Doom

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination delivers a highly playable experience in Doom, with frame rates that scale predictably across resolutions and settings. The data shows a system that is well-balanced for this title, though performance drops significantly at 4K, indicating a clear shift in the bottleneck from the CPU to the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic scaling pattern for this hardware pairing. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 129 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 84 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 4K, the average falls further to 45 FPS, which is a 65% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that while the CPU and GPU are capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions, the GPU's rendering workload becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

This trend is consistent across all settings presets. For example, at Low settings, the average frame rate goes from 176 FPS at 1080p to 114 FPS at 1440p, and then to 62 FPS at 4K. The 4K result represents a 65% decrease from the 1080p baseline, identical to the High setting drop. This consistency suggests that the performance scaling is primarily driven by the GPU's fill rate and compute capabilities, which are taxed harder as resolution increases.

The most telling data point for identifying the bottleneck is the gap between 1440p and 4K. At High settings, the drop from 1440p (84 FPS) to 4K (45 FPS) is a 46% reduction. This is a substantial loss, and it strongly suggests that at 4K, the Radeon RX 6600 is the primary constraint. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, has enough headroom to feed the GPU at 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU's 8 GB of memory and raw processing power are no longer sufficient to maintain the same level of performance.

The data implies that for a smooth 60 FPS experience, 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo on High settings. At 4K, users will need to lower settings to achieve acceptable frame rates. The 4K Low result of 62 FPS is playable, but it comes at the cost of visual fidelity. The 4K Medium result of 54 FPS is borderline, while the 4K Ultra result of 37 FPS is below the threshold for fluid gameplay. This makes it clear that the RX 6600 is not a 4K-class GPU for this title, even when paired with a capable CPU.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. In Doom, a game that benefits from strong single-thread performance, this CPU proves to be a solid partner for the RX 6600. The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the CPU is able to drive the GPU to very high frame rates, with the Low preset achieving 176 FPS. This high score indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution.

The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 7 nm process node contribute to its efficiency, but its role in this specific game becomes more apparent when examining the scaling. The fact that the frame rate drops by 35% when moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings suggests that the CPU is still able to keep up with the GPU's demands at 1440p. The bottleneck at 4K is not due to the CPU, as the 5600F's processing power is more than sufficient for the game's logic and physics at any resolution. The data shows that the CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid limiting the GPU until the GPU itself is overwhelmed.

The Ryzen 5 5600F's PassMark scores support this assessment. Its single-thread score of 2872 is strong, and its multithread score of 19236 demonstrates good overall capability. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, its performance is essentially on par, with a deltaPct of 0 and -0.2 respectively. This parity means that for Doom, the choice between these CPUs would not significantly alter the frame rates. The CPU's role here is to provide a stable foundation, and the data indicates it does so effectively, allowing the GPU to be the determining factor for performance at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Doom with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1440p on High settings provides an average of 84 FPS, which is a good balance of visual quality and smoothness. At 4K, the average drops to 45 FPS on the same settings, which is below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 62, which is playable. However, at High settings, the average drops to 45 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 37 FPS, indicating that 4K is not a strong point for this hardware.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 1080p. The system achieves 176 FPS at Low settings, which indicates the CPU can push the GPU to high performance levels. The GPU is likely the limiting factor at all resolutions, but its impact is most noticeable at 4K.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600F compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600F has an average benchmark score of 36945, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36938) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018). This indicates comparable CPU performance for gaming workloads.

Q: What is the difference between the Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Medium preset averages 99 FPS, while High averages 84 FPS. The 15 FPS difference suggests that High settings offer a more demanding visual experience, but the frame rate remains fluid.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates for the Medium preset?

A: For the Medium preset, the minimum FPS is 130 at 1080p, 84 at 1440p, and 46 at 4K. These minimums suggest that the game remains playable, though 4K may see occasional dips below 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Doom, this setup with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks at 2255 out of 2930 combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum. The percentile ranking for the CPU is 85, meaning it outperforms 85% of all CPUs in the database, while the GPU's percentile is 63. This disparity in percentile rankings indicates that the GPU is the weaker component in this pairing, and its performance is what holds the combo back in the rankings.

The combo's rank of 2255 is a reflection of the GPU's limitations, particularly at higher resolutions. While the CPU is a strong performer, the RX 6600 is not a high-end graphics card. Its average benchmark score of 19036 places it in a similar performance tier to the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile. This means that in a game like Doom, the overall system performance is heavily influenced by the GPU, and the combo's rank is a direct result of the GPU's mid-range capabilities.

For context, the GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation, which has a deltaPct of 0.4, and the NVIDIA Tesla K20m, with a deltaPct of -0.3. This close grouping shows that the RX 6600 is in a competitive but crowded field of GPUs. The data confirms that while this combo is far from the top of the rankings, it is also not at the bottom, and it provides a baseline level of performance that is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset.

1080p:

• Low: 176 FPS
• Medium: 153 FPS (min 130, max 176)
• High: 129 FPS
• Ultra: 106 FPS

1440p:

• Low: 114 FPS
• Medium: 99 FPS (min 84, max 114)
• High: 84 FPS
• Ultra: 68 FPS

4K:

• Low: 62 FPS
• Medium: 54 FPS (min 46, max 62)
• High: 45 FPS
• Ultra: 37 FPS

The data shows a clear and consistent hierarchy across all resolutions. The Low preset always yields the highest frame rate, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is significant. At 1080p, the difference is 70 FPS (176 vs 106), and at 4K, the difference is 25 FPS (62 vs 37). This indicates that the Ultra preset is particularly demanding on the GPU, and the performance cost may not be justified for the visual improvements.

The Medium preset provides a balanced option, as it only incurs a small performance penalty compared to Low while likely offering better visual quality. For example, at 1440p, the Medium preset averages 99 FPS, which is only 15 FPS less than Low. The minimum FPS data for Medium also shows that the system can maintain a playable frame rate, with a minimum of 84 FPS at 1440p and 46 FPS at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data suggests that the Medium preset at 1440p is the optimal choice. It provides an average of 99 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the minimum of 84 FPS ensures that there are no significant stutters. This configuration offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, allowing the game to look good while remaining highly responsive.

If a player prioritizes frame rate over visual quality, the Low preset at 1440p is an excellent option, delivering 114 FPS on average. This is a significant improvement over the Medium preset and would be ideal for competitive play. At 1080p, the Medium preset is also a strong recommendation, as it achieves 153 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display.

For 4K gaming, the data indicates that the Low preset is the only viable option for a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 62 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K, with an average of 54 FPS, may be acceptable for some, but the minimum of 46 FPS suggests that there will be noticeable dips during intense scenes. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended, as their average frame rates of 45 and 37 FPS respectively fall below the threshold for a fluid experience in a fast-paced FPS. Ultimately, the data points to 1440p as the sweet spot for this hardware combination, with the Medium preset offering the best overall experience.