Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a robust performance profile for Doom, with measured frame rates indicating that this combination is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at standard resolutions. The data shows a clear scaling pattern where performance degrades predictably as resolution increases, but the system maintains playability across most settings. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS by resolution, compares the hardware to nearby alternatives, and provides a definitive verdict on what this combo can achieve.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination of the Ryzen 5 9600X and RTX 4060 produces exceptionally high frame rates across all presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 229.7 FPS, which is more than triple the 60 FPS playability threshold. Moving to Medium yields 198.8 FPS, a drop of approximately 13% from Low. The High preset maintains a strong 166.2 FPS, while the most demanding Ultra preset still achieves 137.3 FPS. This means that even at the highest visual quality, the system retains over double the playable frame rate, making 1080p gaming exceptionally fluid with substantial headroom for variable refresh rate displays.

At 2560x1440, performance remains very strong but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. The Low preset produces 150.1 FPS, which is still far above the playability threshold. Medium follows closely at 130.1 FPS, and High delivers 105.9 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 89.4 FPS, which is still comfortably above 60 FPS and represents a 35% reduction compared to Low. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent penalty: for example, High settings drop from 166.2 FPS to 105.9 FPS, a 36% decrease. This indicates that the RTX 4060's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to handle the increased resolution without severe bottlenecks.

At 3840x2160, 4K resolution presents a more significant challenge. The Low preset achieves 81.7 FPS, which is still playable. Medium drops to 71.5 FPS, and High falls to 61.9 FPS, just barely clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 50.4 FPS, which falls below the playability line. The penalty for 4K is steep: compared to 1440p, the High preset loses 44 FPS (from 105.9 to 61.9), a 42% reduction. This pattern shows that while the system can handle 4K at lower presets, the Ultra preset is beyond the capabilities of this GPU at this resolution. The lack of min and max FPS data in the measured results means the analysis relies on averages, but the consistent scaling suggests stable performance without major frame time spikes.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 9600X sits at the 81st percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 29713. Its nearest rivals in terms of average score include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE with a score of 29656, which is only 0.2% slower. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H scores 29868, putting it 0.5% ahead of the 9600X. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT achieves 29879, also 0.5% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS scores 29955, leading by 0.8%. These deltas are minimal, meaning that in CPU-bound scenarios within Doom, swapping to any of these alternatives would produce nearly identical frame rates. The 9600X's single-threaded performance, as indicated by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 1253, is particularly relevant for a fast-paced FPS where draw call processing and game logic benefit from high per-core performance.

For the GPU, the RTX 4060 ranks at the 61st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7790 with a score of 17666, which is 0.2% faster. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, putting it 0.3% behind, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551) and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17509) trail by 0.5% and 0.7% respectively. These are extremely tight margins, meaning that in GPU-bound scenarios, particularly at 4K Ultra where the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor, these alternative GPUs would produce within a few frames per second of the 4060's output. However, the 4060's modern Ada Lovelace architecture with 3072 shading units and 24 RT cores provides features that older rivals lack, though for this specific game title, the raw rasterization performance is what matters most.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but with limitations. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, the system achieves playable frame rates (above 60 FPS) on Low (81.7 FPS), Medium (71.5 FPS), and High (61.9 FPS) presets. The Ultra preset falls short at 50.4 FPS, so playing at 4K requires using High or lower settings.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming on this combo?

A: At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with the Ultra preset delivering 89.4 FPS. This means gamers can run the game at maximum visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate that is 49% above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 9600X compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The 9600X has an average benchmark score of 29713, placing it at the 81st percentile. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, scores 29656, which is just 0.2% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H is 0.5% faster with a score of 29868. These differences are negligible for gaming performance.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset achieves 137.3 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1253) ensures that the GPU is well-fed, and the high frame rates indicate no significant bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance drop from 1080p to 4K?

A: Using the High preset as an example, the system delivers 166.2 FPS at 1080p but only 61.9 FPS at 4K, representing a 63% reduction. This is a substantial penalty that reflects the increased pixel count and the GPU's 8 GB memory capacity being fully utilized.

Q: How many total system configurations were tested for this game?

A: The combo rank of 1981 out of 3712 total tested combinations indicates that this particular CPU-GPU pairing performs in the middle of the pack for Doom. This places the system in the 53rd percentile of all tested combos.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows that this system can run Doom effectively at all three tested resolutions, but with varying degrees of visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold with ease on all presets, with the Ultra preset delivering 137.3 FPS. This resolution is entirely playable at maximum settings, offering a smooth experience that is well above the playability threshold. At 2560x1440, the verdict is equally positive: all presets, including Ultra at 89.4 FPS, remain above 60 FPS. Gamers at this resolution can enjoy the game at the highest visual quality without compromise. At 3840x2160, the situation is more nuanced. The High preset is the highest playable option, achieving 61.9 FPS, just barely above the 60 FPS line. The Medium (71.5 FPS) and Low (81.7 FPS) presets offer more headroom, but Ultra at 50.4 FPS is not playable. Therefore, 4K gaming is possible but requires sacrificing the Ultra preset for High or lower to maintain smooth performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals which component dominates in different scenarios. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high (229.7 FPS on Low), and the gap between Low and Ultra is 92.4 FPS. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU's single-thread performance is sufficient to keep the GPU busy, and the RTX 4060 is the primary driver of performance differences between presets. The Ryzen 5 9600X's 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz provide ample processing power for Doom's game logic, which is not heavily threaded. At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop consistently across all presets, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor. The Ultra preset at 89.4 FPS is still high, but the 39% reduction from Low (150.1 FPS) shows that pixel throughput is increasingly important. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint. The Ultra preset falls to 50.4 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold, and the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 31.3 FPS. This pattern confirms that the RTX 4060's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 8 GB memory are the limiting factors at 4K, while the CPU has ample headroom. For this game, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the CPU's role diminishes.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS at each resolution is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering 137.3 FPS. This is the highest quality setting and provides a frame rate that is more than double the playability threshold, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is again the best option, achieving 89.4 FPS. This is 49% above the 60 FPS threshold, providing both high visual fidelity and smooth gameplay. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding playable option, with an average of 61.9 FPS. This is just barely above the threshold, so gamers should be aware that any particularly demanding scenes could cause dips below 60 FPS. For a more comfortable margin at 4K, the Medium preset at 71.5 FPS offers additional headroom. These settings represent the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this specific hardware combination.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 1981st out of 3712 tested configurations for Doom. This places the system in the 53rd percentile of all tested combos, indicating a slightly above-average performance position. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's strong single-threaded capabilities (3dmark_single_thread score of 1253) and the GPU's mid-range rasterization performance (Passmark G3D score of 19545). While the CPU ranks at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, the GPU's 61st percentile ranking pulls the overall combo down in the rankings. This suggests that in a game like Doom, which is not heavily CPU-dependent, the GPU is the more significant factor in determining overall system performance. The system outperforms the bottom half of tested configurations, but there is substantial room for improvement by upgrading to a higher-tier GPU. For gamers targeting high refresh rates at 1080p or 1440p, this combo delivers exceptional performance, but for 4K gaming at maximum settings, a more powerful GPU would be necessary to achieve higher frame rates without compromising visual quality.