Doom: The Dark Ages: A Performance Breakdown and Market Insights

Testing Doom: The Dark Ages on High-End Gaming Hardware

Over the last three and a half years, I have extensively tested Doom Eternal across various high-performance gaming systems. Known for its stellar optimization, Doom Eternal serves as the benchmark in assessing device performance. With the release of Doom: The Dark Ages, I have transitioned to using this title for my comparative analysis.

To see how it performs, I installed Doom: The Dark Ages on the Alienware Area-51 gaming PC, which I recently reviewed, equipped with the impressive Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090. The outcome left me astonished.

This latest installation in the iconic series impresses with its engaging combat mechanics, vast and diverse environments, and exceptional graphics, delivering a fast-paced experience that few games can rival. While it doesn't break new ground in the gaming landscape, its overall performance and design are commendable.

PC Specifications: Minimum and Recommended

Before diving deeper, let’s review the minimum and recommended specifications for Doom: The Dark Ages, according to its Steam listing:

• OS: Windows 10 64-Bit / Windows 11 64-Bit
• CPUs:
  • Minimum: AMD Zen 2 or Intel 10th Gen @ 3.2Ghz, 8 cores/16 threads
  • Recommended: AMD Zen 3 or Intel 12th Gen @ 3.2Ghz, 8 cores/16 threads
• RAM: 16GB minimum; 32GB recommended
• GPU:
  • Minimum: Ray-tracing-capable GPU with 8GB VRAM (e.g., Nvidia RTX 2060 SUPER)
  • Recommended: Ray-tracing-capable GPU with 10GB VRAM (e.g., Nvidia RTX 3080)
• Storage: 100 GB
• Gameplay Notes:
  • 1080p at 60 FPS on low quality settings
  • 1440p at 60 FPS on high quality settings

These specifications reveal that the game is optimized well enough to run on systems that aren't necessarily top-tier.

Performance on High-End Systems

The Alienware Area-51 boasts a powerful setup, featuring the RTX 5090, an Intel Ultra Core 9 285K CPU, 64GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD. This gives it the capability to fully exploit Doom: The Dark Ages' performance capabilities.

Remarkably, under Ultra Nightmare settings at 4K resolution without DLSS frame generation, the game achieved an impressive 155 frames per second (FPS). When utilizing DLSS 4, the frame rates skyrocketed to an astonishing 344. Such performance is typically reserved for much less graphically intense titles, suggesting that Doom: The Dark Ages effectively utilizes cutting-edge gaming technology.

Although these high frame rates may not be necessary for a game that doesn’t hinge on fast reflexes, it certainly enhances the overall gameplay experience.

Performance on Lower-End GPUs

In comparisons conducted by my colleague Jason England, the game was tested on various Nvidia GPUs including the RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5070, and RTX 5060 Ti, all housed within a single tower featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU and 32GB of RAM.

While the lower-end RTX GPUs could not reach the exceptional performance seen on the Alienware setup, the results were still promising. For example, the RTX 5060 Ti managed 153 FPS at 4K resolution with DLSS 4 enabled, demonstrating that this game optimally supports lower-end hardware.

• RTX 5060 Ti:
  • 1440p no DLSS: 62 FPS
  • 1440p DLSS x4: 202 FPS
  • 4K no DLSS: 38 FPS
  • 4K DLSS 4x: 153 FPS
• RTX 5070:
  • 1440p no DLSS: 78 FPS
  • 1440p DLSS x4: 266 FPS
  • 4K no DLSS: 43 FPS
  • 4K DLSS 4x: 185 FPS
• RTX 5070 Ti:
  • 1440p no DLSS: 88 FPS
  • 1440p DLSS x4: 292 FPS
  • 4K no DLSS: 52 FPS
  • 4K DLSS 4x: 212 FPS

The results indicate that enabling DLSS 4 is crucial for maximizing frame rates on mid-range GPUs.

Market Performance and Player Reception

Despite the impressive technical performance, the game's launch on Steam hasn’t resulted in robust player numbers, peaking at just 30,802 concurrent players compared to the over 106,891 players that its predecessor, Doom Eternal, attracted. This dips raises questions about the game's market performance.

Several factors could contribute to these numbers:

• Availability on Xbox Game Pass, potentially drawing players away from purchasing on Steam.
• High price point of $69.99 for a single-player shooter may deter potential buyers.
• Competing releases from other successful titles may fragment the attention of the gaming community.

While many fans appreciate the gameplay and graphical fidelity of Doom: The Dark Ages, there remains a concern regarding its overall reception and market performance, particularly for a franchise that holds a legacy.

Conclusion

Doom: The Dark Ages represents an impressive entry in the Doom franchise, equipped with a solid foundation in gameplay mechanics and graphical performance. Its capacity to run smoothly on varying hardware levels highlights its thoughtful optimization. However, with current market trends and player reception, it remains to be seen how well it will sustain interest in the long term. As a noteworthy addition to personal testing methodologies, it provides a thrilling experience, especially when played on high-end systems.

Whether on cutting-edge PCs or more modest setups, the latest Doom iteration is indeed worthy of exploration for its engaging gameplay and graphics, ensuring excitement for gamers across the spectrum.