Doom

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a rank of 493 out of 3,712 tested combinations for Doom. This places the combo comfortably within the top tier of systems recorded in the database, roughly in the 87th percentile of all tested configurations. That ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU, which sits in the 92nd percentile among all graphics cards tested, while the CPU holds a more modest 71st percentile standing among all processors.

What this ranking means in practical terms is that this pairing is far more capable than what Doom requires at any settings level. The game is from 2016, and the recorded frame rates show a system that is never pushed to its limits. The lowest average frame rate recorded across all resolutions and settings is 99.9 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still well above the 60 FPS playability threshold used in the database. The combination ranks highly not because it struggles anywhere, but because it delivers such a wide margin of headroom everywhere.

The rank of 493 out of 3,712 is more indicative of the GPU's raw power than the CPU's contribution. The Ryzen 5 3600 is a six-core, twelve-thread processor from the Zen 2 architecture, and while it is not a top-tier CPU by current standards, it does not bottleneck the RTX 5090 in this title. The data shows that even at 1080p, where CPU load is relatively higher, the combo still produces an average of 225.2 FPS at Ultra settings. That is a clear sign that the processor is keeping up with the GPU's output in Doom's engine.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU provide a useful frame of reference. The Intel Core i7-1260P scores within 0.2 percent of the Ryzen 5 3600 in average benchmark performance, making it a near-identical match for CPU-bound tasks. The Intel Core i5-11400 is also within 0.2 percent, as is the AMD EPYC 7742. The AMD EPYC 7573X sits at the same 0.2 percent delta. In all four cases, the performance difference is negligible, so a system using any of these processors alongside the RTX 5090 would behave almost identically in Doom.

For the GPU side, the nearest rivals are a more varied group. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores within 0.3 percent of the RTX 5090 in average benchmark performance, and the 12 GB version is within 0.6 percent. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT trails by 1.1 percent, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4 percent ahead. These deltas are small, meaning that any of these graphics cards would produce nearly the same frame rates in Doom when paired with the Ryzen 5 3600.

It is notably the nearest GPU rivals are not gaming-focused products. The Tesla P100 is a compute-oriented card, and the Pro Vega 64X is a professional workstation part. The RX 6850M XT is a mobile GPU. Despite their different market positions, the raw benchmark scores place them all in the same performance band as the RTX 5090. For Doom specifically, any of these alternatives would deliver frame rates within a few percentage points of the measured results.

The practical takeaway is that a buyer who already owns a Ryzen 5 3600 and is considering an RTX 5090 upgrade path should expect the CPU to be the limiting factor only in the sense that it holds back the GPU at very high frame rates. The recorded data for Doom shows this is not a significant concern. The combo's 493rd rank out of 3,712 is a strong result, and swapping the CPU for any of its nearest rivals would change the outcome by less than a single percentage point.

CPU and GPU Roles

The relative importance of the CPU versus the GPU in Doom can be inferred from how frame rates scale across resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the GPU has less work to do per frame, so the CPU's role becomes more prominent. The recorded data shows 1080p Low at 266.6 FPS, 1080p Medium at 256.8 FPS, 1080p High at 240.8 FPS, and 1080p Ultra at 225.2 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 41.4 FPS, which is the smallest absolute spread of any resolution. This compression suggests that the CPU is beginning to limit the upper ceiling at lower resolutions.

Moving to 1440p, the GPU takes on more work, and the frame rates drop accordingly. The recorded values are 229.4 FPS at Low, 223.1 FPS at Medium, 207.7 FPS at High, and 177.2 FPS at Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is now 52.2 FPS, wider than at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint as pixel count increases.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The recorded values are 162.3 FPS at Low, 139.8 FPS at Medium, 120.5 FPS at High, and 99.9 FPS at Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 62.4 FPS, the widest of any resolution. This pattern, where the difference between Low and Ultra grows with resolution, is a classic sign that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting. The CPU's role is relatively constant in absolute terms, but its proportion of the total frame time shrinks as the GPU takes longer to render each frame.

The settings scaling tells the same story. At every resolution, Low produces the highest frame rate and Ultra the lowest. The gap between Low and Ultra is smallest at 1080p and largest at 4K. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the gap would remain roughly constant regardless of resolution, because the CPU would cap the frame rate at a similar level. Instead, the data shows the GPU's workload scaling with resolution, which is the expected behavior when the GPU is the limiting component.

