Doom

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 3000 series, built on the Zen 2 (Matisse) architecture using a 7 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boosts up to 4.20 GHz, with a 32 MB shared L3 cache. For a 2016-era FPS like Doom, this processor is well above the minimum requirements, and the benchmark results confirm that it has no trouble keeping up with the RTX 4090 at lower resolutions.

The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 269.3 FPS, which is higher than at any other resolution or setting combination. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough frames to reach very high refresh rates. However, the real story emerges when looking at the scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p High, the system hits 242.2 FPS; at 1440p High, it drops to 206.4 FPS; and at 4K High, it falls to 114.5 FPS. The consistent drop across resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases, not the CPU.

The Ryzen 5 3600's single-thread performance, as measured by a 3dmark single-thread score of 696, is modest compared to newer processors, but Doom's engine is well-optimized for multi-threading. The CPU's 3dmark max-threads score of 4603 and 16-thread score of 4605 show that it can leverage all 12 threads effectively. In practice, the CPU is never the bottleneck in this pairing: even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work to do, the system still delivers 269.3 FPS, which is far above typical 144 Hz displays.

Comparatively, the Ryzen 5 3600's average benchmark score of 18129 places it near the Intel Core i5-11400 (deltaPct -0.1, meaning the i5 is essentially tied) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (deltaPct 0.2, essentially tied). This means the CPU's performance class is well understood: it is a mid-range part that does not hold back a flagship GPU in this title. The 65 W TDP and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (51.2 GB/s bandwidth) are sufficient for Doom's requirements, and the data confirms that frame rates are primarily driven by the GPU once resolution exceeds 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this CPU+GPU combo in Doom?

A: The highest average FPS is 269.3, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the peak of all 12 measured configurations.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 3600 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-11400?

A: The Ryzen 5 3600 has an average benchmark score of 18129, while the Intel Core i5-11400 scores 18150, a deltaPct of -0.1%. This indicates the two processors are statistically tied in overall performance.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable frame rates at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo delivers an average of 94.5 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, though it is the lowest result in the dataset.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average is 242.2 FPS; at 4K High, it drops to 114.5 FPS. This represents a reduction of 127.7 FPS (about 53%) when moving from 1080p to 4K, highlighting the GPU's workload scaling with resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's performance rank compared to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 66473 and ranks in the 91st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla T4, scores 66733 (deltaPct -0.4), meaning the Tesla T4 is essentially equivalent in overall benchmark terms, though the 4090 is designed for gaming.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 1440p Medium, the combo achieves 222.1 FPS, which is close to the 1080p Medium result of 256.7 FPS. The relatively small drop (~13%) suggests the GPU is still managing the workload well, but the 4K results (138.7 FPS at Medium) show a more significant decline, indicating the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that points to the GPU as the dominant performance driver. Starting at 1080p, the combo delivers high frame rates across all settings: 269.3 FPS (Low), 256.7 FPS (Medium), 242.2 FPS (High), and 224.7 FPS (Ultra). When moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain elevated but show a modest decline: 234.5 FPS (Low), 222.1 FPS (Medium), 206.4 FPS (High), and 170.8 FPS (Ultra). The drop from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 10-24%, depending on the settings level.

The real shift happens at 4K. At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall dramatically: 155.7 FPS (Low), 138.7 FPS (Medium), 114.5 FPS (High), and 94.5 FPS (Ultra). Comparing 1080p Low to 4K Low, the FPS drops from 269.3 to 155.7, a 42% reduction. For Ultra settings, the drop is from 224.7 to 94.5, a 58% reduction. This pattern strongly suggests that the RTX 4090 is the limiting component at 4K, as the GPU must process roughly four times as many pixels compared to 1080p.

The Ryzen 5 3600's role becomes clearer when examining the 1080p to 1440p transition. Since the CPU load does not increase significantly with resolution, the fact that frame rates stay above 200 FPS at 1440p indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck at these settings. However, at 4K, the GPU's raw compute power (82.58 TFLOPS FP32) is being fully utilized, and the CPU has ample headroom. The 4K Low result of 155.7 FPS versus the 1080p Low result of 269.3 FPS shows that even at the lowest settings, the GPU's pixel throughput is the constraint, not the CPU's 12 threads.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 252nd out of 1681 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the top 15% of all systems tested. This rank is notable because the CPU is a mid-range 2019 processor while the GPU is a flagship 2022 card, yet the pairing still outperforms the vast majority of combinations in this title.

