Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Intel Arc B390 combination delivers a playable, though not exceptional, experience in Doom, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. The data shows a clear pattern: the system is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides sufficient headroom at 1080p to push frame rates past the 100 FPS mark on lower presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo achieves in Doom?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 107, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the peak performance envelope for this configuration.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems in Doom?

A: This combination ranks 2580 out of 2930 tested combos, placing it in the lower 12th percentile of all configurations tested for this game. The ranking indicates that most other systems deliver higher frame rates.

Q: What is the performance difference between the lowest and highest settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 107 on Low settings to 64 on Ultra settings, a decrease of 43 frames per second. The Medium preset delivers 93 average FPS, while High settings yield 78 average FPS.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the primary bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor. The Intel Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. In contrast, the Ryzen 5 5500 sits at the 73rd percentile among CPUs, indicating the CPU is comparatively much stronger.

Q: What frame rates can users expect at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 41 on Ultra settings to 69 on Low settings. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, while High settings average 51 FPS.

Q: Does the data include minimum frame rate information?

A: Minimum FPS values are only recorded for the Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 79 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 51 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 28 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution built on the Xe3-LPG architecture using a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, featuring 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units. The GPU includes 12 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The memory configuration is system shared, meaning the GPU relies on the host system's memory with bandwidth described as system dependent. This architecture directly impacts performance in Doom, as the shared memory subsystem becomes a constraint at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth demands increase. The GPU's theoretical peak performance is 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s.

In benchmark testing, the Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 (1.3% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, which scores 1460 (1.5% lower). The data indicates this GPU performs at a level comparable to entry-level discrete graphics from over a decade ago, which explains the modest frame rates observed in Doom.

The GPU's 80 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate it is designed for integrated use rather than as a standalone add-in card. The power connectors are listed as none, and the bus interface is IGP, reinforcing that this is an integrated graphics processor. The display outputs are listed as portable device dependent, suggesting the GPU is intended for mobile or compact form factors.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 107 FPS at 1080p to 69 FPS at 1440p, then further to 37 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35.5% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a 46.4% decrease from 1440p to 4K.

For High settings, the progression is 78 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 34.6% from 1080p to 1440p and 45.1% from 1440p to 4K. Medium settings show a similar trend: 93 FPS at 1080p, 60 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K, with respective drops of 35.5% and 45.0%.

Ultra settings exhibit the largest relative decline, starting at 64 FPS at 1080p, falling to 41 FPS at 1440p, and reaching 22 FPS at 4K. The percentage decreases are 35.9% from 1080p to 1440p and 46.3% from 1440p to 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings presets strongly indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the scaling behavior is nearly identical regardless of the graphics load.

The data shows that the transition from 1080p to 1440p consistently reduces frame rates by approximately 35%, while the transition from 1440p to 4K reduces frame rates by approximately 45%. This pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload scales with pixel count. The CPU's performance headroom, evidenced by its 73rd percentile ranking, is sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output at all tested resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 107, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. Medium settings produce 93 average FPS with a recorded minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 107 FPS. High settings yield 78 average FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 64 average FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 43 FPS, representing a 40.2% reduction in performance when moving to the highest quality preset.

At 2560x1440, performance decreases noticeably but remains playable for most presets. Low settings average 69 FPS, Medium settings average 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 69 FPS, High settings average 51 FPS, and Ultra settings average 41 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 28 FPS, a 40.6% reduction. The Medium preset's minimum of 51 FPS suggests that even under demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above 50 FPS at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, performance drops below playable thresholds for most settings. Low settings average 37 FPS, Medium settings average 33 FPS with a minimum of 28 FPS and maximum of 37 FPS, High settings average 28 FPS, and Ultra settings average 22 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 15 FPS, representing a 40.5% reduction. The 4K resolution data indicates that only the Low preset approaches acceptable playability, while Ultra settings fall below 25 FPS, which is generally considered unplayable for a fast-paced FPS game.