For Doom specifically, the Ryzen 5 3600 is sufficient to feed the RTX 5090 at 1080p without causing a dramatic bottleneck. The 266.6 FPS at Low is high enough that any CPU limitation would only matter for players chasing extremely high refresh rates. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU is unambiguously the more important component, and the CPU's performance is more than adequate.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that this combination can run Doom at or above 60 FPS at every resolution and settings preset tested. The database records playable settings for 4K, 1440p, and 1080p, and all four settings levels (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are listed as playable at each resolution. The lowest average frame rate in the entire dataset is 99.9 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is 39.9 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 4K, the best settings are Ultra, with an average frame rate of 99.9 FPS. At 1440p, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 177.2 FPS. At 1080p, Ultra delivers an average of 225.2 FPS. In every case, the most demanding preset still clears the playability threshold by a wide margin.

The verdict is straightforward: this PC can run Doom at maximum settings at all three tested resolutions, and it does so with substantial headroom. Players who own a 4K display can enable Ultra settings and still see nearly 100 FPS on average. Those with 1440p or 1080p monitors will see frame rates that exceed the refresh rates of most displays.

It is also notably the minimum frame rates are not recorded in the database, so the data only reflects average performance. However, the average frame rates are so far above the threshold that even a significant drop in demanding scenes would keep gameplay fluid. The margin at 4K Ultra is 39.9 FPS, and at lower resolutions the margins are even larger.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data is organized by resolution and settings preset. All values are average frame rates, with no minimum or maximum values recorded.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 162.3 FPS, Medium produces 139.8 FPS, High produces 120.5 FPS, and Ultra produces 99.9 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline of roughly 20 FPS per step, with the largest single drop occurring between Medium and High at 19.3 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 229.4 FPS at Low, 223.1 FPS at Medium, 207.7 FPS at High, and 177.2 FPS at Ultra. The decline from Low to Medium is small at 6.3 FPS, but the gap widens to 15.4 FPS between Medium and High, and then to 30.5 FPS between High and Ultra.

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 266.6 FPS at Low, 256.8 FPS at Medium, 240.8 FPS at High, and 225.2 FPS at Ultra. The decline from Low to Medium is 9.8 FPS, from Medium to High it is 16.0 FPS, and from High to Ultra it is 15.6 FPS.

Comparing across resolutions at the same settings shows the impact of pixel count. At Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 225.2 FPS at 1080p to 177.2 FPS at 1440p, a decrease of 48.0 FPS, and then to 99.9 FPS at 4K, a further decrease of 77.3 FPS. At Low settings, the drop is from 266.6 FPS at 1080p to 229.4 FPS at 1440p, and then to 162.3 FPS at 4K.

The data shows that the RTX 5090 has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates even at 4K, but the performance cost of Ultra settings is substantial. At 4K, Ultra is 62.4 FPS slower than Low, which represents a 38.5 percent reduction in frame rate. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 41.4 FPS, a 15.5 percent reduction.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Doom at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The recorded average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 99.9 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: The database lists Ultra as the best settings at 2560x1440, with an average frame rate of 177.2 FPS.

Q: How much slower is Ultra compared to Low at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low produces 266.6 FPS and Ultra produces 225.2 FPS. Ultra is 41.4 FPS slower than Low.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 4K?

A: The data shows the GPU is the dominant factor at 4K. The frame rate drops from 162.3 FPS at Low to 99.9 FPS at Ultra, a 62.4 FPS difference, indicating the GPU workload is the main constraint.

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 3600 bottleneck the RTX 5090 in Doom?

A: Not significantly. The 1080p Low average of 266.6 FPS suggests the CPU can feed the GPU at high frame rates, though the smaller spread between settings at 1080p indicates some CPU influence at lower resolutions.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p High settings?

A: The recorded average frame rate at 1920x1080 with High settings is 240.8 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is listed here. In every case, that preset is Ultra, and the recorded average frame rate is well above the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra, with an average frame rate of 99.9 FPS. This is 39.9 FPS above the playability threshold, leaving enough headroom for demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are Ultra, with an average frame rate of 177.2 FPS. This is 117.2 FPS above the threshold, a very comfortable margin.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, with an average frame rate of 225.2 FPS. This is 165.2 FPS above the threshold, meaning the system is far from being stressed.

Since all four settings presets at each resolution clear 60 FPS, there is no scenario where a player would need to lower settings to achieve playable frame rates. The Ultra preset is always the best choice, and the only reason to select a lower preset would be to pursue extremely high refresh rates on a high-frequency display.