Doom

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 brings 6 cores and 12 threads to this Doom benchmark pairing, running on the Zen 2 Matisse architecture at a 7 nm process node. Its base clock sits at 3.60 GHz, with a boost clock reaching 4.20 GHz, and the chip carries 32 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic testing, this CPU posts a multithreaded Cinebench R23 score of 15045 and a single-thread score of 2124, while its PassMark multithread result reaches 17700 with a single-thread score of 2562.

The CPU's percentile ranking against all processors is 76, and its average benchmark score of 18129 places it within a remarkably tight cluster of rivals. The Intel Core i5-11400 scores 18150, a mere 0.1% difference, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS trails by just 0.2% at 18101. Even the AMD EPYC 9274F, a server-class chip, sits only 0.3% behind at 18189. This suggests the Ryzen 5 3600's computational headroom is neither a bottleneck nor a standout advantage in this game.

Examining the measured FPS data reveals how the CPU interacts with Doom's demands. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 189.4 FPS average, while at 4K Low it drops to 66.9 FPS. The scaling pattern across resolutions indicates that at lower settings and resolutions, the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient to feed the GPU without creating a ceiling. The 3dmark multi-thread score of 4605 and 8-thread score of 3844 suggest that Doom, which typically leverages multiple threads for enemy AI and physics, can utilize the available cores effectively.

The single-thread performance, reflected in a 3dmark single-thread score of 696 and Cinebench R15 single-core of 214, matters for game logic and draw call submission. Given that the 1080p Low result exceeds 180 FPS, the CPU clearly handles frame pacing at high refresh rates. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p — from 189.4 FPS down to 117.6 FPS — shows that as settings increase, the workload shifts toward the GPU, and the CPU's role becomes less dominant in limiting frame rates.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip fabricated on a 12 nm process. It packs 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, along with 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1470 MHz and boosts to 1650 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz for an effective 14 Gbps across a 256-bit bus. This configuration yields 448.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth, paired with 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

The GPU's pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s provide context for its fill-rate capabilities in Doom's fast-paced environments. In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 2060 SUPER scores 16462 in PassMark G3D and 87670 in Geekbench OpenCL, with a Vulkan score of 83503. Its percentile ranking against all GPUs is 63, and the average benchmark score of 19774 places it in close competition with older flagship cards.

The nearestRivals data shows the RTX 2070 scores 19680, just 0.5% lower, while the GTX TITAN sits at 19706, a 0.3% deficit. This means the 2060 SUPER actually edges out the RTX 2070 in average score, despite being positioned lower in NVIDIA's lineup. The Quadro K5200 and Tesla K40m trail by 0.8% and 1.3% respectively, highlighting how close the mid-range and professional tiers can be.

In Doom, the GPU's role becomes clearer when examining 4K results. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 39.5, while 4K High reaches 48.9 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM capacity proves adequate for this game, as Doom's textures at Ultra settings do not exceed the available memory at any resolution tested. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s supports the high-resolution texture streaming that Doom's id Tech engine employs, and the difference between Low and Ultra at 4K — 66.9 FPS versus 39.5 FPS — demonstrates the GPU's scaling with shader complexity rather than memory constraints.

# Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear resolution scaling pattern that identifies the primary bottleneck at each setting level. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 142.8 at 1080p to 91.5 at 1440p, then to 48.9 at 4K. This represents a 36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. The consistent degradation suggests the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as pixel count rises.

Low settings show the most dramatic scaling: 189.4 FPS at 1080p, 124.2 at 1440p, and 66.9 at 4K. The 1080p result indicates the CPU can push well beyond 180 FPS when the GPU load is minimal, but the 1440p drop to 124.2 FPS and 4K drop to 66.9 FPS demonstrate that even at Low settings, the RTX 2060 SUPER's rasterization throughput becomes the limiting factor above 1080p.

Ultra settings amplify this effect: 117.6 FPS at 1080p, 76.1 at 1440p, and 39.5 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result falls below 40 FPS, which is marginal for a fast-paced FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra is a 35% reduction, while 1440p to 4K is a 48% reduction. This pattern indicates that the GPU's fill rate and shader processing are the dominant constraints at higher resolutions, with the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration providing sufficient headroom even at 4K.

# Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Analyzing the measured FPS across all presets and resolutions, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the most balanced experience for this hardware combination. At 1440p Medium, the combo delivers 105.8 FPS average, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay while maintaining visual fidelity above Low settings. The 1080p Medium result of 167.3 FPS shows there is ample headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p.

For 4K gaming, the data indicates that High settings at 48.9 FPS are playable but not ideal for competitive play, while Medium at 59.3 FPS approaches a playable frame rate. The Low preset at 4K reaches 66.9 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration that consistently stays above 60 FPS. Given that Doom is a fast-paced FPS, the Low preset at 4K provides the most fluid experience, sacrificing visual quality for responsiveness.

At 1080p, Ultra settings at 117.6 FPS still provide a smooth experience on standard 60 Hz monitors and are viable on 120 Hz displays. The High preset at 142.8 FPS offers a better balance for 144 Hz monitors, while Medium at 167.3 FPS and Low at 189.4 FPS push toward the limits of what the CPU can deliver. For most users with 1080p 60 Hz displays, Ultra settings are recommended since they exceed 60 FPS with margin.

# FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Doom at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The measured data shows 66.9 FPS at 4K Low, 59.3 FPS at 4K Medium, and 48.9 FPS at 4K High. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 39.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors?

A: At 1080p, all presets exceed 117 FPS, with Medium reaching 167.3 FPS and Low hitting 189.4 FPS. For 1440p, only the Low preset at 124.2 FPS and Medium at 105.8 FPS exceed 100 FPS, making 1080p the preferred choice for 144 Hz displays.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to the RTX 2070 in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 19774, while the RTX 2070 scores 19680. This gives the 2060 SUPER a 0.5% advantage over the 2070 in average score, despite being positioned lower in NVIDIA's product stack.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the CPU pushes 189.4 FPS, but at 4K Low the GPU limits performance to 66.9 FPS. The CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration provides sufficient headroom across all tested settings.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1440p High is 91.5, which is above 60 FPS but below 100 FPS. This represents a 36% reduction from the 1080p High result of 142.8 FPS.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance at 4K Ultra?

A: The data shows 4K Ultra achieves 39.5 FPS average, but this is constrained by GPU compute rather than memory capacity. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB GDDR6 with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for Doom's texture requirements at 4K.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings deliver 189.4 FPS, Medium reaches 167.3 FPS, High achieves 142.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 117.6 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 71.8 FPS, representing a 38% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to highest quality preset.

At 2560x1440, the scaling continues: Low settings produce 124.2 FPS, Medium reaches 105.8 FPS, High delivers 91.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 76.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 48.1 FPS, a 39% reduction. Compared to 1080p, the 1440p results show a consistent 34-36% drop across all presets.

At 3840x2160, the performance diminishes further: Low settings yield 66.9 FPS, Medium reaches 59.3 FPS, High achieves 48.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 39.5 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra spread is 27.4 FPS, a 41% reduction. From 1440p to 4K, the average FPS falls by 46-48% depending on the preset.

The most significant observation is the 4K Ultra result of 39.5 FPS, which is the only configuration that falls below 40 FPS. All other tested combinations remain above 48 FPS. The 1080p Low result of 189.4 FPS is the highest measured value, demonstrating the CPU's ability to sustain high frame rates when the GPU load is minimal.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1215 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects the overall performance across all tested resolutions and settings, with the combo's strengths and weaknesses balanced against other hardware pairings.

The rank of 1215 out of 1681 indicates that roughly 72% of tested combinations outperform this setup, while 28% fall below it. This positioning is consistent with the individual component rankings: the CPU sits in the 76th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 63rd percentile among all graphics cards. The combo's overall rank is pulled down by the GPU's relatively lower percentile, suggesting that the graphics card is the limiting factor in this pairing.

Given that the RTX 2060 SUPER outperforms the RTX 2070 by 0.5% in average benchmark score, the combo's rank could potentially improve with a CPU that offers higher single-thread performance. However, the measured data shows that at 1080p Low, the CPU sustains 189.4 FPS, indicating that the Ryzen 5 3600 is not severely bottlenecking the system in Doom. The 1215th rank out of 1681 combos places this configuration in the upper-middle tier, suitable for 1080p gaming at high refresh rates and 1440p at medium-to-high settings, with 4K reserved for lower presets.