Doom

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a starkly lopsided configuration for Doom. The data shows a processor capable of leading multi-threaded workloads paired with an integrated graphics solution that ranks in the 5th percentile among all GPUs. This pairing results in a system where the gaming experience is unequivocally dictated by the graphics component, a reality made clear across every resolution and settings preset in the measured data.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent, confirming that the Intel Arc B370 is the primary limiting component in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 96 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average falls to 62 FPS, a reduction of 34 FPS. At 4K, the average plummets to 34 FPS, which is a 64.6% decrease from the 1080p result. This pattern of steep decline with each resolution step is characteristic of a GPU that is overwhelmed by pixel throughput demands.

The scaling behavior is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 71 at 1080p to 46 at 1440p, and then to 25 at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the same trend, with averages of 58, 37, and 20 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively. The consistent nature of these drops—roughly a 35% to 40% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% to 58% reduction when moving to 4K—indicates a pure fill-rate bottleneck. The CPU, with its 16 cores and high clock speeds, is not the constraint here.

The data suggests that the limiting component is overwhelmingly the GPU. The Arc B370's performance in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which are significantly older parts. This context illustrates the absolute performance level we are dealing with. The resolution scaling results are a textbook example of a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering engine is forced to do more work per frame, and the integrated GPU simply does not have the raw throughput to maintain frame rates at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the most reasonable experience is found at 1080p with Low settings. This is the only configuration that consistently delivers an average frame rate above 90 FPS, hitting 96 FPS. This is the only point where the system approaches what could be considered a highly fluid experience for a fast-paced FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 84 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 12.5% performance hit for what is likely a modest visual improvement on an integrated GPU.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset yields an average of 62 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. The Medium preset drops to 54 FPS, and High falls to 46 FPS. For a smoother experience at this resolution, the Low preset is the only reasonable choice. At 4K, all presets result in averages below 34 FPS. The Low preset offers 34 FPS, Medium 29 FPS, High 25 FPS, and Ultra 20 FPS. None of these are suitable for a responsive gaming experience; the frame rates are simply too low for a title like Doom.

The data indicates that the visual quality settings have a significant impact on performance, but the resolution has a more dramatic one. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p costs 38 FPS (from 96 to 58 FPS), while the jump from 1080p to 4K at Low costs 62 FPS (from 96 to 34 FPS). For the best experience per the measured rows, users should prioritize resolution over settings. Running at 1080p with Low or Medium settings is the only path to a consistently high frame rate. Attempting to use higher presets, especially at 1440p or 4K, will result in a degraded experience. The Ultra preset is effectively unusable at any resolution, as it only manages an average of 58 FPS at 1080p and falls to 20 FPS at 4K.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 25 W TDP. Its role in this configuration is to render all frames, and the benchmark data shows it is the definitive bottleneck. The GPU's memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. Its memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which implies its performance is tied to the speed of the system's DDR5 memory. This is a significant factor, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth.

The Arc B370 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. While the boost clock is respectable, the underlying architecture is not designed for high-end gaming. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. These figures, combined with its 1280 shading units and 20 ROPs, are insufficient for the demands of 1440p and 4K gaming in Doom. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, which is modest for a modern GPU.

The GPU's benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770. This places its performance in a historical context; it is competitive with discrete GPUs from over a decade ago, not with modern gaming hardware. The measured FPS data confirms this assessment. The GPU is unable to maintain 60 FPS at 1080p on High settings, achieving an average of 71 FPS only on Low. The fact that the minimum FPS for the Medium preset at 1080p is 71 FPS, which is the same as the average for High, further shows the tight performance envelope of this GPU.

The data shows that the GPU's performance is the single most important factor in this configuration. Its architecture and clock speeds are simply not sufficient for a demanding FPS title at higher resolutions. The system's shared memory architecture may also contribute to the performance ceiling, as the GPU's bandwidth is not dedicated and is dependent on the system's overall memory traffic.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combination can achieve in Doom?

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 96 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this configuration capable of 4K gaming in Doom?

A: The data shows no. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 20 on Ultra to 34 on Low. These frame rates are below the threshold for a smooth gaming experience.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370's performance compare to its nearest rivals in benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770, placing it in a similar performance class as these much older GPUs.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 96 on Low to 58 on Ultra, a difference of 38 FPS. This shows the significant cost of higher visual quality settings.

Q: Does the CPU have any impact on the gaming performance in this configuration?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D has 16 cores and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, and its performance is in the 95th percentile. The FPS drops are consistent with a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU one.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The minimum FPS for the Medium preset varies by resolution. At 1920x1080, it is 71 FPS. At 2560x1440, it is 46 FPS. At 3840x2160, it is 25 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture. It has a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. Its L3 cache is 128 MB, which is a substantial amount and often beneficial for gaming. In this configuration, however, the CPU's immense processing power is largely underutilized. The 3DMark results for the CPU are strong, with a max threads score of 17184 and a single-thread score of 1292. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 42018, and the single-core score is 2259. These numbers place the CPU in the 95th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285. The 9950X3D's average benchmark score is 75779, which is a mere 0.1% higher than the Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 and 0.4% higher than the Core Ultra 9 285. This indicates that while it is a top-tier processor, its performance is not uniquely superior to its closest competitors.

However, the gaming data shows that this CPU's power is irrelevant to the frame rates achieved in Doom. The performance curves for the CPU show a massive capability gap between its compute potential and the GPU's rendering capability. For example, the CPU's Passmark multithread score is 70255, while the GPU's 3DMark score is 1184. The frame rates are entirely dependent on the GPU. The CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution or settings preset. The evidence is clear: the FPS drops are a function of GPU load, not CPU load. The CPU has more than enough headroom to feed frames to the GPU, but the GPU cannot process them fast enough, especially at higher resolutions. The 9950X3D is a powerful component that is being held back by its integrated graphics counterpart.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a complete breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080:

• Ultra: Average FPS is 58.
• High: Average FPS is 71.
• Medium: Average FPS is 84, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96.
• Low: Average FPS is 96.

2560x1440:

• Ultra: Average FPS is 37.
• High: Average FPS is 46.
• Medium: Average FPS is 54, with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 62.
• Low: Average FPS is 62.

3840x2160:

• Ultra: Average FPS is 20.
• High: Average FPS is 25.
• Medium: Average FPS is 29, with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 34.
• Low: Average FPS is 34.

The data shows a clear and consistent hierarchy. At each resolution, lower settings yield higher frame rates. The difference between Low and Ultra is most pronounced at 1080p, where it is 38 FPS. At 4K, the difference is 14 FPS. The relative performance drop from Low to Ultra is 39.6% at 1080p, 40.3% at 1440p, and 41.2% at 4K. This consistency suggests that the visual settings have a uniform impact on the GPU's workload across all resolutions. The frame rates are low across the board, with only the 1080p Low and Medium presets achieving averages above 80 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2696 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations tested. This low ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance. The CPU is in the 95th percentile, but the GPU is in the 5th percentile. The combination's rank is dragged down entirely by the graphics component.

This ranking is a powerful indicator of the system's overall gaming capability. While the CPU is a top-tier part, the user experience in Doom is defined by the GPU's limitations. The data shows that this combo is not suitable for a high-refresh-rate gaming experience at resolutions above 1080p. The rank of 2696 out of 2930 is a clear statement that this is a severely unbalanced configuration for gaming. The system's performance is defined by its weakest link, which is the integrated GPU. The CPU's strengths are irrelevant in this context, as the frame rates are consistently and decisively GPU-bound.