Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B390 combination delivers playable frame rates in Doom at 1080p, but the experience degrades sharply as resolution increases. The data shows a system firmly constrained by its graphics processor, with the Arc B390’s integrated-class performance limiting the otherwise capable six-core CPU. Benchmark results indicate that users targeting 1440p or 4K will need to make significant compromises on visual quality, while 1080p remains the only resolution where high preset settings are viable.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 78 FPS at 1080p to 51 FPS at 1440p, a 35% reduction, and then falls further to 28 FPS at 4K, representing a 64% total decline from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload grows exponentially with pixel count and overwhelms the Intel Arc B390’s limited 24 ROPs and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel fill rate.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions, suggesting that the graphics card’s memory subsystem and shader throughput are the primary bottlenecks. At 1080p, the difference between Low (107 FPS) and Ultra (64 FPS) is 43 FPS, while at 4K the same settings spread only 15 FPS (37 FPS vs 22 FPS). This compression of the settings range at 4K indicates that the GPU is saturated even at Low quality, leaving little headroom for additional visual features without tanking performance below playable thresholds.

The 1440p results sit in a middle ground where the system can still deliver acceptable frame rates at reduced settings. Medium at 1440p averages 60 FPS, which matches the 1080p High result, but the margin for error is slim. Dropping to Low at 1440p recovers 9 FPS (69 FPS), while stepping up to Ultra costs 19 FPS (41 FPS). The data suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo, and only with settings compromises. At 4K, even Low settings fail to reach 40 FPS, making the resolution essentially unusable for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 brings six cores and twelve threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This processor sits in the 74th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20468. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, scores 20454, a negligible 0.1% difference, while the AMD Ryzen 5 8500G trails by 0.2% at 20425. These results place the 5600 in a competitive mid-range position, more than adequate for a 2016-era FPS title like Doom.

Single-thread performance is particularly relevant for this game’s engine, and the 5600 delivers a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2584, alongside a Geekbench single-core result of 1936. The 3DMark single-thread score of 882 and 2-thread score of 1737 further confirm that the CPU can handle the per-core workloads Doom’s id Tech 6 engine relies upon. The processor’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample data throughput for game logic and physics calculations.

Multi-threaded performance is equally robust, with Cinebench R23 multi-core scoring 18309 and Geekbench multi-core reaching 9158. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5641 and max-thread score of 5659 show only marginal scaling beyond 8 threads (4798), indicating that Doom does not heavily utilize more than eight threads. The PassMark multithread score of 21541 and physics score of 1285 suggest the CPU is never the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p Low settings, the 107 FPS average likely approaches what the CPU can feed the GPU, but at higher resolutions, the 5600 idles well below its potential while the Arc B390 struggles to keep up.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel’s 3 nm process. It features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU’s 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate are modest figures for a discrete-class expectation, but its system-shared memory and system-dependent bandwidth create additional bottlenecks. The 12 RT cores and 15.36 TFLOPS FP16 performance are largely irrelevant for Doom, which predates ray tracing and relies on traditional rasterization.

The Arc B390’s benchmark position is remarkably low, sitting in only the 9th percentile of all GPUs with an average 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482. Its nearest rivals are legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% behind), the GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% behind), and the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% behind). The GT 710 trails by 2.7% at 1443. This places the B390 in the same performance tier as decade-old entry-level mobile and OEM graphics, which explains its struggles at higher resolutions in Doom.