The rank of 252 out of 1681 means that roughly 1430 other combos score lower in Doom, which is expected given the RTX 4090's position in the 91st percentile of all GPUs. However, the rank also reflects the CPU's potential limitation: if paired with a faster processor, this GPU could likely achieve even higher frame rates at 1080p, where the CPU has more influence. At 4K, the rank would likely be higher (better) because the GPU dominates the workload, but the overall combo rank is dragged down by the CPU's modest single-thread performance (3dmark single-thread score of 696).

The nearest rival combos, based on the GPU's benchmark scores, include systems with the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (deltaPct -0.4), Tesla P40 (deltaPct 0.5), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (deltaPct -0.9), and NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (deltaPct -1.3). These are all workstation-class GPUs, which suggests that no mainstream gaming GPU is directly comparable to the RTX 4090 in this dataset. The combo's rank of 252 indicates that it sits well above the median system, and the 4K Ultra result of 94.5 FPS puts it in a performance tier that very few combos can match.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2520 MHz and 16384 shading units provide massive compute throughput (82.58 TFLOPS FP32), which is directly reflected in the Doom frame rates. The GPU sits in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66473.

In Doom, the RTX 4090's role is to render the game's fast-paced environments at high resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is underutilized, as frame rates are likely capped by the CPU's ability to issue draw calls. However, at 4K, the GPU's pixel fill rate (443.5 GPixel/s) and texture rate (1,290.2 GTexel/s) become the deciding factors. The 4K Ultra result of 94.5 FPS demonstrates that the GPU can handle even the most demanding settings, though it does not reach the 144 FPS that high-refresh-rate 4K monitors require.

The RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM is overkill for Doom, which is a 2016 title with modest memory requirements. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s ensures that texture streaming is never a bottleneck, even at 4K with Ultra settings. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the Tesla T4 (avgScore 66733) and Tesla P40 (avgScore 66127), are not gaming-focused, but their similar benchmark scores indicate that the 4090's performance is exceptional. The 4090's 5 nm process and Ada Lovelace architecture provide efficiency that allows it to maintain high clock speeds without thermal throttling, though the 450 W TDP requires robust cooling.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers 12 distinct configurations, spanning three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low 269.3 FPS, Medium 256.7 FPS, High 242.2 FPS, and Ultra 224.7 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 44.6 FPS, indicating that settings have a moderate impact at this resolution, with the CPU likely limiting the lower settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are: Low 234.5 FPS, Medium 222.1 FPS, High 206.4 FPS, and Ultra 170.8 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 63.7 FPS, which is larger than at 1080p, suggesting the GPU is starting to feel the load. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 34.8 FPS (12.9%), while the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 53.9 FPS (24.0%), showing that Ultra settings amplify the resolution penalty.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low 155.7 FPS, Medium 138.7 FPS, High 114.5 FPS, and Ultra 94.5 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 61.2 FPS, and the drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low is 78.8 FPS (33.6%), while the drop from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra is 76.3 FPS (44.7%). The 4K Ultra result of 94.5 FPS is the only configuration below 100 FPS, but it remains playable. The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step roughly halves the pixel count difference, and the GPU's performance scales accordingly.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the target display and resolution. For 1080p displays with high refresh rates (144 Hz or higher), all settings levels achieve frame rates above 224 FPS, so players can choose Ultra (224.7 FPS) without sacrificing smoothness. The 4.5 FPS difference between Ultra and High (224.7 vs 242.2) is negligible, making Ultra the recommended choice at 1080p.

For 1440p displays, the Ultra setting delivers 170.8 FPS, which is above 144 Hz, while High provides 206.4 FPS. The gap between Ultra and High is 35.6 FPS, so players with 144 Hz monitors can opt for Ultra and stay above the refresh rate. However, for 240 Hz displays, High (206.4 FPS) is preferable to Ultra (170.8 FPS) to maximize frame rates, though the visual quality trade-off may not be worth it for most users.

At 4K, the recommendation is more nuanced. The High setting provides 114.5 FPS, which is above 60 FPS but below 120 FPS. Ultra delivers 94.5 FPS, which is still smooth but may cause noticeable drops on 120 Hz displays. Medium (138.7 FPS) is the best option for 4K 120 Hz panels, offering a balance between visual quality and frame rate. The Low setting (155.7 FPS) is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rates are prioritized over graphics. Overall, the data suggests that at 4K, High is the sweet spot for most users, as it maintains 114.5 FPS while providing good visual fidelity, and the 20 FPS gain from Ultra to High is worth the modest graphical reduction.