Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 presents a fascinating case study in system bottlenecking within Doom. The measured FPS data reveals a component relationship that shifts dramatically depending on the resolution and quality preset, offering clear insights into where this combination excels and where it struggles.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a stark and predictable decline in frame rates, but the magnitude of that decline tells a compelling story about the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 176.5 at 1920x1080 to 112.9 at 2560x1440, and finally to 64.3 at 3840x2160. This represents a 63.6% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, a massive hit that points squarely at the GPU becoming the primary constraint as pixel count skyrockets.

The scaling pattern becomes even more revealing at Ultra settings. Here, the frame rate falls from 103.4 at 1080p to 68.3 at 1440p, then plummets to 35.9 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half of the 1080p Ultra figure, indicating that the RX 6600 is being pushed to its absolute limits at the highest resolution and quality combination. Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra is 33.9% reduction, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 47.4%, suggesting that the GPU's rendering workload scales super-linearly with pixel density at maximum settings.

What is particularly striking is how the 1080p to 1440p transition shows a smaller relative drop compared to the 1440p to 4K jump across all settings. At High settings, 1080p yields 129.3 FPS while 1440p yields 85.6 (a 33.8% drop), but moving to 4K produces just 44.3 FPS (a 48.2% drop from 1440p). This non-linear scaling strongly suggests that the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and the 128-bit memory bus of the RX 6600 become increasingly inadequate as resolution climbs, particularly at 4K where the data throughput requirements exceed what this mid-range GPU can efficiently deliver.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 2600 provides a solid foundation with its 6 cores and 12 threads, operating at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boosting up to 3.90 GHz. This processor belongs to the 2000 series, built on the Zen architecture with a 12 nm process node from GlobalFoundries. In Doom, a title known for its demanding physics and AI systems, the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are likely being exercised, though the measured FPS data suggests it is not the primary bottleneck at most settings.

The CPU's benchmark scores indicate a competent performer. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11186 and single-core score of 1579 place it in the 77th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19616. Looking at its nearest rivals, it sits remarkably close to the Intel Core i5-1345U (deltaPct of -0.4) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (deltaPct of 0.6), indicating that this older processor still holds its own against much newer mobile and desktop parts. The PassMark multi-thread score of 13160 and single-thread score of 2239 further corroborate its balanced performance profile.

The fact that Doom achieves 176.5 FPS at 1080p Low settings suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately at lower resolutions. However, at 4K Ultra where the frame rate drops to 35.9, the CPU is almost certainly not the limiting factor; the GPU's rendering capabilities are what hold this system back. The data implies the Ryzen 5 2600 provides enough processing headroom that it rarely becomes the deciding component in this pairing, except possibly in scenarios where extremely high frame rates are demanded.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 6600 is the star of this show, and its specifications reveal why it behaves the way it does. Built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7 nm process from TSMC, this GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The boost clock of 2491 MHz and game clock of 2044 MHz are respectable for this class of card, while its 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs provide the raw compute power needed for modern titles.

The GPU's benchmark data places it in the 69th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25235. Its nearest rivals are remarkably close: the AMD Radeon 890M (deltaPct of 0), the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (deltaPct of -0.2), and the AMD Radeon RX 6700M (deltaPct of 0.2). This tight clustering suggests the RX 6600 sits at a performance plateau where several competing products deliver nearly identical results. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1492 and the PassMark G3D score of 15096 provide additional context for its gaming capabilities.