The Medium settings rows provide the only complete min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 79 to 107 FPS; at 1440p, the range is 51 to 69 FPS; and at 4K, the range is 28 to 37 FPS. These ranges show consistent scaling, with the minimum FPS at each resolution being roughly 85% of the average, suggesting relatively stable frame pacing without severe dips.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2580 out of 2930 tested combos in Doom, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's limited performance capabilities, as the CPU is comparatively well-positioned in the broader market. The combination's rank is primarily determined by the GPU's 9th percentile standing, which drags the overall system performance down despite the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark performance are all NVIDIA entry-level parts from previous generations. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390's 1482. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% lower, and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. This grouping indicates that the Arc B390 performs at the very bottom of the GPU performance spectrum, alongside decade-old entry-level discrete graphics solutions.

The CPU's nearest rivals show a much tighter grouping. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 19617, just 0.1% higher than the Ryzen 5 5500's 19593 average benchmark score. The Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19668, 0.4% higher, while the Intel Core i7-10700F scores 19499, 0.5% lower. The Intel Core i5-11600KF scores 19723, 0.7% higher. This clustering demonstrates that the CPU is competitive with mid-range processors from recent generations, though its overall market position is modest.

The disparity between the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking and the GPU's 9th percentile ranking creates a significant bottleneck imbalance. In Doom, the GPU is unable to translate the CPU's capable processing power into high frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU's shared memory architecture and limited shading resources become increasingly strained.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, averaging 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS. This provides a smooth experience for a fast-paced FPS while maintaining reasonable graphical fidelity. The High preset at 78 FPS is also viable for users prioritizing visual quality, though the 15 FPS drop from Medium may be noticeable.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset again emerges as the recommended choice, averaging 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS. This delivers a playable experience at a higher resolution, though the 60 FPS average is at the threshold of what many users consider smooth for an FPS. The Low preset at 69 FPS provides more headroom for demanding scenes, making it a safer choice for competitive play. The High and Ultra presets at 51 and 41 FPS respectively are less ideal, as frame rates dip below 60 FPS and may introduce noticeable stutter.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves an average above 30 FPS at 37 FPS. The Medium preset averages 33 FPS with a minimum of 28 FPS, which is borderline playable but may struggle in hectic combat scenarios. The High preset at 28 FPS and Ultra at 22 FPS are below acceptable thresholds for a game like Doom, where fast movement and quick reflexes are essential. Users attempting 4K should accept Low settings as the only viable option, or consider lowering resolution to maintain higher frame rates.

The data shows that the Medium preset consistently delivers the best combination of quality and performance across all resolutions, with the largest gap between average and minimum FPS values. The 1080p Medium configuration, with its 93 FPS average and 79 FPS minimum, represents the sweet spot for this hardware combination, offering smooth gameplay without the visual compromises of the Low preset.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor features 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 5500 demonstrates solid multi-threaded performance. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 16429, while the single-core score is 2319. The Geekbench multicore score is 7976, and the single-core score is 1730. PassMark results show a multithread score of 19330 and a single-thread score of 3058. The processor's average benchmark score is 19593, placing it at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average score include the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 at 19617 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i5-12500 at 19668 (0.4% higher), the Intel Core i7-10700F at 19499 (0.5% lower), and the Intel Core i5-11600KF at 19723 (0.7% higher). These results indicate that the Ryzen 5 5500 performs competitively with other mid-range processors from both AMD and Intel.

In Doom, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured frame rates at 1080p, particularly the 107 FPS average on Low settings, suggest that the CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates. The consistent 35-40% performance drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p and 4K indicate that the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU's 12 threads and 4.20 GHz boost clock provide ample processing power for Doom's engine, which is known to scale well with modern multi-core processors.

The 3DMark results show the CPU's threading capabilities: 2-thread score is 1645, 4-thread score is 3151, 8-thread score is 4593, and 16-thread score is 5386, with a max-thread score of 5411. The single-thread score is 836. These results show good scaling from 2 to 8 threads, with diminishing returns beyond 8 threads, which is typical for gaming workloads that rarely utilize more than 8 threads effectively. The CPU's strong single-thread performance is particularly relevant for Doom, which relies heavily on single-threaded game logic in many scenarios.