Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT presents a fascinating study in generational contrast. The 2018-era six-core processor, built on the 12 nm Zen architecture, is tasked with feeding a 2023 RDNA 3.0 GPU that carries 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 624.1 GB/s memory bandwidth. This pairing lands at rank 672 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it squarely in the upper-middle tier of the database. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet hints at potential CPU limitations at the 1080p ceiling. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, scaling behavior, and component roles to understand what this combo actually delivers.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings for this combo?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 166.4 FPS. This is the lowest average among the 1080p settings tested, which include Low (231.7 FPS), Medium (223.2 FPS), and High (210.1 FPS).

Q: How does the FPS drop when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 210.1 at 1920x1080 to 137.1 at 2560x1440, and further to 74 at 3840x2160. This represents a 64.8% reduction in average frame rate when scaling up to 4K from 1080p.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in the entire measured dataset?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 231.7 FPS, achieved at the 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is followed closely by 223.2 FPS at 1080p Medium and 210.1 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested CPU-GPU pairs in Doom?

A: The combo ranks 672 out of 1681 tested combos. This places it in the 60th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating a performance level that is above average but not near the top of the chart.

Q: Does the GPU outperform its direct rivals according to the benchmark data?

A: The RX 7800 XT has an average benchmark score of 32619. Its nearest rival, the AMD FirePro S9300 X2, scores 32540, which is 0.2% lower. The data shows the RX 7800 XT is 0.7% ahead of the AMD FirePro S10000 but 0.7% behind the NVIDIA T600 Mobile in average score.

Q: What is the TDP of the CPU and GPU in this configuration?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 has a TDP of 65 W, while the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT has a TDP of 263 W. This means the GPU consumes significantly more power than the CPU under load.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is the dominant performance driver in this pairing, and the benchmark data strongly supports this conclusion. The GPU's specifications are substantial: a boost clock of 2430 MHz, 3840 shading units, and 96 ROPs. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s, which is critical for high-resolution texture streaming. In Doom, this hardware translates to a robust performance envelope. The GPU's percentile ranking of 76 out of 100 indicates it outperforms the vast majority of other graphics cards in the database.

The data shows that the RX 7800 XT's closest rivals, based on average benchmark score, are the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 and the NVIDIA P104-100. The RX 7800 XT's score of 32619 is 0.2% higher than the FirePro S9300 X2's 32540 and 0.4% higher than the P104-100's 32747. This suggests a tight grouping at this performance tier, but the RX 7800 XT's architectural advantages, such as its 5 nm process node and RDNA 3.0 design, likely contribute to its efficiency and raw output. The GPU's FP32 performance of 37.32 TFLOPS is a key indicator of its compute capability. In the context of Doom, a game known for its id Tech 6 engine, the GPU's raw fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary factors enabling high frame rates, especially at higher resolutions where the CPU's influence wanes.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic resolution scaling curve that shifts the bottleneck from the CPU to the GPU. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are exceptionally high, ranging from 166.4 FPS on Ultra to 231.7 FPS on Low. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 65.3 FPS, a 28.2% drop. However, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is where the GPU begins to show its load. At High settings, the FPS drops from 210.1 at 1080p to 137.1 at 1440p, a 34.7% reduction. This is a steeper drop than the 28.2% difference between Low and Ultra at the same resolution, indicating the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The most dramatic scaling occurs when moving to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average FPS falls to 74, a 46.0% drop from the 1440p result. This steep decline is a clear sign of GPU saturation. The data shows that at 4K, the GPU is working at its limit, with the Ultra preset yielding only 57.3 FPS. The scaling pattern across all settings—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—shows a consistent and significant drop from 1440p to 4K. This suggests that while the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately at 1080p and 1440p, the RX 7800 XT's raw compute and memory bandwidth are the primary determinants of performance at 4K. The 1080p results, which top out at 231.7 FPS, suggest that the CPU might be imposing a soft ceiling, as the frame rates do not scale as dramatically between Low and Medium as they do at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 672 out of 1681 tested configurations places it in the upper 40% of all CPU-GPU pairings tested on this website. This is a respectable position, but the data suggests that the CPU is holding the GPU back from reaching its full potential. The RX 7800 XT's individual percentile rank is 76, meaning it is better than 76% of all GPUs. The Ryzen 5 2600's percentile rank is 77, which is also strong. However, their combined rank of 672 out of 1681 (60th percentile) is lower than either component's individual percentile. This discrepancy implies that the pairing is not perfectly optimized.

