Doom

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 paired with the AMD Radeon 890M presents a specific set of trade-offs in Doom. The data reveals a system with substantial CPU headroom constrained by an integrated GPU that struggles at higher resolutions. This analysis examines the measured frames per second (FPS) across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, interpreting the scores against the backdrop of the component benchmarks and rival comparisons provided.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a playable frame rate?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings presets achieve over 57 FPS. At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 37-61, while at 3840x2160, it falls to 20-33, making 1080p the most viable option.

Q: How much faster is the CPU at 1080p Low compared to 4K Ultra?

A: The average FPS at 1080p Low is 95, which is 4.75 times higher than the 20 FPS average at 4K Ultra. This substantial gap highlights the GPU's dominance in limiting performance at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the performance delta between the Radeon 890M and its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 9210, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD Radeon Vega 8's score of 9221. It also trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 by 0.7% and the GTX 465 by 0.9%.

Q: Does the CPU's performance percentile suggest it is a bottleneck in this game?

A: The CPU sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, indicating very strong performance. Given the massive FPS drops when increasing resolution, the data indicates the integrated GPU is the primary limiting factor, not the 16-core processor.

Q: What is the range of FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 Medium is 53, with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 61. This provides a 16 FPS variance, suggesting some scene-dependent volatility.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Doom?

A: The combo ranks 2758 out of 2930 tested combinations. This places it in the lower percentile of all tested systems, aligning with the GPU's 45th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Strix Halo). It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a substantial 64 MB of shared L3 cache. The benchmarks show it performs exceptionally well in isolation; its average benchmark score is 77740, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. This score is 1.6% higher than both the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX and the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P, and 2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX. It also surpasses the Intel Core i9-14900K by 1.7%, which has an average score of 79097.

In the context of Doom, this CPU power appears largely untapped. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: performance scales directly with resolution and settings, which are primarily GPU-bound variables. For instance, moving from 1080p High to 4K High cuts the average FPS from 70 to 24. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the frame rate to remain relatively stable across resolutions, as the CPU's workload doesn't scale with pixel count in the same way. The data suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than the Radeon 890M can render, making the processor a non-factor in this specific configuration for Doom. The CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2044, is more than adequate for the game's logic, but the bottleneck lies downstream.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture. It has a boost clock of 2900 MHz and relies on system memory, with its bandwidth being system-dependent. Its synthetic benchmark scores tell a story of modest performance. The GPU's average benchmark score is 9210, placing it in the 45th percentile of all GPUs. Its direct rivals include the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (0.1% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (0.7% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (0.9% faster), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M (1% faster). This places the 890M in the range of older discrete entry-level graphics cards.

The GPU's role in Doom is the definitive factor in the measured FPS. With 1024 shading units and 32 ROPs, its raw throughput is limited. The passmark DirectX scores are particularly telling; the DirectX 11 score is 73, while DirectX 12 is 37 and DirectX 10 is 33. This indicates that the GPU's performance is heavily dependent on the API and workload. The data for Doom reflects this limitation. At 1080p Low, the GPU manages an average of 95 FPS, but this is the peak. As the resolution and settings demand more from the GPU, the frame rate plummets. The integrated nature of the GPU, sharing memory with the CPU, also contributes to its performance ceiling, as the "System Shared" memory bandwidth is a constraint that discrete GPUs do not face in the same way.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

1920x1080: At this resolution, the combo delivers its best results. The Low preset achieves an average of 95 FPS. The Medium preset averages 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 95. High settings see the average drop to 70 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, bringing the average down to 57 FPS. This is the only resolution where all presets remain above 60 FPS, and even the most demanding preset is playable.

2560x1440: Performance takes a significant hit at this resolution. The Low preset averages 61 FPS, which is the only preset to hit the 60 FPS mark. Medium settings average 53 FPS (min 45, max 61), and High settings average 45 FPS. The Ultra preset drops further to an average of 37 FPS. This resolution shows the GPU starting to struggle, with the gap between presets widening.

3840x2160: At 4K, the combo is unable to maintain playable frame rates on any preset. The Low preset averages 33 FPS. Medium settings average 29 FPS (min 25, max 33). High settings drop to 24 FPS, and Ultra is the lowest, averaging just 20 FPS. All these averages are below the typical 30 FPS playability threshold, making 4K gaming with this combo impractical for Doom.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals the GPU-bound nature of this system. The data shows a clear progression of performance loss as pixel count increases.

At High settings, the average FPS drops from 70 at 1080p to 45 at 1440p, a 35.7% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average drops from 45 to 24, a further 46.7% decrease. The cumulative drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is from 70 to 24 FPS, a 65.7% loss.

The pattern is similar for the Low preset. The average FPS is 95 at 1080p, 61 at 1440p, and 33 at 4K. This is a 35.8% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 45.9% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total loss from 1080p to 4K is 65.3%.

This consistent ~35% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and another ~46% drop to 4K, is characteristic of a system where the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are the hard limits. The CPU's performance does not diminish with resolution; if it were the bottleneck, the frame rate would be nearly identical at all resolutions. The fact that the FPS scales inversely with pixel count confirms that the AMD Radeon 890M is the sole limiting component in this configuration. The system has plenty of CPU headroom, but the IGP cannot render the frames fast enough to utilize it.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend entirely on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, the only viable option is 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which averages 95 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p is also a strong recommendation, averaging 82 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a better visual experience than Low. The High preset at 1080p, averaging 70 FPS, is still a solid choice for a balance between quality and performance.

If a user is willing to accept frame rates between 45 and 60 FPS, 2560x1440 with the Low preset is the best choice, averaging 61 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p, averaging 53 FPS, is another viable option, though its minimum of 45 FPS might be noticeable in fast-paced action.

For 4K, there are no good recommendations. All presets average below 34 FPS, which is not a smooth experience for a fast-paced FPS. The Low preset at 33 FPS is the highest, but it would likely feel choppy. The data suggests that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in Doom.

The best overall experience per the measured data is 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. It provides a high average FPS of 82, with a minimum of 70, ensuring consistent performance without dipping below the 60 FPS mark. It offers a significant visual upgrade over the Low preset while maintaining excellent playability.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested configurations, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and the AMD Radeon 890M ranks 2758 out of 2930 combos. This places it in the bottom 6% of all tested systems for Doom. This low ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations, not the CPU's.

The CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs contributes to a high average benchmark score of 77740. However, the GPU's 45th percentile ranking, with an average score of 9210, drags the combo's overall gaming performance down. The measured FPS data supports this; the combo's performance is consistently low, particularly at higher resolutions, aligning with the GPU's position relative to its rivals.

This rank is a clear indicator that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the integrated GPU is a bottleneck that prevents the system from competing with combos that include even modest discrete graphics cards. The combo's performance is closer to that of the Radeon 890M's nearest rivals (GTX 960, Vega 8) than to any system with a high-end CPU and discrete GPU. The ranking reflects the reality that for gaming, the GPU is the primary determinant of FPS, and this combo's GPU is simply not powerful enough for demanding titles at high resolutions.