Doom

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a six-core, twelve-thread desktop processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne codename) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It runs a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boosts up to 4.20 GHz. The CPU's cache layout includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 over a dual-channel bus, providing a theoretical bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The chip sits in the AM4 socket and uses PCIe Gen 3.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 5500 posts a single-thread score of 836 in 3DMark, 2319 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 1730 in Geekbench single-core. Multi-threaded results are stronger relative to its class: 3DMark max threads scores 5411, Cinebench R23 multi-core reaches 16429, and Geekbench multi-core hits 7976. The chip's overall average benchmark score is 19593, which places it at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals in aggregate score are the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (19617, -0.1% delta), the Intel Core i5-12500 (19668, -0.4%), and the Intel Core i7-10700F (19499, +0.5%). This indicates the Ryzen 5 5500 is essentially neck-and-neck with those parts in general compute, with the i5-11600KF slightly ahead at 19723 (-0.7% delta from the Ryzen's perspective).

For Doom, a fast-paced FPS originally released in 2016, CPU demands are moderate but not trivial. The game's id Tech 6 engine scales well across threads, but the Ryzen 5 5500's twelve threads provide ample headroom for physics, AI, and scene management. At 1080p with lower settings, the CPU is more likely to be a contributing factor to frame pacing, but the data suggests the bottleneck shifts heavily toward the GPU as resolution increases. The processor's 73rd percentile standing means it outperforms the majority of CPUs in the database, so it is unlikely to be the primary limiter at most settings tested here.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is a Turing-architecture part (chip TU117) built on TSMC's 12 nm process. It carries 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1485 MHz, boosting to 1665 MHz, while memory runs at 2001 MHz (8 Gbps effective). It has 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. Pixel fill rate is 53.28 GPixel/s, texture rate is 93.24 GTexel/s, and FP32 compute is 2.984 TFLOPS. The card draws 75 W TDP and requires no external power connectors.

In GPU benchmarks, the GTX 1650 scores 7880 in Passmark G3D, 29629 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 33042 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its average benchmark score is 7472, placing it at the 40th percentile among all GPUs. Nearest rivals in aggregate score include the AMD Radeon HD 8850M (7447, +0.3%), Intel UHD Graphics 750 (7441, +0.4%), and AMD Radeon R7 350 (7425, +0.6%), with the Intel Arc A310 slightly higher at 7550 (-1% delta). This puts the GTX 1650 in a very crowded mid-low tier; it is not a high-end part by any stretch.

For Doom, the GTX 1650's 4 GB VRAM is a notable constraint. At higher resolutions and settings, texture memory can become a limiting factor. The card's 128.1 GB/s bandwidth is modest, and the 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is enough for 1080p gaming in this title, but 4K is clearly beyond its comfortable range. The GPU's 40th percentile ranking suggests it sits below average in the database, and the measured FPS numbers reflect that.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 3585th out of 3712 tested combos in Doom. That places it in the bottom 3.4% of all system pairings in the database. This is a low rank, but context matters: the rank reflects the absolute performance ceiling of the combo, not its efficiency or suitability for the game at lower settings. The combo's position suggests that while the CPU is competent, the GPU drags the overall result down significantly.

Compared to other combos, this pairing is near the bottom tier, meaning most tested systems—even those with older or weaker CPUs—outperform it if they have a stronger GPU. The data indicates that Doom is heavily GPU-bound for this pairing, so any combo with a better graphics card would likely rank higher regardless of CPU choice. The Ryzen 5 5500's 73rd percentile CPU score is wasted when paired with a 40th percentile GPU. The rank of 3585 out of 3712 is a clear signal that this is not a high-performance gaming rig for modern standards, though it can still deliver playable frame rates in specific configurations.

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

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). All rows report average FPS, with some also including min/max values.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 92 avg FPS
• Medium: 80 avg FPS (min 68, max 92)
• High: 68 avg FPS
• Ultra: 55 avg FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 59 avg FPS
• Medium: 52 avg FPS (min 44, max 60)
• High: 44 avg FPS
• Ultra: 36 avg FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 32 avg FPS
• Medium: 28 avg FPS (min 24, max 32)
• High: 24 avg FPS
• Ultra: 19 avg FPS

The pattern is consistent: higher settings and higher resolutions both reduce frame rates. The min/max data for Medium settings shows tight ranges at each resolution (e.g., 68–92 at 1080p, 44–60 at 1440p, 24–32 at 4K), indicating relatively stable frame pacing rather than severe spikes.