The nearest rivals for the CPU, based on average benchmark score, include the Intel Core i5-1345U and the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U. The Ryzen 5 2600's average score of 19616 is 0.4% lower than the i5-1345U's 19691 and 0.6% higher than the Ryzen 5 7530U's 19508. These are very close margins, indicating that the 2600 is still competitive with newer mobile and desktop parts in synthetic benchmarks. However, in a real-time game like Doom, the combination's rank is more telling. The fact that the combo ranks below the 76th percentile of the GPU alone suggests that the 6-core, 12-thread CPU, with its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost of 3.90 GHz, may not be able to keep up with the GPU's frame generation at lower resolutions where the CPU is more heavily taxed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 231.7 FPS, Medium 223.2 FPS, High 210.1 FPS, and Ultra 166.4 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 65.3 FPS, which is the largest gap at any resolution. This indicates that at 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to render frames quickly, and the difference in visual quality is the primary factor in the FPS variation.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 181.8 FPS on Low, 161 FPS on Medium, 137.1 FPS on High, and 111 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 70.8 FPS, a slightly larger absolute difference than at 1080p, but the relative drop is smaller. This suggests the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor. At 3840x2160, the averages are 101.9 FPS on Low, 86 FPS on Medium, 74 FPS on High, and 57.3 FPS on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 44.6 FPS, which is the smallest absolute difference, but the relative performance loss is the highest. This data clearly shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, as even the Low preset cannot achieve the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 210.1 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual fidelity and performance, comfortably exceeding the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors. The Ultra preset at 166.4 FPS is also viable for high-refresh displays, but the 20.8% drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual gains for all users. For those prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Medium preset at 223.2 FPS is a strong choice.

At 1440p, the High preset at 137.1 FPS is the sweet spot for smooth, high-refresh gameplay. The Ultra preset at 111 FPS is still playable but may not be ideal for competitive play. The Medium preset at 161 FPS offers a good balance for users with 144 Hz monitors. At 4K, the situation changes drastically. The Ultra preset at 57.3 FPS is borderline playable, but the High preset at 74 FPS provides a more consistent experience. The Low preset at 101.9 FPS is the only way to get close to 100 FPS at 4K, but it sacrifices significant visual quality. The data suggests that for a 60 FPS target at 4K, the High preset is the best choice, while for 144 Hz gaming, 1440p with High or Medium settings is recommended.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, serves as the foundation of this system. Its architecture, Zen, and process node, 12 nm, are from an earlier generation compared to the GPU's RDNA 3.0. The CPU's base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 3.90 GHz are modest by modern standards, but its benchmark scores are respectable. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11186 and single-core score of 1579 indicate solid multi-threaded capability. In Doom, a game that can scale across multiple cores, the 12 threads are beneficial.

However, the data suggests that the CPU's age is a limiting factor at lower resolutions. The 1080p results, which show a narrow FPS spread between Low (231.7) and Medium (223.2) of only 8.5 FPS, hint at a CPU bottleneck. If the GPU were the sole limiting factor, we would expect a larger difference between these presets, as the GPU would be able to push more frames at lower settings. The fact that the FPS plateaus around 230 FPS suggests that the CPU is reaching its limit in terms of draw call processing and game logic. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s and PCIe Gen 3 interface are also potential bottlenecks when communicating with the GPU's faster memory. The data indicates that while the CPU is sufficient for 1440p and 4K gaming, it prevents the GPU from achieving its full potential at 1080p, capping performance just above 230 FPS.