The GPU's VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth become critical factors when analyzing the 4K results. The 35.9 FPS at 4K Ultra versus 64.3 FPS at 4K Low demonstrates a 44.2% performance swing based purely on settings, which is a massive range. This indicates that the GPU's compute units are capable of producing playable frame rates at 4K when the quality settings are lowered, but the memory subsystem struggles when textures and effects demand more data throughput. The 128-bit bus width is likely the culprit, as higher settings require significantly more memory traffic that this narrower bus cannot efficiently supply.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of this system's performance across twelve distinct configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are impressive across the board: Low settings deliver 176.5 FPS, Medium delivers 153.5 FPS, High delivers 129.3 FPS, and Ultra still manages 103.4 FPS. This resolution is clearly where this combo shines, with even the most demanding preset producing frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440 reveals a noticeable step down. Low settings produce 112.9 FPS, Medium yields 99.1 FPS, High drops to 85.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 68.3 FPS. While these numbers remain playable, the gap between Low and Ultra widens to 39.5%, indicating that the GPU is becoming more sensitive to quality settings at this resolution. The 1440p Ultra result at 68.3 FPS is still respectable, but it shows the system operating closer to its performance ceiling.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. Low settings produce 64.3 FPS, Medium drops to 54.4 FPS, High falls to 44.3 FPS, and Ultra plunges to 35.9 FPS. The 4K Low result is the only configuration at this resolution that achieves playable frame rates, while Ultra settings push the system into territory that would be considered marginal for competitive play. The 44.2% spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is the largest of any resolution, underscoring the GPU's struggles at this pixel count.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this pairing of the Ryzen 5 2600 and RX 6600 achieves a rank of 1355 out of 1681 combos for Doom. This places it in the 19.4th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 80% of the systems tested outperform it in this specific game. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the respectable individual benchmark scores of both components, but it reflects the fact that Doom is a demanding title that favors newer, higher-end hardware.

The rank suggests that while this combo is capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p and acceptable performance at 1440p, it falls behind many other systems when pushed to higher resolutions or maximum quality settings. The gap between this combo's position and the top performers highlights the inherent limitations of pairing a mid-range GPU with an older mid-range CPU, particularly in a title that can stress both components simultaneously.

FAQ

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

A: At 4K Low settings, the system produces 64.3 FPS on average, which exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. However, at 4K Medium the average drops to 54.4 FPS, so only the lowest quality preset at this resolution delivers consistently smooth performance.

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?*

A: The 1920x1080 resolution offers the most headroom, with all settings producing frame rates above 100 FPS. The 2560x1440 resolution is also viable, with Ultra settings averaging 68.3 FPS, but 4K Ultra at 35.9 FPS is not recommended for competitive play.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 6600's average benchmark score of 25235 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon 890M (deltaPct of 0), the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (deltaPct of -0.2), and the AMD Radeon RX 6700M (deltaPct of 0.2). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is only 0.5% ahead in average score.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the 176.5 FPS result suggests the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates. The fact that Ultra settings at the same resolution still achieve 103.4 FPS indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as quality increases, but the CPU is rarely the limiting component at this resolution.

Q: What settings produce the best balance at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 85.6 FPS, which balances visual quality with performance. The Ultra preset at 68.3 FPS is also playable, but the 20.2% performance drop from High to Ultra may not justify the marginal visual improvements in Doom.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues at 4K?

A: The performance drop from 4K Low (64.3 FPS) to 4K High (44.3 FPS) suggests that memory bandwidth and capacity become significant constraints at this resolution. The 128-bit bus width and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth appear insufficient for the data demands of higher quality settings at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points toward 1920x1080 as the ideal resolution for this combo, where even Ultra settings produce 103.4 FPS. For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, this is the clear choice. If a higher refresh rate monitor is available, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 176.5 FPS, which would satisfy even the most demanding competitive players.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 85.6 FPS offers the best experience, providing a 25.3% performance improvement over Ultra while maintaining most visual quality. The Ultra preset at 68.3 FPS is acceptable for those who prefer maximum detail, but the Medium preset at 99.1 FPS is the better option for those seeking a smoother experience without significant visual compromises.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset at 64.3 FPS is the only truly playable option, and even this falls below the 60 FPS threshold for some players. The Medium preset at 54.4 FPS might be tolerable for slower-paced gameplay, but the High and Ultra presets at 44.3 and 35.9 FPS respectively are not recommended for this resolution. Players wanting to game at 4K should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p and using High settings instead, which provides a far superior experience at 85.6 FPS.