Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a study in stark contrasts for Doom. The processor is a modern 12-core flagship with a 91st percentile standing among all CPUs, while the graphics card is an end-of-life Pascal part sitting at the 47th percentile. In this 2016 FPS title, the data shows a system where the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, but the sheer power of the CPU ensures that even the weakest link produces playable results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 158 FPS average. This drops to 102 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 55 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 65% reduction in frame rate from 1080p Low to 4K Low, which is a significant hit that points squarely at the graphics card struggling to fill the increasing pixel count.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is steep but manageable, while the jump to 4K is punishing. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 116 at 1080p to 75 at 1440p, a 35% drop. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings, the average FPS falls from 75 to 41, a 45% drop. This non-linear degradation is characteristic of a GPU that runs out of raw throughput and memory bandwidth as resolution increases. The GTX 1070's 256.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are simply not sufficient for 4K in this title, even with an extremely powerful CPU feeding it frames.

The most telling sign that the CPU is not the limiting factor here is the FPS difference between settings at the same resolution. At 1080p, dropping from Ultra (95 FPS) to Low (158 FPS) yields a 66% performance increase. If the CPU were the bottleneck, this change in GPU workload would have a minimal impact on the final frame rate. The fact that the FPS scales so dramatically with settings confirms that the GTX 1070 is the component being pushed to its limits. At 4K, the same settings change from Ultra (33 FPS) to Low (55 FPS) provides a 67% uplift, further reinforcing that the GPU is the primary constraint across all tested resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-generation GPU with 1920 shading units, 120 texture units, and 64 ROPs. Its base clock is 1506 MHz with a boost clock of 1683 MHz. The memory configuration consists of 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, offering 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. These are the specs that determine how this card handles Doom's demands.

In this benchmark, the GTX 1070 shows its age. Its average benchmark score is 9780, placing it at the 47th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are professional or older workstation cards: the AMD FirePro W5000 (avg score 9803, deltaPct -0.2%), NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (avg score 9832, deltaPct -0.5%), NVIDIA Tesla M10 (avg score 9724, deltaPct 0.6%), and NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (avg score 9716, deltaPct 0.7%). This indicates that the GTX 1070's overall compute capability is on par with those older or specialized parts, even though its gaming-specific architecture is different.

The 8 GB VRAM buffer is not the limiting factor in these results, as Doom at 4K Ultra is likely well under that capacity. Instead, the core clock and memory bandwidth dictate performance. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the card produces an average of 33 FPS, which is the lowest score in the entire measured set. This is a clear indication that the GPU is saturated. The fact that the GTX 1070 can only manage 55 FPS at 4K Low -- a setting that drastically reduces shading and texture work -- demonstrates that the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are the primary barrier to higher frame rates at that resolution. The card is simply not built for 4K gaming in a modern title, even one from 2016.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a Zen 5 (Granite Ridge) part with 12 cores and 24 threads. It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The cache hierarchy is substantial, with an 80 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and a massive 128 MB L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

This processor is a monster by any metric. Its average benchmark score is 54762, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are all high-end desktop parts: the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (avg score 55093, deltaPct -0.6%), Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (avg score 54053, deltaPct 1.3%), Intel Xeon 6505P (avg score 53701, deltaPct 2%), and Intel Core i7-14700F (avg score 53620, deltaPct 2.1%). The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is either slightly ahead or behind these parts by a marginal 0.6% to 2.1%, showing it is firmly in the top tier of desktop processing power.

In this specific game, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. At 1080p Low, where the GPU load is lightest, the system reaches 158 FPS. This is a high frame rate, but it is not an extreme value that suggests the CPU is working at its limit. The 12-core, 24-thread configuration is overkill for a title like Doom, which is not known for heavily threading beyond a few cores. The high boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures that even the single-threaded performance needed for game logic is exceptional. The CPU is never the bottleneck here; it is providing a massive headroom that allows the GTX 1070 to be the sole determinant of performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and GTX 1070 ranks 2413 out of 2930 tested combos in this game database. This places it in the lower 18th percentile of all possible pairings. This low ranking is almost entirely due to the graphics card's age and performance class. The CPU is a top-tier part, but the GTX 1070 drags the entire system down in the rankings for a game like Doom.

This ranking is a practical lesson in system balance. A 91st percentile CPU paired with a 47th percentile GPU results in a combo that performs worse than many mid-range pairings from its era. The data shows that for this game, the GPU is the component that defines the experience. The combo's rank of 2413 suggests that other tested combos with more balanced or more modern GPUs achieve better performance, regardless of the CPU's strength. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is not able to compensate for the GTX 1070's limitations, and the overall system performance is capped by the GPU's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is measured from the specified hardware combination in Doom. All values are average FPS unless otherwise noted.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Ultra: 95 FPS
• High: 116 FPS
• Medium: 137 FPS (min 117, max 158)
• Low: 158 FPS

At 1080p, the system is clearly capable of high refresh rate gaming. Even at Ultra settings, the average FPS is 95, which is smooth. Dropping to High settings yields a 22% increase to 116 FPS. The Medium and Low settings provide 137 and 158 FPS respectively, showing that the GPU has headroom at this resolution.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Ultra: 61 FPS
• High: 75 FPS
• Medium: 89 FPS (min 75, max 102)
• Low: 102 FPS

At 1440p, the performance scales down proportionally. Ultra settings provide a playable 61 FPS, while High settings reach 75 FPS. Medium and Low settings achieve 89 and 102 FPS, respectively. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a good balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, with even the most demanding preset staying above 60 FPS.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Ultra: 33 FPS
• High: 41 FPS
• Medium: 48 FPS (min 41, max 55)
• Low: 55 FPS

At 4K, the GTX 1070 is overwhelmed. Ultra settings produce an average of 33 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. High settings only reach 41 FPS. Even at Low settings, the card only manages 55 FPS. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combination if aiming for a consistent 60 FPS experience, as the GPU lacks the necessary performance headroom.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo good for 4K gaming in Doom?

A: No. The measured data shows the average FPS at 3840x2160 ranges from 33 FPS on Ultra to 55 FPS on Low. This is below the 60 FPS mark and indicates the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor, struggling to maintain playable frame rates at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: The benchmark results indicate that 2560x1440 is the optimal resolution. At this setting, the average FPS ranges from 61 on Ultra to 102 on Low, providing a good balance between visual quality and smooth performance. All presets at this resolution are comfortably above 60 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is significant. At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 158 on Low settings and 95 on Ultra settings. This represents a 66% increase in performance when dropping from Ultra to Low, showing that the GPU has a substantial impact on frame rate even at lower resolutions.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D the component holding this system back?

A: No. The CPU is in the 91st percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 47th percentile. The FPS scaling with different graphics settings indicates that the GTX 1070 is the primary bottleneck. The CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU in this title.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its closest rivals in this database?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9780. Its nearest rival is the AMD FirePro W5000 with a score of 9803 (deltaPct -0.2%), and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M with a score of 9832 (deltaPct -0.5%). This places the GTX 1070 on par with these professional-grade parts in terms of raw compute.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium settings. The lowest minimum FPS is 41, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution. At 2560x1440, the minimum is 75 FPS, and at 1920x1080, the minimum is 117 FPS.