of 56 FPS. At 1440p, the min is 101 and the max is 137, a range of 36 FPS. At 4K, the min is 55 and the max is 74, a range of 19 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is more consistently loaded, with less variance in frame times.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?

A: At 1440p, all four settings presets average above 60 FPS, with Low at 137 FPS, Medium at 119 FPS, High at 101 FPS, and Ultra at 82 FPS. This makes 1440p the highest resolution where all presets remain comfortably playable.

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset averages above 60 FPS (74 FPS). Medium averages 65 FPS, while High averages 54 FPS and Ultra averages 45 FPS. The combo can run 4K, but only at lower settings for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54,762. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF scores 55,093 (0.6% higher), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scores 54,053 (1.3% lower), the Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53,701 (2.0% lower), and the Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53,620 (2.1% lower).

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

A: The Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16,014. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16,129 (0.7% higher), the AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15,862 (1.0% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 7700 scores 15,852 (1.0% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15,679 (2.1% lower).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, Low averages 211 FPS and Ultra averages 127 FPS — a difference of 84 FPS. At 1440p, Low averages 137 FPS and Ultra averages 82 FPS — a difference of 55 FPS. At 4K, Low averages 74 FPS and Ultra averages 45 FPS — a difference of 29 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor even at 1080p. The average FPS at 1080p Low is 211, which is high, but the CPU's single-thread score of 4,646 in PassMark suggests it could drive higher frame rates if the GPU were faster. The steady FPS drops with resolution confirm GPU saturation.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for settings selection. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, the combo delivers that at 1080p and 1440p across all settings. At 4K, only Low and Medium settings achieve 60+ FPS averages.

For 1080p displays, the High preset at 155 FPS average offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 127 FPS is still well above 60 FPS, but the 28 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the visual gains for all users. The Low preset at 211 FPS is excessive for most displays, as few monitors refresh above 144 Hz, and the visual quality trade-off is significant.

For 1440p displays, the High preset at 101 FPS average is the recommended choice. It provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining good visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 82 FPS is also viable for users who prioritize image quality over frame rate headroom. The Medium preset at 119 FPS is a good option for competitive play, offering higher frame rates with moderate visual compromises.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset at 65 FPS average is the only choice that stays above 60 FPS while offering reasonable visuals. The Low preset at 74 FPS provides a larger frame rate buffer but with noticeable visual degradation. The High preset at 54 FPS and Ultra at 45 FPS fall below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in less smooth gameplay, though some users may find them acceptable for slower-paced sections of the game.

The data shows that the Medium preset provides the most consistent frame times, as it is the only preset with measured min and max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the min is 156 FPS and the max is 212 FPS — a tight range. At 1440p Medium, the min is 101 FPS and the max is 137 FPS. At 4K Medium, the min is 55 FPS and the max is 74 FPS. This consistency suggests that Medium offers the most predictable performance, which is valuable for maintaining smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is a RDNA 4.0 architecture GPU (Navi 44 chip) built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. The memory runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU's compute resources include 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, 64 render output units, and 28 ray tracing cores. It delivers 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a similar 21.43 TFLOPS of FP16 performance. The texture rate is 334.9 GTexel/s, and the pixel rate is 191.4 GPixel/s. The GPU has a 132 W TDP and requires a single 8-pin power connector with a suggested 300 W PSU. It uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

In benchmark tests, the RX 9060 scores 3,322 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 88,183 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 39,476 in Geekbench Vulkan. PassMark results include 17,631 in G3D, 9,919 in GPU compute, and lower scores in legacy DirectX tests (280 in DirectX 9, 182 in DirectX 11, 104 in DirectX 10, and 44 in DirectX 12). The GPU's average benchmark score is 16,014, placing it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs.

In Doom, the GPU's role is dominant at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K, with frame rates scaling inversely with pixel count. The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this game at all tested settings, as Doom's 2016 engine does not require excessive memory. The GPU's 64 ROPs and 21.43 TFLOPS of compute power are adequate for the game's rendering demands, but the 128-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth limit performance at 4K, where the 65 FPS average at Medium settings suggests the GPU is working near its capacity.

The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals — the RTX 3060 Ti is 0.7% faster, the R9 370X is 1.0% slower, the RX 7700 is 1.0% slower, and the Pro W5500 is 2.1% slower — indicates that the RX 9060 sits in a well-established performance tier. In Doom, this translates to playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p across all settings, with 4K requiring reduced settings to maintain smoothness.