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

Looking at the transition from 1080p to 1440p, holding settings constant, the frame rate drops are substantial. For Low settings, 92 FPS at 1080p falls to 59 FPS at 1440p—a 36% decrease. For Medium, 80 FPS drops to 52 FPS—a 35% reduction. High goes from 68 to 44 FPS—a 35% drop. Ultra goes from 55 to 36 FPS—a 35% decline. These consistent ~35% reductions across all settings when moving from 1080p to 1440p indicate that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as pixel count increases by 78% but FPS only drops by a third, suggesting some headroom in other parts of the pipeline.

Moving from 1440p to 4K, the drops become more severe. Low settings go from 59 to 32 FPS—a 46% reduction. Medium goes from 52 to 28 FPS—a 46% drop. High goes from 44 to 24 FPS—a 45% decline. Ultra goes from 36 to 19 FPS—a 47% reduction. Here, the 4K pixel count is 2.25 times that of 1440p, and the FPS falls by nearly half, which aligns with a GPU that is hitting its compute and memory bandwidth limits. The GTX 1650's 128.1 GB/s bandwidth and 2.984 TFLOPS are simply insufficient for 4K gaming in Doom, even at Low settings.

The data strongly suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The Ryzen 5 5500 has enough single-thread and multi-thread performance to keep up, as evidenced by the relatively smooth scaling pattern. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between 1440p and 4K at lower settings, but that is not the case. The GPU is clearly the constraining component across the board.

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

For a 1080p display, the best experience depends on the user's priority. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 92 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. Medium at 80 FPS is still excellent and offers better visuals with only a 13% FPS penalty. High drops to 68 FPS, which remains playable but begins to approach the 60 FPS line. Ultra at 55 FPS is below 60, which may be noticeable in a fast-paced FPS. For most players, Medium at 1080p offers the sweet spot: 80 FPS average with a min of 68, ensuring no major dips below playable levels.

At 2560x1440, the situation tightens. Low gives 59 FPS, which is just under 60—borderline but workable. Medium provides 52 FPS with a min of 44, which may cause occasional stutter in intense scenes. High drops to 44 FPS, and Ultra to 36, both of which are likely too low for a responsive shooter. The recommendation here is to use Low or possibly Medium if the player can tolerate occasional frame drops below 50 FPS. Low is the safer choice for maintaining near-60 FPS gameplay.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets achieve 60 FPS. Low tops out at 32 FPS, Medium at 28, High at 24, and Ultra at 19. Even Low is below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for acceptable playability, and the min FPS for Medium is 24. For 4K, the GTX 1650 is simply not capable of delivering a smooth experience in Doom. The best option is Low, but even that is marginal. Players with a 4K monitor should reduce the resolution to 1440p or 1080p for a playable frame rate.

The data indicates that the most balanced experience is 1080p Medium: 80 FPS average, 68 FPS minimum, and 92 FPS maximum. This provides a solid frame rate with reasonable visual quality, and the min FPS of 68 ensures no major hitches. For competitive play, 1080p Low at 92 FPS is better, but the visual trade-off is significant.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 strong enough for Doom?

A: Yes. The CPU posts a 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 and a single-core score of 2319. In Doom, the CPU is not the limiting factor—the GPU is, as shown by the consistent FPS drops across resolutions.

Q: Can the GTX 1650 run Doom at 1080p with high settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo averages 68 FPS. This is above 60 FPS, so it is playable, but Ultra drops to 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS line. Medium at 80 FPS is the recommended preset for a smoother experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings achieve at least 55 FPS. At 1440p, even Low only hits 59 FPS, and at 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The data shows 1080p is the optimal resolution for this pairing.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 3585th out of 3712 combos in Doom, placing it in the bottom 3.4%. This low rank is primarily due to the GTX 1650's 40th percentile GPU score, while the CPU is at the 73rd percentile.

Q: Is the GTX 1650's 4 GB VRAM a problem for Doom?

A: The GPU has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with 128.1 GB/s bandwidth. At 1080p, this is sufficient, but at 1440p and 4K, the memory bandwidth and capacity become limiting, contributing to the significant FPS drops observed at higher resolutions.

Q: What settings should I use for a 1440p monitor?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings give 59 FPS average, which is just under 60. Medium drops to 52 FPS with a min of 44. For consistent performance, Low is recommended; Medium may be acceptable if minor drops are tolerable, but High and Ultra are too slow at 44 and 36 FPS respectively.