Doom

Doom, released on 2016-05-12, remains a demanding benchmark for modern hardware. The data for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti shows a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet reveals the immense headroom of the CPU at 1080p. Across the twelve measured data points, the combo demonstrates a clear hierarchy where graphical settings and resolution dictate performance, with the CPU’s strength becoming apparent only when the GPU is less burdened. The measured FPS ranges from a high of 367.5 at 1080p Low to a low of 75.5 at 4K Ultra, illustrating a wide performance envelope that caters to both competitive and visual fidelity preferences.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 and then to 3840x2160 reveals a stark scaling pattern. At 1080p High, the system produces 273.5 FPS; moving to 1440p High drops this to 176.8 FPS, a reduction of approximately 35%. Further scaling to 4K High yields 94 FPS, which is a 66% decrease from the 1080p figure. This aggressive drop-off as resolution increases is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 4070 Ti is the limiting factor; the rendering load at higher pixel counts saturates the graphics card, preventing the frame rate from scaling linearly with the pixel count increase.

This behavior persists across all settings presets. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system reaches 367.5 FPS, but at 4K Low, it falls to 128.6 FPS. While the percentage drop is similar, the absolute numbers highlight that even at the lowest settings, the GPU cannot maintain the 1080p performance level. The data indicates that the CPU, a 16-core, 32-thread AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D with a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, has sufficient processing power to feed the GPU at 1080p, as the frame rates are exceptionally high. However, the GPU’s rendering capabilities cap the performance ceiling as resolution climbs, making the RTX 4070 Ti the definitive bottleneck in this configuration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, is the primary driver of the FPS differences between settings. The GPU’s base clock of 2310 MHz and boost clock of 2610 MHz are the same regardless of the workload, but the amount of work per frame increases with resolution and graphical fidelity. The data shows that the GPU’s performance scales with the complexity of the scene. At 4K, the difference between Low (128.6 FPS) and Ultra (75.5 FPS) is substantial, a 41% performance penalty for enabling the highest visual settings. This indicates that the 12 GB VRAM buffer and the GPU’s compute units are heavily taxed by the Ultra preset’s demands.

The GPU’s role is further defined by its benchmark percentile and rival comparisons. It holds an 85th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44900. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, has an average score of 45152, placing the 4070 Ti just 0.6% behind. This marginal difference suggests that the 4070 Ti is positioned at a performance tier where small gains are significant. In the context of Doom, the GPU’s raw throughput is the deciding factor for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and playable frame rates at 4K. The data suggests that while the 4070 Ti can handle 4K, it is more comfortably suited for high-refresh 1440p gaming, where it achieves 176.8 FPS on High settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s role in this benchmark is to provide an unconstrained foundation for the GPU. With a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, the CPU is a high-frequency powerhouse. The data suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution, as the FPS scales inversely with resolution, which is the opposite of what would be observed in a CPU-limited scenario. At 1080p Low, the CPU is tasked with preparing the highest number of frames per second (367.5 FPS), and it does so without limiting the GPU. This is corroborated by its strong synthetic benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 59712 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3401, indicating both high multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities.

The CPU’s performance relative to its peers shows it is a top-tier part. It holds a 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 71660. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, has a score of 70420, placing the 9950X3D 1.8% ahead. This marginal lead in synthetic tests translates to negligible differences in gaming, where the GPU is the limiting factor. However, the high frame rates at 1080p (221.2 FPS on Ultra) demonstrate that the CPU’s strong single-thread performance is sufficient to avoid capping the GPU’s output, even in a fast-paced FPS where draw calls are frequent.

FAQ

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 235.6 on Low to 142.4 on Ultra, a reduction of roughly 40%. The High preset sits in between at 176.8 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti or the Ryzen 9 9950X3D the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160. The FPS scales down significantly with resolution, and the difference between presets is large (94 FPS on High vs 75.5 FPS on Ultra), pointing to the graphics card being the bottleneck.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9950X3D compare to its direct predecessor in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 9950X3D has an average benchmark score of 71660, which is 1.8% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X’s score of 70420. This indicates a small but measurable performance lead in general benchmarks.

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

A: The highest average FPS is 367.5, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this system achieve 4K 60 FPS in Doom?

A: Yes, the data shows it exceeds 60 FPS at 4K on all settings. The lowest average FPS recorded is 75.5 at 4K Ultra, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance rank against other graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti is in the 85th percentile of all GPUs. Its average score of 44900 is nearly identical to the RTX 5090 Mobile, which has a score of 45152, a difference of only 0.6%.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the "High" preset offers the most balanced experience for this hardware configuration. At 1440p High, the system delivers 176.8 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors and provides a smooth, responsive experience. At 4K High, it produces 94 FPS, which is a playable and visually rich experience. In comparison, the "Ultra" preset at 4K drops to 75.5 FPS, a significant reduction that may not be worth the marginal visual improvement over High. Conversely, the "Medium" preset at 1440p yields 205.7 FPS, but sacrifices visual fidelity for a frame rate that offers diminishing returns for most users.

For users prioritizing competitive play at high refresh rates, the "Low" preset at 1080p provides the maximum FPS of 367.5, which is ideal for 360Hz monitors. However, the "High" preset at 1080p still offers an exceptional 273.5 FPS, making it a more visually appealing option that does not compromise on speed. The data suggests that "High" is the sweet spot, as it provides a substantial improvement over "Medium" in visual quality while maintaining frame rates that are only slightly lower. The "Ultra" preset is best reserved for users with 1440p high-refresh displays who prioritize maximum graphical fidelity and can tolerate the drop to 142.4 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a clear matrix of performance across all resolution and settings combinations.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers the highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 367.5 FPS. Increasing to Medium yields 319.6 FPS, a modest decrease. The High preset averages 273.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset brings the average down to 221.2 FPS. The progression shows a smooth, linear decline in performance as visual fidelity increases, with a total drop of 146.3 FPS between Low and Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a more pronounced impact from the settings. The Low preset averages 235.6 FPS. Medium follows at 205.7 FPS. High averages 176.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 142.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 93.2 FPS, indicating that resolution scaling is beginning to tax the GPU more heavily.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The Low preset averages 128.6 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium averages 111.3 FPS. High averages 94 FPS, and Ultra averages 75.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 53.1 FPS, a substantial performance hit for the highest settings. This data confirms that the RTX 4070 Ti is capable of 4K gaming, but the user must be selective with settings to maintain high frame rates. The combo’s rank of 218 out of 1681 tested combinations places it in the top 13% of systems for this game, underscoring its strong overall performance.