Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination delivers a performance profile in Doom that is heavily dictated by resolution and settings, with the GPU acting as the primary scaling bottleneck. The measured data shows a clear progression from high refresh-rate capability at 1080p to a more demanding workload at 4K, where the system’s frame rates become increasingly constrained.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is substantial across all settings, confirming that the rendering load scales aggressively with pixel count. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 127.8 FPS at 1080p to 80.7 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of roughly 37%, and then to 47.6 FPS at 4K, which is a further 41% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the limiting component as resolution increases, since the CPU’s workload does not scale with pixel output in the same way.

When settings are lowered to Low, the same pattern emerges but with higher absolute numbers. The transition from 1080p (178.1 FPS) to 1440p (113.9 FPS) represents a 36% reduction, while moving to 4K (62.7 FPS) cuts performance by another 45%. The fact that even at Low settings, 4K performance falls below 65 FPS suggests that the RTX 2060’s pixel throughput is the dominant constraint at this resolution, regardless of how lightly the scene is shaded.

The scaling between 1080p and 1440p is more moderate, with the High setting dropping from 127.8 to 80.7 FPS. This implies that at 1080p, the system is less GPU-bound, and the Ryzen 5 5600’s six cores and twelve threads are capable of feeding the graphics card sufficiently. However, the gap between 1440p and 4K widens, showing that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading resources are exhausted as the pixel count increases. The data indicates that for smooth 4K gameplay, the system would require substantial settings reductions or a more powerful GPU.

GPU Role

The RTX 2060’s specifications directly explain the observed frame rate behavior. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, the card provides a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. This is sufficient for Doom’s textures at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the higher memory pressure can contribute to the performance drop. The boost clock of 1680 MHz and base clock of 1365 MHz are standard for this Turing-based card, and the FP32 compute rating of 6.451 TFLOPS is what drives the shading work.

The GPU’s role becomes more pronounced at higher settings. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 35 FPS, which is a 44% reduction compared to the 4K High result of 47.6 FPS. This shows that the increased shading complexity from Ultra settings places a heavy load on the 1920 shading units and 120 texture mapping units. In contrast, at 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 107.3 FPS, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom at lower resolutions to handle the extra visual effects without becoming the primary bottleneck.

The memory configuration is also relevant. The 6 GB frame buffer is adequate for Doom’s art style, which relies on large, detailed textures. However, at 4K, the demand for texture storage and bandwidth increases, and the 336.0 GB/s bandwidth is a limiting factor. This is evident in the scaling behavior: the difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 27.7 FPS (from 62.7 to 35 FPS), whereas at 1080p, the same settings difference is 70.8 FPS (from 178.1 to 107.3 FPS). The smaller absolute delta at 4K suggests that the GPU is struggling to maintain throughput, not just because of shading but also due to memory constraints.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested combinations, this pairing sits in the lower-middle tier. The combo rank is 1372 out of 1681 tested combos, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects that while the system is capable of playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, it is not competitive with higher-end pairings that can maintain high refresh rates at 4K.

The CPU’s performance relative to its rivals provides context for this ranking. The Ryzen 5 5600 has an average benchmark score of 21765, which is 0.6% higher than the Intel Xeon D-1746TER’s score of 21635. However, it is 0.9% lower than the Intel Core i7-11700F’s score of 21957. This places the CPU in a narrow performance band where it is neither significantly ahead nor behind its direct competitors. The GPU, with an average score of 16074, is 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (score 15996) but 1.7% behind both the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Radeon Pro 5700 (both with scores of 16351).

The overall combo rank is influenced by this balance. The CPU is a solid mid-range performer, but the GPU’s 58th percentile rating among all GPUs drags the combination down. In Doom, a game that is visually intensive but also CPU-friendly due to its id Tech engine, the GPU is the weaker link in this pair. The system performs admirably at lower resolutions but cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K, which is a typical outcome for a mid-range GPU paired with a capable CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers strong performance across all settings. The Low preset produces an average of 178.1 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings reduce this to 154.3 FPS, and High settings yield 127.8 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, still maintains an average of 107.3 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combination is well-balanced, with the CPU and GPU working together to provide a smooth experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop but remain playable. Low settings produce 113.9 FPS, while Medium settings are at 97 FPS. High settings show 80.7 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 68.5 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU is beginning to become the limiting factor, as the frame rate differences between settings are smaller than at 1080p. For example, the gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 45.4 FPS, compared to 70.8 FPS at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings achieve 62.7 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings drop to 50.8 FPS, and High settings are at 47.6 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers only 35 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. These numbers confirm that 4K is not a practical resolution for this combination, even at the lowest settings, and that users seeking 4K performance would need to reduce the resolution or upgrade the GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate is 127.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS standard and suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: The average frame rate is 35 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck at this resolution and settings combination.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more limiting in this game?

A: The data shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU’s performance is sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The difference is 45.4 FPS, with Low settings at 113.9 FPS and Ultra settings at 68.5 FPS. This indicates that the GPU’s shading load has a significant impact on performance.

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

A: The combo ranks 1372 out of 1681 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all configurations tested.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and how does it affect performance?

A: The GPU has a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s from its 6 GB GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus. This bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, it can be a limiting factor, contributing to the lower frame rates observed.