Doom

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER holds rank 307 out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 18.3% of all configurations evaluated. This is a strong result for a 2019-era six-core processor paired with a 2024 flagship GPU, indicating that Doom's engine scales well with the combination's overall throughput. The ranking reflects a system that can deliver high refresh rates at most settings, though the CPU does impose a ceiling in certain scenarios, as the measured FPS data will show.

The RTX 4080 SUPER itself sits at the 88th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53610. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53489, a delta of just 0.2%, meaning the two are effectively tied in synthetic workloads. The gap widens slightly against the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (0.4% ahead) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700S (2.1% ahead), while the RTX 4080 SUPER leads the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti by 2.9%. These margins are modest in synthetic tests, but in Doom specifically, the GPU's raw geometry throughput and memory bandwidth contribute to the measured frame rates.

On the CPU side, the Ryzen 5 3600 achieves an average benchmark score of 18129, placing it at the 76th percentile of all processors. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-11400, scores 18150, a delta of -0.1%, meaning the two are statistically indistinguishable. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 18101 (0.2% behind), while the AMD Ryzen 5 1600 scores 18158 (-0.2% relative). The AMD EPYC 9274F, a server part, scores 18189 (-0.3%). These close margins indicate that the 3600 is not a bottleneck in synthetic multi-threaded tests, but Doom's frame pacing at high FPS will reveal its limits.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER brings 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. For Doom, a game from 2016, this is far beyond what the engine requires at 1080p or 1440p, but at 4K Ultra, the memory capacity and bandwidth become relevant. The GPU's base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost of 2550 MHz, while memory runs at 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective). These clocks, combined with 10240 shading units and 80 RT cores, drive the measured FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role is dominant. The average FPS drops from 142.8 on Low to 86.2 on Ultra, a reduction of 39.6% from the lowest settings to the highest. This scaling shows that at 4K, the RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary limiter, as the CPU has more headroom relative to the GPU's workload. The 16 GB VRAM ensures no texture thrashing at Ultra, which would otherwise cause stutters in a game with large texture sets.

At 1920x1080, the GPU becomes less stressed. The average FPS ranges from 267.3 on Low to 223.5 on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is only 16.4%, indicating that the CPU is now the binding constraint. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is more than sufficient to saturate the Ryzen 5 3600's output at 1080p, making the processor the limiting factor in this resolution.

FAQ

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER overkill for Doom at 1080p?

A: The data shows average FPS of 267.3 on Low and 223.5 on Ultra at 1920x1080. The GPU has ample headroom, but the CPU limits maximum frame rates, as evidenced by the small gap between settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 3600 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic tests?

A: The Ryzen 5 3600 scores 18129 on average, which is 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-11400 (18150) and 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (18101). The deltaPct values indicate these are effectively tied.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain high FPS?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo averages 191.4 FPS on High and 153.2 FPS on Ultra. This resolution offers a balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, with the GPU still delivering over 150 FPS at the highest preset.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 SUPER's VRAM matter for Doom?

A: The 16 GB VRAM is far above Doom's requirements, even at 4K Ultra. The measured FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 86.2, which suggests the GPU core is the limiter, not memory capacity or bandwidth.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 307 out of 1681 combos, placing it in the top 18.3%. This is a high percentile, reflecting the strong GPU despite the older CPU.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU is the bottleneck. The average FPS drops from 142.8 on Low to 86.2 on Ultra, a 39.6% reduction, indicating the GPU's workload dominates at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo delivers 142.8 FPS on Low, 119.4 FPS on Medium, 101.3 FPS on High, and 86.2 FPS on Ultra. The step from Low to Medium is a 16.4% drop, while Medium to High is a 15.2% drop, and High to Ultra is a 14.9% drop. This linear scaling suggests that each preset tier adds a consistent load, with the GPU handling the 4K resolution without VRAM issues.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates rise significantly: 230.6 FPS on Low, 221.4 FPS on Medium, 191.4 FPS on High, and 153.2 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is only 4.0%, indicating that the CPU begins to limit at lower settings. The drop from Medium to High is 13.6%, and from High to Ultra is 20.0%, showing that Ultra settings impose a sharper penalty at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the combo reaches 267.3 FPS on Low, 255.5 FPS on Medium, 238.6 FPS on High, and 223.5 FPS on Ultra. The differences are compressed: Low to Medium is 4.4%, Medium to High is 6.6%, and High to Ultra is 6.3%. This compression indicates a CPU bottleneck, as the GPU has enough headroom to render all settings at nearly the same speed.

The data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER's power is most evident at 4K, where the GPU scales with settings. At 1080p, the Ryzen 5 3600's single-thread performance, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 696 and a passmark_single_thread score of 2562, becomes the limiting factor, capping FPS around 267 even on Low.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 3600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on Zen 2 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. In Doom, a game that scales well with single-thread performance, the CPU's 3dmark_single_thread score of 696 and cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 2124 are relevant. The passmark_single_thread score of 2562 places it in a moderate range, and the data shows that at 1080p, the CPU limits the combo to 267.3 FPS on Low.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities, while not the primary factor in Doom, still contribute. The cinebench_r23_multicore score of 15045 and passmark_multithread score of 17700 indicate that the 3600 can handle background tasks without impacting frame pacing. However, the 3dmark_16_threads score of 4605 and 3dmark_8_threads score of 3844 show that scaling beyond 8 threads yields diminishing returns, which aligns with Doom's engine design.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 3600's average benchmark score of 18129 is within 0.3% of the AMD EPYC 9274F (18189, -0.3%), meaning the consumer CPU matches a server part in this synthetic metric. The deltaPct values against the Intel Core i5-11400 (-0.1%) and AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (0.2%) are negligible, suggesting that in Doom, the choice among these CPUs would yield similar FPS if paired with the same GPU.

At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes. The measured FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 86.2, which is well below the CPU's potential ceiling. The CPU's 65 W TDP and 7 nm process node allow for consistent performance without thermal throttling, but the data does not show minFps values, so frame-time consistency cannot be assessed.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience at 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 191.4 FPS, which is 25% higher than Ultra's 153.2 FPS. The visual difference between High and Ultra in Doom is typically subtle, making High the optimal choice for maintaining a high refresh rate without sacrificing much fidelity. At this resolution, Medium (221.4 FPS) is also viable for competitive play, but High offers a better balance.

At 3840x2160, the High preset (101.3 FPS) is the recommended starting point, as it stays above the 100 FPS threshold. Ultra (86.2 FPS) is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced FPS action, while Medium (119.4 FPS) provides a smoother experience with a 17.9% FPS increase over High. For 4K, Medium is the sweet spot if frame rate is prioritized.

At 1920x1080, the CPU limits the combo to 223.5 FPS on Ultra, which is still excellent. The High preset (238.6 FPS) offers a 6.8% improvement over Ultra, while Low (267.3 FPS) adds another 12.0%. For esports-style play, Low is the best choice, but for general use, High is recommended because the FPS difference is minimal.

The data suggests that the combo is best utilized at 1440p, where the GPU's power is fully leveraged without the CPU becoming a hard limit. At 4K, the GPU handles the load well, but the settings must be tuned to stay above 100 FPS. At 1080p, the CPU caps the FPS, so the GPU's extra headroom is wasted unless the player prioritizes maximum FPS over visual quality.