The GPU’s pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s becomes the critical constraint at 4K, where 3840x2160 requires over 8.3 million pixels per frame. At 28 FPS average on High settings, the B390 is rendering approximately 232 million pixels per second, approaching its theoretical pixel fill limit. The texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s similarly caps performance at higher settings, where texture sampling demands increase. The system-shared memory design means the GPU competes with the CPU for DDR4 bandwidth, further exacerbating the performance deficit.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable results across all settings. Low averages 107 FPS, Medium averages 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 and maximum of 107, High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 64 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 43 FPS, showing that the GPU has enough headroom at this resolution to accommodate higher visual fidelity. The Medium range of 79-107 FPS overlaps perfectly with the Low and High averages, indicating consistent frame pacing within that setting tier.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low averages 69 FPS, Medium averages 60 FPS with a range of 51-69, High averages 51 FPS, and Ultra averages 41 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 28 FPS, reflecting the increased pixel load. The Medium range of 51-69 FPS still allows for smooth gameplay on most displays, but the High preset dips below 60 FPS, and Ultra approaches the 40 FPS threshold where fast-paced FPS action becomes difficult to follow.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal at best. Low averages 37 FPS, Medium averages 33 FPS with a range of 28-37, High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. No setting achieves 60 FPS, and even the lowest preset fails to reach 40 FPS. The Medium range of 28-37 FPS shows that the minimum and maximum values align with the adjacent Low (37 FPS) and High (28 FPS) averages, suggesting the GPU is fully saturated and frame rates are bound by raw hardware limits rather than settings-specific optimizations. The 15 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 4K, compared to 43 FPS at 1080p, confirms that resolution scaling dominates over settings scaling for this GPU.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Doom at 4K?

A: Technically yes, but not well. At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 37 on Low settings, with Medium at 33 FPS, High at 28 FPS, and Ultra at 22 FPS. None of these reach 60 FPS, and even the minimum frame rates in the Medium preset (28 FPS) are below smooth gameplay thresholds.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings presets exceed 60 FPS. Low averages 107 FPS, Medium 93 FPS, High 78 FPS, and Ultra 64 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (69 FPS) and Medium (60 FPS) achieve 60 FPS or better.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, placing it 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710 (1443). This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU scores 20468 on average, ranking in the 74th percentile of all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 18309 and single-core is 2584. The GPU’s 9th percentile ranking and the sharp FPS drop at higher resolutions confirm the graphics card is the limiting factor.

Q: What settings preset delivers the most consistent frame rate?

A: At 1080p, Medium provides a measured range of 79 to 107 FPS with a 93 FPS average, which aligns with the Low average (107 FPS) and High average (78 FPS). This suggests Medium offers the best balance of visual quality and frame stability at this resolution.

Q: Does the CPU’s multi-threading capability matter for Doom?

A: The 3DMark results show scaling from 1737 at 2 threads to 4798 at 8 threads, a 176% increase, but only marginal gains beyond that (5641 at 16 threads). Doom appears to utilize up to eight threads effectively, which the 5600’s six cores and twelve threads can supply without issue.

Settings Recommendations

For a balanced experience targeting 60 FPS, 1920x1080 with Medium settings is the optimal choice. The measured average of 93 FPS with a range of 79-107 FPS provides comfortable headroom above the 60 FPS target, and the minimum frame rate of 79 FPS ensures no significant stutters during intense combat sequences. Users seeking maximum visual quality can select Ultra at 1080p, which still averages 64 FPS, but should be aware that the margin for error is thinner.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only viable option for 60 FPS gameplay, averaging exactly 60 FPS with a range of 51-69 FPS. The minimum of 51 FPS will produce occasional dips below the target, but the overall experience remains playable. Users who prioritize frame rate stability over visual fidelity should drop to Low, which averages 69 FPS, though the measured data does not provide a minimum for this preset to confirm consistency. High and Ultra at 1440p average 51 FPS and 41 FPS respectively, making them suitable only for slower-paced exploration rather than fast combat.

For 3840x2160, none of the settings presets achieve playable frame rates. Low averages 37 FPS and Medium averages 33 FPS with a minimum of 28 FPS, both below the 40 FPS threshold commonly cited for smooth FPS gameplay. High (28 FPS) and Ultra (22 FPS) are effectively unusable. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware combination, regardless of settings. Users with 4K displays should render at 1080p or 1440p and rely on display scaling rather than attempting native 4K rendering.

The ranking data places this combo at 2580 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom, putting it in the bottom 12% of systems. This aligns with the measured results, which show the system is capable at 1080p but struggles beyond that. The Intel Arc B390’s integrated-class performance, as evidenced by its 9th percentile GPU ranking, is the primary constraint, while the Ryzen 5 5600’s 74th percentile CPU ranking ensures the processor is never the limiting factor. Users should treat this system as a 1080p gaming solution for Doom, with 1440p possible only at reduced settings.