Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination delivers a highly playable Doom experience, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, solid 1440p performance, and playable 4K framerates on reduced presets.

FAQ

Q: What average framerate can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 155. This indicates a smooth experience well above standard 144Hz monitor refresh rates.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 45 on Ultra to 74 on Low settings. The only 4K preset with recorded min/max data is Medium, showing an average of 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 scores 19,593 on average. It sits 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (19,617) and 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-12500 (19,668), while leading the Intel Core i7-10700F by 0.5% (19,499) and the Intel Core i5-11600KF by 0.7% (19,723).

Q: What is the GPU percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The Radeon RX 9060 falls in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 16,014 places it 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16,129).

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest minimum framerate at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS. This is the only 1440p preset with min/max data, but its minimum is notably higher than the 4K Medium preset's minimum of 55 FPS.

Q: How significant is the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p High, the average is 155 FPS, while at 4K High, it drops to 54 FPS. This represents a 101 FPS decrease, indicating a strong reliance on GPU performance at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the primary driver of performance in this configuration, particularly as resolution increases. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its clock speeds are aggressive, with a base of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. This combination of memory bandwidth and clock speed is well-suited for a fast-paced title like Doom, where texture streaming and fill rate are critical.

The GPU's architecture is RDNA 4.0 on a 4 nm process, with 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s help explain why the card holds up well at 1080p and 1440p. The FP32 performance of 21.43 TFLOPS provides ample compute headroom for the game's lighting and particle effects.

Benchmark data indicates the RX 9060's relative standing. Its PassMark G3D score of 17,631 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 88,183 point to a solid mid-range performer. The GPU's percentile ranking of 59 places it in the upper half of all tested graphics cards. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has an average score of 16,129, which is 0.7% higher. Interestingly, the RX 9060 outperforms both the AMD Radeon R9 370X and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 by 1% based on average scores.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. In Doom, this becomes apparent in the scaling from 1440p to 4K, where the average FPS on High settings drops from 101 to 54. This suggests that while the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are sufficient for 1440p, the frame buffer size and memory bus width constrain performance at 4K, especially on Ultra settings where the average drops to 45 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system is capable of very high framerates, with the Low preset hitting 211 FPS and the High preset at 155 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames quickly. The Ryzen 5 5500's 3DMark single-thread score of 836 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,319 suggest it can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions.

Moving to 1440p, the framerates remain high but show a noticeable drop. The High preset average falls to 101 FPS, while Low runs at 137 FPS. This scaling suggests a transition from CPU-bound to GPU-bound behavior. The 1080p to 1440p drop on High settings is 54 FPS (155 to 101), which is a 34.8% decrease. This is less severe than the drop to 4K, indicating the GPU is still coping well at this resolution.

The jump to 4K reveals the GPU's limits. On High settings, the average FPS falls to 54, a 46.5% decrease from the 1440p result. The Low preset at 4K manages 74 FPS, which is still playable but far from the 211 FPS seen at 1080p Low. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 45 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. This steep decline indicates that the RX 9060 is the primary bottleneck at 4K, with its 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus struggling to maintain framerates.

The scaling pattern suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combination. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 55 FPS (137 to 82), while at 1080p it is 84 FPS (211 to 127). The tighter spread at 1440p indicates the GPU is working harder, but still delivering acceptable performance across all presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p): The data shows excellent performance across all settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 211 FPS, which is the highest recorded value in the entire dataset. Medium settings produce an average of 184 FPS, with a minimum of 156 and maximum of 212. High settings drop to an average of 155 FPS, while Ultra yields 127 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is significant, but even the worst case at Ultra provides a very smooth experience.

2560x1440 (1440p): Performance remains strong. Low settings average 137 FPS, while Medium achieves 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 and maximum of 137. High settings average 101 FPS, and Ultra drops to 82 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 101 FPS is noteworthy, as it guarantees a consistent experience above 100 FPS. This resolution offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance.

3840x2160 (4K): This is where the system shows strain. Low settings average 74 FPS, which is playable. Medium settings average 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 and maximum of 74. High settings drop to an average of 54 FPS, and Ultra falls to 45 FPS. The Medium preset provides the most stable experience at this resolution, with a minimum that stays above 55 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are likely to exhibit noticeable dips during intense scenes.

The data reveals that the gap between Low and Ultra presets widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference is 84 FPS; at 1440p, it is 55 FPS; and at 4K, it is 29 FPS. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU and GPU can more easily differentiate between settings, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor regardless of the preset chosen.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 1,686 out of 2,930 tested combos in Doom. This places it in the 57.5th percentile of all combinations, meaning it outperforms more than half of the tested systems. This is a respectable position, especially considering the mid-range nature of both components.

The CPU's performance relative to its peers is well-balanced. The Ryzen 5 5500's average benchmark score of 19,593 puts it within 1% of its nearest rivals. It trails the Intel Core i5-12500 by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 by 0.1%, while leading the Intel Core i7-10700F by 0.5%. This suggests the CPU is not a significant bottleneck in most scenarios.

The GPU's ranking is more varied. The RX 9060 sits in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 16,014. Its closest competitor, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, is only 0.7% faster. The RX 9060 also leads the AMD Radeon RX 7700 by 1%, which is notable given the RX 7700's position in the product stack.

In the context of Doom specifically, the combo's rank of 1,686 suggests it delivers a solid experience but is not at the top tier. The game's fast-paced action and high frame rate potential mean that the 1080p results are excellent, but the 4K performance is below what high-end systems would achieve. The combination is clearly optimized for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being a secondary consideration.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired refresh rate.

For 1920x1080: The Ultra preset, with an average of 127 FPS, is the best choice. This provides the highest visual quality while still maintaining a framerate well above 60 FPS and sufficient for 120Hz displays. Even if the display is 144Hz, the 127 FPS average is close enough to the refresh rate to provide a smooth experience. The High preset at 155 FPS is a viable alternative for those seeking higher frame rates, but the visual benefits of Ultra are worth the 28 FPS drop.

For 2560x1440: The High preset, averaging 101 FPS, offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset at 82 FPS is also playable, but it may not fully utilize 144Hz displays. The Medium preset, with a minimum of 101 FPS, is the safest choice for competitive play, as it ensures a consistent experience without any noticeable dips. The difference between Medium and High is only 18 FPS, so High is recommended for most users.

For 3840x2160: The Medium preset is the recommended choice. With an average of 65 FPS and a minimum of 55 FPS, it provides a playable experience with moderate visual quality. The Low preset at 74 FPS is an option for those prioritizing frame rate over fidelity, but the visual compromise may be too significant. The High preset at 54 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 45 FPS should be avoided due to inconsistent frame pacing.

The data suggests that the RX 9060's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Medium settings at 4K but struggles with the higher texture and effect loads of High and Ultra. For the best overall experience, 1440p High settings provide the most compelling combination of visuals and performance, maximizing the potential of both the CPU and GPU.